Mangrove walk to be closed at night

PHUKET TOWN: The Mayor of Phuket Town, Phummisak Hongsyok, has announced that the two entrances to the Saphan Hin mangrove walk will be fenced off, and the walk will be closed between 7 pm and 8am every day. His announcement came after a young mechanic from Surin was murdered late on Friday when he tried to stop two men raping his girlfriend in one of the salas on the mangrove walk. Mayor Phummisak said, “Saphan Hin has a lot of problems, especially at night, with many teenage gangs racing motorbikes there.” The mangrove walk had been built, he said, with the aim of improving Saphan Hin and turning it into a “relaxing place for the public”. He said that it had been decided not to employ security guards because it would not be safe for them unless there were at least four or five, which would be an excessive drain on taxes. “I don’t know how long it will take to make the fence, but we will do it as fast as possible,” he added. In the meantime, he said, “People should use common sense, and look after themselves, not just rely on the police or other officers to look after them,” the Mayor added.