The Sarasin Bridge is the link between the island and the mainland. It was built in the late 60s of the last century, and since then it has been helping the numerous flow of tourists to freely cross the border between the sea and a real tropical paradise called Phuket.
The length of the bridge is about 500 meters, and in the old days the island was completely a cape under the name Jungceylon already familiar to you. Today, in memory of the past, the famous shopping center in Patong was named so.
After water conquered the thin line of land, and it was around the II-III centuries. AD, local residents and guests of the island faced the problem of transportation. Communication with Phuket was carried out by using watercraft. The favorable geographical position and the strong interest of seafaring merchants greatly influenced the development of the island. And over the centuries, tin mining began in Phuket, which was found here in huge quantities in the 16th century. Over time, the tin deposits began to disappear, then the people had a new monetary interest in the island - tourism. So it was decided to build a bridge. The first tourists to set foot on Sarasin were the US military. In three to four decades, Phuket has developed into a modern tourism center that welcomes several hundred tourists from all over the world a year.
As time passed, Sarasin became overgrown with legends and shrouded in a mystical halo. The Thai people are superstitious and prone to attributing everything and all magical powers, this fate did not bypass the bridge. The legend, which still circulates among the people, says that Sarasin is a favorite place for suicides, and it all started when a couple of lovers threw themselves off it holding hands a few decades ago. And it was like that. A guy from the common people fell in love with a girl from a rich society, and she answered him in return. Soon her parents found out about the secret relationship of lovers, and closed the young lady at home. The unfortunate bridegroom stole her, and offered to be together in heaven, if this is already impossible on earth. After the unfortunate tied up with each other with a rope and rushed into the whirlpool. According to legend, they were buried bound together. But among the people there is also a more optimistic name for the bridge - "Gate to Paradise".
Today, the Sarasin Bridge allows easy access to the neighboring province of Phang Nga and Krabi, which abound in national parks and deserted beaches. From the bridge, excellent routes also diverge to many other regions of Thailand.
Recently, another bridge was built parallel to Sarasin. He bears the name Thao Thep Krasatry. which means the title given to the heroine sisters who liberated Phuket from Burmese enemies.
When crossing the bridge, according to tradition, you need to hold your breath and make a wish. If you hold out from the beginning of the bridge to the end, then it will surely come true. Thais do not like to bother themselves with anything, therefore, provided that the length of the bridge is about half a kilometer, it will not take long to hold your breath. So go ahead, for the fulfillment of desires on the Sarasin Bridge in Phuket!
Does Russia need another “construction of the century” that will be transported to Sakhalin Island from the mainland across the bridge? There are still no discussions around the new mega-project announced by the country’s top leadership. Although the problem with the project with almost a century of history was not only in money. And now February 2018 is in the yard, and things are still there - there is no real project, funding sources have not been announced. So all the same - are the authorities going to build a bridge and who really needs it - the correspondent of the website tried to answer these questions.
From Stalin to Putin
For the first time, they started talking about a transport corridor to Sakhalin at the end of the 19th century - however, due to economic inexpediency, the idea was abandoned. They returned to it already under Soviet rule. In 1950, the intentions were revived by Joseph Stalin - among several options, a railway underwater tunnel with a length of 327 kilometers was chosen. Construction began at an accelerated pace, but along with the death of the leader, the project was closed despite a significant amount of work done.
Officially, the island was connected by water to the "mainland" only in 1973 - this year the Vanino-Kholmsk sea railway ferry was solemnly opened. With the commissioning of this transport artery, a qualitatively new stage in the development of the entire Far East region was marked. Not surprisingly, the organization of the ferry service paid off quite quickly - in just five years. And this is provided that it reached its design capacity only by the end of 1976.
To date, only three dilapidated ferries operate on the line.
Time passed, and with it the transport demands of the island region grew. In 1992, the head of the Sakhalin Railway, Vasiliev, publicly announced the problems - in his opinion, the issue of building a highway between the island and the mainland should have been raised again. In 1999, the Minister of Railways Nikolai Aksyonenko announced the need to develop the project. The initiative was supported in the island region, however, the head of the Khabarovsk Territory, Viktor Ishaev, reacted coldly to it - and he is known as a strong statesman and would not simply “bring down” a promising direction.
The situation was reported in the newspaper "Khabarovsk Express"- Igor Farkhutdinov, the current governor of the Sakhalin region, commented on it in an interview. According to the official, his colleague from the neighboring region was embarrassed by the cost of the project, announced by Aksyonenko - as the governor said then, twice. He also noted that Ishaev is not the only skeptic, many heads of regions were alarmed. According to Farkhutdinov, during the construction of the bridge, Far Eastern Railway tariffs will inevitably increase, and few people want this.
This is the way the new railway line should go
It would seem that the start of work on the project is about to begin, but this never happened. Everything was limited to survey work at the proposed crossing site, which took place in 2000. As a result, Minister Nikolai Aksyonenko resigned, Governor Farkhutdinov died in a plane crash in 2003, and the idea was shelved. It took the authorities five whole years to return to the consideration of the burning issue.
Hope appeared in February 2008, after a meeting that took place in the administration of the Sakhalin Region. Then it was decided to update the transport crossing project with the study of possible implementation options. 14 design organizations have joined the case. Even the estimated cost of construction was announced - the amount came out impressive, about 300-330 billion rubles. However, everything was put in place by the visit to the Far East of the then president of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin.
This project, of course, is of a state nature. It is important both from the point of view of the transport unity of the country, and from the point of view of improving the working conditions of Sakhalin residents. I am sure that this project should have the right to life. But now the authorities have decided to assign the implementation of this project to 2011-2013. Before, hardly anything can be decided, - then the East of Russia portal broadcast Yakunin's words.
As of April 2013, the railway crossing project was going through the approval stage. It should be noted that the contractors then considered three options - a tunnel under the Nevelskoy Strait (length 12.4 kilometers), an embankment dam with a navigable channel (length 16 kilometers) and a bridge crossing (6.6 kilometers). As a result, we settled on the latter - we decided to build a bi-directional railway bridge with a double sloping traction. In many respects, this option was due to a lower cost than the previous two. Only bad luck - no one said about the timing! Again turned empty chatter?
Finish line?
The problem of transport communication between Sakhalin and the mainland again severely identified itself in the summer of 2015. At that time, the attention of all regional and federal media was attracted by the situation with the accumulation of more than a thousand passengers in the port of Vanino, who, due to problems with the ferry crossing, could not go to the island for a long time. To resolve the situation, the authorities even had to ask for help from the military - desperate people were delivered to their destination by the large landing ship of the Pacific Fleet "Admiral Nevelskoy". At the same time, at the country level, everyone became aware that such traffic jams in the port are not uncommon.
Queues to get on the ferry to Sakhalin appear every summer
But the problems with passenger transportation to Sakhalin turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg. The issue with the ferry crossing is very urgent - sea cargo ships have seriously dilapidated, their number has decreased to three in recent years. And all this with a general increase in the volume of traffic, which by 2015 reached one million tons of cargo per year, which is almost the maximum. In addition to the factors mentioned above, one cannot but take into account the vagaries of the weather, on which the functioning of the ferry service directly depends, and hence the supply of the island region.
The need to do something with the current situation was then announced by the plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation Yuri Trutnev. True, as a solution, he focused on the modernization of the sea route. And the matter actually moved - two new vessels with an unlimited volume of navigation were laid down at the Amur Shipbuilding Plant. Did this mean that the project of the bridge to Sakhalin was given up? Not at all - it became known in 2017. President Vladimir Putin has already personally announced his intentions for all to hear.
On the way to the Land of the Rising Sun
For the first time, the head of state announced the "reanimation" of the project during the June "direct line" in 2017 - answering one of the questions of the residents of the country. At the same time, the president also announced the estimated cost of the "construction of the century" - about 286 billion rubles. However, as it turned out later, only the railway crossing itself from the mainland to the island would cost this money. The full cost of the project, including the construction of infrastructure and a new railway, was later announced by Vice-President of Russian Railways Alexander Misharin - about 400 billion rubles.
The fact that there will be a crossing, Vladimir Putin recalled at the Eastern Economic Forum. In November 2017, it became known about the far-reaching plans of the Russian government - on the eve of the APEC forum, an article appeared on the official website of the Kremlin, which cited the president's words about the bridge between Sakhalin and the Japanese island of Hokkaido. It should be noted that the negotiations between the countries on this issue were previously mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov. True, no specific developments in this matter have been presented so far - many skeptics consider such a megaproject "utopian". However, the Russian government has high hopes for him.
Modern realities
Vladimir Antonovich Krapivny, a member of the Public Council of the Ministry of Industry and Transport of the Khabarovsk Territory, spoke about the stage at which the idea of connecting the mainland and Sakhalin was being implemented. According to the specialist, who for a long time served as the chief engineer of the Far Eastern Railway, today the terms of reference for the design and survey work of the investment project "Construction of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur-Selikhino-Nysh" railway line have been prepared. Selikhino, in this context - the junction station, from which the tracks will lead to the Nysh station on Sakhalin Island.
Vladimir Krapivny
There are no specifics yet. Until now, options are being considered for both the tunnel and the bridge crossing. Both of them are calculated in value terms. These options have already been considered at the expert council of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, they have found understanding, - shared Vladimir Krapivny.
In addition, as the expert also noted, three options for transport links for the transport of goods from Central Europe and Russia to Japan have been worked out. Thus, the export option provides for more than 25 million tons per year, transit within the country and import - 4.7 million tons, as well as transportation of domestic cargo across the country in communication between the mainland and Sakhalin along the new Selikhino railway line through the Nevelskoy Strait - 9 million tons .
There is money to plan in detail the project of the line from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to the Nysh station, to make the necessary adjustments to the main decisions and special technical conditions there. Financing for the next two years for these needs is provided for in the plans of the Russian Railways company, though Vladimir Krapivny did not mention the amount of funds. The speaker emphasized that these expenses are necessary, since without updating the legal, financial and economic foundations, it is impossible to submit a finished document to government bodies.
In this situation, it is necessary today to form a working group of specialists, scientists and heads of the involved ministries and departments of the government of the Khabarovsk Territory in order to develop the initial data for the design and detailed planning, as well as surveying the territory for those objects that are already indicated in the terms of reference today. These are civil and social facilities, - Krapivny expressed his proposal.
Vladimir Antonovich separately drew attention to another problem, no less important than the construction of a new railway line and the passage through the Nevelskoy Strait. And it is directly related to cargo transportation. We are talking about the need to adjust the second stage of the reconstruction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. After all, the load on it will certainly increase. The scale can be estimated already now, even taking into account their overestimation.
In general, an interesting situation is developing - Vladimir Krapivny also told about it. Today, the prospects for the development of the Vanino-Sovgavansky transport hub provide for the construction of powerful sea terminals for the processing of bulk cargoes through residents. So, at the request of companies that are ready to build them, declared volumes exceeding 100 million tons per year. The government of the Khabarovsk Territory claims 108 million tons. At the same time, according to the applications of cargo owners, the volumes are no more than 44.6 million tons - a discrepancy of more than two times. As Krapivny said, this imbalance must be dealt with at the federal level.
These figures are confirmed in the program for the reconstruction and modernization of the BAM and the Trans-Siberian Railway. But it's not that. If there is a flow from the new railway line to Sakhalin through Selikhino and back to BAM, and it will go - and this is up to 30 pairs of trains per day, plus 50 pairs of trains per day from the Vanino transport hub, then a disappointing conclusion suggests itself. The single-track direction from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to the border of the Far Eastern Railway will not cope, - the expert shared.
It is clear that it is necessary to start building a second track, but that's not all. It is almost impossible to transport the declared volumes on diesel traction. Accordingly, it is necessary to resolve the issue of electrification of the entire Baikal-Amur passage. Now there is a proposal to electrify a separate section of Volochaevka-2 - Komsomolsk-on-Amur - Vanino, but according to the specialist, this will not give any effect.
There will not be an optimization of the locomotive fleet and a significant reduction in operating costs. The effect will come only after the entire BAM is electrified. Today, this is a question not only of railway workers, but also of the federal grid company. It makes sense only polygon coverage of the entire path from Khabarovsk to Krasnoyarsk, - summed up Krapivny.
So it turns out that the mere construction of a railway track to Sakhalin and back, and the development of the Vanino-Sovgavan transport hub, which can be combined into a common complex, opens up a bunch of other problems - their solution costs a lot of money. It turns out that in order to make the most of the opportunities that open up and increase the traffic, you will have to spend even more money.
About money
As of the second quarter of 2017, the cost of construction of the railway bridge and all necessary infrastructure, including access roads, was tentatively estimated at 500 to 615 billion rubles. Although the authorities are doing their best to support the project, nothing has been heard about funding yet. In the wake of the “silence regime”, sensational news from the Bloomberg agency sounded like a bolt from the blue in November last year - the publication announced the signing of a contract for the construction of a bridge to Sakhalin.
According to insider information, the contract was concluded with the Stroygazmontazh company, owned by billionaire Arkady Rotenberg. The Russian businessman became especially famous thanks to another bridge - the Crimean one. True, Russian officials denied this news, as did the press service of Stroygazmontazh - after all, no one has announced any competition, and no one has yet provided money for such a large project in the Russian budget. However, agency sources insist that the whole truth should become known as early as 2018.
According to many experts, the railway crossing does not make sense without the connection between Sakhalin and Hokkaido - it simply will not pay off in a reasonable time. But it turns out a strange story. When the head of state and responsible officials declare that a bridge will be built for the project, while the Japanese side is just considering the possibility of connecting its island with the Russian one.
So far, we have not seen a specific project, so we need to consider the economic viability. But if the project is good, and if it is beneficial to both peoples, then we will optimally consider the issue, - Masami Iijima, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Japanese corporation Mitsui & Co., Ltd., was quoted by the Russian edition of Izvestia in September 2017.
So it turns out that the issue with the construction of a new branch and a bridge across the Nevelskoy Strait is more likely not economic, but political. This is indirectly confirmed by the words of Vladimir Krapivny about considering several options for a transport scheme - one of which provides for exclusively domestic cargo turnover. In this case, it is possible that part of the costs of implementing a large-scale project will be transferred to the business.
If they approve the third option for the transportation of goods in domestic traffic - the mainland-Sakhalin (9 million tons per year), then, accordingly, there will be very difficult financing. It is not necessary to count on the fact that the state will allocate money for the project in full. We clearly and clearly understand that Russian Railways will have to finance part of the junction station facilities and the development of the railway infrastructure on Sakhalin, and everything else will be assessed from the standpoint of state expertise, - said Vladimir Krapivny.
But what awaits ordinary residents of the Far East region, if the bridge is still built? On the one hand, the railway crossing is very convenient. Thanks to the implementation of the project, people will have an alternative to inadequately expensive air traffic, because now flying to Sakhalin is sometimes hardly cheaper than to Moscow. But if you look from the other side, the construction of a new bridge can hit hard on the already weak state budget. It's not just that at one time the project was criticized by the governor Ishaev and the heads of other Far Eastern regions.
If part of the costs is shifted to Russian Railways, this will inevitably affect the increase in tariffs for the transportation of goods, which are still not the lowest. What can this lead to? - For example, to the next increase in prices for some categories of consumer goods. Are you ready to make such sacrifices?
The Sarasin Pedestrian Bridge is not the most interesting attraction in Phuket, I would even say that not everyone would classify it as an attraction at all. Rather, you can come here just for the sake of a walk (which is what the locals do), and not for the sake of new experiences. On the bridge you can meet fishermen, families with children, couples in love taking selfies.
Sarasin Bridge
The bridge was built in 1967 and for many years it became a link between the island and the land. In 2011, a new bridge (Thepkasattri) was built, as the old one could no longer cope with the modern traffic flow. If you have been to Phuket, then you know what kind of traffic jams there are on the main road now. So they decided not to demolish Sarasin and make it a pedestrian one. In general, I am impressed with the feature of the Thais to make attractions from scratch. There is always something to see, even if it is something simple. True, they say that this bridge was chosen by local suicides, however, I think this is the fate of all bridges.
Many times I drove by car and by bus along the road bridge and every time I saw the Sarasin observation deck, where people are walking. This time I specially planned a stop and stopped by to see how much you can pass by. Sarasin is a not very wide tiled bridge with lanterns on both sides. Two levels, in the center there is an observation deck between the two towers. On land there are macaroni, a cafe and shops. That, in fact, is all. You won’t be able to see much from the viewpoint, because it is not very high: the nearest coast, Phang Ga Bay, and access to the Adaman Sea.
Sarasin bridge - Sarasin bridge
On the map
If you drive from Phuket, then you need to leave the main road in time to the left pocket, even before the road bridge begins. This is clearly visible on the map. From the side of the mainland, if you drive, you need to turn left immediately after crossing the bridge and turn around under the bridge. There will be parking immediately after the turn.
Rightfully occupies the most important place among other islands of Thailand. This is not only the largest Thai island, but also one of the smallest provinces (only Samut Songkhram is smaller). That is why it is not marked on the map with the word Koh, which means island. The province of Phuket includes the island of Phuket itself and 39 other islets surrounding it and is equal in area to Singapore.
One version of the formation of Phuket says that the island used to be part of the mainland and separated as a result of tectonic activity. A clear evidence of tectonic shifts is where 43 large and small islands are located.
Ancient map of Siam
The arrowheads that were found by archaeologists in the Kamala region are over 3,000 years old, which means that Phuket was inhabited several millennia ago. Whether the descendants of the Stone Age people lived here, some of whom can still be seen (the Mani and Sakai peoples), is still unknown. They disappeared from the provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi. Other early inhabitants of Phuket are called sea gypsies (Mokenov and Cheo Le), who moved here from the Nicobar and Andaman Islands and still inhabit coastal areas. They have their own language, culture and religion, different from the Thais.
Fountain in Phuket Town, 1920s
The first settlers may have been nomadic sailors, people from India and Burma at the beginning of the Iron Age. Even before our era, the island of Phuket became a convenient place for merchants following from the Indian Peninsula to China. At that time, Phuket was known under the names Manikram, which is translated from Tamil as “Crystal Mountain”, and Hai Leng from the Chinese “Sea Dragon of the Indian Ocean”. Claudius Ptolemy in his "Geography", compiled in the 2nd century AD, mentions a port in the west of the Malay Peninsula with the name Takola, referring to modern Phuket. But now this fact is being disproved more and more, moving the port north to the mainland, to the area of Phang Nga province.
Yaowarat street in the 20s
Although Phuket Island was not a major city on the Great Silk Road, merchant ships from Persia, Sri Lanka, Arabia, India, Burma, China and Siam entered the port, which could not but affect the life of the island. Immigrants began to appear: Malays, Indians, Siamese, who brought their culture, religion and traditions. But until the 16th century, Phuket, like the entire coast of the Andaman Sea, was attacked by pirates. Only when the ancient Thai state of Ayutthaya entered into a struggle with Malacca for control of the strait and trade routes, and the Portuguese colonists retreated a little to the east, did Phuket appear in the first international written sources under the name of Junk Ceylon. And the Siamese records from the time of King Naraya spoke of the island of Muang Thalang or Thalang Bangkhli. Thus, you realized that Phuket had many names that were reflected in the name of the Thalang Island area and the name. The most likely version of the origin of the name Phuket is from the Malay word Bukit, which translates as “hill, mountain”. For the first time, the island began to be called that during the reign of Rama V. And in 1967, the name was officially changed to Phuket.
Thalang street in the 20s
In the 14th century, tin deposits were discovered in Phuket, and Europeans began to flock here: the Portuguese, French, British and Danes, who at first were limited in access to the mines. The period of the “tin boom” came in the 19th century, and at the end of the century, Phuket became the second most developed city in Siam, second only to Bangkok. Thousands of ambitious Chinese workers rushed to Phuket to work in the mines of European owners or serve under foreigners. The Chinese brought their traditional culture, religion and cuisine with them. The new settlers intermarried with the locals and created a special culture called “baba-yaya”. The ethnic composition of the island changed, Chinese settlers occupied the middle of the island, pushing the Muslim inhabitants to the coast and north. The Portuguese, by order of the governor, could get full ownership of the mine if they built a street in modern Phuket Town, so Montri, Dibuk and others streets appeared. Over time, many Chinese workers and merchants became rich and built mansions for their families. In 1830, the British ambassador John Crawford wrote about the new settlers: "The Chinese are the most valuable product brought to Siam from China." The influence of the Sino-Portuguese style can be fully felt when walking along the narrow streets of the old Phuket town.
The most important event of the island of Phuket is the attack of the Burmese in 1785 and the feat of the heroine sisters. At that difficult time, most of the men left the island to participate in the hostilities of the mainland. The governor's wife, Chan (her name is still pronounced Jan), was mourning her untimely death when news of the impending Burmese attack reached her. Then the brave Chan, with the support of her younger sister Muk, gathered all the women, shaved their heads baldly and dressed them in men's clothes. With fake weapons made of palm leaves, everyone lined up on the rampart blocking the entrance to Phuket. The Burmese besieged the ford for about a month, but then retreated. King Rama I, having learned about such a feat, granted the title of Thao Thep Kasatri Chan and the title of Thao Si Sunthon to her sister Muk. One of the main streets of Phuket is now called Thep Kasatri in honor of Chan, there is a monument to two heroine sisters on it, and next to it is the Si Sunthon temple in honor of Muk. Every year on March 13, the Heroine Day is celebrated, and the Thais, passing by the monument, are sure to greet the sisters.
Monument to sisters-heroines in the 50s
In parallel with the extraction of tin, other industries in Phuket also developed: growing hevea trees, shrimp and fishing. Engaged in these industries, mainly Siamese and Malays. Rubber trees appeared on the island at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to the governor of the province of Trang Phraya Ratsada. At that time, rubber plantations occupied 40% of the entire vegetation of the island, and today they have reduced to only 30%.
Tin mines in the 20s
In the 20th century, tin mines were depleted, and the cost of tin on the world market fell completely. During the Japanese occupation, trade and business in the country declined, and several Chinese families stayed afloat in Phuket. Thanks to their hard work and skills, the island of Phuket was reborn. In today's society, many influential people are of Chinese origin. For example, one of the descendants of Chinese immigrants became the current governor of Phuket.
Crossing from Phuket to the mainland, 1952
By the 1980s, it was impossible not to appreciate the environmental damage from the by-products of tin processing, then local residents staged mass actions against the construction of new factories. In 1992, the last tin mine was closed. Paradoxically, tin mining marked the beginning of tourism. On the site of tin mines, golf courses and a famous one were built. However, there are almost no natural lakes in Phuket, all reservoirs were formed as a result of tin mining.
Family of Chinese settlers in national clothes in the 20s
The first few tourists began to appear in Phuket at the beginning of the 20th century. John Carrington wrote in 1906 about the island of Phuket: "One of the most beautiful and charming places in the world." Like most Asian resorts, mass tourism in Phuket was started by hippies in the 70s. In 1967, the Sarasin Bridge was built, connecting Phuket with the mainland, and in 1976 it was officially opened, allowing American soldiers, and then American tourists, to easily get to the paradise island on vacation.
Sarasin Bridge in the 70s
In 1976, the first hotel in Phuket was built - the Impiana Resort in Patong. At that time, the most developed beach now looked like a small village with bamboo huts, a dusty road and an absolutely wild beach. The pass from Patong to Karon was quite dangerous due to landslides and the fact that in the rains the clay road was transported. Over time, asphalt was laid, traffic lights were installed, more hotels were built, shopping centers appeared - Phuket discovered a new source of income.
Bridge connecting Phuket to the mainland in the 70s
After the Catholic Christmas, on December 26, 2004, a tsunami came to Phuket, killing more than 500 people on the island. As the Thais say, "the sea inhaled and exhaled." Due to sheer ignorance, the lack of warning systems, and unfortunately due to the negligence of the Earthquake Administration, no warning was issued. “Such a warning would create negative feedback in the tourism industry in the event that a tsunami does not occur,” the ministry decided. The beaches of Patong and Kamala, where the wave height reached 5 meters, were particularly affected. But worst of all was the coast of Phang Nga province and the south of Ranong, where the wave height reached 11.6 meters. This disaster has affected the lives of every resident of Thailand. The grandson of King Rama IX, who was at that time on a yacht off the coast of Khao Lak, died. But through the efforts of volunteers and the Thai government, which day after day restored the island of Phuket, the Phoenix rose from the ashes. To date, all beaches have warning signs, warning systems have been established.
Phuket island airport
In recent years, the island of Phuket is experiencing a new round of development of the tourism industry. Hotels, new shopping centers are being built, new places of interest for the guests of the island are opening up. There are some projects planned by the Thai government regarding the improvement of Phuket. A budget of 180 million US dollars has been allocated for the development of the airport, by March 2015 it will be able to receive 12.5 million passengers a year. A new Conference Center with a capacity of 5,000 people will be built in the Mai Khao area. In 2014, we are all looking forward to the underground tunnel at the crossroads, which will relieve traffic in Phuket Town. Two one-way tunnels through the mountain to Patong Beach are in the process of being approved by the administration. Phuket is changing for the better.
Patong Beach in the 80s
For the international community, Phuket's success has not gone unnoticed. More and more foreigners prefer to invest in the development of projects on the island. Among them are millionaires noted by Forbes magazine: New Zealanders Richard and Christopher Chandler, Hong Kong resident Alan Zeman, Finnish Formula 1 star Kimi Raikkonen, Briton of Indian origin Gulu Lalvani, who opened the well-known port of Royal Phuket Marina. International magazines and global communities vying with each other include the island of Phuket and its hotels in the lists of the best vacation spots in Southeast Asia. In 2011, Phuket was ranked 10th in the World's Best Destinations by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine, where resorts were rated on 10 criteria, and ranked first in terms of "high quality for reasonable money" and "hospitality". Two Anantara Phuket hotels
In conclusion, I will add that the island of Phuket is not just a world-famous resort, but a unique history that has passed through the centuries is concentrated here. None of the popular resort places can boast such an interesting, brilliant, and sometimes sad experience behind them as the island of Phuket.
Excursions in Phuket:
When people talk about Phuket, they always specify that this is an island. At the same time, most people imagine the location of the island far from the coast in the middle of the sea or ocean. And most people also believe that the island must be reached by boat or ferry.
From the island of Phuket to the mainland is very close, the distance from the island to the mainland is only 400 meters. Previously, the island was a cape and was called Jung Ceylon. Over time, in the process of shifts of the lithospheric plates, the cape separated from the mainland, and it turned into an island. The island did not move too far from the mainland, which made it possible to build a bridge between them. The bridge is called Sarasin. This bridge was built in the 60s of the 20th century.
Here we are talking about the first built bridge between the island and the mainland. The length of the bridge is 700 meters, since 1967 it has completely replaced the ferry service between Phuket and the mainland.
As a result of the development of tourism, there was a significant increase in road traffic, and the question arose of building additional means of communication. The solution to this problem was the construction of a new, more modern and larger one next to the old bridge. So in 2011, the construction of the second Thepkasattri Bridge was completed.
After the commissioning of the new bridge, the Sarasin Bridge has become one of the tourist attractions in the area. From the pedestrian zone of the bridge, you can enjoy the sunset and the surrounding landscapes of nature.
The old bridge is decorated with towers, which have platforms in their design that serve as viewing platforms.
Here, from the bridge, you can observe the measured rhythm of life of local residents. The bridge was built in such a way that at first glance you can see that a lot of effort was put into its construction.
Sarasin Bridge has several towers with observation decks that offer gorgeous natural landscapes. Both the towers and the view that opens from them have a beautiful view. The coast near the bridge is rich in wild beaches, where it is impossible to meet tourists. The area is also famous for its distinct tides. This may affect the convenience of swimming in the sea.
Sarasin Bridge is built quite high. Unique landscapes, the beauty of the construction of the bridge, its grandeur, and a huge amount of water have a mysterious effect on the human brain. It is for this reason that lovers of suicide are often found on the bridge. If a person decides to make such an attempt, death is almost guaranteed one hundred percent.
