Phuket Town trash levy to rise 200%

PHUKET TOWN: In September, if Phuket Town Municipality gets its way, households in Phuket Town will be required to pay 200% more for their trash to be collected. Businesses face a 50% rise. Aryoot Tamsiriroj, Vice-Mayor of the town, yesterday told the Gazette that the municipality has proposed a rise in its trash collection fee from 10 baht per house per month to 30 baht, and from 1,000 baht to 1,500 baht per month for businesses. The Municipality is now waiting for Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi’s approval before it can introduce the new fees. K. Aryoot explained that the municipality currently earns about 3.7 million baht in trash collection fees a year, but that it costs about 10 million baht a year to collect the trash and dispose of it. He added that the municipality still expects to be out of pocket by about 3 million baht a year even after the new rates are introduced. K. Aryoot defended the hike, saying, “The new rate is not higher than other municipalities in Phuket, such as Thepkrasattri or Cherng Talay – which both charge 30 baht per house per month – or Patong Municipality, which charges 40 baht per house per month.”