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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2017
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MIND THE GAP PLAN TO BUILD B1.2BN BRIDGE TO COCONUT ISLAND GAINS MOMENTUM
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NEWS
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LIFE
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Burasari’s Kantok serves up a tour of Phuket’s finest
The pier at Laem Hin reaches out to Koh Maphrao, just a kilometre away. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot
Tanyaluk Sakoot reporter2@classactmedia.co.th
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lans to build a bridge costing B1.2 billion linking Phuket with Koh Maphrao, also just called “Coconut Island”, are gaining momentum with Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong expected to inspect the island today (Dec 22) to assess whether or not to pledge his support for the project. The proposed bridge is to span about one kilometre from Laem Hin, popular for its seafood restaurants
served by the local fishing community on Phuket’s east coast, to the pier at Baan Koh Maphrao on the island. The move to push ahead with a fresh proposal to build the bridge, which has failed to gain approval in several previous attempts in the years past, comes from strong support from the villagers on the island itself, reports Teeradech Kumleang, Deputy Chief of the Phuket office Department of Rural Roads (DRR), which under the Ministry of Transport oversees the national Bureau of Bridge Construction.
“I arrived in Phuket about six months ago and I received complaints from villagers on the island saying they deeply wanted a bridge to Phuket,” Mr Teeradech explained. “They even sent a petition of about 100 signatures asking for a bridge, so I dispatched a team to survey the residents on the island to better gauge public opinion on whether or not a majority actually wanted it,” he added. The response was strong. “We definitely support having a bridge. We want it,” said Sangsan
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Piersakul, the resident Imam on Koh Maphrao, where a huge majority of the islanders are Muslim. “The officials came over to survey residents’ opinions last month. Most of the people here, there are about 1,000 people living on the island, supported having a bridge connecting us to Phuket,” he said. “We want change on Koh Maphrao,” Imam Sangsan noted. “Currently, we have to travel by boat between the islands. This is made even harder when the wind is strong and storms hit the area...
SPORT
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