Tourism authorities in Phuket are begging the government to deal with the water shortage problem which is contributing to higher costs for hotel operators amid growing numbers of visitors.
Thanet Tantipiriyakit, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, urged the government on Wednesday to find a sustainable solution as the island province suffers from water shortages every year. He said the water levels of the three main reservoirs -- Bang Wad, Klong Kata and Bang Neow Dum -- are 20% below full capacity.
Despite the growing revenue which the province's tourism generates each year, Mr Thanet said the government is still failing to fix the water problem. This harms the tourism sector because hotel operators must buy water. They have to shoulder the cost because they cannot charge customers more due to pricing standards.
"Phuket is the country's prime tourist destination. We are supposed to have a better water supply system," Mr Thanet said.
Sukrid Klinson, manager of the Phuket branch of the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA), said water volumes at Bang Wad Reservoir remained at 1.17 billion cubic metres (m³), accounting for 16.8% of the overall capacity of 10.2 billion m³.
The water supply in the Klong Kata reservoir is sufficient for about 95 days of use while the Bang Neow Dum reservoir can supply water for 100 days at its current level.
The province is in talks with private water suppliers as it attempts to secure 1.4 million m³. Negotiations are afoot to procure 960,000 m³.
Business operations in high-demand areas, such as Ao Yon and some parts of Pa Tong, are struggling amid high demand for water, Mr Sukrid said.
Sophon Thongsai, head of the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said the water level at the Bang Wad Reservoir is now "critically low". Unless there is significant rainfall soon, the PWA will reduce the rate at which water is discharged from Bang Wad Reservoir and instead use water from private sources as a stop-gap measure, he said.
The Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) has forecast the island may see rainfall sooner than expected.
Downpours are due from the second week of May with more precipitation than in previous years, it said.
Free water supplies for areas suffering from drought and communities in need are being provided by the PWA on request through local administrative organisations, Mr Sophon said.