Phuket –
As Thailand’s premier island destination braces for its peak tourism season, local authorities are racing to confront a mounting waste management crisis that threatens public health and environmental integrity.
Governor Sophon Suwannarat told the Phuekt Express thatvPhuket now generates approximately 1,000 tons of waste daily, while existing facilities can process only 700 tons. During the upcoming high season, projections suggest daily waste could spike to 1,300–1,400 tons, overwhelming the system.
To accommodate the overflow, officials have reopened landfill cell No. 4, triggering odor complaints from nearby communities. In response, Phuket Municipality has deployed bio-fermented solutions to neutralize the smell and contracted private firms to sort incoming waste for conversion into Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), which will be sold to cement factories in Saraburi province.
Looking ahead, Phuket is investing in long-term infrastructure to manage its growing waste burden:
- A second waste incinerator is under construction, slated for completion by late 2026. It will add capacity for 500 tons/day, raising total processing capability to 1,200 tons/day.
- A third incinerator is planned for Thalang District, designed to serve northern Phuket communities and reduce the need to transport waste into the city center.
- The proposed site is Bang Khanun Forest Park, currently under negotiation with the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Fleet.
Officials anticipate that waste volumes will continue to rise over the next decade, driven by tourism and urban expansion.
Phuket is also preparing for the environmental impact of a real estate surge, with over 16,000 new housing units expected. The expansion is projected to increase:
- Household waste generation
- Sewage discharge
- Strain on roads and public infrastructure
In teamwork marking 50 years of Thai-Chinese relations, China Water has offered to design sewage treatment systems for four locations in Phuket—free of charge. The targeted areas include:
- Cherng Thale Subdistrict (Thalang)
- Underground system for 50,000 households
- Budget: ฿400 million (฿100 million secured; remainder sought from Thailand’s Environmental Fund)
- Sri Sunthorn Municipality
- Budget: ฿124 million
- Land provided by Phuket Provincial Prison
- Funding to be sourced from municipal and environmental funds
- Karon Municipality
- Two existing systems in place
- Ready to launch new project with secured funding
- Kamala Subdistrict
- Design completed
- Site relocation required due to space constraints
A critical hotspot has emerged near Sirinat National Park Bridge in Thalang, where untreated black water from a canal is flowing directly into the sea. To address this, the Wastewater Management Authority has allocated ฿40 million for a new treatment pond.
The Sakhu Subdistrict Administration has secured a lease on temple land in Nai Yang for the facility, with additional funding from provincial reserves (฿2 million) and private donations (฿600,000), totaling ฿2.6 million. The treated water is expected to be repurposed for future use.
