• Struggling for survival |
HELP AND CLEAN-UP Second chance to get it right Approaches to planning and construction change for the better in Phangnga When the wave pounded the 35-kilometre Andaman coast in Phangnga on that doomsday in 2004, taking with it hundreds of lives and properties, Khao Lak, the province's major tourist destination, was the hardest hit. Almost a year later, this splendid beach, touted as an alternative to Phuket, has sprung back to life with construction activity. But have those rushing to rebuild - and the people who regulate them - learned from the experience? New town planning regulations for Phangnga, in effect since May 31, limit heights and require setbacks for new buildings lining the coast, but they leave much to be desired. A development programme is needed to rehabilitate the affected areas and revive the economy of the province. ''Phangnga needs urgent development and good planning,'' says provincial governor Vinai Buapradith. ''It will help revive the province and raise the standard not only for residents but also for our tourism image.'' The development programme for the tsunami-hit areas in Phangnga will cover five areas - 1,805 rai in Ban Bang Niang and Khao Lak, Hat Kuk Kak, 6,400 rai in Laem Pakarang, Ban Bang Sak and Ban Nam Kem - with a total budget of 111.53 million baht. ''Since the damage was caused by inadequate, unclear transport and evacuation routes, the development programme will focus on security,'' said an official at Phangnga's Public Works and Town Planning Department. Phetkasem Road remains the major north-south route linking Kuk Kak and other areas nearby. At least every 500 metres, a concrete road 12 metres wide will be constructed to link Phetkasem Road and the beach. At each site, two minor roads nine metres wide will run parallel with the beach. These will also serve as evacuation routes to higher land. The department is also responsible for landscaping, walkways and trees scheduled to be in place by year-end. ''An efficient warning system is the most important element in building confidence among [tourists],'' the governor said. Of the 16 planned early-warning towers capable of sending an alarm within a radius of 1.5 kilometres each, 11 are almost completed and the rest will be finished by February. The towers will together have an operational coverage of 139 square kilometres from Tai Muang, Takua Pa, Khura Buri, Koh Kor Khao, Koh Phrathong, Surin and Similan Islands. The province will also ask for another seven towers for Koh Yao, Thai Muang, Takua Thung and Koh Pan Yee. In addition, the province plans to build eight evacuation towers with a budget of 25 million baht. Five will be built in Bang Niang Beach and Ban Nam Khem and another three on Koh Panyee, the governor says. Each of the 14-metre-high evacuation towers will have an open area on the ground floor and support up to 500 people. A five-day food and water supply will be stocked at all times. The governor said major infrastructure including water supply and electricity had also been upgraded and it was now even better than before the tsunami. ''Everything is coming back,'' he said. ''Some hotels changed their designs from high-rise to lower-rise buildings to suit the changing tastes of tourists. This bodes well for the overall development since high-rise buildings tend to block the view.'' Indeed, many hotels have made changes out of safety concerns, things they tended to overlook before the wave hit the shores. For example, the four-star Khaolak Merlin Resort, used glass walls for its new kitchen for better visibility in case of disasters. Krisda Phanichyanondh, the hotel's general manager, said the Italian-food restaurant on the beachfront was destroyed by the tsunami. Now it is an open-air seafood restaurant. Twelve beachfront villas were swept away by the waves but only four have been rebuilt, in order to provide an improved view. The hotel also installed spotlights on the beach for better visibility at night, as well as five warning systems inside the building. ''We will also put up 100 signs showing the ways to emergency exits in the lobby,'' says Mr Krisda. At La Flora, another luxury hotel that started operating in September, information on emergency exits is provided in every room. Srivika Boonga, the hotel's front-office manager, said the reconstruction method of its Thai-style villas had also been changed. In order to strengthen the structures, for example, nails were used to attach the pieces together instead of making grooves to lock them up in the Thai style. As well, the ground floors of its three-storey buildings have been left open. |
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