PHUKET, Thailand – Phuket Municipality has declared an indefinite temporary suspension of waste receipts at the Phuket Waste Disposal Center after daily garbage volume exceeded capacity, marking the island’s seventh waste crisis. The decision follows an overflow of trash collected from 19 local administrative organizations and various entities across the province, pushing daily waste levels to between 1,200 and 1,300 metric tons. Phuket Mayor Suphachok Laongphet inspected the site on Sunday to oversee land adjustment operations aimed at expanding landfill capacity.
Suphachok stated that the facility reached a critical threshold as incoming waste surpassed the landfill’s operational capacity, prompting the municipality to hire additional heavy machinery to clear space. The clearance operation led to severe traffic delays for garbage trucks entering the site over the past week.
The situation escalated on Sunday morning when several trucks bypassed the waiting line and dumped garbage on the access road, blocking access for other vehicles. In response, the municipality halted all incoming waste deliveries indefinitely to allow workers to clear the roadway, adjust landfill space, and establish coordinated guidelines with all 19 local authorities and contractors. The municipality stated it will resume waste acceptance once land adjustments are completed and operational procedures are aligned among all parties.
Suphachok urged residents, commercial establishments, and government agencies to reduce waste generation at the source, emphasizing the need for waste segregation and organic waste separation to alleviate environmental impacts and lessen the burden on the disposal system. (TNA)
