Finally electricity on Phuket's Coconut Island?

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Finally electricity on Phuket's Coconut Island?
Anthika Muangrod

PHUKET: -- After the people of Koh Maprao (Coconut Island) have waited a decade for fulfilment of promises that they will get mains power supply, Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) now has a concrete plan to supply power from Laem Hin Pier on Phuket to their island.

But this does not mean that the islanders will get power any time soon.

The major sticking point is the underwater cable connecting the island with Laem Hin.

“Our plan is to build a 33kVa underwater cable to carry electricity from Laem Hin Pier to Koh Maphrao pier so that everyone in the island can have electricity,” Wijarn Chuaiplod of Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) explained to The Phuket News.

But although the PEA has put the underwater cable contract up for bids twice, once at B69.5 million and again at B91million, there have been no takers.

“If we can’t get a contractor signed up soon, we may have to go for Plan B – to find a contractor to build a 500-kilowatt generator on Koh Maphrao to serve need of locals.

“We are focusing on the locals before the business sector [on the island] because the locals don’t have their own generator and this plan is an interim one, a temporary fallback.

“The generator will not be turned on 24-7,” he added.

A second problem is distribution of power around Koh Maphrao from either the underwater cable or the generator.

Installing power poles is not easy, Mr Wijarbn explained, because the roads on the island are narrow and are bordered mostly by rubber plantations.

“Because rubber is an economic crop we have discuss with all the owners whether it’s possible to cut down the rubber trees that are near the poles.”

Rubber trees are notorious for falling over or dropping branches, potentially bringing down power lines and causing frequent blackouts.

“Some of [the plantation owners] do not live on the island, so the lack of power is not a problem for them, and they are unwilling to give their permission for us to cut their trees. So we are now putting many of the poles on the edges of roads.”

This adds another potential problem because the verges of the roads are actually earmarked for the digging of ditches, so the poles may have to be removed again at a later date.

“There’s one small village with about 15 houses located past some land on which the owner doesn’t want the PEA to set up poles. So, the people in the village still may not have electricity even if it will be available.

“Sometimes we have to remove poles that we have already planted, and move them to a new location. It all takes time but we aim to finish it by June.”

Jittra Maithong, a 56-year-old villager, told The Phuket News that she and others are used to life without electricity. She said the islanders have been waiting for power since the time of her great-grandmother.

“So I’m excited to know that we are going to have electricity soon. Our place is going to be brighter and we can get news [on TV and radio] then.”

She gave insights into island life without mains electricity. “It’s difficult to live sometimes but it’s still fine.

“In the daytime we use solar cells that the PEA gave us a long time ago and at night we get some power from a communal generator at night. We pay about B300 baht a month for the generator fuel. The Or Bor Tor [Koh Kaew Tambon Administration Organisation] gave us three generators to be used by 40 homes, but two of them are broken, so we have only one left.

“At night time I can use only a small TV and a fan. I can’t use electric cooking pots or irons.”

To iron clothes, she said, people use a centuries-old design of iron that is heated by placing hot charcoal inside it.

“In the daytime, I can’t watch TV because the battery attached to my solar panel is almost dead. It costs about B3,000 or B4,000 for a new one. I can’t afford that,” she added.

Another villager, Sa Panthip, a widow, said, “I have been hoping that one day [the electricity] will come. I’ve been hoping until I’m now 55 years old now. Even if I’ve become used to life without electricity, I’m so glad to know that we are finally going to get it.”

Younope Petchdee, 56, the village chief, confirmed that the main problem on the island is about cutting down rubber trees and planting power poles on land belonging to people who don’t live on the island. But he said he would try his best to make everything right.

“We still have a problem but I think people will finally agree with the plan. We have been waiting for this day for more than 100 years. Some people are very glad just to see the electricity poles being brought onto the island.” he said with a smile.

“We are going to survey some plots of land to make sure that the poles are not going to encroach on private land.

“I will try to persuade everyone to compromise. Seven or eight hundred people should not be kept waiting for one person who owns a particular piece of land. That doesn’t make sense.

“But we must wait until things are clearer.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/finally-electricity-on-phukets-coconut-island-46937.php


-- Phuket News 2014-06-19

[Mrjlh]

Install an underground electrical network. Do away with the power poles. Problem solved.

[bangarang]

Judging by how power lines are managed in thailand with a birds nest of wires dangling about, I don't think I would feel that safe around it knowing Thailands low safety standards.