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Bottas, Verstappen feel the heat in crash-strewn Friday practice
Bottas, Verstappen feel the heat in crash-strewn Friday practice
FORMULA ONE: Charles Leclerc has topped the practice time sheet at the Austrian Grand Prix after a chaotic afternoon of crashes and carnage.
Phuket wildlife officials install monkey warning signs around Mudong canal
Phuket wildlife officials install monkey warning signs around Mudong canal
PHUKET: Wildlife officials in Phuket have installed signs near Klong Mudong canal in Chalong-Wichit to advise people against feeding monkeys in the area in order to avoid being bitten or contracting diseases.
Electricity outage in Talad Nuea
Electricity outage in Talad Nuea
PHUKET: The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced that the electricity supply will be temporarily shut off in parts of Talad Nuea on Wednesday (July 3) as work is carried out on installing new high-voltage cables.
Diversion tactic:  Highways Dept spends B720mn on ‘ring road’  to ease impending light-rail traffic congestion
Diversion tactic:  Highways Dept spends B720mn on ‘ring road’  to ease impending light-rail traffic congestion
The Phuket office of the Highways Dept is spending B720 million on a four-lane road through Pa Khlok to join the Heroines Monument with what is to become a major intersection at Muang Mai, north of Thalang Town. The project, hoped to be completed within 2023, is aimed at easing congestion along the island’s busiest road, Thepkrasattri Rd, technically called Route 402, when construction of the light-rail finally begins. (See page 5.) Officially dubbed the Tha Rua – Muang Mai Highway, the road construction has already seen Phase 1 complete along 5.9km of the southern end of the existing road, Route 4027, starting from the Heroines Monument heading towards Baan Pa Khlok. Work on Phase 2, stretching 8.1km from Baan Pa Khlok to Baan Para, is already underway, with the remaining 6km of Phase 3 yet to begin, and yet to overcome some major challenges. "This project was initially presented in 2016. We started construction early this year and expect to finish it by our target, 2023. This road will be finished before light-rail construction begins,” Phuket Highways Chief Somwong Lohanut told The Phuket News. “This is to be an alternative route while the light rail is under construction. During that time, the light rail will be being built in the middle of Route 402 (Thepkrasattri Rd). Route 402 will still open but it lanes are likely to be closed while the construction continues. The traffic will definitely be slower, and this road is already nearly full to capacity with traffic,” he said. “Route 4027 will be another way for drivers to get to their destination,” Mr Somwong added. Breaking down the budget figures, Mr Somwong explained that Phase 1, from the Heroines Monument to Baan Pa Klok, cost about B50mn. “This part is already done. Only roadside drains to be installed, and this will be completed soon,” he said. Phase 2, from Baan Pa Khlok to Baan Para, is budgeted to coast about B380mn, while Phase 3 from Baan Para to Muang Mai is budgeted to cost about B290mn. However, Phase 3 has already hit some obstacles without an excavator even breaking ground. A section of 140 meters along the road is to be elevated as it passes through mangroves. The projected affected area extends some 500m from the road, covering an area of about 217 rai, Mr Somwong pointed out. “That means this part of the project must have Cabinet approval by law before the road can be built through the mangroves,” he explained. “We have started to compile our request to present to Cabinet, but it must be very thorough. It is not finished yet. I am pushing for this to be done and approved within two years,” Mr Somwong added. As Phuket residents – and Bangkok officials – learned in the building of the Thepsrisin Bridge at Saphan Hin, Cabinet tends to take such requests seriously. It took years for Cabinet approval to be finally granted in order for the bridge to cross mangroves from Sakdidet Rd to Saphan Hin on the outskirts in Phuket Town, even with the support of then-PM Yingluck Shinawatra. Worse, Phase 3 may need extra budget, Mr Somwong added. The final section of the road near where Route 4027 rejoins Thepkrasattri Rd is planned to have a flyover U-turn. “That in itself will require its own Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and we must expropriate privately owned land in order to build it,” Mr Somwong said. The intersection where Route 4027 rejoins Thepkrasattri Rd in Muang Mai, north of Thalang Town, is also on the plans to become a major junction in the near future. The extended plans for the intersection will see the junction transformed into a major motorway crossways with separate individual on- and off-ramps for vehicles exiting and joining Thepkrasattri Rd The intersection will feature an elevated “loop ramp” and an overpass, and will connect with Route 4026 on the western side of Thepkrasattri Rd. The plans also account for Route 4026, currently a minor road leading to the airport, being upgraded into a major artery feeding traffic to the long planned “airport expressway” that is to begin on the west side of the junction.
Woman’s body found dumped on trash pile
Woman’s body found dumped on trash pile
PHUKET: Police are hoping to identify a woman whose body was found on a trash pile amid heavy undergrowth beside a road near the Sam Kong Intersection late this afternoon (June 28).
PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: A baby dugong stream? Wet route to school? Stay away from film set! || June 28
PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: A baby dugong stream? Wet route to school? Stay away from film set! || June 28
PHUKET XTRA - June 28 Wet route to school |:| Baby dugong streaming on Facebook! |:| Cop killed in failed police sting |:| Officials: stay away from Fast & Furious film set! |:| Luxury mansion to stand on appeal Hosted by: JP Mestanza || #Phuket
Luxury mansion amid protected Phuket forest stands on appeal
Luxury mansion amid protected Phuket forest stands on appeal
PHUKET: Demolition of the luxury mansion in the hills overlooking the Bang Wad Reservoir because it breached the 80-metre limit on construction has been stayed pending an appeal.
Authorities urge public to stay away from Fast & Furious 9 film set
Authorities urge public to stay away from Fast & Furious 9 film set
KRABI: Authorities in Krabi have urged people to stay away from the Fast & Furious 9 film set, highlighting that only stunt performers and no actual actors will be on the set when filming starts on Monday (July 1).
Chinese consuls called to hear Phuket’s tourist safety measures, again
Chinese consuls called to hear Phuket’s tourist safety measures, again
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana held a high-profile public meeting with the Chinese Consul General in Songkhla Ma Fengchun and Phuket Chinese Consular Office Vice Consul-General Li Chunfu yesterday (June 27) to highlight how safe and convenient it is for Chinese tourists to come to Phuket.
‘No fear’ England confident of overcoming semi-final curse after beating Norway
‘No fear’ England confident of overcoming semi-final curse after beating Norway
FOOTBALL: England’s women have their sights set on ending their semi-final curse after a stunning strike by Lucy Bronze helped Phil Neville’s team to a 3-0 win over Norway in Le Havre on Thursday (June 27) and took them into the last four of the World Cup.
Saha scales back as baht rises, consumer spending continues to fall
Saha scales back as baht rises, consumer spending continues to fall
BANGKOK: Consumer spending remains far from improved in the first half of the year as the gloomy export outlook weighs on economic growth.
Orphan baby dugong ‘Mariam’ to stream on Facebook
Orphan baby dugong ‘Mariam’ to stream on Facebook
TRANG: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources is planning a 24-hour live Facebook broadcast of superstar Mariam – a six-month old female orphan dugong – claiming it will be the world’s first case study on how to look after the rare marine mammal species.
June Promotion
June Promotion
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Car for sale
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Beach Front Land
Beach Front Land
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TAT starts promoting Phuket to Isarn
TAT starts promoting Phuket to Isarn
PHUKET: Representatives from some 50 Phuket tourism business operators this week joined a road show to Isarn, Thailand’s Northeast, to promote travel to Phuket.
PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Gecko in patient’s ear! Top cop’s prostitution transfer? Illegal hotel amnesty? || June 27
PHUKET XTRA: VIDEO: Gecko in patient’s ear! Top cop’s prostitution transfer? Illegal hotel amnesty? || June 27
PHUKET XTRA - June 27 Pattaya top cop’s prostitution transfer |:| Amnesty upon amnesty for illegal hotels |:| Gecko in the ear! |:| 41% of select veggies, fruit contaminated? |:| Phuket top 10 ’Best Places to Visit’! Hosted by: JP Mestanza || #Phuket
Illegal hotels already under amnesty, get new amnesty
Illegal hotels already under amnesty, get new amnesty
PHUKET: Operators of illegal hotels are being urged to take advantage of the nationwide order by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on June 12 for illegal hotel operators to register with local authorities. The order also waives any prosecution for operating illegally if they do register with local authorities.
Electricity outage in Pa Khlok
Electricity outage in Pa Khlok
PHUKET: The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) Thalang branch has announced that the electricity supply will be temporarily shut off in parts of Pa Khlok on Friday (June 28) as work is carried out on installing new high-voltage cables.
Trump rows with US soccer stars over White House visit
Trump rows with US soccer stars over White House visit
FOOTBALL: President Donald Trump took on Twitter’s version of a penalty shootout Wednesday (June 26) in a row with the USA women’s World Cup soccer stars over visiting the White House.