Too mucch AND too little .....

Right: Mudslide reaches the mainroad from where Kik and I live.

These last days we had some spectacular rainshowers again here in Patong. And specially on our hill/road it had some consequences this time..... a mudslide, if thats how you could call it.
Because of contuction on 'our' hill, above where our road turns to the houses were we and the other residents live here, the sand was washed down from the hill, over the road, on the mainroad at the fot of our little hill.

Now, a lot of people, mainly those wwwho work for the city of Patong, were all very surprised it happened... we who live there were somewhat less surprised because it had happened on numerous occasions before, though have to admit, in smaller quantities then this time.
Often during or after a strong rainshower when I have to drive down or up our hill, I have to drive around stones and such, while the sand is washed away by the water. Our road functions on times like these more or less as a riverbed. Strong currents which deposit stones and such aloong the way.

same time, while we have so much water pooring down, we also enjoy real water shortage here because the waterworks of the city of Patong is unable to supply/guarantee proper watersuply here on the hill. They say its lack of waterpressure and too much building on our hill....
when one hear about that, one can not keep from smiling.
When I was responsible for planning, construction, developing in Rijswijk as vice major, oone of the most important elements one had to take care of was
a. the capability of the location which needed development, could handle rainfall, ttill above the average level and that the water coul;d be disposed of in an efficient and not damaging way to its surroundings;
b. the said location should have all basic fascilities in place before building starts, like water, gas and electricity, roads and pavements, and such basic commodoties.

Well, here they approach such things, by the look of it, somewhat different...........

In Rijswijk, a vice major could start looking for a new job as soon as one such incident would take place and he/she could not come up with a very satisfing explanation for the council and assure its just a freak accident...... because the city hands out permits for contruction etc and as such is responsible that the basic fascilities operate ... how different things go here.

Patong Beach, and/or Phuket, and/or Thailand keeps on surprising me in the way they deal with these matters. Not alone the politicians and people responsible, but also the way the local (non-foreign) population reacts.

Tey put up with badly construced roads, there just a few months and allready full with putholes, to dangerous to drive on but open to the public anyway .. amasing, and the popolation uses these roads in full enthousiasm regardless the dangerss for accidents.
Amasing Thailand, thats for sure.
But what a wonderfull hollidaydestination it is and remains ;-)