PEOPLE have long suspected Phuket's population could be much higher than official figures indicate. But yesterday someone who should know, Phuket Governor Wichai Praisa-ngob, came up with a new total.
He said there were probably 800,000 Thais living on Phuket. Add to that 100,000 Burmese/Mon illegal and legal workers. Then add the tourists . . . and you have a population of more than one million all year long.
''This is the main reason why Phuket's infrastructure does not meet the needs of the island,'' the governor said. He was addressing the media at a monthly conference at Provincial Hall.
''We cannot deal easily with the road network, electricity, water and the mounting disposal of garbage.''
Phuket has a registered Thai population of about 320,000. The registered population is the figure that the central Bangkok government relies upon in calculating budgets for each of Thailand's 76 provinces.
The difference between the actual number of residents and the official figure accounts for discrepancies in all kinds of statistics. For example, Phuket is rated much more highly than it deserves to be in terms of the prevalence of HIV, the number of road toll deaths, and other negatives.
''Phuket struggles to dispose of all its waste,'' the governor said. ''We generate 550 tonnes of waste a day but can only only incinerate 250 tonnes a day.
''In five years, we can expect to generate 800 tonnes a day.''
Non-disposable waste is being stored near the overworked incinerator at Saphan Hin in Phuket City, where what was once landfill now creates a toxic landmark that is beginning to tower above surrounding land.
''We cannot continue in this way,'' the governor said. ''Eventually, our environment and our health will be affected, along with damage to tourism.''
Separating garbage was a beginning, and a plan is in place for supermarkets to begin phasing out plastic bags by charging customers for them. A large proportion of Phuket's waste consists of plastic products.
December 4, World Environment Day, will see a Memo of Understanding signed between the governor and 22 Phuket supermarkets.
He said there were probably 800,000 Thais living on Phuket. Add to that 100,000 Burmese/Mon illegal and legal workers. Then add the tourists . . . and you have a population of more than one million all year long.
''This is the main reason why Phuket's infrastructure does not meet the needs of the island,'' the governor said. He was addressing the media at a monthly conference at Provincial Hall.
''We cannot deal easily with the road network, electricity, water and the mounting disposal of garbage.''
Phuket has a registered Thai population of about 320,000. The registered population is the figure that the central Bangkok government relies upon in calculating budgets for each of Thailand's 76 provinces.
The difference between the actual number of residents and the official figure accounts for discrepancies in all kinds of statistics. For example, Phuket is rated much more highly than it deserves to be in terms of the prevalence of HIV, the number of road toll deaths, and other negatives.
''Phuket struggles to dispose of all its waste,'' the governor said. ''We generate 550 tonnes of waste a day but can only only incinerate 250 tonnes a day.
''In five years, we can expect to generate 800 tonnes a day.''
Non-disposable waste is being stored near the overworked incinerator at Saphan Hin in Phuket City, where what was once landfill now creates a toxic landmark that is beginning to tower above surrounding land.
''We cannot continue in this way,'' the governor said. ''Eventually, our environment and our health will be affected, along with damage to tourism.''
Separating garbage was a beginning, and a plan is in place for supermarkets to begin phasing out plastic bags by charging customers for them. A large proportion of Phuket's waste consists of plastic products.
December 4, World Environment Day, will see a Memo of Understanding signed between the governor and 22 Phuket supermarkets.
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There are two solutions to the garbage problem that can help
One
Food waste, this can be turned into fertiliser a lot of households in Europe are given bins for food waste by their local councils (or bor tors) which gets turned into fertilser by worms eating the waste this process is already in use in Thailand in the north, figures I have heard before were that 30% of the daily garbage was food waste so thats 165 tonnes, would be a good business for someone as well sure Hotels could do this.
Another is to ban styrofoam, Thailand has already banned it from national parks and make a product similiar but enviromentally friendly from the cassava plant.
To Editor here are a couple of links think both of these would make good storys
http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/asia_cassava/index.htm
http://www.eco-go.net/products.php
http://www.ethicurean.com/2008/07/14/food-scrap-composting/
http://www.recyclesomerset.info/pages/lovefoodhatewaste.asp
Posted by Michael on November 4, 2009 13:28