Senate Advisor Urges Urgent Action on Phuket’s Mounting Waste Crisis

Phuket, Thailand –

A senior advisor to the Senate’s Subcommittee on Land Resources has sounded the alarm over Phuket’s escalating waste management crisis, warning of serious environmental and tourism impacts if immediate solutions are not implemented.

Our previous stories: 

Phuket City Municipality has ‘requested’ all local administrative organizations and private operators across the province to temporarily halt the delivery of solid waste to the Phuket Provincial Waste Disposal Center between April 11–19, 2026, after a fire broke out at the landfill site.

Phuket has declared an emergency assistance zone as crews battle a stubborn blaze at the municipal landfill near Saphan Hin, which has been burning for two consecutive days.

Phuket, Thailand’s world-renowned island destination, is facing a mounting environmental challenge that threatens both its residents and its reputation as a tourist haven.

Phuket City Municipality has finalized preparations to open its central landfill site for waste disposal from local administrative organizations (LAOs) and government agencies, beginning April 18. 

Now for the update: 

On a recent inspection visit, Mr. Samran Sinthong, advisor to the Senate Subcommittee under the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, led a delegation to Phuket Municipality to review operations at the province’s second municipal waste-to-energy plant.

The facility currently processes up to 700 tons of waste per day, serving as the backbone of Phuket’s waste management system. Mr. Samran stressed the importance of maintaining strict standards in incineration to minimize air pollution and ensuring systematic disposal of residual ash.

The delegation also surveyed the municipal landfill, which has reached a critical state due to insufficient capacity. Rapid growth in tourism and economic activity has driven waste volumes beyond the site’s limits, creating multiple problems:

• Odor pollution: Strong smells from accumulated waste have disrupted nearby communities.
• Visual impact: Overflowing garbage has begun to tarnish Phuket’s image as a world-class tourist destination.
• Environmental risk: Concerns are mounting over leachate contaminating soil and natural water sources.

Following the inspection, Mr. Samran and the Senate committee outlined urgent measures to be advanced at the national level:

1. Expand waste-to-energy capacity and secure environmentally sound landfill sites.
2. Promote waste separation at source to ease the burden on treatment facilities.
3. Enforce stricter environmental regulations to protect residents and preserve Phuket’s tourism appeal.