Phuket drowning in rubbish: Mayor vows not to quit
Urgent talks called as waste mountains threaten to bury city’s disposal capacity
Mayor Suphot La-ongphet of Phuket City is standing firm as the island faces a mounting waste management crisis, with garbage piling up faster than it can be processed.
On Tuesday, July 29, at 5.30pm, the mayor visited the Phuket Central Waste Disposal Centre to assess the worsening situation. He was joined by Director of the Engineering Office Yutthana Kanchanaphak to review landfill management strategies at cells No. 4 and No. 5. With daily intake now overwhelming the facility, only short-term management is currently feasible.
The island is being buried under more than 1,300 tonnes of rubbish per day, sent from 19 local administrative organisations and other agencies across Phuket. The situation, according to city officials, is officially critical.
Council President Tachanon Angkanapilas and engineers also took part in the inspection, as pressure mounts to find immediate and long-term solutions before the system collapses.
Mayor Suphot acknowledged the severity of the crisis but remained resolute.
“Although the amount of waste exceeds our centre’s capacity, Phuket City Municipality is not giving up,” he said. “We know the problem has been building up over time. With Phuket growing rapidly in every sector, the amount of rubbish has naturally followed.”
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He added that even during the recent low season, the island’s garbage volume spiked.
“In June, we were seeing around 1,200 tonnes per day, and now it’s climbed to 1,300 tonnes. “We can’t ignore it.”
To tackle the crisis head-on, an emergency meeting of the Phuket Provincial Waste Board has been called for today, July 31. The meeting will be led by Phuket Governor Sopon Suwannarat and include top executives from all local government bodies, The Phuket News reports.
The goal: to urgently devise joint measures to stem the island’s growing trash tsunami.
With tourism and development continuing to surge, officials face the stark reality that without rapid reform, Phuket could be heading toward an environmental disaster—one bag at a time.
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