Phuket-Phang Nga water project runs ahead of schedule, officials say
The update was delivered at the 4th/2026 meeting of Phuket’s Joint Public-Private Sector Committee (JPC) at Provincial Hall last week chaired by Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn.
Phuket officials said Phase 1 of the Phuket-Phang Nga water expansion project was 8.20% complete and 2.73% ahead of schedule at a Joint Public-Private Sector Committee meeting at Provincial Hall last week. The Provincial Waterworks Authority Phuket Branch said that progress applies only to the current construction phase, which began on Dec 6, 2025, and was scheduled to run through Apr 23.
Phase 1 contract covers Phang Nga and Thalang works
The current Phase 1 project spans Phang Nga’s Mueang and Takua Thung districts and Phuket’s Thalang District.
The construction contract was awarded to Wong Siam Construction Co., Ltd. for B3.25 billion after the company submitted the lowest qualifying bid. The contract was signed on Nov 20, 2025.
The scheme will draw raw water from the Phang Nga Canal to a treatment plant in Phang Nga, with output of up to 72,000 cubic metres of tap water per day.
Treated water will then be sent under the Sarasin Bridge to a new Mai Khao distribution system supported by pumping stations, storage tanks and extended pipeline networks.
Demand growth and losses continue to strain supply
The expansion is expected to add service for 20,000 households. PWA Phuket Branch currently serves 76,786 households, with daily demand at 73,796 cubic metres.
Officials said total production capacity stands at 91,200 cubic metres per day, but about 40% of water is still lost in the system. That longstanding loss rate continues to weaken effective supply despite available capacity.
By 2033, household connections are projected to exceed 100,000 and demand is forecast to reach 102,050 cubic metres per day. Without the expansion, Phuket is projected to face a daily shortfall of more than 10,850 cubic metres.
The pipeline had been under discussion for years, was confirmed stalled in 2020 despite Cabinet approval, and was revived in 2024 with ministers directing that it be brought online by 2027. During an August 2024 visit, then-Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Chakkraphong Saengmanee said the water-supply expansion should be completed within three years.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-phang-nga-water-project-declared-ahead-of-schedule-100032.php
