Officials in Phuket City have raised fresh alarms over a surge in waste that has now exceeded the municipality’s capacity to manage, calling on neighbouring local administrations to abandon their complacency and take part in tackling the island’s mounting garbage problem.
Phuket Mayor Supachok La-ongpetch voiced growing frustration during a meeting with Governor Nirat Pongsitthithavorn on Thursday, saying the tourist island continues to face serious obstacles to proper waste management.
The meeting was convened amid heightened concern that rubbish is piling up faster than it can be processed, leaving the municipality struggling to dispose of the excess.
Phuket currently generates about 1,200 tonnes of waste per day, yet municipal incinerators can handle only 500 tonnes — roughly 40% of the total. The remainder is transported to landfills in other parts of the province, many of which are now facing overwhelming strain.
The Pollution Control Department reports that only 10% of Phuket’s waste is recycled, while organic waste accounts for around 60%.
Mayor Supachok said he expects daily waste volumes to reach 1,500 tonnes by the end of the month, driven by the surge in holiday-season tourism.
Under Thai law, local administrative organisations are responsible for managing waste. In Phuket, that responsibility falls to Nakhon Phuket Municipality, which must also accept and process garbage from several surrounding jurisdictions.
The municipality serves a population of around 72,000, while the broader province has about 450,000 permanent residents — a number that can climb to one million during peak tourism periods.
The mayor said he believes the municipality is already carrying more than its fair share of the burden, adding that no long-term solution is currently in sight.
At present, he said, officials are managing waste “day by day” while other local administrations show limited willingness to reduce what they send.
“We have asked other local administrations in Phuket to help us reduce waste at the source, but we are somewhat dissatisfied with their response,” Mr. Supachok said.
The municipality charges outside agencies 520 baht per tonne to handle their waste — a rate unchanged since 2009. Most local administrations have refused to sign new contracts that would require them to pay higher fees.
Last year, the municipality proposed increasing the price to 725 baht per tonne, with gradual rises to 850 baht in the coming years. Officials hoped the adjustment would encourage participating agencies to cut back on waste in order to save costs.
Governor Nirat has pledged to pressure other local administrations to take more responsibility, saying they may ultimately be required to manage their own waste instead of shifting the burden to Nakhon Phuket Municipality.
He plans to hold a follow-up meeting with all relevant agencies later this month to push toward a resolution.
Phuket has a total of 19 local administrative offices across the island.
The current Phuket municipal council was elected on a pledge to finally resolve the island’s long-running waste problem — a promise that is now facing its toughest test.
