Heavy rain swamps Phuket and cuts electricity supplies
Torrential rain yesterday afternoon on the Thai island of Phuket flooded highways and wiped out electricity supplies. The downpour lasted for about one hour and the resulting flash floods caused major traffic snarl ups around west coast resorts such as Kamala and Cherng Talay.
Phuket news reported that a part of Thepkrasattri Road was under half a meter of water at the height of the flooding. The storm brought down electricity poles on Srisoonthorn Road which caused blackouts in the surrounding area.
Local electricity board boss Boontham Jaroenphong said four poles were knocked right over other while others were leaning at dangerous angles. He added that cranes were brought in to realign the poles and workers refooted them. Normal power supplies were restored at around midnight.
Phuket police issued a warning about wet weather last week and urged motorcyclists in particular to ride slowly. A spokesperson said officers had received numerous reports of motorcyclists losing traction on slippery surfaces following sporadic showers.
12GO ASIA says March showers are the precursor for the first rainy season of the year in the Andaman region of Thailand. The April to May rainy season is generally followed by another stretching from August to early November.
Last week saw the inauguration of a new flight route connecting central Vietnam and the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. Vietnamese budget carrier Jetstar Pacific launched a twice weekly service last Friday which links the nation’s Quang Binh Province to the Rose of Thailand’s North.
Delegates from Thailand and Myanmar have marked the auspicious 20th birthday of a river bridge linking the two ASEAN nations. The ceremonies on Tuesday marked the official anniversary of the Moei River Friendship Bridge’s opening on 15 August 1997.
A heritage bridge spanning the Perfume River in Hue is to get a makeover to make it more conducive to 21st century tourism. The original Truong Tien Bridge dates from the French colonial era in the 1890s and is a 400-metre-long structure.
