Phi Phi Islands tackle critical water shortage

[webfact]

 

Krabi’s renowned Phi Phi Islands are currently wrestling with a critical freshwater shortage. The local governing body, Ao Nang’s tambon administration organisation (TAO), is considering two primary solutions: establishing a pipeline for water provision from the mainland or resorting to seawater desalination.

 

Over the last few years, the absence of tap water during the tourist high season, coinciding with the dry spell, has presented a persistent problem. Phankham Kittitorakul, who presides over Ao Nang’s TAO, confirmed the receipt of a budget to explore the aforementioned options.

 

The urgency of this issue escalates as the water reserve of Water Hill Company Limited, the private entity that caters to the freshwater needs of households, businesses, and various hospitality establishments on the Phi Phi islands, nears depletion. The company has projected that its supply capacity would cease by Tuesday. Following that, it will resort to a two-hour daily distribution until its reserve either refills with rainwater or completely runs dry, mandating further changes.

The Ao Nang TAO’s artesian well and water reserve, which typically provides raw water to private companies for tap water production, have also been exhausted. Water prices on the island have reportedly sky-rocketed, reaching 200 baht per cubic metre.

This predicament is anticipated to primarily affect households and small businesses without their own artesian wells. However, larger establishments such as hotels and resorts on the islands have expressed that their operations are unaffected due to their independent artesian wells, which ensure a sufficient tap water supply for visitors.

 

Ittichai Tanbutr, vice president of the Pattana Krabi (Krabi development) group, noted that the water shortages in Krabi are intensifying. He reported that the Provincial Waterworks Authority’s office in the province has been compelled to restrict water pressure and limit distribution periods in many areas since Thursday, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Ittichai urged the government to devise a systematic and sustainable solution to this escalating problem. The Phi Phi islands, comprising Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Lay, and several smaller islets, are amongst the province’s most frequented tourist attractions.

 

Photo of Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of The Nation

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-13

 

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[Rampant Rabbit]

who would  have thought they would  have had a water shortage............for the last 50+ years

Dont forget to repost this next year, and next year etc et ad infinitum

[spidermike007]

I think since cancer research has been nothing but a failure some of that money should be devoted toward desalination research. We really need to come up with simple and inexpensive ways to desalinate seawater.

 

Just think of the problems that would solve. 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Krabi’s renowned Phi Phi Islands are currently wrestling with a critical freshwater shortage. The local governing body, Ao Nang’s tambon administration organisation (TAO), is considering two primary solutions: establishing a pipeline for water provision from the mainland or resorting to seawater desalination.

So make up your mind and get on with the solution.

[webfact]

Krabi’s Phi Phi islands tackle severe freshwater shortage
by Mitch Connor

 

Picture courtesy of Ao Nang OrBortor

 

The Phi Phi Islands, a prominent tourist attraction in Krabi, are grappling with a severe shortage of freshwater. The local authorities are exploring potential solutions, with two options under consideration – a pipeline bringing water from the mainland or the production of freshwater from the sea, according to the Ao Nang Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor).

 

Phankham Kittitorakul, President of Ao Nang OrBorTor, highlighted the recurring lack of tap water during the dry season. This period coincides with the tourist high season, exacerbating the situation over the past few years. To address this, Ao Nang OrBorTor has received funding to investigate these two possible solutions.

 

The urgency of the situation is underscored by the fact that Water Hill Co Ltd, a private company providing tap water to households, businesses, restaurants, hotels, and resorts on the Phi Phi Islands, is on the verge of exhausting its water reserve. The company anticipates that its capacity to provide water to customers will cease by tomorrow.

Following this, it will distribute water for two hours a day until its reserve is replenished by rainfall or completely depleted, necessitating further adaptations.

Adding to the crisis, the artesian well and water reserve of Ao Nang OrBorTor, which supplies raw water to private companies for tap water production, are also depleted. Consequently, water prices have skyrocketed to 200 baht (US$5.4) per cubic metre. This situation is expected to hit households and small businesses that lack private artesian wells the hardest.

 

However, larger hotels, resorts, and businesses on the islands appear to be unaffected by the water shortage, as they possess their artesian wells. These wells are expected to provide sufficient tap water to visitors.

 

The water shortages in Krabi are escalating, according to Ittichai Tanbutr, Vice President of the Pattana Krabi (Krabi Development) group. He disclosed that the Provincial Waterworks Authority’s office in the province has been compelled to reduce water pressure and limit water distribution in many areas since April 11, reported The Phuket News.

 

Ittichai urged the government to systematically and sustainably address the water scarcity problem. The Phi Phi islands, comprising Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Lay, and several smaller islets, are amongst the province’s most frequented tourist destinations.

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-16

 

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[ChrisY1]

And as usual.....water shortages have been talked about for generations.....but it's always only talk...they get a budget...it goes....no water till next year......and again no-one cares!

[JoePai]

Cut back on the number of tourists allowed to visit ?

[ourmanflint]

Every single resort island in the Maldives has its own desalination plant to provide water. Absolutely no excuse other than greed, short sightedness and aways taking the easy option

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, JoePai said:

Cut back on the number of tourists allowed to visit ?

Sacrilege.... 

[Aussie999]

2 hours ago, JoePai said:

Cut back on the number of tourists allowed to visit ?

Were you ever a tourist there?

[JoePai]

46 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Were you ever a tourist there?

Thankfully no 

[ChrisY1]

4 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

Every single resort island in the Maldives has its own desalination plant to provide water. Absolutely no excuse other than greed, short sightedness and aways taking the easy option

It's "different" here...don't you know that? Anyway....desals are usually electric and very often there is none:

[rexpotter]

5 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

And as usual.....water shortages have been talked about for generations.....but it's always only talk...they get a budget...it goes....no water till next year......and again no-one cares!

The budget goes for new cars and new I phones

[rexpotter]

Misleading title. Long term planning here seems impossible.

[ChaiyaTH]

Lol so a private company holds monopoly over essentially (near) all water supply on an island, while not even having water enough. This is so cliche Thai. So if the same company was a government company, charging the same rates, instead of focusing on profits, they could invest it in fixing this.

 

The entire issue is where all the endless massive streams of money end up with, Thailand could have most tourist cities look like Singapore already with all they earned on tourism and the like, if the money arrived in the right hands and corruption was eliminated. O wait, wasn't that what they said to do in 2014?

[simon43]

18 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

It's "different" here...don't you know that? Anyway....desals are usually electric and very often there is none:

I guess that small islands in the Maldives also have no electricity supply, other than solar or diesel generators. If they can manage to install/operate desalination plants, then why not Thailand?

[billd766]

19 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

It's "different" here...don't you know that? Anyway....desals are usually electric and very often there is none:

Sensible countries would put in diesel generators as a back up.

 

[Aussie999]

On 4/16/2024 at 4:47 PM, JoePai said:

Thankfully no 

That makes sense