PHUKET, THAILAND – Provincial authorities in Phuket looked to resort-run waste systems as models to confront the island’s escalating garbage crisis.
Governor studies closed-loop systems on Koh Racha Yai
Governor Nirat Pongsitthiwat led a high-level delegation to The Racha Hotel on Koh Racha Yai to inspect the resort’s integrated solid waste and wastewater treatment facilities. The visit formed part of a series of environmental activities on the small tourist island, including the placement of mooring and reef-protection buoys and a beach cleanup at Plub Pla Beach to protect marine and coastal ecosystems. Vice Admiral Veerudhom Muangchin, commander of Royal Thai Navy Region 3 and director of Thai MECC 3, senior provincial officials and representatives of responsible agencies joined the trip.
Resort models highlight on-island disposal
The group was welcomed by Daniel Lim Teck Hock, managing director of The Racha Hotel, who guided the delegation through waste facilities designed to operate without external disposal infrastructure. The resort showcased an incinerator able to process about 800 kilograms of waste per day and a biogas system handling around 500 kilograms daily, significantly reducing the volume that must be transported off the island and limiting environmental impact. Officials said the resort applied a closed, systematic waste management approach tailored to islands where land, transport capacity and ecological sensitivity posed persistent challenges.
Cooperation with local partners
The Racha Hotel also worked closely with local administrative organizations, nearby hotels and restaurants to jointly manage wastewater and solid waste from prevention at source through intermediate treatment to final disposal. Governor Nirat viewed these solutions as a transferable model and stated,
“Phuket Province places serious priority on solving waste problems in all dimensions.”
said Nirat Pongsitthiwat, Governor of Phuket. He said study visits such as the one to Koh Racha Yai were important to exchange practical knowledge and support environmentally balanced tourist destinations over the long term.
Daily trash exceeds disposal capacity
According to provincial authorities, Phuket generated more than 1,200 tonnes of waste per day, driven mainly by tourism, population growth and consumption patterns. An estimated 1.2 million tonnes of untreated waste were stored at the Saphan Hin landfill under Phuket City Municipality, while incinerators there could process only about 500 tonnes daily, around 40 percent of the daily total. Remaining waste was distributed to other landfills in the province, many of which were nearing capacity, amid estimates that nearly 2 million people were actually present on the island despite far lower official registration figures.
Zero-food-waste at Katathani Phuket Beach Resort
In a parallel visit, provincial representatives inspected the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort, highlighted as a local reference project for systematic waste and water management. The resort operated a zero-food-waste system in which leftovers were separated and treated on site so that only small amounts required external disposal. It used natural water sources, in-house raw water systems and a wastewater treatment plant with five ponds, reusing treated water for irrigation, fully cleaning effluent before discharge to the sea and processing sludge into fertilizer.
Organic waste system reduces external dependence
Sombat Atiset, CEO of the Katathani Group, said,
“Our organic waste system can handle several tonnes per day without using fuel or heavy machinery.”
said Sombat Atiset, CEO of the Katathani Group. He added that sludge from wastewater treatment was converted into fertilizer, leaving the resort only minimally reliant on external waste contractors.
Low recycling rate, focus on wet waste
The Pollution Control Department reported that only about 10 percent of waste in Phuket was recycled, while roughly 60 percent consisted of organic or wet waste, underscoring the importance of sorting at the source. To address this gap, the provincial administration launched an initiative last week to separate wet waste at Phuket Provincial Hall. The program was officially introduced on 16 January at a meeting chaired by Narong On-in, head of the Phuket Provincial Office.
Provincial Hall as model for separation
Officials were instructed to keep wet or organic waste strictly separate from general garbage and to avoid mixing. The administrative complex served as a model site, with all departments required to manage wet waste concretely and systematically in line with provincial policy. Since 19 January, the system had been rolled out across all departments, with the Phuket Provincial Office monitoring implementation and reporting directly to the governor, and a clearly signed wet-waste collection point with separate containers set up in front of the building for staff and the public.
Working group targets waste at the source
On the same day, Vice Governor Suwit Phansengiam chaired the first meeting of the Provincial Working Group for Waste Management at Source for 2026. Participants included agency heads, municipal representatives and Chanthira Duangsai, director of the Environmental and Pollution Control Office Region 15. The group reviewed volumes at the Phuket Provincial Waste Disposal Center and discussed implementation of the Interior Ministry’s 2024 waste transport regulations, focusing on measures to expand organic waste separation at municipalities, businesses, hotels, markets, housing estates and schools.
Push for greener packaging and pilot checks
Plans included promoting environmentally friendly packaging, reducing the use of foam, ensuring readiness of garbage trucks and strengthening community waste banks and environmental volunteer programs. Pilot inspections were scheduled in the municipalities of Patong and Kathu, alongside training to improve waste management efficiency across the province. Governor Nirat stressed that landfills alone would not solve the issue and said,
“Waste management is a major challenge that requires cooperation from all sectors.”
said Nirat Pongsitthiwat, Governor of Phuket. He called on hotels, businesses, communities and state agencies to work together to tackle waste at its root and turn good examples into lasting change for Thailand’s most-visited island.