Popular Thai island Koh Samui facing existential crisis as water runs out

Koh Samui, a popular tourist destination located off the east coast of Thailand is facing an acute water shortage. Located in theChumphon archipelago, authorities are working overtime to ensure that the island, famous for its white sandy beaches, scenic temples and luxury resorts -does not become a 'disaster zone'.

Lack of rain and a large influx of tourists are being dubbed as the primary reasons for the precarious situation. Sutham Samthong, a deputy mayor of Koh Samui has urged the public to use supplies sparingly to get through the difficult period.

“I would like to ask people to save water, use it sparingly. If we help each other, we can go through this,” said Samthong.

“We are not complacent. We are trying to solve the situation. We don’t want the provincial or upper [administration] to announce that Koh Samui is a disaster zone,” he added.

There has been a drastic reduction in the water levels ofthe Phru Na Muang and Phru Krajud reservoirs and the Hin Lard waterfall, which has contributed to the current predicament. If the water supplies are not sorted quickly, the island only has enoughlocal freshwater supplies for residents for just 30 days.

Currently, the locals are being forced to shell out as much as 250 to 300 baht ($7-$8.5)for about 2,000 litres of water for daily use.

Samthong states that the island needs 30,000 cubic metres of water a day. The authorities are working to bring24,000 cubic metres throughan underwater pipeline from Surat Thani on the mainland, while reservoir supplies would be used for the remaining amount. An additional 30,000 cubic metres is also expected to be brought in the boost the supplies, according toProvincial Waterworks Authority.

Tourism could be affected

Despite authorities fetching water from different sources, the problems could compound due to the El Nino phenomenon, which may lead to even less rain for the island.

The tourist spot has welcomed over one million foreign tourists in the past five months. The water supply crunch could put the entire hospitality industry in jeopardy which had only recently started to recoup the losses suffered during the pandemic.

According to a report in the Guardian, during the pandemic, the number of rooms available on the island, including in hotels and villas fell to just 5,000. However, it has since recovered to 25,000, the same level as 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)

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