Koh Samui Wake-up Call

Beautiful of Koh Samui in the morning

After Koh Samui experienced its worst-ever blackout in late 2012, local officials have drawn up plans to address the power supply problem in the island and launch development projects to better serve the 1 million tourists expected to visit the island in 2013. Issues that need to be resolved, in addition to power shortage, include water supply, garbage collection, and flooding.

Funding on projects to further improve Koh Samui’s prospect as a travel destination appears as one major hurdle. From over 500 million baht in annual taxes that have been collected from local business enterprises, only about 50 million baht remain for municipal use in public works projects that will support Koh Samui attractions to tourists, according to former mayor Ramnet Jaikwang. 

This surplus, which comes after deducting regular expenses, is meager, the ex-mayor said, adding that a government subsidy is needed in order to provide the necessary solutions to the problems experienced in the island recently.

Ramnet estimated that the 50-million baht surplus from business tax collections can only cover the repairs and maintenance of existing infrastructures. Additional funds are required for improvements on the 54-kilometer circumferential road of the island, out of which only 17 kilometers have been paved, he said. The 150 tons of garbage that has to be collected daily is another urgent item in the list of Koh Samui things to do for the local government.

The supply of fresh water is an added pressing concern, which Ramnet raised. He said the municipality would be served well if five dams for water supply are constructed instead of having small mires to conform to the green policy in Koh Samui. The ex-mayor decried the regular flooding in the island, blaming the refusal of beachfront property owners and coastal hotels to build drains or sewers because these are potential eyesores or would adversely affect their businesses. Infrastructure guidelines must be developed along these lines so that road drainage can be constructed, thereby allowing rainwater to flow more rapidly into the sea, he proposed.

The power supply should likewise be improved, the ex-mayor said, to cope with the rapid rise in the number of tourists that the island hosts.  Ramnet also called attention to the issue of foreigners acquiring land in Koh Samui through Thai nominees. He said this situation needs urgent government action, which may require a policy change. Moreover, he called for long-term zoning to designate land use for tourist-related, residential, and financial for easier management and property valuation.