Phuket, Thailand’s largest beach, has undergone rapid growth due to its tourism industry, a key driver of the Thai economy as a whole. Of the government’s 35.5 million international visitors in 2024, about 13 million headed to the beach.
” The growth of ( Phuket ) city has been much more rapid than it should be”, said Suppachoke Laongphet, deputy mayor of the island’s main municipality, explaining how a tourism and construction boom has pushed trash volumes above pre-COVID levels.
By the end of time, the area may become producing up to 1, 400 tonnes of filth a moment, overwhelming its single waste, he said.
As the island tries to become a more sustainable tourist destination, authorities are moving forward with plans to reduce waste generation by 15 % in six months, expand the landfill, and build a new incinerator, he said.
However, according to experts, increasing capacity and incinerators are just a small part of the solution.
” If you just stay expanding more spare incinerators, I don’t think that would be just the answer”, said Panate Manomaivibool, an assistant professor in waste management at Burapha University.
” They need to rely on waste reduction and isolation”.