Polluted water plagues Phuket beach
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- Dirty water emptied into the canal that separates Phuket’s Bang Tao and Layan Beaches has caused a spate of health problems and has even sent unsuspecting people to the hospital for skin rashes and blood infections, local residents claim.

To bring the issue to the public’s awareness, the Bang Tao Longtail Boat Club and local restaurant owner Chaiya Boonyuen on Sunday invited the press to inspect the contaminated canal, which they say is being polluted by hotels in the area.

Kaycha Krohlek, advisor to the longtail boat club, said the water in the canal had been polluted for a long time and had caused locals and tourists to fall ill.

The Cherng Talay Subdistrict Administrative Organization (OrBorTor) has been investigating the issue, but nothing has been done, Mr Kaycha claimed.

“The water smells and stops tourists from visiting here. Both tourists and locals have had allergic reactions to the water. Many local fishermen have had to get medical treatment – paid for out of their own pockets – to recover from exposure to the water.

“Some of them have had blood infections from the dirty water and yet still have to get into the water each day to get to their boats,” he said.

Local restaurant owner Mr Chaiya said the state of the water had cost restaurateurs customers.

“The situation is getting worse. We haven't been notified of any progress by the OrBorTor. They have held some meetings about this, but subdistrict and village headmen have never had a chance to attend any of those meetings,” Mr Kaycha said.

“I implore all government agencies, especially the Cherng Talay and Thalang administrations, as well as the provincial authorities, to take charge and quickly resolve this issue,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Polluted-water-plagues-Phuket-beach-20863.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-04-23

To politicions this is not inportant, no money for them. In chiang mai the klongs are disgraceful. I have been coming here over 25 years and have never seen any real effort to clean them. Even right in the city where tourists walk!

as long as those polluting can pay those inspecting it will continue, money rules.

The water is polluted everywhere around Phuket. 10 years ago I spent 2 nights in the hospital for septicemia contracted through a small cut on my leg after stepping into Chalong Bay.

Every town along the eastern seaboard has these klongs going straight into the sea.

I will never swim in the sea there. I guess phuket is identical.

This is only the tip of the iceberg,i'm afraid. A part of westernization is sewage and wastewater management.

This is only the tip of the iceberg,i'm afraid. A part of westernization is sewage and wastewater management.

And that is exactly where many of them are saving their money...sending their sewer warer straight into the klongs.

What amuses me is the current giant campaign on thai Television with save the planet and still every mass of water and green area in this country is full of junk...and people take the car instead of walking 500 meters to buy some food from the local street vendor.

This is only the tip of the iceberg,i'm afraid. A part of westernization is sewage and wastewater management.

You've hit the nail on the head. In Thailand's case you could have left off the last word of your sentence. In order to "manage" a problem you first have to admit that there is one, instead they just blame the hotels. Perhaps the long-tail "club" ought to start discouraging its members from dumping used engine oil and filthy bilge water directly into water! That'd be a start. Granted its a lot easier to blame someone else though as they appear to have.

I also find quite telling the statement "– paid for out of their own pockets –" oh noes' there goes personal responsibility again!!! Those blasted feet of mine made me walk into the dirty water I polluted yesterday now I'm sick. Boo Hoo.

I posted extensively last year about the dangerous levels of fecal coliforms in the water of Phuket's West coast beaches.

I cited the root cause stemming from substandard sewerage treatment facilities being overwhelmed during high season.

The first rains of low season hit and "hey presto" deadly toxic beaches...

Hey, as much as I distrust big government and "green" agendas, the EPA in the US, (and I assume similar agencies in other western countries,) have done an incredible job cleaning up our rivers and coastal areas. My wife is constantly amazed by seeing herring swimming up pristine rivers, clear lakes where you can see the bottom at 3 meters, and plucking shellfish from the ocean's edge that are healthy and edible.

She worked for the Chiang Mai Municipality. The stories that I hear from her make me understand that beautiful Thailand has a lot of work to do to change the culture of corruption before any real environmental clean up can be effective.

It's that ol' " Here and now only... " religiously based attitude.

The future does not exist.