Beach smoking ban falls on deaf ears as Jomtien left in a complete mess

[webfact]

Beach smoking ban falls on deaf ears as Jomtien left in a complete mess

 

Picture: Sophon Cable

 

Sophon Cable TV reported that locals and tourists alike were shaking their heads muttering "Amazing Thailand" after the much trumpeted smoking ban at Jomtien Beach failed to have any effect.

 

The beach was left in a total mess after the Jetski World Cup 2017 with cigarette butts, cigarette packets and a host of other litter strewn all over the 500 meters of sand.

 

It had earlier been designated one of the 24 in Thailand to be smoke free. And a lot of money has been spent on providing places for smokers to puff away.

 

Picture: Sophon Cable

 

High profile officials said they had trained the local operators to help and conducted campaigns to end the misuse of the beach.

 

But now 100 staff were needed to clear up all the trash and cigarette ends.

 

Sophon went to the beach to investigate but found only frustrated visitors wondering when tourists would stop trashing the national assets.

 

And wondering if the threat of jail time and heavy fines would have any effect in the future.

 

February 1st is D-Day when people could be jailed or fined 100,000 baht for smoking on the beach in Thailand.

 

Source: Sophon Cable

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-12-13

[ezflip]

The real question is: how many of these butts were from Thai people (who don't care about the laws or who blatantly dismiss the laws) and how many are from foreigners/tourists?

[George Bowman]

Wonder what had been in those bottles?

 

Edited December 13, 2017 by missoura

[toenail]

9 minutes ago, ezflip said:

The real question is: how many of these butts were from Thai people (who don't care about the laws or who blatantly dismiss the laws) and how many are from foreigners/tourists?

Definitely the "power drink" bottles are left by Thais. Tourists tend to drink beer or soda.

[darksidedog]

Given the amount of butts in the sand, it seems several more prisons are going to need to be built fairly rapidly to house the thousands of offenders. Although in practice, one small one for the foreigners will probably do the job, as they are the only ones likely to be arrested.

Edited December 13, 2017 by darksidedog

[smedly]

and they are blaming tourists/foreigners for this, as has already been stated - the first photo looks very typical of Thai waste, who would ever have thought of Thais littering..................outrageous 

[sscsamui]

Start Arresting the bastards

[Borzandy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

And a lot of money has been spent on providing places for smokers to puff away.

The money has only change pocket.

[lucjoker]

Strange to see ,how many people still believe in fairy tales......like :" ones upon a time there was ......a clean beach.......safe trafic .....justice ......a street without dogs......a taxi on time.....no queue at imm......  

[sandrabbit]

Walked the dogs on the beach in Rayong on Tuesday after the holiday on Monday, the sea and shoreline was full of plastic bottles ........

[brucegoniners]

First of all, I noticed no signs telling people not to smoke. And yes, people were smoking. Big shock.

 

How are tourists supposed to know without signs.

 

Second, the designated smoking areas are still on the beach. I could smell those nasty cigarettes from the beach. So what’s the point? 

[ronrat]

Next time get some sprayer knapsacks and council people guarded by Police. Anyone lights up hit them with seawater making sure smokes etc are wet and kick them off the beach. The Thais will lose face and that will be enough. The Russians etc will be indignant but who cares. Might be a few who carry on but a phone call to Embassy will sort it out. You have broken the law, pay a 100000 baht fine or shutup. If they hit anyone monkey house and deport. Nothing pisses a family off more than having one member sent home. Who presumably has keys to the car or the house.

[Katipo]

3 hours ago, toenail said:

Definitely the "power drink" bottles are left by Thais. Tourists tend to drink beer or soda.

2nd photo with the plastic bag containing an empty pot of Mama, more likely than not from locals too.

[phetpeter]

Why can't they just employ people with jobs, to walk the beach and clean it, It would be cheaper than using money to chase around arresting , using court time and possible prison time. when they would only catch a few, plus opening more avenues for corruption, Put out bins, a second golf cart, a few brushes, shovels, grabsticks and spikes and plastic bags. But, no they go overboard, but, wait till they dare go after Thai's and then the backlash will happen, most come down in big family groups, so pick on one and the fight is on...wait and see!

[ttrd]

3 hours ago, toenail said:

Definitely the "power drink" bottles are left by Thais. Tourists tend to drink beer or soda.

....and 2 more or less constructed pics covering Maximum 1m each from a Beach stretching several km doesnt give a Clear Picture of the reality - does it...??.....

 

It describes more a table that has been tipped rather  than a Complete Beach full of garbage ....

Edited December 13, 2017 by ttrd

[soistalker]

Unless you catch Thai people littering, and fine them heavily, they will never stop littering. Never. Ever.

But this would necessitate an honest police force, which Pattaya/Jomtien does not have.

Thai people litter like dogs sh!t and p!ss: wherever and whenever they want.

[Suetape]

No way we’re there 100 staff cleaning up unless your counting the removal of bleaches and barricades.   

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Sophon went to the beach to investigate but found only frustrated visitors wondering when tourists would stop trashing the national assets.

 

Possibly one of the most xenophobic paragraphs in a news article this year. 

 

Looking at the photograph the trash appears to be 'very Thai'.... 

 

 

This whole facade has been somewhat targeted against foreigners and breeds xenophobia right from the start.

 

In ALL areas of Thailand there exists a vast majority of Thai's who have no regard for their environment whatsoever. In Tourist areas there is a very small minority of Tourists who follow suit. 

 

Authorities have again failed to deal with the real issue at hand - Enforcing already existing laws !!! 

Instead they have bumbled their way through a publicity stunt in the hope people may listen.... of course they haven't... the locals simply don't care until they are forced to, and those in positions of decision making power don't care either until they are forced to...  They are all like children. 

 

[NeilSA1]

3 hours ago, missoura said:

Wonder what had been in those bottles?

 

Obviously used to capture compressed

cigarette smoke 

[Juan B Tong]

Just yesterday I talked to an arriving tourist who said he saved all year so he could come to Thailand to relax, drink Red Bull, and smoke cigarettes on the beach

[Colabamumbai]

We will have to DNA the butts and bottles to see if they belonged  to Thais or Foreignets.

[oldlakey]

18 minutes ago, Juan B Tong said:

Just yesterday I talked to an arriving tourist who said he saved all year so he could come to Thailand to relax, drink Red Bull, and smoke cigarettes on the beach

Whatever does it for you

[phutoie2]

All this talk of butts, didn't those two spams go home.

[smedly]

52 minutes ago, ronrat said:

Next time get some sprayer knapsacks and council people guarded by Police. Anyone lights up hit them with seawater making sure smokes etc are wet and kick them off the beach. The Thais will lose face and that will be enough. The Russians etc will be indignant but who cares. Might be a few who carry on but a phone call to Embassy will sort it out. You have broken the law, pay a 100000 baht fine or shutup. If they hit anyone monkey house and deport. Nothing pisses a family off more than having one member sent home. Who presumably has keys to the car or the house.

and how exactly is that going to contribute to anti littering which is what this so called smoking ban is all about

 

lets not forget that this is not about smoking it is about people throwing their litter on the beach "including cigarette butts"

[smedly]

1 hour ago, brucegoniners said:

First of all, I noticed no signs telling people not to smoke. And yes, people were smoking. Big shock.

 

How are tourists supposed to know without signs.

 

Second, the designated smoking areas are still on the beach. I could smell those nasty cigarettes from the beach. So what’s the point? 

read my previous post, this is not about your nose it is about littering.

[taninthai]

Of coarse Monday was a Thai holiday so I wonder who the beach was full off...?

[soistalker]

35 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Possibly one of the most xenophobic paragraphs in a news article this year. 

 

Not only that,  but a total fabrication. Are we to believe that the reporter actually interviewed Thais who think the garbage is from farang?!

[tifino]

4 hours ago, missoura said:

Wonder what had been in those bottles?

 

ummm.. e-cig fluid??

[morrobay]

4 hours ago, ezflip said:

The real question is: how many of these butts were from Thai people (who don't care about the laws or who blatantly dismiss the laws) and how many are from foreigners/tourists?

Probably about 50/50: Slobs of all  nationalities , lowlife locals ,  taxi related locals ,  thai tourists.   In addition to the euro trash seen in Jomtien now.  

[JusticeGB]

How surprising! When I go to Jomtien beach the illegal vendors prowl the beach and disappear like rabbits when they spot the police. Foreign tourists get sunburnt so why on earth not remove all the umbrellas. I agree with the no cigarettes idea just like the no helmet law. Why 100k for cigarettes and 400 baht for crash helmets?