Thailand becomes first country in Asia to join global effort to clean up the world's oceans

ANNEMARIE MCCARTHY

Lonely Planet Writer

 

Thailand has announced it will be the first Asian country to join a global initiative to clean up its oceans around tourist hotspots like Bangkok, Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Phuket.

 

Upcycling the Oceans is an effort spearheaded by the Ecoalf Foundation. It gets local fishermen to take part and remove plastic from the surrounding waters. Once collected, the plastic gets recycled into thread for environmentally-friendly fabric which the foundation will turn into clothes and accessories.

 

The three-year project kicked off earlier in the month at Ko Samet, an island 200 kilometres southeast of Bangkok, which is popular with locals for weekend trips. Fishermen and divers explored the water off the sandy beaches and collected .7 tonnes of plastic debris – including bottles and fishing nets – in just five hours.

 

Full story: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2017/09/06/thailand-cleans-oceans-upcycling/

 

-- Lonely Planet 2017-09-07

Better Start with PATTAYA,The World famous FAMILY Resort........LOL !!

Since Thailand is also the country in Asia that pollutes the ocean the most ( 1 million ton per year) is seems no more than fair to me.

Now let' s see if they put their money where their mouth is.

Every journey starts with the first step, but in Thailand's case it is a very long way to go.

Are they going to start by banning plastic bags in Thailand?

Since it is one of the biggest polluters of 2 vast waters..... Should be no surprise.

3 minutes ago, coulson said:

Since it is one of the biggest polluters of 2 vast waters..... Should be no surprise.

Jomtien is very clean!

Thailand has contributed more to polluting the Ocean than cleaning it...Is this a joke?

Who can believe such a boast. I dont.

Today in the news tomorrow forgotten.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

fishermen to take part and remove plastic from the surrounding waters.

real thai solution; doubt those fishermen will have tremendous incentive; and, of course, not addressing the causal problem; radical use of plastics here

1 hour ago, Bullie said:

Since Thailand is also the country in Asia that pollutes the ocean the most ( 1 million ton per year) is seems no more than fair to me.

Now let' s see if they put their money where their mouth is.

Seriously? India must beat Thailand by a country mile.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

It gets local fishermen to take part and remove plastic from the surrounding waters.

i.e. the very same people who routinely throw all their plastic trash overboard in the first place.

Thailand: The Pelagic Purity Pivot of Asia

Start by reducing their plastic bag epidemic

 

More lipservice, while 7 still puts my Cornetto in a plastic bag, gives me 4 straws for a can of Coke, 2 beers and a bottle of mouthwash and  i get 4 plastic spoons (wrapped in plastic) for EVERY 4- pack of Yoghurt (wrapped in plastic, of course!)...

  

Again, this country loves to pat itself on the back for doing little more than spewing pontifications before achieving anything. 

Citarum river2.pps

Cleaning up is pointless if many Thais continue to treat their Thailand's public areas as their own personal garbage tip. There is so much garbage here I'm lost as to whether littering is actually legal or illegal. 

That's funny,,when they can't even bother to clean up around their own house/soi..

I doubt you could dig a square mtr hole here, without finding some plastic rubbish mixed with it...

23 minutes ago, DavisH said:

Cleaning up is pointless if many Thais continue to treat their Thailand's public areas as their own personal garbage tip. There is so much garbage here I'm lost as to whether littering is actually legal or illegal. 

"There is so much garbage here I'm lost as to whether littering is actually legal or illegal. "

What part of the "dump" are you living in? Bangkok, Pattaya...?

Upcountry here the countryside is  clear of unsightly garbage and the main town is very clean.

still remember when I went down to the local port one time, couple pulled up on their bike, got out and threw a couple of bags of household rubbish into the water on one side of the pier then grabbed their fishing rods and started to fish on the other side. As long as  cretins like this  have such a low regard for the environment they will never clean up Thailand, to many people are simply too lazy, its easier to just throw rubbish on the ground where you are then bin it

Best put nets across the mouth of the rivers that flow into the Gulf of Thailand and cut off the never ending supply into the ocean.....

20 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

"There is so much garbage here I'm lost as to whether littering is actually legal or illegal. "

What part of the "dump" are you living in? Bangkok, Pattaya...?

Upcountry here the countryside is  clear of unsightly garbage and the main town is very clean.

The local road around the back of my village in Nonthaburi....piles of garbage and old building materials everywhere. 

25 minutes ago, seajae said:

still remember when I went down to the local port one time, couple pulled up on their bike, got out and threw a couple of bags of household rubbish into the water on one side of the pier then grabbed their fishing rods and started to fish on the other side. As long as  cretins like this  have such a low regard for the environment they will never clean up Thailand, to many people are simply too lazy, its easier to just throw rubbish on the ground where you are then bin it

The other day a little kid was getting into a car near a temple.  A wrapper fell out onto the road. The child went to pick it up but the grandmother quickly took it and threw it into the gutter. 

Commendable but

Start by separating sewerage from fat & investing in some decent treatment plants

5 minutes ago, DavisH said:

The local road around the back of my village in Nonthaburi....piles of garbage and old building materials everywhere. 

OK, I understand, I used to live in Pathum Thani not far Rangsit, and many of the sides of the  roads where there were few or no houses, Klong 2,3,4 etc on either side of Rangsit canal were used as garbage dumps all up and down each side. Sofas, fridges, bathroom sinks, you name it, plus building materials by the ton.  Simple lack of enforcement by the city powers that be.

1 minute ago, ratcatcher said:

OK, I understand, I used to live in Pathum Thani not far Rangsit, and many of the sides of the  roads where there were few or no houses, Klong 2,3,4 etc on either side of Rangsit canal were used as garbage dumps all up and down each side. Sofas, fridges, bathroom sinks, you name it, plus building materials by the ton.  Simple lack of enforcement by the city powers that be.

It got much worse after the 2011 floods. There was massive dumping. It turned into landfill and now houses are being built on it. Good luck with that:)

Nice thought but never any action or results. Just latching on to an appealing concept with no sense of implementation.

Coca Cola has had a collection, recycling, repurposing of plastic bottle waste to fabric (hats, shirts, etc.) and it is extremely expensive. They eat the (not insignificant) cost as public relations, sustainabilty heralding and other outreach expenses. I doubt this Ecoalf /Thailand tie up  has any idea what it has to do besides announcing hollow self promotion.