what water shortage, we've just wasted millions/ billions of litre's on songkran

[britpop]

am i the only one to be shaking my head in disbelief that in Patong your lucky if the government water comes once a day for a hour and on songkran water was wasted as though it was in plentiful supply. does anyone know the reason this year why the water supply to Patong is so bad onto of the many years of terrible water service

[HooHaa]

buzzkill.

[falkan]

once a year c'mon son

[Som wat]

It has to seep though the Phuket sewerage?

And there's a lot of that.

[britpop]

buzzkill.

yip you've hit it right on the head, the figure for the deaths over the festive season is growing day by day, now if one death and more can be associated to the miss use of water, then who am i to be called a buzzkill, but as you see it it's just harmless fun with water, tell the relatives of the dead victims out there, as they are crying mention the term "Buzzkill" , i think the death tole is over 200 and counting, please confirm non of these deaths are by a water related accident.

[britpop]

once a year c'mon son

well that's ok then, it's only once a year, what does that mean, in what context should i take that, you are saying although Patong has major water shortage problems, people can't shower, toilets are full to the brim, businesses can't function properly, don't worry just enjoy the situation, obviously you don't suffer from a water problem and thats always the way when people say c'mon, enjoy it, they are not directly effected, so can i ask what about the deaths caused by the water related accidents, is your attitude still, C'mon son, interesting ah!!!!!!!

[stevenl]

Yes, once a year, most important Thai festivity of the year. Don't moan because you don't understand and/or like it.

[bkkjames]

I read somewhere the same amount of water is on earth as there was since it's creation.

Meaning, it's a waste of treated water I suppose (if it was treated at all) but the water didn't leave, it just moved from one place to another.

[LivinginKata]

I read the OP's question more about the poor water supply in Patong all year round.

My wife drove to the water supply office a couple of months ago to complain about the irregular water supply. Like none at all for the last 4 months. Office told her they don't have the budget to buy more powerful pumps to keep up with the large water demand in Patong. I suppose this is all we can expect with poor infrastructure planning. Keep on building and not worry about how to supply electric and water, and then remove the waste water.

[rhythmworx]

I'm not being funny or anything here, but you have had no water for 4 months?

How do you bathe?

How do people manage sex with someone who hasn't washed for 4 months.

I'm guessing you buy water in large containers and wash/shower with that?

[LivinginKata]

I'm not being funny or anything here, but you have had no water for 4 months?

How do you bathe?

How do people manage sex with someone who hasn't washed for 4 months.

I'm guessing you buy water in large containers and wash/shower with that?

We have to truck the water in at 5 times the price of piped in water, not the mention the time spend waiting for the truck to turn up.

[eezergood]

I was wandering how long before we heard this one.........

I think most people will have paid for the water they wasted, so actually thats a waste of funds...

[Langsuan Man]

What do you expect from the ME society that is Thailand

I want my water fight and the environment be damned

As far as the infrastructure problem that is not limited to Phuket, we have the same problem in Pattaya and I am sure those in Hua Hin will report the same. If the big condo and housing developers were required to fund infrastructure upgrades in order to obtain building permits maybe this over building would at least slow down or not impact everyone so much

But that is not going to happen because the rich run this country and they got rich because the could and can do as they please

Edited April 16, 2014 by Langsuan Man

[nedkellylives]

Water shortage is nothing to do with songkran, its the drought here

And they will keep celebrating it every year

Govt water supply is turned of nearly every day in Rawai and turned back on in the evening

The infrastucture was not designed to handle the amount of building going on, twice as

many buildings with still the same amount of water to supply them and its not going to get better

[HooHaa]

buzzkill.

yip you've hit it right on the head, the figure for the deaths over the festive season is growing day by day, now if one death and more can be associated to the miss use of water, then who am i to be called a buzzkill, but as you see it it's just harmless fun with water, tell the relatives of the dead victims out there, as they are crying mention the term "Buzzkill" , i think the death tole is over 200 and counting, please confirm non of these deaths are by a water related accident.

cry me a freaking river and spare me your hyperbole about death. we are talking about misuse of water here, remember, you started the topic.

What does a death "tole" of 200 have to do with a water shortage, real or imagined, in patong?

NOTHING.

now go away misery.

[HooHaa]

I'm not being funny or anything here, but you have had no water for 4 months?

How do you bathe?

How do people manage sex with someone who hasn't washed for 4 months.

I'm guessing you buy water in large containers and wash/shower with that?

We have to truck the water in at 5 times the price of piped in water, not the mention the time spend waiting for the truck to turn up.

Ah the bane of living in 'paradise'

I gladly pay to have water shipped to my house, it reminds me that it is not finite and to be used wisely. As for time spent waiting, poor diidums.

[Guest]

I read somewhere the same amount of water is on earth as there was since it's creation.

Meaning, it's a waste of treated water I suppose (if it was treated at all) but the water didn't leave, it just moved from one place to another.

When the Earth was formed and no. We used extraterrestrial water delivery system to fill-up the oceans with the time span of 4.6 billion years.

[fiddlehead]

At one time, I thought like the OP, that Songkran was a waste of water.
But, then I saw how much water goes to watering lawns, so people can see more green when they look out the window.
And irrigation for farming uses much much more.

Songkran is big fun for the kids.
And the ritual of putting a little water into the older people's hands. The way it was meant to be I believe.

Now, of course, we have the drunks and bar girls with the hoses and ice in their buckets to make it more uncomfortable for those of us who might not enjoy the scene as much.

I was stuck in Bangkok this Songkran day and believe me, it is a lot more evil going on with the water in Bangkok than my Songkran experience last year when I was in Phatalung, where it is mostly kids with small waterguns laughing away and shooting me below the knees as I am older.

But a waste of water?

The water table is the important thing, and I don't believe ours is too low to cause a lot of concern here in Phuket this year.
Rainy season will be along shortly.

Enjoy!

[Guest]

I have no actual data, but let's play with the numbers a bit.

Maybe 10% of the Patong population are participating with the water throwing. Most people use only few litres during the day and there are some who use hundreds. On average perhaps 10 liters / participant.

Let's be on the safe side and double those numbers. 20% participating and average water usage is 20 liters / participant.

On average, household water usage in normal day is about 200 liters / day / person. Songkran water usage increase compared to the whole population normal usage is therefore 2%, which is 4 liters per person. That's less than on flush of the toilet.

I'd say that the dehydralization effect from the consumed alcohol, which then causes more frequent runs to the toilet, is greater cause of increased water usage, than what it's thrown to the streets.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Guest

[NamKangMan]

I live in a Thai owned and managed apartment block. We always have town water. My water bill is only 200 baht a month, like everyone else in the block. This is something I checked out before signing up.

I'm thinking the OP lives in a farang "owned" (and I use that term losely) condo/apartment block or housing estate.

The town water is cut off regularly, on purpose, so you have to truck the water in, which is very expensive, so cousin Somchai has a flourishing water delivery business and the kickbacks keep flowing, unlike the town water.

Generally, it's a scam, not poor infastructure.

If you look closely, you will see the Phuket airport taxi and tuk-tuk business model is used in the delivery of this other essential service/product as well.

I'm guessing the OP is angry because he is constantly paying big money for water to be trucked in.

Edited April 16, 2014 by NamKangMan

[manly100]

We gave up on government water supply after 2 years of on again off again water. Started using water trucks but the noise and water quality was a turn off. Finally turned to bore water and its been a vast improvement. If you can get bore water it may work well for you as it has for us.

[tingtongteesood]

Speak for yourself, I only wasted water on showering and washing - same as usual. Where I live in Bangkok I saw just a handful of people partaking, or who clearly had been partaking in the Songkran looniness. It was very very quiet round here, only 1 person offered me a soaking and I raised my hand and waved it to say no thanks and he didn't. The way things should be.

[NoshowJones]

buzzkill.

yip you've hit it right on the head, the figure for the deaths over the festive season is growing day by day, now if one death and more can be associated to the miss use of water, then who am i to be called a buzzkill, but as you see it it's just harmless fun with water, tell the relatives of the dead victims out there, as they are crying mention the term "Buzzkill" , i think the death tole is over 200 and counting, please confirm non of these deaths are by a water related accident.

Just an opinion, but I would say about 50%.

[marcusd]

I read somewhere the same amount of water is on earth as there was since it's creation.

Meaning, it's a waste of treated water I suppose (if it was treated at all) but the water didn't leave, it just moved from one place to another.

I don't think anyone can rightfully answer that as none of us were here back then

Marcusd. Via tapatalk

[Shot]

@OP.

Yes, you are the only one. You need to pull the brit out of your pop......or is it the pop out of your brit. Either way.....smile.

[techboy]

I don't know. But I do believe that you do not have the faintest idea as to how much water was used or "wasted" nor what effect that Songkran had on water supplies. Righteous drivel.

[marko kok prong]

Really the amount of water used in songkran is miniscule compared to irrigating rice paddys,the fact that some people are growing up to 3 rice crops a year is a main reason for a shortage also due to the fact,at least in our area-Wichianburi,Petchabun,that until this month we have had no rain since the end of october,this being the dry season. Obviously living in Patong there is a huge demand for water from all the hotels bars ect,so i am not surprised you have some shortages.

[grumpyoldman]

Anyway, my friends and I were talking about this last night, it almost always starts to rain after Songkran. OP moot point.

[britpop]

My original topic, you are right it mentioned nothing about the death toll, so you are not concerned about the water shortage, obviously it doesn't effect you in a direct way, you said "we are talking about misuse of water here" now if there is as you said a misuse of water and onto of that misuse, there is also a link to the songkran death toll, you are saying again it's not a concern, how very responsible of you, i loved songkran, on that day i was the least miserable.

buzzkill.

yip you've hit it right on the head, the figure for the deaths over the festive season is growing day by day, now if one death and more can be associated to the miss use of water, then who am i to be called a buzzkill, but as you see it it's just harmless fun with water, tell the relatives of the dead victims out there, as they are crying mention the term "Buzzkill" , i think the death tole is over 200 and counting, please confirm non of these deaths are by a water related accident.

cry me a freaking river and spare me your hyperbole about death. we are talking about misuse of water here, remember, you started the topic.

What does a death "tole" of 200 have to do with a water shortage, real or imagined, in patong?

NOTHING.

now go away misery.