HAT YAI — Organizers have moved the annual New Year countdown celebration from Hat Yai to neighboring Songkhla town as the southern commercial hub remains overwhelmed by waste left behind after severe flooding late last month, tourism and business leaders said.
Private sector groups estimate it could take more than a year to clear the debris, which has swamped roads, alleys and residential neighborhoods. The Koh Taeo waste-to-energy plant — Hat Yai’s primary disposal site — can incinerate only about 500 metric tons a day, while officials say the city is grappling with at least 250,000 tons of accumulated waste from some 70,000 households. Additional piles remain uncounted in smaller communities.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s order that Hat Yai be “clean within 14 days” technically remains in effect despite his dissolution of Parliament on December 12, but residents and business groups say the December 14 deadline is unrealistic.
Waste Removal Progress
At a recent waste-management meeting, the Songkhla Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office reported that the cleanup of urban Hat Yai has been organized into four zones under a coordinated “Big Cleaning” operation involving the Royal Thai Armed Forces, the Royal Thai Army, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Transport.
A total of more than 2,196 personnel and 542 machines have been deployed, clearing over 329 kilometers of roads. As of December 11, officials had removed 95,307 tons of accumulated waste.
TPI Polene Power Plc began operating its incinerator on December 7 — weeks ahead of schedule — to help ease the backlog. The facility can burn 500 tons of waste per day and generate up to 9.9 megawatts of power. Provincial officials were also told to coordinate with other licensed waste-to-energy plants to provide additional capacity.
Impossible to Meet the 14-day Target
Songkhla Chamber of Commerce president Songphon Jungsiriwatthanathamrong told Prachachat Business that the volume of debris makes it impossible to meet the 14-day target. Main roads have seen visible progress, he said, but alleyways and neighborhoods remain buried under damaged belongings, shop inventories and furniture swept out by floodwaters.
“In my own neighborhood, waste is still everywhere,” Songphon said. “Decades of household belongings were washed out at the same time. Even with all agencies involved, it is unrealistic to expect it to disappear in a week.”
He said some temporary dumps resemble “mountains” of rotting waste and added that early estimates suggested it could take 300 days to clear — a timeline officials now say must be accelerated. He proposed renting mobile waste-treatment units to process debris on-site and reduce the need for long-haul transport.
New Year Event Relocated
Dr. Sitthipong Sitthipattharaprapa, president of the Hat Yai–Songkhla Hotel Association, said persistent waste and foul odors in Hat Yai’s alleyways have damaged the city’s image, prompting the decision to relocate New Year’s Eve festivities to coastal Songkhla.
He said tourists will still be encouraged to stay in Hat Yai, where 40 to 50 hotels have reopened, though many remain closed for repairs.
“If we hold the event in Hat Yai, the mood simply will not work,” Sitthipong said. “Inviting Malaysian tourists when garbage still lines the alleys would be embarrassing — and with social media, it would spread immediately.”
He said authorities have not presented a clear disposal plan beyond the 500-ton-per-day capacity at the Koh Taeo plant. “I understand the province alone does not have enough capacity,” he said. “Many sectors are helping, but it is still not sufficient.”
Officials say cleanup efforts will continue beyond the Dec. 14 target as the province works with national agencies to accelerate waste removal.
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