New Kamala – Kathu Road touted for Phuket

PHUKET: Kamala’s top official has proposed construction of a new road linking the West Coast town with Kathu Municipality, bypassing Patong.

The five-kilometer road would head directly over the hills behind Phuket FantaSea and join an existing road at Kathu Waterfall.

The new road, if approved, would cost more than 17.4 million baht just for the 2.6-kilometer stretch in Kamala. The section in Kathu would cost even more.

Anxious to get the project moving, Jutha Dumluck, president of the Kamala Tambon Administration Organization, has already filed a budget request to the Phuket Provincial Office asking for funding to be provided under the Thai Khem Kaeng (Strong Thailand) scheme.

“This shortcut will help save fuel costs, traveling time and help ease traffic congestion over Patong Hill,” Mr Jutha said.

Unlike the long-awaited road joining Patong to Chalong, which stalled where the intended road crossed onto state forest land, the Kamala-Kathu road would not need to pass an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), explained Mr Jutha.

The road would cross agricultural land, not state forest, he said.

Kathu Mayor Chaianan Suthikul confirmed he was aware of the project and that his office is now surveying the proposed route.

However, Kathu Municipality had yet to apply to the Phuket Provincial Office for budget approval for their part of the road, Mayor Chaianan said.

— Pimwara Choksakulpan