The Phuket Marine Office issued a notice at 4pm yesterday (May 22) announcing that the ban is in effect for three days, from yesterday through tomorrow (May 24).
At that time the water mains pipe, which is not being installed attached to any of the three bridges, was already blocking the waterway, known locally as the Chong Bpark Phra.
Phuket Marine Office Chief Surat Sirisaiyat explained to The Phuket News, that the water mains pipe was being installed by Hydro Enterprise & Aqua Design Co Ltd
“The pipe is 90 centimetres in diameter. It will supply water from Baan Tha Noon in Klok Kloi subdistrict in Phang Nga Province on the north side to Baan Tha Chatchai in Mai Khao subdistrict in Phuket – a distance of about one kilometre.
“Once the pipe is complete, they will drop it onto the channel sea bed,” Mr Surat said.
“For safety, all boats, including all forms of water transport and all fishing boats, are to avoid using the channel for three days,” Mr Surat added.