Burning Trash

[buzzer]

The Hotel across the street burns a lot of trash (usually just yard trash) on an open lot next to the hotel, and about 50 meters from me. This doesn't bother me too much because I have an air conditioned room to hide in. Someone I met that lives about 200 meters from the area has asthma, and it makes him sick.

The other night at about 2 - 3 AM, some Thais in a pickup came into the area and spent over an hour burning stuff. Fortunately the smoke was not blowing in my direction. This was not yard trash, but probably something they were burning surreptitiously, and - if there were any actual laws in Thailand - illegally. It was a thick black oily smoke as opposed to the white smoke of yard trash.

If it happens again would there be any sense in calling the police? (Something I usually choose to avoid) If in Pattaya, what # to call?

Thanks

[cdnvic]

If it happens again would there be any sense in calling the police? (Something I usually choose to avoid) If in Pattaya, what # to call?

Thanks

No, it's just one of the things they do in Thailand. In fact "Chiang Mai" is an ancient lanna word meaning "Valley of Smoking Plastic"

[Mic]

If my neighbour here in Germany would come to the stupid idea to lite up his plastic waste he'd try this only once unless he's a very rich man who can afford the serveral thousand Euro fine. If some guys came at night time to burn poisonous waste they'd go to jail for sure.

Regards

Mic

[Axel]

Perhaps police-presence and law enforcement are more rigerous in Germany than in Thailand.

[chingching]

You ought to give calling the police a try at least. Maybe after so many calls they will get the hint. Burning trash, plastic, etc. hurts everyone, so u would be doing everyone a favor.

[Jet Gorgon]

If it happens again would there be any sense in calling the police? (Something I usually choose to avoid) If in Pattaya, what # to call?

Thanks

No, it's just one of the things they do in Thailand. In fact "Chiang Mai" is an ancient lanna word meaning "Valley of Smoking Plastic"

[Jet Gorgon]

The Hotel across the street burns a lot of trash (usually just yard trash) on an open lot next to the hotel, and about 50 meters from me. This doesn't bother me too much because I have an air conditioned room to hide in. Someone I met that lives about 200 meters from the area has asthma, and it makes him sick.

The other night at about 2 - 3 AM, some Thais in a pickup came into the area and spent over an hour burning stuff. Fortunately the smoke was not blowing in my direction. This was not yard trash, but probably something they were burning surreptitiously, and - if there were any actual laws in Thailand - illegally. It was a thick black oily smoke as opposed to the white smoke of yard trash.

If it happens again would there be any sense in calling the police? (Something I usually choose to avoid) If in Pattaya, what # to call?

Thanks

Nah, do not call the police and attract attention to yourself. Just put a string of firecrackers in the ashes and wait for the next burning party.

[cdnvic]

Nah, do not call the police and attract attention to yourself. Just put a string of firecrackers in the ashes and wait for the next burning party.

Oh boy, I can't wait to get back

[Jet Gorgon]

We'll be waiting fer ya vickie....

[lingling]

Nah, do not call the police and attract attention to yourself. Just put a string of firecrackers in the ashes and wait for the next burning party.

Spray cans is better.

[Jet Gorgon]

That's a good one, Lingling. More boom for the baht.

[chingching]

Nah, do not call the police and attract attention to yourself. Just put a string of firecrackers in the ashes and wait for the next burning party.

Spray cans is better.

Yes exactly what is needed. Add even more toxic chemicals to the air.

[helicoptor]

Burning rubbish all the time around where I live, also they burn along the side of roads etc to keep the grass from growing too high, its a bl##dy nuisance as the ashes get caught in the wind and ends up in my pool - even cleaning 3 times a week is not enough

[Jet Gorgon]

Nah, do not call the police and attract attention to yourself. Just put a string of firecrackers in the ashes and wait for the next burning party.

Spray cans is better.

Yes exactly what is needed. Add even more toxic chemicals to the air.

Um, I think that was tongue in jowl, Chingching. Chill!

[elkangorito]

Nah, do not call the police and attract attention to yourself. Just put a string of firecrackers in the ashes and wait for the next burning party.

Spray cans is better.

Sorry. I gotta disagree.

Zip down to Saveland or wherever & bye half a dozen cans each of baked beans & spaghetti. When these babies go off, you get covered in hot red round & squiggly things that taste good. Now ask yourself...what Thai that you know likes this farang food?

[Gumballl]

What's really needed is a trash pickup service throughout LOS, not just in the big cities. This trash can then be transported to a landfill.

Many rural communities in LOS don't have this service whatsoever, therefore the only alternative people have is to burn the trash, which contains plastics, metals, and other chemical-ladened materials.

If you have concerns about this, contact the environmental office, if any, within the Thai gov't. Also consider starting a nationwide business that performs trash pickup for a fee. Of course if your service is not required by the gov't, nobody is going to want to pay.

Simply put, it's quite apparent that during the pre- and post-coup periods, LOS has had a weak central gov't. There is not a standard law enforcement that is applied equally across all areas. Thus any environment laws which may be in the books, may be applied in BKK, but are totally ignored in the rural countryside.

Contacting the local police or the local gov't might get one into a heap of trouble. One might have a better chance "surviving" a round of russian roulette.

P.S. I told my wife recently about the evils of burning plastic. She understands now that it is not good. She also passed the word onto her family. Naturally of course, the family stopped burning plastic immediately after my wife spoke. The next day, however, they were back at it. Apparently the plastic serves as great "tinder" to start a fire. Many people in LOS are dense. They just don't get it.

Edited January 10, 2007 by Gumballl

[Jet Gorgon]

Burning rubbish all the time around where I live, also they burn along the side of roads etc to keep the grass from growing too high, its a bl##dy nuisance as the ashes get caught in the wind and ends up in my pool - even cleaning 3 times a week is not enough

That's easy to fix. Get rid of the pool. Save the water.

[DragonQuest]

some peolpe burn stuff every night where I live in bangkok, why cant they just bring it to the main street for pick-up? sometimes its white and sometimes black it pisses me off too cause the wind might blow my way into my condo, it seems like it happens everywhere in thailand no matter where you go ; ; ><

[kmart]

Burning shit seems to be a great pastime or hobby here. There is ash all over the place here at the moment.

[elkangorito]

Has anybody ever asked a Thai "why is the air full of smoke?" I did & I got this answer, "It's fog", to which I replied, "No it isn't...it's smoke from burning vegetation. I can smell it." Thai reply, "No it's fog...not smoke."

Maybe they just can't see the problem with all this extensive burning off?

[Gumballl]

Has anybody ever asked a Thai "why is the air full of smoke?" I did & I got this answer, "It's fog", to which I replied, "No it isn't...it's smoke from burning vegetation. I can smell it." Thai reply, "No it's fog...not smoke."

Maybe they just can't see the problem with all this extensive burning off?

Recently when I was in LOS, I commented to my wife that I feel like I am in Indonesia. Now those folks know how to set fires.

[Upcountry]

I've heard it said that the smoke, like noise, helps to keep the ghosts away!

I thought that the Thai government recently made plans to recycle batteries, but no-one around here seems to know about it. Not even a store that sells all kinds of batteries, including heavy lead-acid rechargables.

[Jet Gorgon]

Zip down to Saveland or wherever & bye half a dozen cans each of baked beans & spaghetti. When these babies go off, you get covered in hot red round & squiggly things that taste good. Now ask yourself...what Thai that you know likes this farang food?

OK, in all seriousness, the ghost-busting reason seems pretty plausible, what with the Thai's fear of pees.

The best way to get garbage collection is recycle depots. Then hard-working poorer folk would go around and collect all the plastic, paper, bottles, etc and make a few bob selling it to the recyclers. Forget the gov't trash pickup as they would charge people for the service and most would refuse to pay.

Hey, Tutsi Warrior! Forget the James Brown music shop -- open a recycling station!

Edited January 10, 2007 by Jet Gorgon