Koh Lone villagers to get hydro power from Phuket @ 30-08-2012

After a three-year wait, villagers on Koh Lone in Chalong Bay are finally to get some green, clean power – not a lot, but better than none.

We’ve been seeking help from the authorities for several years,” said the Headman of Koh Lone, Manit Yotharak. “Finally, it’s happened.”
By March next year, however, villagers will have a small hydro-electric power plant, set up on Klong Tone on the east of the island, which will be able to generate up to six kilowatt per hour, enough to power 220 36-Watt fluorescent light – though only in the rainy season when the flow of water in the klong is strong.
The new power source will bring eco-friendly power to the island’s 106 households, who currently depend on a diesel generator and solar cells, many of which are not working because of a lack of funds for maintenance.
The cost of running the generator on the island has been a heavy burden on the villagers, most of whom earn a living agriculture or fishing. Each household has had to pay B2,000 a month, but even that provides for only four hours’ power supply a night.
The hydro project, costing B1.8 million, is being funded by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DAEDE) in the Ministry of Energy.
When the project is completed, the DAEDE hopes that Koh Lone will become a model for alternative eco-friendly solutions for other islands that have no access to mains electricity.
For example, the villagers of Koh Maphrao, east of Phuket City, have been lobby for authorities to honour government promises to provide them with mains electricity through a B46-million submarine power cable project, which was approved during the last Democrat government.
So Koh Lone is the good place to visit because have the electricity .
Koh Lone Map : 

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That project was due to be completed in October this year, but work has not even started.
On Koh Lone, Mr Manit noted that once the hydro project is up and running, villagers will need to think about the cost of maintenance.
He said they may set up a committee to raise maintenance funds, either from villagers or from appropriate government bodies.

New Chalong-Patong route confirmed @ 24-08-2012

The route for the proposed new road linking Patong with Chalong was confirmed today at a public hearing at the Merlin Hotel in Phuket Town.

The new 2.7-kilometre road will wriggle its way from the eastern end of Hasip Pi Rd, Patong, to Yothatikarn Rd (the road to Luang Pu Supha temple), near Amazing Bukit Safari in Chalong, and from there will join Chao Fa West Rd to the east of Wat Chalong.
In a previous meeting in May this option, put forward by a trio of companies – Transconsult, Phisut Technology and Panya Consultant Co received the greatest support because people felt it was the most appropriate. So it is for people in Chalong area to Patong beach .
There is already a dirt road along this route that is used by local people, and people felt that upgrading this would result in less environmental damage than cutting a new road.
Banpote Jaroensathayatam, Executive Director of Transconsult, said that the new road will serve the growth in tourists and residents in Phuket, and also act as an additional escape route in case of disasters such as the 2004 Asian Tsunami.
He added, “The result of this hearing means we can make a start on survey work and begin designing the road. When these are complete we will call another public hearing, probably in October.”
Next year , it is short time from tourist from Chalong to Patong beach .

French family tell of terrifying hours after Tiger blaze at Patong beach

Benjamin, 30, is currently in intensive care in Bangkok Hospital Phuket after suffering severe burns to around 40 per cent of his body. He is being flown to an international hospital in Bangkok this afternoon, for specialised burns care. Four people died in the fire that broke out at around 3.30am on Friday, while Benjamin and 10 others were injured.
Benjamin's niece spoke to The Phuket News at the hospital and said the seven family members were on a one-month holiday around Asia. On the trip were Benjamin, his wife and one-year-old daughter, Benjamin's brother and sister in law, and his niece and nephew.
The family arrived in Phuket about a week and a half ago, and were due to fly back to France in about a week's time.
But Friday night changed that.
Benjamin, his brother in law, and nephew were at the Tiger complex when the fire broke out.
Benjamin's brother in law, who did not want to be named, said the lights went off at the venue, and before he knew it there were flames. He and his nephew were right by the door on the ground floor of the building and left the building quickly, but said Benjamin was a floor above with another friend.
The pair waited an hour outside the complex for Benjamin. His motorbike was still outside Tiger, but they hoped he had already made it out.
"I was very nervous and so worried. I thought and hoped that maybe he had got out already and gone back to his hotel,” said the brother in law.
The pair then spent the next three hours driving around Patong, including going back to the hotel on Nanai Rd where the family were staying, trying to find Benjamin.
They visited Patong Hospital, but were told that no one with his name had been admitted. Relieved, they returned to the hotel and waited, hoping he would show up soon.
"They searched around for so long but found nothing. They were really happy when the hospital didn't have his name,” the niece, who did not want to be named, said.
But later, Patong Hospital called the hotel to say Benjamin was in the hospital and was seriously hurt with burns to his upper body.
The family arrived and found him wrapped in bandages. He was conscious, and the family learned that he was able to give hospital staff his name and details of where he was staying, which meant his family could be called.
Since then his scorched throat has swelled up and he's unable to talk, but is able to move his limbs.
"The doctor said these are good signs,” said his niece.
Benjamin's wife was too upset to speak to the media, and his niece said she was “devastated”.
“She's crying a lot, but she's being very strong.
"We are so shocked. We are in a different country, and not our own country. We never imagined we would see him in this state.”
She said Bangkok Hospital Phuket had been excellent, taking very good care of Benjamin, and keeping the family well informed. Benjamin is now in a stable condition.
Thankfully the family are covered by insurance which means Benjamin can be transferred to Bangkok today. His niece said family members in Paris, where Benjamin and most of the other family members live, were waiting to hear more before deciding whether to come to Thailand.
Benjamin's brother in law did not know the three other French people injured in the fire .
Tiger Bar is in the Bangla Road where are the destination of tourist to walk and drinking .