Phuket's Unsightly Roadside Signs Finally Fall

[webfact]

Phuket's unsightly roadside signs finally fall

Signs along Phuket's Thepkrasattri Road were branded as and dangerous.

One of the better-known signs highlighted at the meeting.

The sign should read, of course, as 'Wat Chalong'.

PHUKET: -- Advertising signs and billboards on public land lining Phuket’s main roads are being removed, the Phuket Highways Office confirmed yesterday.

Sathaporn Sornchana, Deputy General Manager of the Phuket Highways Office, announced the news at the second meeting of Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha’s advisory committee, which the governor formed in May to start tackling such issues.

The move follows Surin Bamrungphol denouncing signs installed along main roads under the responsibility of the Phuket Highways Office as ugly and dangerous.

At the 18-member committee’s previous meeting on July 7, he singled out Thepkrasattri Road as one particular eyesore.

“These boards are visual pollution,” Mr Surin said.

“Some block views. Some block traffic lanes. Some are installed near historical monuments, making them look bad. Some have incorrect spelling in English. Some are not even installed safely.”

Mr Sathaporn told the meeting yesterday that many of the small offending signs installed without his office’s permission had already been removed.

Among the main locations being targeted were the intersection of the Airport Road with Thepkrasattri Road, along Thepkrasattri Road from the airport to Phuket Town and the Bang Khu Intersection (where Thepkrasattri Road meets the bypass road), he said.

However, billboards posted on large steel frames will take a little longer to pull down, Mr Sathaporn said.

“We cannot immediately remove the large billboards with steel structures because we need to warn the owners in writing three times before we can legally remove them,” Mr Sathaporn said.

Part of the problem was that although the structures were on public land, many of the owners were paying taxes to local tambon administration organizations (OrBorTor) for the right to use the billboards, he explained.

“We are now asking for cooperation from the local OrBorTor to inform the boards’ owners to remove any signs in public areas,” he said.

Only signs approved and installed by the Highways Office will be allowed beside the main roads, Mr Sathaporn added.

“The signs must measure 75cm by 120cm. The plate must be made from aluminum alloy and have a white background,” he said.

“Anyone who does not ask our office for permission to install a sign must post their sign at least 2.5 meters away from the edge of the road because the land beside the road is for public use, not for personal use,” he added.

Governor Tri was plainly happy with the progress made.

“I am quite pleased with the progress. Keep going. Phuket should have as many clear views as possible,” he said.

“For any cases that you have problems with, I will talk with the local OrBorTor [involved] to make sure you have their cooperation,” Gov Tri added.

Source; http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=10965

-- Phuket Gazette 2011-09-13

[Valentine]

A step in the right direction as it is getting completely out of hand. Noticed a couple of policemen removing a sign on Chao Fa West yesterday & hopefully it was more than one.

[Atmos]

hope this one stays - approaching Rawai from Chalong.

Are you at the end of the road?

[paulchiangmai]

The ugliest thing I see in that picture are the telegraph and electric poles, not the signs. And with the poles right alongside the roadside much more dangerous.

[thaiIand]

they are deemed dangerous because people drive motorbikes on the grass to avoid the crazyness of that road when they want to get to one of the 2 marinas. You have to zigzag around them and drive under. Some are too low and its easy to hit your helmet on the bottom part.

[Xonax]

In genaral the whole country is ugly along almost every road / street. Remove all unnecessary signs, remove the concrete poles and put the wires under ground.

That you now will need to get an approval, before you can place a sign along the street, sounds to me more like a new way for the officials to get a piece of the cake.

[alstaxi]

Signs beside the road, that is the problem in Phuket,more smoke and mirrors from the mafia.

[robertsonmartin]

remove the concrete poles and put the wires under ground.

Would be great in theory, probably more electrocutions in practice.

[thaiIand]

just drove there today on my bike.

Not only are all the signs still there but theyve added a few new ones and cut down ALL the beautiful trees they had next to them.

Obviously i saw a guy trying to look important in an old mercedes blocking the whole walkpath with his assholy parked car handling the tree cutting.

Edited September 19, 2011 by thaiIand

[thaiIand]

small update. signs are still there. Theres even 2 new ones lol.