Village chief calms fears of noisy Phuket hovercraft operation

[webfact]

Village chief calms fears of noisy Phuket hovercraft operation
Anthika Muangrod


The big tin building in Chalong.

PHUKET: -- The chief of a village in Chalong has allayed fears that a local company wants to run noisy hovercraft tours from a hangar-like building on public land.

A reader in Chalong alerted The Phuket News to the situation. “Where we live, someone has build a big tin building with toilets and a covered area for probably some kind of speedboat operation.

“But I can’t see speedboats coming in here, the water is too shallow. There are rumours that it may be for hovercrafts, which can ride over shallow banks.”

The reader, who lives close by, was particularly concerned about the noise: “A hovercraft makes 120 decibels of noise when taking off,” he said, also wondering whether it was legal to erect the building on government land.

However, Village Chief Kokkwai Sae-Ueng, explained that the land belongs to the community, not the state.

The village’s local council of elders was contacted by a private company based in Chalong, which wanted to rent the land for a couple of years and erect a building on it, where Korean tour groups could wait for speed boats and change their clothes. The rent would go to the community.

The building consists of a large open area under a roof. At the back are two rooms upstairs, two downstairs and three toilets.

“The rumor about the hovercraft is not true,” Mr Kokkwai said, adding that the project seems to have halted, with the building part-finished.

“I will have to discuss this with the leaders of the community and the company to see if they still want to go ahead.”

His assistant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the company (which both men declined to name) had sought a new base to pick up and drop off customers because Chalong Pier was too crowded.

“The company may have to build a 100-metre pontoon so that the tourists can walk out to the boats, because the water is really shallow.

“But no one from the company has contacted us recently.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/village-chief-calms-fears-of-noisy-phuket-hovercraft-operation-45692.php


-- Phuket News 2014-04-15

[goldmonky]

The noise is a minor problem compared to the amount of dust it would cause.did anyone think of that?

[chotthee]

It is not public land.

[eezergood]

The noise is a minor problem compared to the amount of dust it would cause.did anyone think of that?

The noise & the dust are minor problems, onc sufficient tea money has been paid to the ooh soo importatn Poo Yai Baan! Did anyone think of that?

[JoeThePoster]

With such a 5 star building, an EIA study has been conducted, no doubt.

[MMarlow]

The noise is a minor problem compared to the amount of dust it would cause.did anyone think of that?

Did anyone notice that the hovercraft must be very small if that's it's hangar, there's a post right in the middle of that space rendering it useless for hovercraft storage.

[LivinginKata]

The noise is a minor problem compared to the amount of dust it would cause.did anyone think of that?

Did anyone notice that the hovercraft must be very small if that's it's hangar, there's a post right in the middle of that space rendering it useless for hovercraft storage.

I think it has been established that there is no hovercraft

[Cylon]

Looks like speed boat repair shop that was erected in Nai Harn and taken down again after complaints of fumes and noise.

[NamKangMan]

The noise is a minor problem compared to the amount of dust it would cause.did anyone think of that?

Did anyone notice that the hovercraft must be very small if that's it's hangar, there's a post right in the middle of that space rendering it useless for hovercraft storage.

Maybe that photo is just of the toilet block. That's how big the hangar is going to be.

[Gandtee]

The noise is a minor problem compared to the amount of dust it would cause.did anyone think of that?

Did anyone notice that the hovercraft must be very small if that's it's hangar, there's a post right in the middle of that space rendering it useless for hovercraft storage.

They do come in different sizes

[seabass69]

I thought Thais don't hear noise...or the ones who do just make louder noise so they don't have to listen to the noise.

[jsflynn603]

Oh gosh, if the noise bothers you just turn your boom box or car sound system up and drown it out...

And golly, "it's only for a few years..."

Mai bpen rai....

[Torrens54]

The noise is a minor problem compared to the amount of dust it would cause.did anyone think of that?

What was that you said?? You'll have to SPEAK UP!!!!

Oh, Head Man wants more "Hush MUNNNYYY."

Edited April 15, 2014 by Torrens54