Tourists shocked as Phuket beach water turns rancid again in Karon, this time black

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Tourists shocked as Phuket beach water turns rancid again in Karon, this time black
Phuket Gazette


The beach water suddenly turned from blue to black. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Locals, tourists and officials were shocked yesterday as water at one of Phuket’s most famous beaches turned rancid and black.

The stinking water flowed from Nong Han Canal across Karon Beach and into the ocean at a rate that transformed the color of the sea, Village Chief Winai Chidchiew told the Phuket Gazette.

“I went to see it myself after receiving a report from local people. It was absolutely shocking, the sea was black and there was a horrible smell,” Kamnan Winai said.

Kamnan Winai admitted that he had seen black water trickling from the canal into the ocean before, but had never seen it pouring out in such volume.

“I don’t know know what has caused this much outflow, but I think business operators in Karon dumped a lot of wastewater into the canal,” he said.

Kamnan Winai alleged that the Karon Municipality was aware of the problem, but had taken no steps to fix it.

“The problem must be fixed as soon as possible. So many tourists return to Karon because of its beauty. The more the problem is ignored the worse things will get – it will have an enormous effect on tourism for Karon.”

Karon Beach made headlines around the world three years ago when a German TV crew from a major channel found severely polluted water with high counts of coliform bacteria from human feces.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Tourists-shocked-as-Phuket-beach-water-turns-rancid-again-in-Karon-this-time-black-25683.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-02-25

[Somtamnication]

Something fishy is going on here.

[andygunther]

Not a good advertisement for Phuket ...

[Guest]

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Additional benefits can include instant body cleansing, the natural way to loose weight fast.

Come now and enjoy the empty beach while you still can.

[casualbiker]

But I love the quote about being fixed due to tourists (money)

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[kingalfred]

Rancid. A good description of Phuket

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[chooka]

If you abuse your environment for greed what do you expect. Once you have destroyed it completely you will be left sitting alone and asking the question, why don't the tourists come any more.

[chooka]

Not a good advertisement for Phuket ...

Then if you look down the right hand side of this page you will see Ads for Phuket showing crystal clear waters, pristine white beaches and unspoilt fauna. Looks amazing but then I see the real Phuket in this article.

[MK1]

Maybe someone is dumping collected septic wastewater from project sites into the canal. A job for the caretaker government’s pollution / EPA experts to investigate, if their department is still functioning that is.

[Patje]

Kamnan Winai admitted that he had seen black water trickling from the canal into the ocean before, but had never seen it pouring out in such volume.

Kamnan Winai alleged that the Karon Municipality was aware of the problem, but had taken no steps to fix it.

Karon Beach made headlines around the world three years ago when a German TV crew from a major channel found severely polluted water with high counts of coliform bacteria from human feces.

Obviously someone is sleeping for a long time !!!

Time to wake up or step aside for someone who will do the job

[jocko]

If you abuse your environment for greed what do you expect. Once you have destroyed it completely you will be left sitting alone and asking the question, why don't the tourists come any more.

We have said this before there is no long term planning and there never will

There is so much going wrong now then it's a quick cheap as possible fix and keep your fingers crossed and dont forget the lucky charms.

Slow but surely they are killing the place.

Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam will eventually take over I often have a late afternoon walk along Patong beach and see the Russian sun worshipers getting there fix ,

all the above countries have the same sun

[sam sen]

had to go to phuket on business a couple of years ago, why anyone would go there for a holiday amazes me.

[Brevity]

Kamnan Winai admitted that he had seen black water trickling from the canal into the ocean before, but had never seen it pouring out in such volume.

Kamnan Winai alleged that the Karon Municipality was aware of the problem, but had taken no steps to fix it.

Karon Beach made headlines around the world three years ago when a German TV crew from a major channel found severely polluted water with high counts of coliform bacteria from human feces.

Obviously someone is sleeping for a long time !!!

Time to wake up or step aside for someone who will do the job

Yes, those statements jumped out at me, as well.

Doesn't Phuket have enough image problems already? Things like price gouging, especially by the Taxi Mafia and violent crimes against tourists seem to be frequent problems. It seems that the natural beauty is ALL they have to offer in Phuket, so if that's gone so is their livelihood. Of course, if that does happen, the foreigners will be to blame because it is a well known fact that Thais never create any of the problems in Thailand.

[madmitch]

I went for a swim on Karon Beach yesterday and saw no sign of this. The beach was crowded and there were loads of swimmers. Where is this canal?

[LivinginKata]

I went for a swim on Karon Beach yesterday and saw no sign of this. The beach was crowded and there were loads of swimmers. Where is this canal?

Way up at the north end, just opposite where the new Marriott is being refurbished from the old Felix resort. You have to wonder if this pollution has anything to do with the building works.

[mickeymouse22]

i believe i read an article from honarary council member (40 plus years livn in thailand) that left. he won't swim in the sea here. pretty much sums it up

[andreandre]

If you abuse your environment for greed what do you expect. Once you have destroyed it completely you will be left sitting alone and asking the question, why don't the tourists come any more.

An old Cree Indian saying would be very appropriate here IMO;

" Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find money cannot be eaten." ~ Cree

[FredNL]

The waters around Pattaya are the same or worse.

Beginning this year, me and my girlfriend went to Pattaya to visit 4 good friends from France. They planned to stay a couple of days in Pattaya before traveling down to Cambodia. We stayed at the Mountain Beach Resort (loaded with Russians) and together with 2 friends we decided to take a dip in the sea nearby while the girls stayed at the poolside.

Three weeks later our friends came down to Bangkok after their journey through Cambodia before returning to France a week later. I suffered with a slight illness and my body was covered with skin rash and blisters. I went to the Bangkok Hospital before, they thought about an alleric reaction and got some creams and an antibiotic. It didn't help. Meeting my 2 friends in Bangkok, learning that they were suffering with the same. While the girls didn't have any thing.

We all went to the Bangkok Hospital and they tested us all, blood test and skin tests. Result:

a Staphylococcus Aureus infection due to contaminated water. While the doctor asked us if we went swimming somewhere we told him, the 3 of us went swimming near Mountain Beach in Pattaya. The doctor told us it was a very common infection due to swimming near the Pattaya waters. He has advised us not to swim in the sea near Pattaya or Phuket while the waters there are extremely contaminated but using a pool at a resort.

Still having skin rash but it is getting better by the day now, using Fucidin cream.

[atsiii]

Surprise, surprise; I know I'm really shocked (not!). How long can one (Thailand) continue to shoot yourself in the foot before realizing you can no longer walk? The country is headed the same direction as this "black water" went if it does not wake up and grow up.

[jackflash]

To be fair, creeks are often blocked by sand at their mouth, and for a while the water grows increasingly putrid.

Eventually the dam breaks and the putrid water rushes out to sea.

But admittedly this is much worse if the creek is used as a sewer!

[3SoiDogNight]

Oh Black Water, keep on rollin'

Phuket moon won't cha' keep on shining on me....

Oh Black Water, keep on rollin'

[JohnnyBKK]

It's not black water but shit from the toilet. Swim in there and you gonna have some serious health problems.

[spidermike007]

The Thai government has been ignoring its responsibility to both its citizens and the millions of tourists from around the world, for decades now. While billions of dollars need to be spent on waste management in places like Phuket, Samui, and Pattaya, instead they waste billions of dollars on ridiculously foolish programs like the rice pledging scheme. It is a travesty. It is an enormous scandal that gets little attention, except in the world press once in a while. An unbelievable level of incompetence, ineptitude, and recklessness is being displayed, and once in a while it comes home to roost. The water in Samui is so unhealthy I dare not ever venture in for a dip. Others do, and they end up either sick, or with bizarre infections. You can only dump so much poo poo into the sea, before it leads to massive problems. Wake up Thailand! Handle your responsibilities. Man up. Grow up. Behave correctly. Do the right thing.

[Loles]

And this is not the one and only shocking for tourist who goes there .....

[Bung]

I honestly can't understand how Thailand manages to have as many tourists as it does. Surely return tourism must be a thing of the past?

[Joe Mamma]

I went for a swim on Karon Beach yesterday and saw no sign of this. The beach was crowded and there were loads of swimmers. Where is this canal?

Yeah, and my kid found a cigar, but it wasn't rolled by hands.

[belg]

come in the water, you will find pieces of what you ate at the buffet yesterday

[IamNoone88]

“I don’t know know what has caused this much outflow, but I think business operators in Karon dumped a lot of wastewater into the canal,” he said.

Hmmm, two things, lets try : (i) Untreated effluence building up during the dry season and no control (ii) Heavy rain last night across the west coast.

There we go. QED.

[TinoThailand]

I'm shocked of all the ignorant people with in the trashed world ( including such comments )

[soalbundy]

They would have to be tourists if they were shocked. Since living here i'm always shocked when something goes right.