Pictures courtesy of The Phuket News

 

Phuket is grappling with a severe waste management crisis, as rubbish accumulates faster than it can be processed. On Tuesday, Mayor Suphot La-ongphet visited the Phuket Central Waste Disposal Centre to survey the escalating situation. Joining him was Yutthana Kanchanaphak, Director of the Engineering Office, to review landfill operations at critical cells No. 4 and No. 5. The centre is inundated, receiving more waste than it can handle.

 

Phuket generates over 1,300 tonnes of rubbish daily from 19 local administrative organisations and other agencies. Officials have now declared the situation officially critical. Council President Tachanon Angkanapilas and engineers accompanied the mayor during his inspection, underscoring urgent calls for both immediate and sustainable solutions.

 

Mayor Suphot expressed determination to tackle the problem, stating, "Although the amount of waste exceeds our centre’s capacity, Phuket City Municipality is not giving up. The issue has been growing alongside our rapid development."

 

Even during the recent off-season, the waste volume surged, with figures climbing from 1,200 tonnes per day in June to 1,300 tonnes now. The mayor acknowledged the urgent need for action, stating, "We can’t ignore it."

 

An emergency meeting of the Phuket Provincial Waste Board was scheduled for today to address the crisis. Led by Governor Sopon Suwannarat, the meeting aims to craft joint measures to confront the island’s mounting rubbish issue.

 

With the island’s booming tourism and development, officials face a stark reality. Without swift reforms, Phuket risks sliding into an environmental disaster, each day contributing more to the growing heap. The escalating crisis underscores the urgent necessity for a comprehensive waste management plan, both immediate and long-term.

 

A confluence of factors has led to this predicament. Phuket's rapid urban expansion, coupled with its thriving tourist industry, has accelerated waste production. Traditional waste processing methods are straining under this new pressure, revealing deep-seated flaws in the current infrastructure.

 

In response, the municipality is considering several strategies, including expanding landfill capacity and implementing advanced waste processing technologies. However, the focus is also on preventive measures, such as promoting recycling and encouraging community involvement in waste reduction initiatives.

 

Public awareness campaigns may be vital in changing perceptions about waste. Educating residents and visitors on reducing, reusing, and recycling could mitigate some pressure on disposal facilities. Furthermore, partnerships with private enterprises aiming to convert waste into resource—such as energy recovery—are being explored.

 

This concerted effort is not just about managing a current crisis but setting a sustainable path for the future. The commitment by local authorities to resolve this dire situation reflects a broader understanding of environmental stewardship, essential for a region heavily reliant on natural beauty and a healthy ecosystem.

 

Today's emergency meeting is thus a pivotal moment. It will determine not only immediate relief measures but also set a trajectory for long-term sustainability. For Phuket, the stakes are high. Failure to effectively manage this waste crisis risks not only environmental harm but could also impact tourism—an economic pillar for the island.

 

As discussions progress, a unified approach among government bodies, businesses, and the community will be crucial. The next steps taken by Phuket could serve as a model for other regions grappling with similar challenges, as well as a stark lesson in the importance of proactive environmental management.

 

Phuket stands at a critical juncture. The decisions made today will reverberate for generations, shaping the island's future in profound ways. The commitment to resolving the waste crisis shows a hopeful dedication to preserving this unique and beautiful destination, ensuring it remains vibrant for years to come.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-31

 

 

this unique and beautiful destination, ensuring it remains vibrant   🤣

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Phuket is grappling with a severe waste management crisis, as rubbish accumulates faster than it can be processed.

Has been for years, nothing has ever been done.

The governor should be moved on.

Much like the rest of Thailand ...

This and other islands all have same problem. It's the result of people robbing the funds meant for waste management for their own personal good and greed on the developers part who just build build build without any consideration for infrastructure.

Karma 👏 

7 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Has been for years, nothing has ever been done.

The governor should be moved on.

More like the past twenty years that I have had a house in Rawai! There’s always been more trash than they can process. They built another incinerator and still had mountains of backlog trash needing disposal. A lot of talk with very little action. 

Just throw it in the ocean. That is the best and easiest solution.  Everyone wins and it takes so little effort.

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the focus is also on preventive measures, such as promoting recycling and encouraging community involvement in waste reduction initiatives.

Frustrated by the Lack of Environmental Awareness

It’s disheartening to see how widespread field burning continues in Thailand, especially given the severe air pollution it causes. The health risks are well-documented—yet many seem unaware or indifferent to the long-term consequences. I often see trash carelessly discarded along roadsides, which only reinforces the sense that environmental stewardship isn’t a priority for many. 

So 14 years ago, when they finished building the existing incineration plant, they were processing 540 tonnes per day, and at that time, they announced it was outdated.  

“. . . . a piss up at a brewery”

 

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Phukets-new-incinerator-hits-halfway-mark

 

9 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Much like the rest of Thailand ...

We have absolutely no garbage collection where I live in Kap Choeng other than the recycle guy,  I just burn everything, have done for years.   Everything disappears, eventually, some things just  take longer to dispose of   than others, Fridges for example lol  and those plastic foil bags that line fruit juice cartons are hard work

Didn't I see this same story a few years ago?  And a few years before that?  And a few years...

 

More tourists , more garbage.

I know back home they built an advanced waste to energy plant that was efficient and very low on pollutants.  It was Not cheap.  This is probably the only way to go to even attempt to manage the problem.

 

Unfortunately the cost will probably make this option unattainable 

4 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

We have absolutely no garbage collection where I live in Kap Choeng other than the recycle guy,  I just burn everything, have done for years.   Everything disappears, eventually, some things just  take longer to dispose of   than others, Fridges for example lol  and those plastic foil bags that line fruit juice cartons are hard work

Yes, similar here in Prasat. I burn the small & burnable stuff. The rest goes to the farm at Khok Salaeng, never to be seen again. I think mostly recycled by b/f's family ...

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Phuket stands at a critical juncture. The decisions made today will reverberate for generations, shaping the island's future in profound ways.

 

55555555

 

This issue rears it's head annually in both Phuket and Pattaya lol. Nothing done.

 

Bangkok is allegedly going to separate waste. Guaranteed it will fall flat. I think it already has.

23 minutes ago, koele2 said:

Just throw it in the ocean. That is the best and easiest solution.  Everyone wins and it takes so little effort.

 

That's not the solution bc that's what's being done now. Solutions must be at least different from status quo 😉

Thirty years ago or more, as I got angry about some environmental issue, my wife explained the Thai solution: "If you don't think about it, it is not a problem."

Do they still have the incinerators in operation.

They have to study the incineration system which Hong Kong made

25 minutes ago, Ombra said:

Thirty years ago or more, as I got angry about some environmental issue, my wife explained the Thai solution: "If you don't think about it, it is not a problem."

 

No governor has thought about it for 20 years. 

 

"The next steps taken by Phuket could serve as a model for other regions grappling with similar challenges, as well as a stark lesson in the importance of proactive environmental management."   Since there will be no action taken, stark lessons will be further pushed down the road. The next governor will declare an emergency and nothing will happen.

 

There is no way to line your pockets AND do something about waste management. 

Political's favourite action: 

blablablabla......

1 hour ago, Jimi007 said:

More like the past twenty years that I have had a house in Rawai! There’s always been more trash than they can process. They built another incinerator and still had mountains of backlog trash needing disposal. A lot of talk with very little action. 

No but they are happy to take the money from tourists 

 

 

I thought the Russians were leaving....55555

2 hours ago, ronster said:

This and other islands all have same problem. It's the result of people robbing the funds meant for waste management for their own personal good and greed on the developers part who just build build build without any consideration for infrastructure.

Karma 👏 

Anything business involved in Garbage removal and controlled by the mafia,,,especially in the United States of America.

Every year again....no plan b....nothing

If you have an incinerator that reaches 2,000 degree Celsius then it will incinerate everything. If the resulting gas is used to power a generator then you have energy. 

They say these things are too expensive but then if you don't then there will be no more tourists. 

3 hours ago, Jimi007 said:

More like the past twenty years that I have had a house in Rawai! There’s always been more trash than they can process. They built another incinerator and still had mountains of backlog trash needing disposal. A lot of talk with very little action. 

Action costs money, talk is cheap.. say no more.

Go and learn from developed countries!

This is a national problem within Thailand... Improper (inadequate) waste management... Including the epidemic problem of illegal dumping has never been adequately address by any elected or non-elected Thai government.

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Has been for years, nothing has ever been done.

The governor should be moved on.

Yes indeed, 15 years ago they complained the incinerator could no longer handle the quantity.

So why are they going to complain now?
Maybe new management new problem, until they too are replaced...