Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

Phuket is facing a mounting waste crisis as daily rubbish has surged past 1,200 tons, overwhelming the island’s sole incinerator which can process only 500 tons per day.

 

Phuket City Mayor Suppachoke Laongpetch visited the Phuket Provincial Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Centre alongside Deputy Mayor Chalermpon Piyanarongroj to assess the situation. Waste is currently being delivered from all 19 local administrative organisations and government agencies across the province, creating severe strain on the system.

 

Officials confirmed that landfill sites 4 and 5 are now at full capacity, leaving staff with no choice but to manage the overflow on a day-to-day basis. Representatives from the Solid Waste and Excreta Management Group and Phuket City Municipality’s Engineering Department joined the inspection.

 

Mayor Suppachoke revealed that Thai Paiboon Equipment (TPB) Co., Ltd. has so far removed around 75,000 tons of accumulated landfill waste. However, he urged the company to accelerate operations due to concerns that the forthcoming high season in tourism, along with ongoing economic expansion, will add further pressure to an already stretched waste management system.

 

“The volume of waste is increasing every day. If urgent measures are not taken, Phuket could face a serious environmental and public health challenge,” Mayor Suppachoke warned.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-08-22

 

 

 

The solution is obvious. Build more incinerators, making sure that all toxic fumes are removed, apart from CO2 which is a clear and odourless gas essential for all life. 

People go there thinking they will swim in the ocean when they are actually going to be swimming in trash

Phuket - tourist hub.

 

And they want more tourists?

 

Didn't Phuket recently announce plans to improve transportation networks?  Maybe waste disposal should come first.

Thailand in general is awash with garbage.....there's never permanent solutions...just patch ups....then there's the fly tippers..!

The corruption and mismanagement prevails and as usual..the people pay

That is a typical problem with "over tourism", the infrastructure needs to be in place before increasing the number of tourists...