9-5-2024 (BANGKOK) The famed Thai holiday havens immortalized by Hollywood in “The Beach” are grappling with a dire water crisis amidst an unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Asia, tourism officials and locals revealed on Thursday (May 9).
The Koh Phi Phi archipelago, nestled off the southwestern coast of southern Thailand, annually attracts hordes of tourists drawn to its immaculate beaches and crystalline waters.
However, a lethal heatwave, shattering temperature records throughout the region in recent weeks, coupled with a prolonged dearth of rainfall, has left reservoirs alarmingly depleted.
“The private water provider for the islands may be forced to halt supply,” cautioned Wichupan Phukaoluan Srisanya, president of the Krabi Hotel Association, representing local hotels.
Authorities on the islands are contemplating importing water from the mainland should the arid spell persist, she disclosed, but remain optimistic about the imminent arrival of the wet season in May.
“We want to reassure prospective tourists that we are equipped to handle this situation,” Wichupan reassured.
Residents, preferring anonymity, said their enduring ordeal with freshwater shortages spanning months, revealing that certain hotels had curtailed bookings as a consequence.
Numerous online testimonials from returning visitors cautioned fellow travellers to “verify the availability of freshwater in their accommodations” prior to their sojourn.
One TripAdvisor reviewer lamented that “tap water has ceased flowing” as island reservoirs dried up by the close of April.
Climate scientists have long forewarned that human-induced climate change would engender more frequent, protracted, and severe heatwaves.
While the El Niño phenomenon exacerbates this year’s anomalously scorching weather, Asia is witnessing a swifter temperature surge compared to the global average, as per the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation.
Local tourism stakeholders have persistently urged for sustained investments in long-term water supply infrastructure for the Koh Phi Phi islands, which currently grapple with inadequate reservoirs and infrastructure.
In the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Samui – another immensely popular tourist enclave – has grappled with analogous parched, sweltering conditions, although the local tourism board assured visitors remained unaffected.
“We are managing with water trucks, albeit at triple the usual cost for hotel operations,” revealed Ratchaparon Poolsawadee, president of the Koh Samui Tourism Association.
Asia’s recent sweltering spell has precipitated heatstroke fatalities, school closures, and fervent pleas for respite in the form of cooling rain.
For approximately a week in April, Bangkok authorities issued daily advisories concerning extreme heat as the heat index – factoring in humidity and other elements – soared past 52 degrees Celsius.
