Do something about our roads - Thai villagers call for action!

[rooster59]

Do something about our roads - Thai villagers call for action!

 

Image: Sanook

 

KLONG KHUT:-- In a scene becoming increasing familiar in rural Thailand villagers in the south have planted banana trees in a potholed road to get local authorities to make repairs.

 

Locals in the Klong Khut area of Satun are just fed up that the Klong Khut authority have ignored their please to repair the road.

 

So they turned out in force to protest - and called in the press to make their grievances widely known.

 

They planted ten banana trees over a 200 metre stretch of badly damaged road.

 

Their action at least prompted the local authority chief to come and inspect and announce that he has assigned an improved budget to repair the road.

 

The villagers will be waiting to see if he follows through on that promise.

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-09-10

[canopus1969]

Well done those people for getting the Chief off his fat *rs* - let's hope something comes of it  

[Borzandy]

It's banana Trees, why are they complaining?

[cooked]

Maybe they will dig up some funds for road safety education. A little off topic I know, but forcing vehicles to drive slower isn't always a bad idea.

[Rimbuman]

I like that, subtile resourceful action, but right in the eye. Brilliant!!!

[TechnikaIII]

This never happens to roads where local government members live, or employees at the government offices.

Go figure.

[sahibji]

2 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

Well done those people for getting the Chief off his fat *rs* - let's hope something comes of it  

you bet something will be done after all the above publicity. will not be surprised if the head of the government issues an order immediately.

voice carries a lot of weight in this age.

[sahibji]

5 minutes ago, TechnikaIII said:

This never happens to roads where local government members live, or employees at the government offices.

Go figure.

unfortunately the rural areas tend to lag in development.

[sahibji]

23 minutes ago, Rimbuman said:

I like that, subtile resourceful action, but right in the eye. Brilliant!!!

man this is not subtle. this is open forceful action, passive, yes  but this action speaks very loud indeed. do not forget the world is the stage for all news nowadays.

[sahibji]

54 minutes ago, Borzandy said:

It's banana Trees, why are they complaining?

the results of the move will not be bananas i can assure you.

[lvr181]

13 minutes ago, sahibji said:

man this is not subtle. this is open forceful action, passive, yes  but this action speaks very loud indeed. do not forget the world is the stage for all news nowadays.

 

And a lot of connected and also authorative people still do not recognise that. Ostrich syndrome?  

 

Go the locals!  

[elgordo38]

21 minutes ago, sahibji said:

you bet something will be done after all the above publicity. will not be surprised if the head of the government issues an order immediately.

voice carries a lot of weight in this age.

If it costs money forget it. 

[727Sky]

I wonder when the road is fixed if the government will be billed for an inch or two of asphalt to only receive less than one quarter of an inch.

 

I live in a rural area and upon inspecting out numerous pot holes on our two major roads going to civilization I swear there is not over 1/4 inch of pavement. . 

 

The pot holes are normal during the rainy season which require the substandard roads to be patched every year. 

Edited September 10, 2016 by 727Sky
s

[elgordo38]

41 minutes ago, 727Sky said:

I wonder when the road is fixed if the government will be billed for an inch or two of asphalt to only receive less than one quarter of an inch.

 

I live in a rural area and upon inspecting out numerous pot holes on our two major roads going to civilization I swear there is not over 1/4 inch of pavement. . 

 

The pot holes are normal during the rainy season which require the substandard roads to be patched every year. 

A government make work program. Here in Chiang Mai you can see the wire reinforcing mesh sticking out all over. Little to no cement over top mostly gravel little cement. Somebody made off like a bandit. 

[kannot]

"repair" sure throw  in a bit of tarmac dont tamp it down and drive off...........what they really need is the road done properly ONCE but that aint going to happen....and when I  filled the holes in the road with concrete all the locals  did was complain and say it wasnt  my job even though it had been a year since they were last "repaired".................jokers the lot of them

[TechnikaIII]

1 hour ago, sahibji said:

unfortunately the rural areas tend to lag in development.

Unless they happen to be roads where local government members live, or employees at the government offices.

Go figure.

[Arandora]

I thought the pic was of Thai Speed Bumps to slow down manic drivers! 

[mfd101]

Bottom-up action is (almost) the only way to get anything done in this country. What the locals now need to do is follow up on their laudable action by standing over the road repairers when they come and making sure they do a proper job ..

[wvavin]

Heavens created natural pot holes for agriculture in Thailand. So blessed!

[Peter Pattaya]

4 hours ago, TechnikaIII said:

This never happens to roads where local government members live, or employees at the government offices.

Go figure.

Same Australia. If you suddenly find yourself driving on a well maintained road in the middle of bum <deleted> you know there is someone in power who lives near by. 

[fullcave]

Must be a busy road for banana trees to grow on it...

[mettech]

This is a fantastic idea should do that or suggest to the villager to do in the village I spend my visit in around Buriram these trees look good.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, cooked said:

Maybe they will dig up some funds for road safety education. A little off topic I know, but forcing vehicles to drive slower isn't always a bad idea.

It is if it is going to damage the vehicles, ie potholes full of water etc.

[williamgeorgeallen]

thought this was quite innovative but it turns out it was done before in Portland. maybe using banana trees was some what innovative.

[cooked]

5 hours ago, possum1931 said:

It is if it is going to damage the vehicles, ie potholes full of water etc.

Yes of course motor vehicles are very very important. In a previous life I was a traffic engineer and I learned very early on that straightening and widening roads generally led to more accidents. I spent half of my time designing 'improvements' that even now, 40 years later, have not been built for that very reason.

 

[collingwood]

Only to have a road in such good condition, the road that is in front of the local Gov office up here in Nongsano is so bad that you near on need a 4x4 to access and to top it off,  who ever is in charge of turning on the street lights at night......couldn't be bothered.....welcome to the sticks.

[bbbbooboo]

Given the dangerousness of most Thai roads and the slaughter that occurs on them, why not just leave the bananas growing and add more to discourage driving completely. They look beautiful and thousands of lives will be saved?

[recom273]

16 hours ago, kannot said:

"repair" sure throw  in a bit of tarmac dont tamp it down and drive off...........what they really need is the road done properly ONCE but that aint going to happen....and when I  filled the holes in the road with concrete all the locals  did was complain and say it wasnt  my job even though it had been a year since they were last "repaired".................jokers the lot of them

I witnessed this once, one guy driving the pickup, one guy in advance brushing out the water and loose gravel, one on the back of the truck throwing the Tarmac off and one guy spreading it with a rake .. Tamping ? Let the cars do that.

[samuibeachcomber]

Could n't agree more.Thai roads are crap.The new motorway from pattaya to bangkok has been built with concrete(cheep charlies)..should have used asphalt.The highways from suratthani to hua hin all the way up to korat..holes filled with asphalt.

 

[soalbundy]

I've seen far worse where i live. I don't know why but one can get 2km of pot holes and then virtually a fresh new road, why the first 2 km's aren't done i don't know.