RESIDENTS of southern Phang Nga province’s Koh Kho Khao island are urging Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to urgently help resolve heavy erosion of the beach with seawater having now intruded a hundred meters inland across its 20-kilometer length, INN News said today (August 9).
With the monsoon in full swing along the Andaman coast it is residents of this island which is popular with tourists who have been the most affected with houses on the beach and orange and coconut trees plus power poles having already been damaged and it is feared that a paved road would next be eroded.
The 750 families on this island and its tourism business have been badly affected with one resident, Nikhom Chanmalee, saying the erosion is so severe the islanders fear that they might have to evacuate with their families.
Phang Nga provincial authorities have been trying to resolve this problem having first put up big bags to halt the waves but it was not that effective.
They then moved to build an erosion protection barrier with this to be 505 meters long and three contractors won the bidding to build it. While these contractors signed the contracts in May this year, they have not started building this barrier saying that they could not do so during the monsoon season.
This island’s residents are therefore urging Prime Minister Prayut to help out.
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Top: The heavily eroded Koh Kho Khao beach. Photo: INN News
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