The residents had every right to be angry. They had been without mains water supply for a month. They had spent what money they have on buying water, while emergency funds to provide water sit idle.
The residents are members of one of the poorest urban communities on the island, with some 1,500 people living in tower block units built by the National Housing Authority specifically for people living on low incomes. Appreciate that point; even the national government recognises these people as poor.
Now we know why Rassada was the first and only area that the Phuket office of the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) started providing emergency water supply to in late March. The community was the first to have their water supply “reduced” so much it was effectively shut off entirely. Try shutting off water supply – which is literally a medieval siege tactic – to any other part of the island for a month and see what reaction you get.
Moves this week to start having Royal Thai Army water trucks and water trucks from other municipalities in Phuket dedicated to serving the Ua Arthorn estate and other communities across the island left without mains water supply finally came – but only after the protest by residents made news, to the public shame of the leading officials involved.
Speaking of which, the Phuket Governor this week, in making his announcement that Phuket is not suffering a drought crisis, also expressed his concern for the image of the ongoing water shortages being presented in the media.
“If media presents information that is beyond the facts, then that can lead to our tourism image being affected,” he said.
The way it has been going lately, the media doesn’t have to. Local officials are on a roll.
First it was the ludicrous inclusion of the death penalty for taking selfies on the beach at the end of the runway at Phuket International Airport (now finally addressed), then it was – and is – the death penalty charge over the seastead fiasco, and now it’s our months-long water shortage situation that is apparently not a drought.
The Phuket News can’t wait to see what incredible news Phuket officialdom will bring us next week.