SURVEYS of water quality at Phuket beaches shows that Patong and Rawai have pollution problems, with most other beaches relatively clean.

While any pollution is unacceptable, there is no danger to the health of swimmers. The water at 14 beaches is sampled and tested six times a year by the Environment Office of Phuket.

The Marine Biology Centre also does a survey six times a year at 23 beaches. Looking at charts for the past three years, with a star system indicating which beach waters are clean and which have bacteria, Phuket looks remarkably healthy.

Blue and green stars mostly cover the six survey taken annually at 23 beaches by the centre. There are a few yellow ''bad'' stars in the charts for 2007 and 2006, but none for 2008. The charts contain no ''very bad'' red stars.

''The quality of the water off Phuket is not good enough,'' said marine biologist Dr Somkiat Khokiattiwong. ''Patong, for example, has too much bad water running into the bay.''

The Environment Office survey of 14 beaches records total coliform bacteria articles and total suspended solids.

The latest survey was taken in May, at points 1000 metres off the beaches. Environment Office researcher Nattakid Ponped said the standard acceptable measure of total caliform bacteria was 1000.

Here are the measuring for Phuket's beaches, with the ratings in brackets. Measurements are taken at up to four points.

At some beaches, there are radical differences in pollution levels, indicating pollution intensifies with runoffs:

Patong (17,000, 7800, 7800, 4500) Rawai (13,000, 79, 49, 1.8) Karon (4, 17, 330) Kata (7.8, 1.8, 13) Kata Noi (1.8, 1.8) Nai Harn (2, 1.8, 7.8) Laem Singh (1.8, 23) Mai Kao (7.8, 7.8, 4500) Koh Naka, off Phuket's east coast (4.5, 1.8, 1.8) Koh He (7.8, 7.8, 1.8) Koh Racha, Pabpla beach (1.8, 2.0, 1.8, 1.8) Layan beach (21, 21, 11) Ao Por (6.8, 6.4, 79) ThaLa beach, Paklok (2.0, 2.0).

High figures for Patong and Rawai are attributed to canals (klongs).

Total suspended solids:

Patong (12.25, 12.50, 12.00, 12.00) Rawai (4.50, 6.25, 6.25, 12.50) Karon (10.00, 15.00, 5.75) Kata (15.25, 15.75, 5.00) Kata Noi (6.00, 6.00) Nai Harn (6.75, 5.50, 4.75) Laem Singh (3.00, 4.25) Mai Kao (14.75, 14.75, 4.75) Koh Naka, off Phuket's east coast (7.75, 7.00, 9.75) Koh He (1.25, 1.25, 3.25) Koh Racha, Pabpla beach (28.00, 28.50, 28.25, 28.25) Layan beach (15.50, 15.50, 20.50) Ao Por (9.75, 7.50, 9.25) ThaLa beach, Paklok (11.50, 18.75).

The high figure for Koh Racha is attributed to the number of speedboats that moor on the beach.

Dr Somkiat said Patong's pollution problems were based on the number of people who use the beach and the ''frying pan'' nature of the bay, which did not allow water to be refreshed from the sea as easily as at other Phuket beaches.

The centre and the department presented figures this week to a committee examining water quality. Surveys are likely to be combined in future to save costs.


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