Phuket Municipality

Phuket Municipality Muang District, Phuket Province

Vision: Creativity, livable and sustainable city Population: 79,590 (as of 2019) Number of communities: 22 Area: 12.562 square kilometers

In the past, Phuket was known as an island abundant with tin where Chinese and Western immigrants settled down and made a living from trade and mining business. The settlement led to the fuse of foreign and local cultures, which later evolved into Phuket’s own cultural identity. Such unique characteristics are reflected in the local food culture recognized as the first City of Gastronomy in UNESCO Creative Cities Network in Thailand and ASEAN. The Sino-Portuguese architecture manifests the perfect clash between the West and the East, adding a distinctive flavor to Phuket’s vibrant culture. Such cultural asset, combined with the island’s spectacular nature, has turned Phuket into one of the world’s top traveling destinations.

Environmentally Sustainable City Management Model

Key of Success

Develop a creative economy upon the city’s potential as a leading traveling destination and distinctive cultural identity.

The city’s successful development is made possible through collaboration between government networks and the public sector, along with the incorporation of new technology.

Waste management innovation

In 2005, garbage pollution became one of Phuket’s biggest problems. As a major tourist destination, the area opened its door to many foreigners and foreign workers. Assigned to oversee the city’s waste problems, Phuket Municipality leveraged private investment, followed by the construction of an incineration plant or waste-to-energy plant. The produced electricity is used to power the province’s public facilities and systems and sold to the Provincial Electricity Authority. The use of the incinerator system as the primary waste disposal system requires the efficiency of the furnace system has to increase. Integrated waste management is needed to efficiently reduce and separate wastes from the

source. The plan called for every sector to participate in brainstorming, decision-making and execution.

The municipality has campaigned and encouraged local communities and entrepreneurs to minimize waste production at the source, from reduced excessive consumption to efficient waste sorting and recycling. Organic wastes, which account for up to 60% of the total produced weight, are turned into animal food and bio-fertilizer while the sale of recycled waste generates household income. Hazardous waste was separated for further disposal. The waste collection system is operated to coincide with the sorting method with garbage trucks properly collecting and transporting different types of wastes on the scheduled collection dates Through a concrete, consistent and sustainable operation, waste will become a renewable resource.

Beautify landscape, increase green spaces

The latest development has brought a new life to Saphan Hin Public Park whose nature-filled landscape serves as an outdoor classroom for locals and visitors. The expansion of urban green spaces welcomes new trees, now growing around the roundabouts and on traffic islands. Overhead power lines and cables in the old town area are removed and buried underground to fully reveal the beauty of the Sino-Portuguese architecture. The overall urban landscape and pedestrian walkways in the area have been improved to complement the architecture with the universal design approach to better accommodate users of all ages and genders.