Local residents in Rassada have picketed the Phuket Provincial City hall to demand answers from the Phuket Governor over the current water shortages.

Phuket Governor Pakkaphong Tavipattana told the media yesterday they are managing to solve water shortage problems in Phuket throughout this dry season.

Whilst claiming that there was no ‘drought crisis’ in Phuket the Governor said… “All local administrative organisations must use their own plans to solve the drought by yourself.”

The Governor even mentioned the ‘C’ word, whilst denying that there was any ‘Crisis’, blaming the media for beating up the story and saying the bad publicity will damage the island’s tourist reputation.

The ‘shortage’ or ‘management problems’, or whatever you want to call it, are problems stemming from earlier inaction to foresee the water shortage problems and manage them appropriately. Instead of a plan to ration water earlier in the year, the island now faces critical water shortages with tankers rolling across the Sarasin Bridge in a convoy to assist in the non-crisis.

Today 15 water trucks from Rassada Municipality, the Phuket Water Work Authority (PWA), the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket Office (DDPM), The Department of Rural Road Phuket Office and the Water Resources Region Office 10 Surat Thani rolled into Rassada. These water trucks are helping to distribute free water for residents in the east Phuket Town area.

Locals in Rassada, who have suffered most water shortages in Phuket, are now receiving free water instead of having to buy water following their protest.

Residents in Kathu, Chalong, Rawai, Koh Kaew, Thalang and parts of Phuket Town have been complaining over the past month that their water supply has been either cut off completely or reduced to a trickle.

So, no matter what Phuket’s Governor wants to call it, thousands of residents around the island have been struggling with basic water supplies for up to two months.

On February 6 this year, the Phuket Water Authority announced water restrictions.

And then the day after, cancelled them.

In retrospect, the rationing would have been prudent water management and would have avoided the need for Rassada residents to protest and water trucks to be rolling across the Sarasin Bridge.

Koh Phi Phi Police have been cracking down on illegal workers on the island’s and have arrested a British national along with five Burmese yesterday in Krabi.

Police arrested 28 year old British man Benjamin Richard Stone at a restaurant on Koh Phi Phi yesterday.
The arrested follows police receiving a tip-off that the suspect was illegally selling tour packages to tourists without a work permit. He is facing charges of illegally working in Thailand. Stone is currently denying the charge.

Immigration Police discovered that Stone entered Thailand on February 4 as a tourist. He was coming from Malaysia and arrived at the Phuket International Airport.

Police have also arrested another five Burmese citizens for working illegally.

FILE PHOTO

Army, police and municipal officials have raided 18 hotels on Koh Samui claiming that they are illegally owned by foreigners. The hotels in questions are on a mountainside on the Gulf island, the second largest island in Thailand.