Koh Samui - Thailand's tourist paradise is facing severe water shortage

Koh Samui often struggles with fresh water shortages during the dry season from March to May Photo: The Guardian

Koh Samui, known for its white sand beaches, stunning temples and luxury resorts, often struggles with fresh water shortages during the dry season from March to May. This year, the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon, combined with less rainfall, has led to concerns that the water shortage will worsen.

Koh Samui Deputy Mayor Sutham Samthong has called on the public to use water sparingly, as lack of rain and a recovery in the tourism industry have put great pressure on water supplies.

For the past three months, the taps have only been working one or two days a week, said Jutharath, who owns a massage parlor and hotel here. “There were times when there was no water for a whole week,” she said. “My neighbors sometimes had to walk to the nearby temple just to use the bathroom because there was no water,” she said.

Instead of benefiting from the surge in tourists this year, tourism businesses have had to use their profits to buy water, which is not only costly but also causes a shortage, said Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, president of the Koh Samui Tourism Association.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of available rooms on the island, including hotels and villas, dropped to just 5,000. Currently, the number of rooms has recovered to 25,000, the same level as in 2019. As a result, issues such as water and waste management are also re-emerging.

Dr Kannapa Pongponrat Chieochan, an assistant professor at Thammasat University who has studied water-saving initiatives on Koh Samui, said the shortage of fresh water stems from poor planning. The island’s infrastructure has struggled to keep up with a population that has grown dramatically as people from all over Thailand have moved to work in the island’s growing tourism industry. At the same time, the island has seen rapid development of resorts, hotels, golf courses and spas.

“Koh Samui has a lot of spas, villas with pools, and based on my research, the big corporations, the big hotels, the four or five star resorts consume a lot of water – and the areas around them are lacking water because it’s all being pushed into the resorts,” she said.

According to Deputy Mayor Sutham, Koh Samui needs 30,000 cubic metres of water per day. Of that, 24,000 cubic metres will be brought to the island via a water pipeline from the mainland, while supplies from reservoirs will be used for the remaining amount.

SERIOUS (According to The Guardian)

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