Water is getting scarce on the Thai dream island of Ko Samui. According to media reports, the reason is a persistent drought – but coupled with the ever-increasing demand because tourism is booming again after the corona crisis. The authorities had already announced in June rationing from July 1st: In the various regions of the island, water should only come out of the pipes alternately and on a daily basis, according to a table distributed by the local government. In chat groups, residents complained that their taps had been dry for days.
According to the authorities, the supplies will only last until the end of July at the latest. Numerous reservoirs and waterfalls are at an extremely low level, the news site “The Thaiger” recently reported and spoke of a “serious water crisis”.
Hotel operators and other tourism industry workers may soon be forced to buy fresh water from private suppliers, according to Ratchaporn Poonsawat, chairman of the Ko Samui Tourism Association. This would lead to an increase in operating costs, which could ultimately affect guests’ vacation costs, it said. The association fears negative consequences, especially in the main season, which is just starting in Ko Samui.
“We haven’t had any water in the office for a few weeks now, where we don’t have a tank,” Abby, who has lived on the island for several years, told the DPA news agency on Wednesday. However, most resorts and hotels have large tanks, so that the supply there has so far been guaranteed. “The weather has been unusually hot and very dry for months – even if it rained a little over the weekend,” she said. “But that wasn’t nearly enough to solve the problem.”
