Leaving the dark days behind them, Koh Kood and Koh Mak have been finally hooked up to the National Electricity Grid.
The Old Electricity Generators
Visitors to the the two islands have probably been blissfully unaware that, up until now, all their electricity demands had been met through two archaic generators.
If out and about exploring, you might well have spotted (and heard) them; Koh Mak’s beast was near the police station in Ao Nid; Koh Kood’s sat in the center of the island near to the hospital. Both have served the islands’ inhabitants and resorts admirably, but their day had come as an ever increasing numbers of tourists and businesses stretched their capabilities to the limit. Blackouts were stretching even the Thais patience.
Electricity from the Mainland
On 4th August, the authorities flipped the switch on a 50km underwater cable which connects Koh Kood and Koh Mak to the mainland Grid. The cable, the direct result of a 1.4 billion budget approved back in 2012, runs across from Klong Yai near the Had Lek border with Cambodia. It’s slated to meet the islands’ electricity demands for the next 30 years.
Power cuts will not completely disappear, the district’s frequent storms in the rainy season will ensure that, but resorts and homes will have a continuous, reliable and safer supply than before.
Future Investment
This of course will attract considerably more investment into the islands, so in turn their development is likely to accelerate. Expect to see the imminent arrival of 7/11 and perhaps Tesco Lotus on one or both in the not too distant future.
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