Saphan Mon flocked with tens of thousands of visitors during New Year festival



KANCHANABURI: -- The influx of tens of thousands of local and foreign tourists to Thailand's western border of Kanchanaburi province during the New Year festive season to see the country's longest wooden bridge or "Saphan Mon" has prompted local and military authorities to recheck its structural strength.

The reexamination also followed many visitors voicing concern of its safety and sharing on the Internet after they went there during the weekend and seeing large numbers of people on the wooden bridge, the second longest in the world measuring over 400 metres.

Reacting to the public concern, Kanchanaburi governor Sak Somboonto has ordered officials to inspect the structural strength of Saphan Mon or officially called Saphan Uttamanusorn located in Sangkhlaburi district as a large number of tourists have arrived to visit the bridge during the New Year celebrations.

He said during the New Year festival both Thai and foreign tourists visited Sangkhlaburi district en masse and went to see the old wooden or Uttamanusorn Bridge.

The number of visitors to the bridge have doubled to around 4,000-5,000 persons daily during the New Year week-long holidays, and the number has reached as high as 10,000 people each day between 31 December 2015 until 2 January 2016, he said.

The governor said he then ordered Sangkhlaburi district chief and concerned agencies to inspect the structural strength of the bridge to ensure safety for visitors ahead of other upcoming celebrations such as the Chinese New Year and Songkran Festival when large number of visitors are expected to flock the bridge again.

Tags: concern, en masse, flocked, General, Kanchanaburi., New Year festive season, recheck, safety, Sangkhlaburi district, Saphan Mon, structural strength, tourists, wooden bridge.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/saphan-mon-flocked-with-tens-of-thousands-of-visitors-during-new-year-festival


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-05

Judged by the picture, it looks like an accident waiting to happen...............

Hope they do something about it, before it actually happens !!

No one was interested in this bridge until it partially collapsed (because of flooding, not people) two years ago and made it on to every news program. Even in Kanchanaburi the majority of locals I know had never been to Sangklaburi, now there is this huge influx of sheep, driving like morons on the very tight curvy roads that head there, mobbing the area to take selfies on the bridge that was built so people could do business between the two parts of the town, not for them to pose on. Now complaining about it's safety? Unbelievable Thailand once again. Stay in Bangkok you pale, whiny, overfed, uncoordinated slobs.

 

No one was interested in this bridge until it partially collapsed (because of flooding, not people) two years ago and made it on to every news program. Even in Kanchanaburi the majority of locals I know had never been to Sangklaburi, now there is this huge influx of sheep, driving like morons on the very tight curvy roads that head there, mobbing the area to take selfies on the bridge that was built so people could do business between the two parts of the town, not for them to pose on. Now complaining about it's safety? Unbelievable Thailand once again. Stay in Bangkok you pale, whiny, overfed, uncoordinated slobs.

 

Visited Sanglaburi and this bridge back in 1990, no 'domestic tourists' to be seen. Then again most did'nt own big shiny 4X4's Hiluxes and high powered bikes like now. The 'domestic tourists' have only bravely started venturing out to the border areas relatively recently now they are mostly pacified and go in huge numbers just to be safe...

took a motorbike ride there 5 years ago. stayed for few days. beautiful place, quiet and clean. Entire town was sleeping by 8pm.

not anymore

another place is being turned into a tourist swamp. nice...

Facebook, Instagram, twitter ... When you see a place there, it's already doomed. If you ever do find a nice place somewhere, whatever you do, do not share it in any way.