Entries about power

Bang Neaw Dam reservoir project (constructed in 2006)
Another nice dam, inland from Kamala Beach is the Ban Bang Niew Reservoir, just south of the Anthem Wakeboard Park. This dam is larger than Bang Wad Dam I recently visited, and a whole lot emptier. This is due to an enlargement project due to finish next year to increase the Reservoirs capacity.
The vegetation on this run is particularly lush, and there is good shade. There are water views in quite a few view point spots.
A full 6k rive round this reservoir makes for a great days Photography.

Phuket is not just beaches and sea, beautiful green interior awaits those who like walking.

Music free under creative commons licence from you tube music library
Credits to : Parzival by William Rosati

The new Khlong Katha Dam, also known as the Chalong Dam, was recently constructed to ease water supply shortages to the people in Chalong, Rawai, Kata and Karon, and as supplemental water holding for the nearby Bang Wad Dam.

The reservoir that was created by the new dam has erased some local roads, which, as of the time of this posting, still exist on Google Maps. These "Ghost Roads" can cause some confusion when navigating the area, but the new roads are clearly marked and driving is very safe.

The reservoir is actually somewhat scenic, and a popular place for cycling and jogging, as traffic is quite light.

It is also located very near to the beautiful Srisupharam Temple, with it's enormous, white Stupa, which is definitely worth a visit, all by itself.

The B480-million project is located near Srisupharam temple among the foothills at the end of Chao Fa West Rd Soi 69 and funded by the Royal Irrigation Department (RID).

The reservoir is up to 927 metres long and in parts up to 23m deep, with a maximum water storage capacity of 4.3 million cubic metres.The highest water capacity is 4.5 million cubic metres with emergency storage.

Comparably, it will supply less water than the other dams in Phuket. It is expected to supply only about 14,000 to 15,000 cubic metres of water per day, as it is the smallest of the reservoirs

From my trip in January 2020 to the hills of Kathu, I found the Phuket Mining Museum.

Stunning grandiose drive to this magnificent building. Which actually was more interesting on the outside than the inside. Most f this video is just that!

The outside and the inner quadrant of the mansion.

Something to view whilst stuck at home and remind ourselves of sunnier days out!

Phuket Mining Museum (or Kathu Mining Museum) was built with unusual grandeur in a very remote and isolated location behind the Loch Palm Golf Club of Kathu, somewhere in the hills before Patong. Museums in Phuket are not precisely living spaces where artists exhibit their creations, but this one gives you a pretty good vision of what Phuket was famous for during the tin mining era.

Driving through the Phuket Mining Museum massive double arch entrance gate and along the lake will lead you to a monumental Sino-Portuguese pink building.

Once you walked through the whole Phuket Mining Museum building, which doesn’t take long despite its size, you can explore the park around and have a look at some other mining remains and machine spare parts as well as a beautiful view on the nearby hills. As shown in this video.

It is known that tin was discovered a couple of millennia ago in the Kathu district of Phuket and was mined until 1992 when the last mine on Phuket closed. Cassiterite (the principal ore of tin) was found in abundance in Phuket and the neighbouring Andaman coast (noteably from KhaoLak to TakuaPa).

In the Ministry of Primary Industries(which mining was) and Mines the campus which houses the current offices, has in it's grounds these old machines which were used during the mining in the 20th Century.

Fascinatingly even steam engines sit aside the giant wheels and cogs of these machines, their belts and pulleys long gone!

But it has been tastefully done and was a joy to see on my photographic journey around Phuket.