Phuket beach pollution readings to remain secret

[Lite Beer]

Phuket beach pollution readings to remain secret
Phuket Gazette -

PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) will not post the pollution readings of its seawater quality tests online, the Phuket Gazette has confirmed.

Instead, the center will publish only its self-determined star rating system, PMBC Director Ukkrit Satapoomin told the Gazette this week.

The PMBC issued a press release last week announcing that the reports were now available online in English However, the star ratings only reveal whether the PMBC considers the water at Phuket’s famous beaches as very good, good, fair, poor or very poor.

In its most recent report, labelled “Marine water quality along the coastline of Phuket in 2013”, the PMBC declared that the seawater at Patong Beach was in “good condition”.

However, Dr Ukkrit explained that the improvement in the water quality was due to “seasonal variations”.

“The improvement in the water quality is due to the fact there is less rain, which means fewer pollutants are being washed into the bay,” he said.

The water in the northern and central areas of Patong Bay were declared to be in “fair” condition.

However, Dr Ukkrit declined to explain why the water quality was different in these areas.

The public posting of the PMBC’s water-quality ratings follows an order by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut in August this year

That order followed ambassadors from 17 European nations travelling to Phuket to raise awareness of beach safety issues

Dr Ukkrit clarified that the water quality tests conducted by the PMBC were independent of the now defunct “beach star ratings” attributed by the Pollution Control Department

“We have been collecting seawater samples from along the Andaman coast and testing it for quality for many years now,” he said.

Dr Ukkrit did not elaborate why the work he was doing was not brought to Governor Maitri’s attention or that of Phuket-based Regional Environmental Office 15 Chief Pornsri Suthanaruk, who were both present to observe the “launch” of the fortnight water-quality tests at Patong Beach on August 23

Dr Ukkrit did explain that the most recent ratings posted online were from October, as some of the equipment required to test sea water quality had recently broken.

“It’s fixed now and we should have the latest ratings online soon,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Phuket-beach-pollution-readings-to-remain-secret-23082.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2013-12-22

[clockman]

The truth always hurts! Thainess again!

[LivinginKata]

“The improvement in the water quality is due to the fact there is less rain, which means fewer pollutants are being washed into the bay,” he said

Seems to me that we had a lot of rain these past 4 months. Just gibberish speak.

[toonsai]

Why keep it secret? Another TIT hiding the truth? If Phuket is polluted, I cannot image results for Pattaya = biohazard level probably.

[KarenBravo]

"In its most recent report, labelled “Marine water quality along the coastline of Phuket in 2013”, the PMBC declared that the seawater at Patong Beach was in “good condition”.

Yup....it's wetness is as it should be.

The mere fact that they won't release the results pretty much tells you all you need to know about the water quality.

[LuckyLew]

"good condition" means the turds floating around are solid chunks and not in a diarhea state

[Nibbles48]

Their refusal to post the result just screams to me that they are in fact severely toxic.

Wonder if this report is going to get the attention of global tourism agencies.

[BeforeTigers]

Is this a publicly-funded operation?

If yes: Seems they don't have the right to keep the information secret.
If no: Seems they are not so interested in peer-review

I wouldn't trust the results anyway; not with that level of integrity.

[edwinchester]

If the beaches were crystal clean would the test results be kept secret or would they be published?

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Jimi007]

What a joke! Why bother testing? Nothing will ever change on Planet Phuket until they have totally ruined it and milked it to death… Pretty sad. I guess The Phuket Marine Biological Center doesn't want to be sued for defamation!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I don't know of any place along the mainland of Thailand where I'd feel comfortable/safe swimming in terms of the water quality.

This kind of B.S. on the part of the government only serves to reinforce that position. Along with all the coastal drains that dump raw, untreated sewage right out into the ocean from homes, factories, etc etc.

And the authorities seemingly do absolutely nothing to stop it.

[chooka]

Posting the readings could be potentially hazardous to tourism resulting in a loss of revenue.

[Felt 35]

If they let in any foreign water and air pollution test group on Phuket and publicise the results we would be shocked and so would the traveller who go to a tropical cement island.

[Lupatria]

So they picked a timeframe for tests which would give the most positive results due to broken equipment. Why didn’t they fix it during the drey season? Sounds literally very fishy to me.

The results were not brought to Governor Maitri’s attention or that of Phuket-based Regional Environmental Office? Right! What do they have to do with it?

And the TAT is probably running out of printer ink when it comes to informing tourists where they are swimming in sewage?

Hopeless, simply hopeless.

[Cylon]

The overpowering smell of raw sewage in the storm water drains in Patong tells the whole story.The underground carpark at Jung Ceylon stinks of it.

[LivinginKata]

The overpowering smell of raw sewage in the storm water drains in Patong tells the whole story.The underground carpark at Jung Ceylon stinks of it.

I've always assumed that stink in the Junceylon car park was some sort of sewage problem with the pipes. Really bad over at the BigC lower entrance.

[Ulic]

“The improvement in the water quality is due to the fact there is less rain, which means fewer pollutants are being washed into the bay,” he said

Seems to me that we had a lot of rain these past 4 months. Just gibberish speak.

Not gibberish, just a guy explaining why these results have improved. Beaches in Toronto Canada are often closed after

a heavy summer rain that washes dog <deleted> and other pollutants into the lake. Hot weather also increases bacteria counts

as the water warms up and becomes a better medium for bacteria proliferation. The scientist is just pointing out the

municipal government has done nothing to improve the water quality like stopping raw sewage from being dumped

into the bay. Less rain means all the pollutants that are poured into the ditches and sewers will be washed into the bay

the next big rain. Pollution levels will spike again.

[casindonet]

The department is too busy collecting tea money from the polluters. No time to write a proper report.....so just use the star ratings. Everyone loves stars....just ask any officers in Thailand.

[JulesMad]

"PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) will not post the pollution readings of its seawater quality tests online, the Phuket Gazette has confirmed."

This says it all.... No posting, no problems... Basically it means of course that it is so bad that it can not be posted...

Happy swimming in Phuket, THE cesspit of Thailand

[Emdog]

If they released the results, they might get charged with "harming Thailand's image", so the best solution was to put head down and mumble gibberish, a peculiar government dialect.

[robblok]

What a joke! Why bother testing? Nothing will ever change on Planet Phuket until they have totally ruined it and milked it to death… Pretty sad. I guess The Phuket Marine Biological Center doesn't want to be sued for defamation!

I agree. but us westerners don't understand.

Its probably not good enough for western standards or the guy is afraid that his tests are not good and an other laboratory could prove them wrong.

[IrishIvan]

Why dont the do-gooders get an independent test? Everyone lives here and poops in Toilets. I dont see people boycotting jung ceylon because of their alleged toilet arrangements

[robblok]

Why dont the do-gooders get an independent test? Everyone lives here and poops in Toilets. I dont see people boycotting jung ceylon because of their alleged toilet arrangements

Why don't you get a shave.. just as crazy an remark.

Tests are done, only reason not to make them public is that they are bad or the organisation doing the tests is not sure about the quality of their tests and is worried they can be proven wrong and loose face.

Those are the options id like to see other logical ones.

[IrishIvan]

Why dont the do-gooders get an independent test? Everyone lives here and poops in Toilets. I dont see people boycotting jung ceylon because of their alleged toilet arrangements

Why don't you get a shave.. just as crazy an remark.

Tests are done, only reason not to make them public is that they are bad or the organisation doing the tests is not sure about the quality of their tests and is worried they can be proven wrong and loose face.

Those are the options id like to see other logical ones.

Leave my beard out of it