PHUKET: A new wavy silver fence protects pedestrians strolling along beach road in Patong from forgetting about their safety and stepping off into the stream of traffic flowing around the holiday hub's one-way system. The fencing runs from Soi Bangla to the Phuket Graceland Resort and Spa. It has the added advantage of limiting the places where tuk-tuks can park or pick up tourists and deterring bag snatchers.
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I have seen these Silver railings appearing in many places in Patong. They look absolutely awful , I think myself they have been put there to stop Tuk-Tuks parking and picking up tourists because the police just cant seem to control them in a more normal manner. These railings now cause people to walk a very long way to cross the road , they look unsightly and I myself think its a stupid idea. Posted by Pete on April 13, 2014 11:14 
@pete: you wouldn't think its a stupid idea, if your kid would be knocked over by a half experienced tourist on a bike, or a minivan driver who thinks that the speed limit is 100 k/hr. I think the fence is not a bad idea at all, and if you gotta walk a 100 meters further to cross the road, so be it. Better that than a bed in the hospital, or worse. Posted by Charles on April 13, 2014 12:29 
I agree that it is a very stupid idea , they seem to have been put in many places in Patong but only were there are red and white no parking lines. I also agree that the main reason looks like there only there to stop tuk tuks from picking people up. As the people would have to climb the barriers to get to the tuk tuk ,and they really do look horrible. Its the sort of thing someone would erect as crowd control barrier. Posted by Rudolf on April 13, 2014 12:57 
I have to agree with Mr. Pete and Mr. Rudolf , no other place in the world have crazy barrier like this. Go from Soi Bangla all the way to Graceland hotel ,to stop people from crossing road. This is because in Thailand people don't stop at zebra crossing to let people cross the road. The beach road now look like very ugly because of this barrier , I agree the main reason is to stop tuk tuk not safety. Posted by Surasak on April 13, 2014 14:34 
But vendors still set up therir little kiosks on the sidewalks...and place trash on the sidewalks ..making it more difficult to walk...I also think the idea is stuoid..caging people in Posted by sky on April 13, 2014 15:51 
If this was intended as a safety measure then its had the opposite effect. It has just made people drive even faster along that stretch of road from Bangla road to Graceland . It is now is like a formula 1 racing track with these barriers holding back the spectators. Posted by Steve on April 13, 2014 15:52 
The railings would be a good idea, if there were actual pavements you can walk on. But like everything, the pavements are full of people on public right of ways paying "whoever" to put a market stall there, making it unsafe. If there was a fire or anything from a building and people had to run out, most would be crushed to death. Posted by Tbs on April 13, 2014 16:09 
Good idea, but why is the sharp end of the top bar facing traffic. Terrible if someone on a bike would hit the top bar and slide onto that end! Posted by Peter on April 13, 2014 16:13 
Charles, hardly a realistic reply to pete, you need to cross the road at some point, where you take the same chance of being "knocked over" as not many drivers, if any, except some tourists, take much notice of pedestrian crossings. Having said that, when was the last time someone was "knocked down", crossing the road, I can't remember any at all, what I can remember is a Thai lady being knocked off her bike, by a truck, which then ran over her head, killing her. I'll wager on any day you will see tourists and Thais scaling the fence to cross the road. If as pete says, it may stop tuk tuks picking up passengers then we will see another blockade or the tuk tuk drivers will remove the fences. Here's an idea, I hope the Governor is reading this, instead of police standing around, at the police box at the beach end of soi bangla, why not "encourage' them to do point duty at the pedestrian crossing. Also also install another 2 or crossing along that section of road. Posted by Laurie Howells on April 13, 2014 16:26 Editor Comment: You seem to have some odd ideas about who is responsible for what on Phuket, Laurie. The Governor has no control over police. That's the role of Phuket's police commander. 
Another crazy ridicules money wasting idea from who ever is in control in Patong. These things have appeared everywhere in Patong and look like they belong on a farm or in a prison. There a nuisance and ugly ,tourists now have walk miles just to cross the road. They block off the access to shops ect any many business will suffer because of them. Posted by Fulang on April 13, 2014 17:32 
I totally disagree. These "fences" as you put it, narrow the sidewalks, in some areas where they are now barely 1 person wide due to the encroachment of vendors; make crossing the street more dangerous because there are no or few designated crosswalks that directly cross the street (versus a long diagonal walk between openings); and tuktuk drivers block the openings at sois to wait for customers. Tuktuk drivers should be banned (and fined) for parking in the one of the two road lanes along Beach Road. Posted by Anonymous on April 13, 2014 19:45 Editor Comment: The fences are an opportunity to remove the vendors with the argument that there isn't room for them as well as pedestrians. 
A great idea, so are the escape routes in case of a tsunami all locked. Posted by Paul on April 13, 2014 19:59 Editor Comment: Most people on Phuket think they can forget the tsunami, Paul. And you know what that means.
Now that's something I didn't think about a Tsunami , those stupid railings would be an absolute death trap for people fleeing the beach area. Does anybody remember the sheer panic about 3 years ago when there was a serious Tsunami warning. I wonder why that wasn't thought about before they installed these ugly barriers . Posted by Pete on April 13, 2014 22:25 Editor Comment: People on Phuket are intent on forgetting the tsunami, Pete. But the railings actually guide people to the escape routes, the roads to higher ground. 
So they erect a 1.5 meter steel barrier all the way along the beach road from Bangla rd to the Graceland hotel. Then if there is a Tsunami or a Tsunami warning they would be just great to block peoples escape , causing mass panic and maybe suffocation. I also agree that they are an eyesore and ruin the look of the beach road. Posted by Antony on April 13, 2014 22:37 Editor Comment: The fencing actually tells people where to run, Anthony. The roadway escape routes are not covered by the fence, and that's where people need to head for safety. 
I like the idea. They use these in Australia, particularly near schools to stop kids crossing where there are no designated crossing points. They also have them next to a lot of shopping centres where there is high road traffic. People will get used to where the crossing points are. Posted by pozz59 on April 14, 2014 09:42
Ed, if someone is at mid point of the fence, the choice would be to run inland about 50m's or 200m's to ane exit point of the fence..duh. I for one, if needed would scale the fence, even at nearly 60 years, I can still manage it. Having said that the tsunami barely made it halfway up soi bangla, why so many think it worse god only knows, most people could have stayed at the bars, and hardly got their feet wet. Best advice, get off the beach head for the second or third floor of any hotel of go to the Jung Ceylon Shopping center, as we must all know by now, the "escape routes are few and get blocked by too much traffic and by idiots stopping on the hill, on the roads, with no consideration for the safety of others. Please people, don't say what if a tsunami like Fukushima hits, Patong is protected by a bay, this article is about Patong, not Phuket. Posted by Laurie Howells on April 14, 2014 10:09 Editor Comment: Your understanding of the tsunami appears to be based solely on Soi Bangla, Laurie. As 5400 people were killed along the Andaman coast and on offshore islands, it was Thailand's worst natural disaster. People unlucky enough to be caught on Patong's beachfront were fortunate if they survived. Many did not. At some point, people fleeing a big wave from Patong beach would have to run sideways to reach a street that takes them uphill. The fence is a help, not a hindrance.
Ed, please, I do not to be banned again, but, I clearly stated my comment was for Patong...not all of Phuket. As anyone who has dealt with any form of safe evacuation will point out any barrier is a hindrance, which this fence clearly could be. As I clearly stated make for the nearest hotel's 2nd or 3rd floor of the nearest hotel. Please do not use figures, eg 5400 deaths to justify your stance, as I also clearly stated my comment is in regards to Patong, for some unknown reason you seem to counter safe advice, which to me is bewildering. Posted by Laurie Howells on April 14, 2014 13:00 Editor Comment: As I said, Laurie, the fences actually direct people fleeing a possible wave to the roads leading to higher ground. Between Soi Bangla and Graceland, there are no easily accessible resorts.I would say ''follow the signs'' but there are no longer that many tsunami signs to be seen. I don't intend to waste more time on this. 
@Laurie The tide mark was along the east side pavement on Rat-U-Tid road, not halfway up Bangla. I have photos, taken next day, showing cars and jetskis piled on top of each other in buildings on beach road. The high watermark was four feet high halfway up Bangla. It's not just water that is a problem, it carries dangerous stuff with it. As bad as the tsunami was, it would've been a whole lot worse had it happened twelve hours later, when beach road and surrounding streets would've been full of tourists. As for the railings... just about the most stupid idea ever. Absolutely ludicrous. Posted by Sudo Nim on April 14, 2014 14:18
Sudo Nim, thanks for the info, I must admit, I did get onsite until a few days later, as the police would not let me thru, my information came from those on site at the time the wave hit. However, my instructions for safety still stands... head for multistorey hotels or Jung Ceylon, as we know, from experience, the escape routes will more than likely be blocked. Remember the last false warning, when a german, in think, died trying to evacuate, when he would have, possibly, been alive today if he had simply gone to a higher floor in a hotel. Posted by Laurie Howells on April 14, 2014 15:52 Editor Comment: Speculation about what took place in the tsunami and in the tsunami alert is not advisable, Laurie, especially if you weren't there. Your tendency to rely on and to supply second-hand information is not especially useful. 
I think it is a brilliant idea. Why these people go off about this railing I dont know. Have you ever been to london, and other massive cosmopolitan cities? Even here in South Africa you will find those railings. Pedestrians forget there is traffic and just blindly walk right into traffic. ...And we all know how many drunk tourists are walking Patong's streets!! Stop complaining and rather worry about the pollution on the beaches!!!!!! Posted by Jacques Slabbert on April 14, 2014 22:46 
Speaking of safety railings, How about higher railings for hotel balconies? They are notoriously low. Too many people fall over them, often to their death. Posted by Dean on April 15, 2014 03:29
@Jacques I think most of us are aware of railings between pavements and traffic in large cities. Railings that lead pedestrians to traffic lights controlled crossings. Great idea. This is not the issue here. When was the last tsunami to hit J'burg? If another tsunami were to hit Patong, people would die in the crush at these railings before the water hit. A human panic stampede isrruthless. These barriers are equivalent to a bandaid on a broken leg. If the upper echelon of Patong were the least bit interested in pedestrian safety, they would build pedestrian bridges and not just at the beach, these are required in many places. Problem solved. Posted by Sudo Nim on April 15, 2014 13:16 Editor Comment: Total rubbish, Sudo Nim. I don't know why you don't think before typing. 
I wa sin Phuket over new year when they started installing and believe it is a great idea. If the vendors are in the way they will be forced out. Would rather trip over a stall then get hit by a car. I stopped at a crossing near Graceland to let people cross and a tuk tuk overtook me on the blind side at about 80km/hr. At least the crossings will be used and could force a change by sheer numbers crossing at them. Currently people cross wherever so none has incentive to worry about crossings. Even if they are intended for tuk tuk control the value will come in safety. Posted by davemc60 on May 7, 2014 12:23 |
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That looks like a simple and clean solution. Good job!
Posted by Anonymous on April 13, 2014 10:55