Pattaya hopes to be first city to place all power cables underground - Pattaya Mail

 

Ariyawat Nuamsawat

Pattaya hopes to become the first city in Thailand to place all its power lines underground, although the Provincial Electricity Authority has said that a thorough study would be needed because the cost would be between 10 to 15 times higher than using above-ground power poles.

 

By the middle of next year, this scene of mangled wires may become extinct.

Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh said the project to remove overhead lines along Pattaya Beach Road and place them underground is being undertaken to a 92 million baht budget and is more than 90 percent complete. The only thing that remains to be done is to remove the power poles and test the system, which according to plan is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.

With the huge improvement this brings to the appearance of the streets, it is now planned to place the remainder of the power lines in the whole city in underground ducts, making Pattaya the first town of any size in Thailand to do so. Ronakit said the idea has already been primarily discussed with the Provincial Electricity Authority, and that city hall is ready to support the budget for operations.

Noranit Rangsiwichitprapa, deputy head of the Provincial Electricity Authority said that this case is complicated, because there are many factors involved. However, the test result data for the underground power lines on Pattaya Beach Road will be collected and compiled to determine if the idea is worthwhile.

At the moment the the Authority is working on three major new power distribution projects in Pattaya.

These are the underground lines at Pattaya Beach Road are nearing completion and as part of the same project a budget has been arranged for a similar exercise on Jomtien Second Road while Jomtien Beach Road is still under study. An underwater cable that will connect Koh Larn with the mainland is due to be laid with a budget of 144 million baht under a package deal bid, while a 100 MVA cable for Central Pattaya is being designed under a planned budget of 200 million baht. - Pattaya Mail

If it really happens and it also really works, then you can add that to the Wonders of the World list.