It's time to get professional advice from overseas and stop the miss-use of public funds. Something that should have happened 20yrs. ago. Waste management is something you have to keep up with. Looks like whatever is decided its going to cost. (a stitch in time saves nine).

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

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 is what you get when you keep on building and don't grow infrastructure along the way. 

it's all short-term-thinking.

on Samui same story, sewersystems not adequate. in summer people can not spray water in their gardens...

6 hours ago, impulse said:

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

 

Yep.All talk and no walk?

Not like the lack of trash cans stops thais from throwing their plastic everywhere anyways

How many of you go into a 7/ll or similar and EVER THING is wrapped in plastic. Plus I bring my own carry bags. Then they put all that I bought wrapped in plastic and after I say no plastic bags needed and,, "no plastic bags thanks", they put it all in plastic bags and then into my eco friendy bag. Work that out! 

 

Plus the Govt. promised to remove those plastic shopping bags about 2 to 3 years ago. Aside from that all Australian supermarkets no longer use plastic bags at checkout since about 3 years ago, What surprised in those short years we no longer have to add that to the dump which is literally tonnes of plastic per year not going into a tip. Work that out Thailand,

 

And they wonder why their waste dumps are full? Brain dead or what!

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Has been for years, nothing has ever been done.

The governor should be moved on.

One of the issues is that Phuket is continuously asking central government for funds to have a new mega incinerator. But central government always says that the island needs to install proper recycling and waste management processes first.

This issue has been there for successive governors for at least a decade

Hence :

“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 changingperceptions about waste. Educating residents and visitors on reducing, reusing, and recycling could mitigate somepressure on disposal facilities. Furthermore, partnerships with private enterprises aiming to convert waste intoresource—such as energy recovery—are being explored.”

 

In reality, the only recycling efforts in Phuket are the poor people who go around on motorbike and sidecars digging through the household waste bins looking for plastic or metal that they can sell. At the same time upending trash neatly packed into black plastic sacks and leaving them strewn around for dogs and cats to then take their turn.

 

The trash situation in Phuket is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, if it ever gets better.

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Frankie baby said:

It's time to get professional advice from overseas and stop the miss-use of public funds. Something that should have happened 20yrs. ago. Waste management is something you have to keep up with. Looks like whatever is decided its going to cost. (a stitch in time saves nine).

 

Thailand has the technology and the knowledge.  But the money keeps disappearing.  If they brought in overseas consultants, even more money would just disappear faster.  And still, nothing would get done.

 

Just tip it in the sea, along with the poop, out of sight out of mind.

22 hours ago, Jiggo said:

Just tip it in the sea, along with the poop, out of sight out of mind.

Jeeze! Your such an environmental concerning person!  Just kidding. Your actually an <deleted>. Do you have kids or grandchildren? They are the ones that will suffer. You are a, "me,me", type of guy aren’t you?

A post using a foreign language has been removed as this is an English language forum. 

On 8/2/2025 at 2:37 AM, cynic1 said:

Jeeze! Your such an environmental concerning person!  Just kidding. Your actually an <deleted>. Do you have kids or grandchildren? They are the ones that will suffer. You are a, "me,me", type of guy aren’t you?

Yep that's me, don't give a F££k

The local Phuket government will will get out the giant begging bowl and go to the state government and beg/demand more money.

 

The trash problem is of their own making, and it is Phuket's problem to sort out, NOT the central governments.

3 hours ago, Jiggo said:

Yep that's me, don't give a F££k

And I guess your a  pom. Not that I have anything against the British. Your trash what do you do with it? It must be massive and your small country in area would run out of space to dump it willy nilly. Bet you don't even know.

6 hours ago, billd766 said:

The local Phuket government will will get out the giant begging bowl and go to the state government and beg/demand more money.

 

The trash problem is of their own making, and it is Phuket's problem to sort out, NOT the central governments.

Phuket is sending more money to Bangkok than it receives back. Way more. That money comes from the source of the problem.

7 hours ago, cynic1 said:

And I guess your a  pom. Not that I have anything against the British. Your trash what do you do with it? It must be massive and your small country in area would run out of space to dump it willy nilly. Bet you don't even know.

Yet another Aussie on this forum with an unhealthy obsession with the "poms", and we get called whingers. Pull the other one😄 .

 

FYI, UK is heavily into recycling and renewables has been for years. The air quality in UK and Europe is light years ahead of Asia, as much as I love the place. Easily noticeable when I switch between the locations. 

 

Incinerators sound good but what is being pumped into the atmosphere? Presumably can't be as bad as just burning stuff, which other posters on this thread seem to be doing. 

 

Where the UK is failing is water quality due to the privatised water companies lack of investment here. Ironically, one of the worst offenders - Thames Water - was stripped by Macqaurie, who happen to be from where....? 😄

17 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

Yet another Aussie on this forum with an unhealthy obsession with the "poms", and we get called whingers. Pull the other one😄 .

 

FYI, UK is heavily into recycling and renewables has been for years. The air quality in UK and Europe is light years ahead of Asia, as much as I love the place. Easily noticeable when I switch between the locations. 

 

Incinerators sound good but what is being pumped into the atmosphere? Presumably can't be as bad as just burning stuff, which other posters on this thread seem to be doing. 

 

Where the UK is failing is water quality due to the privatised water companies lack of investment here. Ironically, one of the worst offenders - Thames Water - was stripped by Macqaurie, who happen to be from where....? 😄

I have as you say "unhealthy obsession with the "poms"". Its a friendly feedback to those British that call Aussies,"convicts" Your a bit sensitive are you not?

 

As you say burning off the waste it would not be positive to air quality. My question focused on dumping waste. As you have a population of  69.5 million.in an are of UK  being 241,930 Km². We have a population of 27.2 million in an area of 7,688,287 km2 Big difference hey!

 

From your explanation, you do not mention dumping garbage but burn it which includes plastic stuff which is toxic! Is that correct But after burning you still have waste. What do you do with that?