Phuket hotels face closure after wastewater dumping

Hotels in Karon, Phuket, Thailand could face closure due to the continued release of untreated wastewater into the canal. On Wednesday April 9th the Karon Hotels Association president, Angkana Tanetvisetkul, agreed that hotels guilty of dumping wastewater into the canal should be closed in a bid to reduce the amount of water pollution in the area.

In a public meeting, Ms Tanetvisetkul said that she supported drastic action against the hotels in a bid to stop future wastewater and pollution problems. The meeting was held by the Phuket Governor, Maitri Inthusut, to address issues that could affect the up-and-coming Asian Beach Games. 

Although Ms Angkana said that she supported the closure of businesses that break the rules and release untreated wastewater into the canal, she continued to say that not all the hotels can blamed. As many hotels in the area are equipped with their own wastewater treatment systems and because they are affected by the bad press that such issues can create, only those that are guilty of dumping wastewater should face punishment.

According to Governor Maiti, steps have already been taken to deal with the issue of polluted water, following the first incidence that occurred on February 24th. The first time that polluted water became a problem, it was found to be due to inadequate systems in place for the treatment of the city's wastewater. However, the most recent cases are linked to the hotels.

Karon has already installed a net aimed at trapping rubbish so that it cannot travel from the canal into the sea. Dredging of the canal has also taken place in a bid to remove rubbish that could damage the beaches. Sandbags have also been used to reduce the rate at which water flows into the ocean, allowing sediment to settle rather than being swept out to sea, according to the governor.

While these steps can help to cut down on pollution, they are only short-term solutions. The implementation of long-term plans will now be up to the Wastewater Management Authority of Thailand.