Phuket beach water pollution?

[Jimi007]

Agreed, newbie seems to want take hearsay (my friend told me) and dubious internet research at best to post his conclusions.

Strange though, no? First postings seem to want to bash Phuket. Maybe doing this makes the OP feel better about being stuck in Middlesbrough.

You haven't offered one iota of evidence towards the argument that the problem has been rectified. Can you show us some pictures of the new sewage systems or treatment stations? I am eagerly awaiting your posts about how great the efforts are going! Has gravity suddenly reversed itself in the last few years or does shit still roll down hill?

You guys seriously have lost your minds or do not spend much time in Phuket.

Please clarify for me, in the last 1 year your total days in Phuket?

Granted, Phuket has not spent a whole lot on sewage treatment but if you understand the seasons and how the environment works, you would understand things better.

In July after three months of rainy season what problem needs to be "rectified?" In October when it rains all month and there is more water than what you guys are saying is sewage, what needs to be "rectified".

Don't know where y'all live but it surely isn't the tropics. Get a grip, fine, go holiday somewhere else. Stop bagging on things you are completely clueless about.

Given the number of new developments going on and the lack of sewage treatment plants being built, I do not think the onus is on me to prove things are getting worse. More people=more shit.

I guess you didn't answer the question: "Please clarify for me, in the last 1 year your total days in Phuket?"

I've been swimming in Phuket since 2004, and never got sick from it, but believe whatever you want. Please don't come to Phuket. I can't stand tourists!

[Mysterion]

<snip>

I myself have not gone into the beach water for more than at least 10 years. I speak withy many of my regular guests who tell me the water quality seems be getting worse in places like Patong and even Karon/Kata. I cannot comment directly about other beaches.

I must go back and update my video. Surely it can't be any worse than...

Jetset,

Thank you for sharing that video.

There is no way the deniers can continue after seeing that disgusting scene.

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

I myself have not gone into the beach water for more than at least 10 years. I speak withy many of my regular guests who tell me the water quality seems be getting worse in places like Patong and even Karon/Kata. I cannot comment directly about other beaches.

I must go back and update my video. Surely it can't be any worse than...

Jetset,

Thank you for sharing that video.

There is no way the deniers can continue after seeing that disgusting scene.

It's 2 years old - I really must go back and post an update (provided the wind is in the right direction )

[steelepulse]

Well there definitely is a bit of truth on both sides of this argument. I've seen and smelled the worst of it, and then I've also seen crystal clear waters for months at a time, just pretty much like every beach in the world. Is the local gov't doing enough to treat before being released, I'd say no, but the same case can be said for a lot of the bays in Southern California when they issued no swim day warnings.

[Jimi007]

What ever happened with the water testing and the results that were supposed to be published a couple of years ago? I guess they were so bad that it wouldn't be wise to publish the results?

[bearpolar]

What ever happened with the water testing and the results that were supposed to be published a couple of years ago? I guess they were so bad that it wouldn't be wise to publish the results?

burmese men stole the paper stack that had the results

[JetsetBkk]

What ever happened with the water testing and the results that were supposed to be published a couple of years ago? I guess they were so bad that it wouldn't be wise to publish the results?

2 1/2 years ago:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/691068-phuket-beach-pollution-readings-to-remain-secret/

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

I myself have not gone into the beach water for more than at least 10 years. I speak withy many of my regular guests who tell me the water quality seems be getting worse in places like Patong and even Karon/Kata. I cannot comment directly about other beaches.

I must go back and update my video. Surely it can't be any worse than...

Jetset,

Thank you for sharing that video.

There is no way the deniers can continue after seeing that disgusting scene.

It's 2 years old - I really must go back and post an update (provided the wind is in the right direction )

Here's an update:

It's much clearer, cleaner water (maybe because of all the rain), that now flows into the sea - and the smell is gone from the small lagoon next to the pumping station. Judging by the little ripples in the water, there may actually be life in it!

There are a lot of black bits floating in the water that runs into the sea but I don't know what they are. It looks like they come with the water that drains from the surrounding hills.

Pity about the klong just off the beach and across the path that runs alongside the pumping station. It's full of scum and rubbish, but still no discernible smell - just looks awful. There are two large pipes that connect the klong to the lagoon. They looked blocked since all the floating garbage isn't getting through to the lagoon.

[grumpyoldman]

JetsetBKK, I don't believe your area of northern Karon is representative of the whole island. Maybe Patong I guess, but you have chosen and outlet for a catch basin lagoon. Sure, right there the water quality is probably not going to be real great as that water ferments in that lagoon, there doesn't seem to be great flow. Just that trickle where you set up.

Take it 3kms toward Kata and you'll get a 100% difference.

As for the OP and as Ol Croc has stated, water treatment plants are not a huge priority in SE Asia, I would tell Mysterion to go vacation somewhere else if he is so worried. New Zealand maybe.

[Old Croc]

That latest video shows that water flowing out currently is quite clean. The black bits seem to be vegetation.

It's a great pity Thais, and particularly the migrant workers here, have no concept of correctly disposing of rubbish.

That end of Karon Beach hosts the new, 5 star Centara Grand Resort. A friend of mine who works in Admin keeps me apprised of occupancy rates there. Last time we spoke, he said it was consistently at around 90%, even though it was well into low season.

A lot of Chinese obviously, but many different nationalities stay there, He particularly mentioned Japanese and Italians.

If there was sewage flowing into the sea nearby the place would go broke.

[JetsetBkk]

JetsetBKK, I don't believe your area of northern Karon is representative of the whole island. Maybe Patong I guess, but you have chosen and outlet for a catch basin lagoon. Sure, right there the water quality is probably not going to be real great as that water ferments in that lagoon, there doesn't seem to be great flow. Just that trickle where you set up.

Take it 3kms toward Kata and you'll get a 100% difference.

As for the OP and as Ol Croc has stated, water treatment plants are not a huge priority in SE Asia, I would tell Mysterion to go vacation somewhere else if he is so worried. New Zealand maybe.

That latest video shows that water flowing out currently is quite clean. The black bits seem to be vegetation.

It's a great pity Thais, and particularly the migrant workers here, have no concept of correctly disposing of rubbish.

That end of Karon Beach hosts the new, 5 star Centara Grand Resort. A friend of mine who works in Admin keeps me apprised of occupancy rates there. Last time we spoke, he said it was consistently at around 90%, even though it was well into low season.

A lot of Chinese obviously, but many different nationalities stay there, He particularly mentioned Japanese and Italians.

If there was sewage flowing into the sea nearby the place would go broke.

Sorry, didn't get notification of your responses because my post wasn't quoted. But you are both correct. That little lagoon is the only place where "dirty water" goes into the sea, but it is relatively clean at the moment because of the rain, I believe. And certainly the rest of the beach going south is spectacular. I know of no other outlets/streams that go into the beach to the south.

The only other point to note is that about 100 meters or so out to sea (at the point where the stream enters the sea) is where the sea water intake is for the water desalination plant. I just found an old video I took in April 2008 of the pipe being "relaid" with several wooden frames full of concrete attached to it...

Why all the concrete weights? Well, this is what the pipe looked like in October 2007:

[billythehat]

JetsetBKK, I don't believe your area of northern Karon is representative of the whole island. Maybe Patong I guess, but you have chosen and outlet for a catch basin lagoon. Sure, right there the water quality is probably not going to be real great as that water ferments in that lagoon, there doesn't seem to be great flow. Just that trickle where you set up.

Take it 3kms toward Kata and you'll get a 100% difference.

As for the OP and as Ol Croc has stated, water treatment plants are not a huge priority in SE Asia, I would tell Mysterion to go vacation somewhere else if he is so worried. New Zealand maybe.

That latest video shows that water flowing out currently is quite clean. The black bits seem to be vegetation.

It's a great pity Thais, and particularly the migrant workers here, have no concept of correctly disposing of rubbish.

That end of Karon Beach hosts the new, 5 star Centara Grand Resort. A friend of mine who works in Admin keeps me apprised of occupancy rates there. Last time we spoke, he said it was consistently at around 90%, even though it was well into low season.

A lot of Chinese obviously, but many different nationalities stay there, He particularly mentioned Japanese and Italians.

If there was sewage flowing into the sea nearby the place would go broke.

Sorry, didn't get notification of your responses because my post wasn't quoted. But you are both correct. That little lagoon is the only place where "dirty water" goes into the sea, but it is relatively clean at the moment because of the rain, I believe. And certainly the rest of the beach going south is spectacular. I know of no other outlets/streams that go into the beach to the south.

The only other point to note is that about 100 meters or so out to sea (at the point where the stream enters the sea) is where the sea water intake is for the water desalination plant. I just found an old video I took in April 2008 of the pipe being "relaid" with several wooden frames full of concrete attached to it...

Why all the concrete weights? Well, this is what the pipe looked like in October 2007:

pipe up P1010286.JPG

“Why all the concrete weights?”

I would suggest to help with the problem the problem of flotation caused by tidal action and the simple fact that pipe which looks like HDPE pipe or similar was not laid with a suitable anchoring system. I didn’t know that Phuket had a de-sal plant but that would explain the labelling on some of the bottled waters stating reverse osmosis as the source.

[steelepulse]

Does the de-sal plant even work? I thought it went offline a number of years ago.

[JetsetBkk]

Why all the concrete weights?

I would suggest to help with the problem the problem of flotation caused by tidal action and the simple fact that pipe which looks like HDPE pipe or similar was not laid with a suitable anchoring system. I didnt know that Phuket had a de-sal plant but that would explain the labelling on some of the bottled waters stating reverse osmosis as the source.

It was a rhetorical question actually - the floating pipe in the picture below the question was the clue! There was some very bad weather in October 2007 which caused the pipe to move and come to the surface.

The desal plant is operated by the local government I believe. I don't think they bottle it and sell it - just add it to the available government water supply. But I may be wrong about that. I need to do some Googling.

Does the de-sal plant even work? I thought it went offline a number of years ago.

Good question. I have never knowingly seen the desalination plant, but the pumping station (next to the "was stinky" lagoon) is still making a lot of noise, so I presume it is still pumping the sea water up the hill towards Kata where the - unseen by me - desalination plant is supposed to be.

[grumpyoldman]

Nahhh, guys, the de sal plant,, Somchai sold pertinent operating parts to Arabs four years ago. What you see there now is a whole lot of nothing.

[Tokker]

As i ve lived in thailand for 4 years, i ve seen my share of 'thainess'. Still I was was shocked yesterday. Going to Kata beach, tourists are sent past a walkway next to what can only be called an open sewer that leads directly to the beach. It seems the best they could come up with is to dam it, put 3 longtail propellers in it and call it a treatment plant. Even now, in the dry season it still overflows (where else would it go, right?). I can only imagine what it looks like when it starts raining. How are they going to handle all the extra development? Put a 4th propelller? True, i didn t get sick from swimming there but I was a long way from being at ease, which is what i expect on a holiday.

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, Tokker said:

As i ve lived in thailand for 4 years, i ve seen my share of 'thainess'. Still I was was shocked yesterday. Going to Kata beach, tourists are sent past a walkway next to what can only be called an open sewer that leads directly to the beach. It seems the best they could come up with is to dam it, put 3 longtail propellers in it and call it a treatment plant. Even now, in the dry season it still overflows (where else would it go, right?). I can only imagine what it looks like when it starts raining. How are they going to handle all the extra development? Put a 4th propelller? True, i didn t get sick from swimming there but I was a long way from being at ease, which is what i expect on a holiday.

 

I agree ... it is disgusting and disturbing to see the waste water at the back of the so called Kata sewage treatment plant. Thought that plant has been non operational for years.

[Mysterion]

Phuket's west coast beaches are arguably the main destination for the majority of tourists coming to thailand.

 

Considering the multiple billions of dollars and countless jobs related, both directly and indirectly, to the quality of Phuket beaches, its astonishing that Thailand has not spent any money to save their most important resource.

 

Even the Chinese will stop coming after the word gets out in PRC.

[DrDave]

2 hours ago, Mysterion said:

Phuket's west coast beaches are arguably the main destination for the majority of tourists coming to thailand.

<snip>

Even the Chinese will stop coming after the word gets out in PRC.

Based upon my observations, a very small percentage of the Chinese tourists coming to Phuket actually go to the beaches.

[LivinginKata]

1 minute ago, DrDave said:

Based upon my observations, a very small percentage of the Chinese tourists coming to Phuket actually go to the beaches.

 

Based on my very recent observations that  percentage of Chinese tourists coming to Phuket has drastically shrunk ....

[billythehat]

23 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Based on my very recent observations that  percentage of Chinese tourists coming to Phuket has drastically shrunk ....

Plenty here today in Patong, being led by Mr Onehunglo carrying the cheerleader blue number sign over his head and the attendant herd following behind…

However, as a long term inmate, you are correct in your observations regarding visitations over a time period. More Japs and Koreans noted this year.