Floating trash off Pattaya's coast - watchdog blaming Thais as "sixth worst polluters" in the world

[RichardColeman]

Be interesting to know if this 6th is based on rubbish dumped per country or by per head. If per head, I only have to walk 100 yards from my house to know that the result is wrong. In Thailand, the rubbish bin seems to be anywhere out the window or away from the bike. (I can say dumped when walking as Thai's don't understand the concept of walking anywhere)

[heybuz]

just visited pattaya after four years away. world class world farce my impression

[inThailand]

It seems all the litter is not on concrete surfaces. So just pave the entire country. Problem solved!

[ftpjtm]

43 minutes ago, HuaHinHim said:

While I agree that boats are likely dumping rubbish in the area. I think the majority of it would come from the land and be washed into the water from rain run off. So while you can apportion some blame to boaties, I think most off it comes down to Thai's, Government (past and present) for failing to tackle the issue that has been around for decades. You can only sweep it under the carpet for so long. 

Quite frankly when I see locals or foreigners openly throw rubbish on the ground it disgusts me. Then I hear people say, well we're are they supposed to put it there are no bins. Well I have the same problem, however I hold on to my garbage until I find a bin, then I dispose of it. 

I am a foreigner that has been living in Thailand for about 15 years and often I feel that I care and respect the country more than most Thai's, and it doesn't make me happy to say it. 

 

 

Exactly. Bins are few and far between and Thais don't care where they dump their trash. When we had construction being done on our house the construction crew  "cleaned up" after themselves by throwing all the trash over our wall and into the field behind us. 

 

They were really put out when we made them clean it up. I'm sure they loaded it into their truck and dumped it into the first open field out of sight of our home once they left. 

 

And it all goes back to the Police. They can pass whatever rules they want, but without a reliable, honest police force to enforce them they are all meaningless. 

[12DrinkMore]

1 hour ago, Xonax said:

Others claim that it´s worse than this:

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-01-13/5-countries-dump-more-plastic-oceans-rest-world-combined

 

Moved up into the world's top 5 already.

 

The Thais will soon be claiming hub status.

[neeray]

No doubt much of the trash is a result of trash dumped at sea. Never been to Pattaya but everywhere else I've been in Thailand, the rivers that flow into the sea carry tons of garbage. This garbage would be a major polluting factor along with garbage dumped at sea. I'm sure Pattaya rivers are carriers just like everywhere else. 

Shame. Such a beautiful country. 

[johng]

almost every piece of "vacant" land is used to dump rubbish.

This on a pathway to a nice unspoiled beach  in Jomtien

right next door to expensive villa and condos.

 

Edited September 13, 2017 by johng

[Foozool]

It has something to do with brain just like everything else.  ?

[Golden Triangle]

Would you eat the seafood out of that sewer ?

[craigt3365]

9 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

Would you eat the seafood out of that sewer ?

I know a guy who got Hepatitis from seafood.  Not here in Thailand, but another country in Asia.

[silent]

2 hours ago, meatboy said:

those now famous words,NO THAIS WOULD DO THAT.

Not on their own doorstep

[Ossy]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Though they note that the key to solving the issue is enforcement of already existing statutes that forbid the dumping of rubbish in the sea.

 

Without enforcement the problem will never go away, they suggested.

 

They described Thailand as the "sixth worst polluters of the sea in the world". They did not say where they got this assessment

Apart from that time in UD Town, when ten officers surrounded this helmet-less biker, when did I last see a Thai cop attempt to enforce any law? Can't remember, to be honest. Every day, admittedly well away from the city, I see primary school-age kids, riding past a major road police station, un-helmeted, 4-up, no number plate and the rider paying more attention to his smart phone than the road. They just couldn't give a monkey's re the chance of being stopped and punished . . . it simply doesn't happen . . . there is no enforcement.  Parked outside the station, though, are half-a-dozen gleaming patrol cars. What are their drivers doing and why, for Christ's sake, aren't they doing some 'patrolling' . . . some enforcing?

 

And, on the pollution front, what I see nearly every day sickens me and makes me think Thais are worse than sixth in the polluter stakes. I ride past a kiddies playschool, on a beautiful tree-lined lane, near to Song Dao, but more evident than happy playful kids are the piles of domestic garbage, left next to the road and within 20 yards of the school gate. I am left to imagine the 'scumbag' parents who use the school drop-off as an opportunity to get shut of their trash the easy way. Perhaps a police officer, on patrol here at coming and going times would be a good idea . . . just once a week, maybe.

 

And, what do my 2 rants have in common? The one BIG thing that's evidently missing, throughout present-day Thai culture and day-to-day life, is a decent attitude to work, responsibility and the comfort and feelings of others. Let's have a bit more of that on school curriculums, in place of things like the 'one kid-one tablet' idea that has cost mega-bahts and for no visible gain. 

 

OK, I've had 2 rants for the price of one and now I really must get that kettle on, check the tyres and get up to that mountain-top again. I love Isan (*), did I tell you?

 

* and before anyone pulls me up over Isan/Isaan usage, I prefer the Wiki/Britannica one. But each to his own.

[EnlightenedAtheist]

 

2 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

A global research study recently found that plastic microscopic fibers are present in water everywhere, tap water, bottled drinking water. They conducted studies on water from almost everywhere on Earth and these microfibers where found everywhere from NY to Mumbai to Stockholm. Even Trumps Mara a Lago kitchen has these plastic micro fibers in the tap water.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I dug a little deeper into this.

 

For all of us concerned about the big cars and trucks that could kill us, we should also be alarmed about these tiny elements as well. It never stops! But, there is something you can do and vote with your wallet.

 

I guess it is the PCBs and other toxic substances that are problematic from what I am reading. These get passed up the food chains as well. It might (will?) affect the ecosystems, unl;ess there are microbes that love PCBs, I guess.

 

I guess if big sewage treatment plants cannot take those out, as some research from Wikipedia states, they must not be filtered using individual water filter systems that people use. Hence we must be ingesting this too as these are not just in the seas. There is also the real danger that we are eating those too as it passes through the food chains. Paradoxically, it is not the big plastic bags that you can see that are disturbing or even the blackest of smoke, it is the tiniest of pollutants that you can inhale or ingest that kill you. Size does matter. 

 

Quote

 

Over time the microplastics will be subject to UV-degradation and absorb hydrophobic materials such as PCBs" (research) AND, from Wikipedia, "Harmful chemicals thus transferred can include hydrophobic pollutants that collect on the surface of the water such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).^[19]

 

On the other hand,...

 

Quote

Due to the increase in bans of microbeads in the USA, many cosmetic companies are also phasing out microbeads from their production lines. L’Oreal is planning to phase out polyethylene microbeads in the exfoliates, cleansers and shower gels from their products by 2017.^[24] Johnson and Johnson, who have already started to phase out microbeads at the end of 2015, will by 2017 not be producing any polyethylene microbeads in their products.^[25] Lastly, Crest phased out microbead plastics in its toothpastes by February of 2016. The global phase out should be completed by the end of 2017.^[26] (WIKIPEDIA)

 

HOWEVER, interestingly (or not) Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, AND China (likely to produce some products) are not represented in this list from the beat the microbead Website. Are they enforcing any kind of change? Is this phasing out really global? You can speak with your wallet by downloading the app. The foundation states that the following logo is present on the products that are phased out and I would think that this would be the easiest way to check and make a difference. At the same time, do those countries not listed have any agencies to check for compliance or "fake" logos?

 

Edited September 13, 2017 by EnlightenedAtheist

[impulse]

2 hours ago, inThailand said:

horrors?

or did you mean whores? 

 Potato, potato.

 

[steven100]

It's not the Thais .....   Thais would never do this ...  it's those evil farang that come here and take our girls and pollute our environment.

[wvavin]

Not the Thais' fault. It is the weather.

[AlQaholic]

49 minutes ago, impulse said:

 Potato, potato.

 

Potatoe?

[farcanell]

Ye gods... it's turned into a green swamp!

[Justgrazing]

4 hours ago, inThailand said:

With a little more laziness LOS could become number 1.

Not to mention incompetence .. 

[roger waters]

For many years I live in Thailand and many Thai people throw dirt on the ground and even at sea without shame and as a normal thing for them and unfortunately their children see and learn and will always be such an improvement. schools have a severe education to have a cleaner future, but I think this will not happen

[johnmcc6]

There is trash were ever there is water. Or wherever there is a place to throw it. I well remember the clean up America theme in the 50's. The highways were trash bins in many states. After add campaigns like every litter bit hurts followed by stiff fines Americans made a huge contribution to keeping America beautiful. It took a couple of decades but it worked. Much like the endless attacks on smoking. It takes time to get the message through.  Remember in the 50's  " More doctors smoke Camel cigarettes than any other". The sooner Thailand tries some of the same tactics the sooner it will become cleaner. It has no chance of doing it my lifetime but they should at least start working on it.

[Nemises]

3 hours ago, Khun Paul said:

I live inland and four mtimes a week a moving markets sets up opposite my house the trash left behind by itys custgomers is horrendous , including plastic wrappings from meat sales.

AND YES THE CUSTOMERS ARE ALL THAIS.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Agree. Thais are predominantly to blame for the Pattaya Sewer Coast. 

 

Am happy to post photos of "Thai only" (I've never seen a farang) picnic areas in beautiful national parks that are disgustingly littered with discarded food and drink containers/wrappings. They simply don't give a Sh!!t - pardon the pun. 

[Deez]

Hard to believe there could be 5 countries worse.

[marko kok prong]

Only 6th,they must be gutted,still they are probably number 1 for road deaths,and Prostitution.

[twizzian]

I wonder what the ranking would be for fly tipping on all of Thailand's land mass.

[Ossy]

15 minutes ago, twizzian said:

I wonder what the ranking would be for fly tipping on all of Thailand's land mass.

Number 1, I'm sure, but what really worries me is how long before the entire country sinks under the weight of all this detritus.

Edited September 13, 2017 by Ossy
grammar

[taharkin]

8 hours ago, Lingba said:

only 6th?

But obviously shooting for the Top! Around Thailand--where do you find a trash can on the streets? New York City has them everywhere...

[mitos]

It's would helped if would buy plastic-bags at every shop ei. now it's plastic-bags at shops free. And so much wrapping goods and so little contains the goods in it.

[Keesters]

Trash is a big problem in Pattaya but so is the lack of adequate trash cans. Most public trash cans are filled as soon as they are emptied by the garbage collectors. There just doesn't seem to be enough of them to keep up with demand.

 

I've walked around shopping malls for hours holding the tissue given to me when I bought an ice cream. Not a trash can in site.

[Tofer]

4 hours ago, silent said:

Not on their own doorstep

Sadly, that's not true. 

 

They litter their own and their neighbours doorsteps indiscriminately. Then they are the first to complain when tourists numbers drop off, scratching their heads and wondering why..... Blaming the bad weather or anything else, other than their own obvious lack of civic pride.

 

We drive past homes on our island that are piled high with junk and rubbish, that tourist are also subjected to when supposedly visiting the 'paradise' islands of Southern Thailand. We occassionally then drive a shortcut route on the mainland through a place of particular note, Lam Thap - North East of Krabi, where it is clear there is a sense of civic pride. The area is clean and tidy with well manicured frontages to their homes and businesses where few, if any, foreign visitors call into or even transit. Every time we travel this route I am bemused by the completely polar difference in attitudes of Thais towards their environment.

 

A campaign to highlight the negative impact of all this pollution on tourism, and hence their direct income, in a lot of places around Thailand may just hit home. That is, optimistically of course, assuming there is a measure of logical thought in the indigenous population. Hmmmm.