KANCHANABURI — Hundreds of civilians and provincial authorities on Sunday defied the scorching sun to help apply wood stain to the country’s longest wooden bridge known as Saphan Mon and Uttamanusorn before it reopens on Oct 18 after a delay in its restoration.
Photos by Piyarach Chongcharoen
Sunday’s mass working bee was aimed at boosting public participation and a sense of belonging in the 850-metre bridge in Sangkhla Buri district after it was ripped apart by a severe storm and floods in July last year. Thai and Mon locals and the 9th Military Engineer Regiment from Surasri fixed the popular bridge after a contractor’s attempts to repair the structure ended in failure.
A local construction warehouse donated 120 tins of wood stain and brushes for the event attended by adults and young locals of Thai, Mon and Karen descent, plus military and police officers and tourists.
The abbot of Wat Wang Wiwekaram, Phra Maha Suchart Siripanyo, said the working bee was partly intended to allow children in nearby villages to have a personal experience of the structure and keep the memory of taking part in an activity that is helping to “bring back the soul of the bridge” and preserve what is regarded by local communities as “the bridge of faith”.
Phra Maha Suchart said he planned to hold a similar activity twice a year when the youngsters’ school terms end in April and October.
The bridge’s repair is almost 100% completed and only a little bit of work needs to be done, the monk said, adding the staining of the wood is expected to be finished by dusk on Sunday.
Hotels and resorts in Sangkhla Buri have reportedly been almost fully booked after media reports of the near-complete overhaul of the country’s longest wooden bridge and the planned reopening next Saturday.
