Phuket landfill reportedly full as municipality suspends waste intake
A Bangkok Biz News opinion article says Phuket Municipality has suspended waste intake indefinitely after the province’s only municipal landfill reached capacity.
Phuket Municipality has reportedly suspended waste intake indefinitely after the province’s only municipal landfill reached capacity, according to a Bangkok Biz News opinion article published on 10 November 2026.
The article says the municipality issued a notice to local administrative organisations across Phuket informing them that the landfill would no longer accept waste. It says the move could leave households, hotels, markets, shops and restaurants with nowhere to send several hundred tonnes of waste generated each day.
The writer describes the situation as Phuket’s seventh waste crisis. The article also says Phuket receives more than 15 million foreign tourists annually, arguing that overflowing waste could damage the island’s reputation.
Phuket previously used a large waste incinerator near Saphan Hin, built about 40 years ago, before switching to landfill disposal after environmental concerns were raised about emissions, according to the article.
The commentary contrasts Phuket’s waste-management problems with practices in Fukuoka and other Japanese cities, where it says waste is separated at source and recycling industries are supported. These comparisons and criticisms are the writer’s assessment of the crisis and Thai government policy.
