Koh Samui bridge public hearings begin
published : 10 Aug 2023 at 09:08
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Post Reporters
The Express Authority of Thailand (Exat) held the first public hearing for its plan to build a 20-kilometre bridge linking the mainland to Koh Samui, with construction due to start in 2028.
According to Exat, the hearing will be held in three areas that are expected to be impacted by the project: Nakhon Si Thammarat (Tuesday), Surat Thani (Wednesday) and Koh Samui (Thursday).
They were selected as the project will link Koh Samui to either Surat Thani's Don Sak district or Nakhon Si Thammarat's Khanom district.
The hearings focus on the suitability of the project, engineering and the financial and environmental impact.
A bridge connecting the resort island with the mainland in Don Sak district would provide an overland transportation option in addition to air and ferry links, which are currently the only modes of travel to and from the island.
The bridge is also expected to reduce the time needed to attend to health emergencies on the island, Exat said.
It is expected to cost around 33.9 billion baht. Some 31.4 billion baht will be invested in construction, with the rest for acquiring land.
An impact study will take 24 months, from this April to October 2025, Exat said.
Learn from listening
Vocabulary
- acquire: to get; to obtain - ได้มาซึ่ง
- hearing (noun): an official meeting at which the facts about a crime, complaint, etc. are presented to the person or group of people who will have to decide what action to take - การพิจารณา
- impact (noun): an effect or influence - ผลกระทบ
- impact (verb): to have an effect or influence on someone/something - มีผลกระทบ
- mainland: a large mass of land that forms the main part of a country but does not include any islands belonging to the country - แผ่นดินใหญ่
- mode: a particular way of doing something; a particular type of something - แบบ, วิธีการ
- public hearing: an official meeting at which the facts about a situation, etc. are discussed with members of the public taking part - ประชาพิจารณ์
- suitability: being right or appropriate for a particular purpose or occasion - ความคู่ควร,ความเหมาะสม,ความสมควร
