Bit Of Rain = Chaos On The Road

[LivinginKata]

Just back home after a trip from Kata over to Patong, and back. No sports car today, took the SUV MU7. Just chaos with water streaming off the hills, made worse by all the hillside building developments. Many timid drivers stopped, blocking the road for those braver and with higher vehicles. Lucky I got home.

Everyone beware, think twice before venturing out in the rain.

[thaigerd]

Just coming back from the same trip like you.......nightmare.

Gerd

[Sir Burr]

"Same as it's ever been, same as it's ever been".

[LeungKen]

It's pretty scarey up my way on the on the old Honda Wave !! Think I'll stay here now and send the Good Lady out for dinner later.......

[fiddlehead]

Yes, that was a very hard rain, aye?

I had my 3 year old with me and kept telling him when you drive through water that is up to your knees, you have to go slow.

Unfortunately some people have not learned this. They get stuck in it. I wish i had my camera today.

Twas a lot like driving in a blinding snow storm (only warmer)

[hkt83100]

And it took me about 20 minutes from Nanai Road to Carrefour (about 3.30pm). I cannot understand why these blockheads got a building permit for the construction in that road (Soi Banzaan or whatever it is called) :-(

[MisterMan]

Shame on all those developers who build on hillsides!!! They give no consideration impact it beyond their pocketbooks.

I believe it is the Raimonland Project in Kata that created a muddy flood near the Kata Beach Resort.

LivinginKata, dont you have a hillside Building? Must be nice to have 2 cars in Phuket.

[dingdongrb]

I can understand where you are coming from about driving in the rain while residing in Thailand. Here is my take on that with others providing their thoughts: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Don-t-Rain-t202069.html

[LivinginKata]

LivinginKata, dont you have a hillside Building? Must be nice to have 2 cars in Phuket.

Actually we have 2 hillside buildings, one in Patong and one in Kata. We built with the contours of our land, we did not move huge amounts of dirt either onto or off of our properties, and we laid in good drainage.

Actually we have 3 'cars'. Our very old & battered (11 years now) Suzuki Caribean, Wallee's SUV truck, and my recent sports car treat subject to promise my wife never to use a motor bike ever again. And yes, it's very nice to have 3 cars.

[Sir Burr]

^

You wouldn't perchance be related to Mobi, would you?

[LivinginKata]

^

You wouldn't perchance be related to Mobi, would you?

If that question is directed to me... I have no idea what you are talking about

[Sir Burr]

He's a famous poster on TV that makes a dick of himself by informing complete strangers on an internet forum about how wealthy he is.

[LivinginKata]

Just being polite and answering a question. Now can we get back to the OT...

Friday, September 5, 2008

Floods in Chalong and Patong

Downpours caused traffic tailbacks around the island, including in front of the power station on Chao Fa West Rd (pictured), and damage to homes and shops.

PHUKET: Heavy rains since this morning have caused flooding at many locales around the island, causing long tailbacks along major roads and damage to shops inundated with water.

Patong suffered minor floods this morning before the rain stopped to give the resort town a midday reprieve, but the skies opened again this afternoon and brought more flooding.

Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd saw long tailbacks from Soi Bangla back to Baan Sai Nam Yen School, while on Sirirat Rd at the southern end of Patong one shop staffer told the Gazette that it took an hour to clear out the floodwater from his shop this morning, only to see the shop flood again after just 30 minutes of rain this afternoon.

Patong Municipality workers spent an hour clearing drains at the intersection at the bottom of the hill so that the floodwaters would subside.

The Thai Meteorological Department center in Phuket City recorded rainfall of 34.7 millimeters between 1 pm and 3 pm.

In Chalong, runoff from nearby hills caused flooding across Chao Fa West Rd in front of the Phuket Provincial Electricity substation.

Nearby shophouses were flooded, with staff at TTT Furnishings store saying it was the first time that the shop had been flooded. “Normally, only the road floods, but today it’s not even heavy rain and the shop was flooded after only about an hour,” said one staffer.

Edited September 5, 2008 by LivinginKata

[jts-khorat]

Just back home after a trip from Kata over to Patong, and back. No sports car today, took the SUV MU7. Just chaos with water streaming off the hills, made worse by all the hillside building developments. Many timid drivers stopped, blocking the road for those braver and with higher vehicles. Lucky I got home.

Everyone beware, think twice before venturing out in the rain.

This situation has repeated itself every single year with every start of the rainy season (and there are two every year), for the full decade I have been here on Phuket. Blocked drains are the major culprit, only if it really rains excessively then even cleared drainage might not be enough.

But we all know that planning is not the strength locally, so it needs a good flooding for funds being available to do standard maintenance work on the drains. Just one of the little things one learns to live with here. TiT.