Click a thumbnail to view more photographs
Patong Mayor Reveals Remarkable Ideas
By Prasit Tarnsirisin Monday, October 8, 2012
PHUKET: An idea by Patong Mayor Pian Keesin to erect a lookout tower with a helicopter pad alongside it is being researched at a cost of five million or six million baht, a meeting heard today.
The present pavilion at the beach end of Soi Bangla would be redeveloped to include both projects, the mayor told Patong Council.
It would be a centre for ''action patrols'' of Patong beach, his policy for coming development projects outlined.
He told the meeting at Patong Council's offices that his plan was for Patong - the beach and nightlife hub on Phuket's west coast - to be a ''livable and sustainable'' tourist city.
Among other projects is a plan for a four-basement level car park beneath the present football ground on the beach road.
A third project would put a statue of a large dolphin in the middle of the traffic circle at the southern end of Patong's beach road.
Another of the mayor's ideas is to erect a large ''Patong City'' sign on the road north to Kamala, with a row of green dolphins on both sides of the road.
The only research cost revealed today was for the mayor's idea of the tower centre for ''action patrols.'' No other figures were given for the cost of researching the other projects.
Most of the Patong council staff saw the mayor's projects for the first time today and said they would need time to review the ideas before offering comments.
|
Comments
Comments have been disabled for this article.
Can Patong Mayor Pian Keesin tells us what "action patrols" are, and why can't we have them NOW, what difference will the tower make? As for a heli port..so dangerous in that location, for safety reasons a large area would need to be cordoned off, every time a helicopter lands or takes off, is it at all necessary, or is someone planning tourist flights around Patong and ajacent areas.
Posted by
dbate_me
on
October 8, 2012 15:45
I should post a youtube video of me laughing so hard. Absolutely hysterical.
Posted by
tbs
on
October 8, 2012 15:53
do the roads, man, THE R O A D S !!!!
try with 50m of fresh new road without any holes in it, maybe people like it !
Posted by
arthur
on
October 8, 2012 16:09
Is the Mayor up for election soon? Not sure how these "ideas" will themselves make Patong a "liveable, sustainable" City.
Posted by
Alan
on
October 8, 2012 16:23
A high tower with a helipad next to it ?
Perhaps someone should explain to K. Pian how a helicopter works.
High structures are the last thing you want around a helipad and the rotor wash would be interesting to watch at the location he has "planned".
K Pian would do well to invest his time into solving the urgent problems that plague Patong, which he has been unable or unwilling to solve during his last two tenures.
We don't need more useless signs or dolphins, we need safe and affordable public transport and an end to Tuk-Tuk, Jet-Ski etc scams.
Posted by
Andrew
on
October 8, 2012 16:45
Editor Comment:
Perhaps a free bus circling the Patong one-way system would be useful, too.
How about a road you can drive on without fear of plummeting into giant potholes.
Posted by
logbags
on
October 8, 2012 16:51
Your article is no help in understanding how these ideas contribute to "livability", "sustainability". I suspect you were quoting. Seriously, how in this mish mash of politicians and bureaucrats can interesting Patong, beautiful Phuket be returned to their livable, sustainable state. How to do more, regularly like the divers' clean up this past weekend!
Posted by
ssresident
on
October 8, 2012 17:42
Editor Comment:
Two weekends ago, ssresident. As we've said, the cleanups are a good thing. But they do nothing to solve the problem, only reduce the impact. Marketing projects tend to convey the impression ''problem solved'' when really, that's not the case. Interest usually wanes once people realise it's not a real answer. The hope is that the energy can now be directed to real answers.
Love the dolphins and the sign. They're not tacky at all, Mr. Mayor. You stay classy now.
Posted by
chrisT
on
October 8, 2012 17:55
I think these are great ideas. I think that if you are in a helicopter and get far enough away from Patong it may appear that everything is fine. I also say put those dolphins to work that have been washing up on the beach lately, they would make a nice statue to show what was once the beauty of the Andaman.
Posted by
Jon
on
October 8, 2012 18:50
It has dawned on me that Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, will not directly approach the jet ski or deck chair operators and ask them kindly to vacate the beach, inside, real genius, he is going to use the helicopter, to blow them away, along with all the accumulated rubbish...brilliant.
Posted by
dbate_me
on
October 8, 2012 18:54
4 level basement carpark on the beach road in a tsunami zone.
Posted by
michael
on
October 8, 2012 20:12
Editor Comment:
How quickly people forget, eh?
tbs yes you should post that video. I lost a mouthful of coffee on the purposeful porpoises of Kamala.
dbate_me no need to cordon off anything.
If you add four of five of these on the beach, there will be no more need to have a tunnel. You could have a shuttle service. Of course you would have to fly lower over the collapsed road near the new Welcome to Patong sign on the hill to be sure everyone sees that other monument to civic planning.
I can picture "world class tourists" relaxing on the "world class beach" as the uplifting strains of Wagner pour from speakers every time the choppers come in an take off, In voice over Mayor Pian "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning. Welcome to Patong".
Thank you editor, comedy is the gift that keeps on giving but unintentional comedy is for ever and Mayor Pian is an apparently unending source.
Patong is lucky to have elected a pro-active mayor who is focused on providing solutions to the real issues of Patong no matter the cost and I will be he is even willing to provide the construction crews for the job, act as agent to procure the helicopter and a maintenance contract for the service. What a guy!
Editor - you are role model for restraint, I can't imagine how you manage to report and not snort or guffaw.
Posted by
Martin
on
October 8, 2012 20:15
Excellent sarcasm folks ! Truly enjoyable.
But in all seriousness, could we just have a little bit of paint and concrete to mark the lanes and fill in the deathly potholes. It might not create opportunity for laundering or graft but it would save a lot of lives.
As for the underground car park, that's not so crazy. We need more parking. We're not "expecting" another Tsunami any time soon and if it did come Darwin's fittest would be heading for the hills not the basement on the beach. It could even be closed in the event of a warning. (FYI - I haven't forgotten Ocean ... and never will).
Posted by
James
on
October 9, 2012 16:50
|
Can Patong Mayor Pian Keesin tells us what "action patrols" are, and why can't we have them NOW, what difference will the tower make? As for a heli port..so dangerous in that location, for safety reasons a large area would need to be cordoned off, every time a helicopter lands or takes off, is it at all necessary, or is someone planning tourist flights around Patong and ajacent areas.
Posted by dbate_me on October 8, 2012 15:45