Residents of Thailand’s resort island of Phiphi have suffered from freshwater shortages for more than two months due to drought, which has damaged tourism massively.
The resort island of Phiphi in Thailand’s Krabi province is again facing freshwater shortages despite similar incidents occurring over the past few years during the high tourist season.
Residents of the island have been waiting to receive enough fresh water for domestic needs for more than two months, prompting consideration of the temporary closure of some businesses if the drought continues, the Bangkok Post reported.
A private company supplying tap water to households, businesses, restaurants, hotels and resorts on the island has stopped supplying fresh water since 23 April as water supplies are running low, said Sanphet Sisawat, president of the Krabi Tourism Association. Some businessmen on the island are forced to buy raw water from the centre of Krabi,’ Sanphet added.
A local source also said that even significant hotels, resorts and businesses on the islands have almost exhausted the water supply in their artesian wells. Some companies are considering temporary closures if the situation does not improve due to the slight downpours.
Sunset said the situation had caused massive damage to the islands’ tourism operators, leading to the cancellation of hotel bookings and sightseeing programmes.
Sanphet said that Krabi provincial authorities have asked the Third Naval Region to deliver 100,000 litres of fresh water during each trip to the Phuket base to compensate tourism operators for the losses.
Sanphet said authorities are also considering private logistics vessels to supply locals with 200,000 litres of water per trip.
The source said that many areas on the Krabi mainland, including the resort island, have been affected by the drought. Despite attempts by local authorities to use raw water in reservoirs and requests to call for artificial rain, water levels in reservoirs are very low.
The Krabi Provincial Water Supply Authority has reportedly developed a three-part plan to alleviate the water shortage. The first phase involves the short-term rental of three mobile water production units,’ the source said.
The water shortage also affects tourist attractions in Pattaya in Chonburi province and Chang Island in Trat.
In Pattaya, Singhachai Inthapichai, director of the provincial water authority, said the private company supplying tap water to the area struggled to keep up with supplies despite the massive demand for drinking water due to the constant heat and growing number of tourists.
This has led to tap water shortages not only in Pattaya but also in Chonburi’s Siracha neighbourhood, especially in areas on the mountain. According to a survey, Singhachai said water stored in tanks in those areas will be enough to supply residents until the end of June.
Singhachai added that the water authority has compensated for the problem by organising home water delivery. The authority intends to contract with the Royal Irrigation Authority to pump water for local consumption in other areas.
On Chang Island, Khlong Phlu Waterfall in Mu Ko Chang National Park has been temporarily closed since 3 May due to a lack of water. According to Niramitra Songsaeng, the park’s head, other waterfalls have been closed for at least a month due to this rare incident.
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