Kanchanaburi: Grand opening for longest wooden Saphan Mon bridge on Oct 18

[webfact]

Grand opening scheduled for longest wooden Saphan Mon bridge on October 18

KANCHANABURI: -- Saphan Mon, or officially call Uttamanusorn bridge (the Mon bridge), the country's longest wooden bridge and the world's second longest bridge of its kind is now scheduling its grand opening celebration after the construction of the two sections of the bridge was finally reconnected last Saturday.

The grand celebration of the reopening of this landmark 850-metre bridge in Sangklaburi district of Kanchanaburi is set on October 18.

Saphan Mon was finally reconnected after being torn apart by water runoff in Kanchanaburi province in July last year.

Hammering the nails to the wood planks to symbolically join the two parts of the bridge was the abbot of Wat Wang Vivekaram Phra Maha Suchart Siripanyo and commander of the Ninth Infantry Division Maj-Gen Nat Intaracharoen at a religious ceremony held on the bridge on Saturday.

Engineering soldiers of the Ninth Division took over the reconstruction of the bridge after a private company couldn’t proceed the reconstruction citing several reasons.

The Ninth Division was later tasked with the job after construction has been behind schedule and thus causing troubles for local people who have to depend on the bridge on their daily lives.

Maj Gen Nat said the overall construction of the “Bridge of Faith” was more than 90% completed and all remaining work would be finished in time for the official reopening on Oct 18.

On the same date, people in Sangkhla Buri district will also make merit on the anniversary of the death of their revered abbot, Luang Por Uttama.

The Mon bridge was first built by local ethnic Mon people to honour Luang Por Uttama, who provided them sanctuary upon fleeing fighting in Myanmar to the Thai territory.

The bridge is then officially named the Uttamanusorn bridge in honour of the abbot.

The 850-metre-long wooden bridge was completed in 1987.

It crosses the Song Kalia river and links Sangklaburi district with the Mon community of Ban Wangka. It is also a major tourism magnet for Kanchanaburi.

Maj Gen Nat said that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had ordered quick and careful repairs to the bridge, while legal action against the contractor would continue.

Local authorities are also asking the National Council of Peace and Order to investigate why the former governor of Kanchanaburi approved a 10-million baht remedial fund to compensate the contractor of the bridge despite that it could not accomplish the work.

Instead the contractor should be fined rather than compensated, villagers said.

The governor was also named as a member of the National Reform Council.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/grand-opening-scheduled-longest-wooden-saphan-mon-bridge-october-18/


-- Thai PBS 2014-10-06

[zziffle]

15°08'37.3"N 98°26'59.6"E

[Costas2008]

Wooden bridge in Thailand?

Hope they issued a warning to the termites attacking it, as I can't see it being there for a long time.

[whybother]

Are there other wooden Saphan Mon bridges that it is competing against?

[Katipo]

Wooden bridge in Thailand?

Hope they issued a warning to the termites attacking it, as I can't see it being there for a long time.

You obviously have never been there and have no idea what you are talking about.

The first one was very well maintained and lasted quite a long time (~30 years) and only collapsed during heavy rains and flooding. Some say that local boat houses that had broken free from their moorings and hitting the pillars brought it down (only the middle section collapsed)

The bridge (and the Mon village it connects to Sangklaburi town) was built by refugees. These refugees were, as usual, not recognized by Thailand. Their town didn't even used to show on Google maps, in spite of it being rather large and with sealed roads etc. The town itself is is surprisingly clean and rather modern. It is obviously looked after by people who care about their environment.

It is only in very recent years that the area has gained recognition nationally. I suspect this is in no small part due to the increasing amount of tourist Baht to be earnt.

Luang Por Uttama, who passed away a few years back, stood up to the Thai government to protect these people and is largely responsible for their survival. As you can imagine, he is highly revered.

[jethro69]

Yes the bamboo bridge they build, while the original bridge was out, was a bit of an adventure, to say the least.

[Gandtee]

Well done the locals!! They showed the authorities that they were more competent that the company contracted to repair the bridge and also the incompetents that hired them. I wonder how much dosh was shuffled around when the contract was allotted ??

[worgeordie]

Is the the one the Top Gear team built ,and improved upon ?

regards Worgordie

[maco]

any more photos available?

[ratcatcher]

any more photos available?

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=Uttamanusorn+bridge+%28the+Mon+bridge%29&client=firefox-a&hs=9y8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=rcs&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=NocyVJr5C46IuASe-oKQBQ&ved=0CDIQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=615#facrc=_&imgdii=vQazzffKik5yTM%3A%3BDoYdBLHQKQOKUM%3A%3BvQazzffKik5yTM%3A&imgrc=vQazzffKik5yTM%253A%3BC8IziDB_ODUxAM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fthumbs.dreamstime.com%252Fz%252Fmon-bridge-uttamanusorn-longest-wooden-bridge-sangkhlaburi-kanchanaburi-province-thailand-38317338.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.dreamstime.com%252Froyalty-free-stock-photos-mon-bridge-uttamanusorn-longest-wooden-bridge-sangkhlaburi-kanchanaburi-province-thailand-image38317338%3B1300%3B954

[emilymat]

Well done, and I mean it.

Mind you, the General and TAT will probably be on their backs as it is only the second longest in the world. Standards slipping.

[ratcatcher]

Some of the finest planks in the world used to build that Sapan.

[Robby nz]

From what I have read the local people wanted to repair the bridge themselves but the Governor refused to let them.

Instead he hired a contractor who messed around, used sub standard timber and in the end walked away.

The Governor then gave him 10 million Baht and told the locals there wasn't enough left out of the original budget to complete the work and if they wanted to get it done they should use the temple money.

That was when the army stepped in and with the locals have now completed the job.

There is supposed to be an investigation of both the contractor and the governor.

[FangFerang]

The Mon bridge was first built by ethnic Myanmar's..............who still are not citizens in this country.

But, thanks for the bridge. Now get in line to be patsies for any crimes we see fit to inflict on you....

[whybother]

Well done, and I mean it.

Mind you, the General and TAT will probably be on their backs as it is only the second longest in the world. Standards slipping.

Do you mean there is a longer "wooden Saphan Mon bridge"?

To be fair, the OP does say that it is "the country's longest wooden bridge and the world's second longest bridge of its kind", so I expect the TAT are already aware of it.