# Roadworks: Why I love this country...



## KhwaamLap (Feb 29, 2008)

Now I'm from old Blighty (Britain) - the home of the Traffic Cone Helpline (honest, it does exist!). Where every major road is dug up over and over again and seems to take forever. Where the national pasttime is sitting on the M(pick a number) looking a closed lanes coned off with no one in sight - or if there is any one, there will be five people chatting and one guy drinking tea and having a roll-up.

Where I lived in Kent a road that was a major thorough fare between two towns - the only way without going for miles in a circular fashion - had road works for over five years. Not the same ones, they had new gas lines put in from top to bottom - then new water pipes - then it was resurfaced - then a bridge was widenend and some more gas works - and so on (it was resurfaced twice!). In this time it was never clear more than a couple of weeks - and they had the audacity to put two speed cameras down there (like anyone got anywhere near the posted 40mph!).

Well, in the road outside my house in Ching Mai they have just replaced all the manholes. Not just the metal and concrete covers, but a 3 meter by 2 meter slab of concete around each. Then a steel reinforcement cage put in and new concrete poured. The manholes are every 15 yards or so and every one was replaced.
How many years/months/weeks did it take? Two days! plus three more before the coveres were removed (overnight) to let the concrete set properly. Never a traffic jam as they worked all day for these two days and only sectioned off the bit they worked on.

When I came home on the second day the man hole cover just outside my drive was now a hole - I could get around it, but there was a small crane (digger), a steel cage (ready for the hole) and several tools and buckets in the top of my driveway (before the gate). No sooner had I pulled up, than a Thai worker jumps up and points to my gate - I nod - the other 4 workers were watching me, and on my nod they jumped to it - cleaing my drive of everything and even directing me in past the hole. No waiting, not grunts or insults, just great service. 

And the road now, a week later, fine. No cracks, the cement has set propery and the road surface is good (and the manholes are now flush with the road surface so no having to line up my wheels to avoid them).

:clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

Next time I hear someone telling me how incompetant Thai labourers are (and I hear it a lot), I'll think 'what a ****!'. :boxing:


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## Serendipity2 (Feb 22, 2009)

KhwaamLap said:


> Now I'm from old Blighty (Britain) - the home of the Traffic Cone Helpline (honest, it does exist!). Where every major road is dug up over and over again and seems to take forever. Where the national pasttime is sitting on the M(pick a number) looking a closed lanes coned off with no one in sight - or if there is any one, there will be five people chatting and one guy drinking tea and having a roll-up.
> 
> Where I lived in Kent a road that was a major thorough fare between two towns - the only way without going for miles in a circular fashion - had road works for over five years. Not the same ones, they had new gas lines put in from top to bottom - then new water pipes - then it was resurfaced - then a bridge was widenend and some more gas works - and so on (it was resurfaced twice!). In this time it was never clear more than a couple of weeks - and they had the audacity to put two speed cameras down there (like anyone got anywhere near the posted 40mph!).
> 
> ...



KhwaamLap,

That's OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!! Obviously the Thais have NOT heard of trade unions or the necessity of "make work' jobs or that procrastination and sloppy work ensures lifelong employment. We'll fix THAT oversight pronto so that you can make believe you're back home in Old Blighty! We only want to make you happy!


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