Phuket mayor seeks B60mn for seawall to stave off coastal erosion

PHUKET: The Cherng Talay mayor will ask the nation’s military leaders for 60 million baht to build a seawall to prevent coastal erosion at Phuket’s Surin Beach.

“We are collecting documents to accompany the budget request, such as plans for the seawall and evidence showing how much damage is done each year by coastal erosion,” Mayor Ma-ann Samran told the Phuket Gazette.

The pounding surf this year has gnawed away large tracts of the beach, and is endangering many long-standing trees along the shore and threatening to topple the lifeguard tower, he added.

“We must protect both. They are important for the beach.”

Mr Ma-ann explained that the concept for the seawall was inspired by a fact-finding trip to Okinawa, Japan.

The plans include a seafront esplanade behind the wall.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong