Filthy beaches driving all the tourists away in Rayong

[Zack61]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

 

Yep. Pretty much the norm nowadays. No such thing as a beautiful beach anymore. At least not in Thailand. 

[joebrown]

The first and last time I visited a Rayong beach was about 6 years ago . I was disgusted by the filthy state of the (deserted) beach on which packs of stray dogs roamed. Seems things haven't improved since.

[wvavin]

1 hour ago, BigBadGeordie said:

Would have thought that most bureacrats or senior military officers brains would be perfect as donors. After all they are almost virtually unused, sort of "fresh out of the box"!

Thailand is a perfect place to set up a brain hub with millions of live brand new brain donors

[RickTik]

Trustees from the prison system could be used to clean-up those beaches.

They should even be paid Thai minimum wage for doing a good job.

[BEngBKK]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

I don't think Thais see garbage...they seem to be happy living in filth!

As long as they have their little bottle with smell so they can ignore the smell of Thailand....

[elgenon]

If minimum wage is 300 baht I think they could afford a full time cleaner. Not expensive rocket science.

[wavemanwww]

3 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

I don't think Thais see garbage...they seem to be happy living in filth!

Thais trying to attract Chinese tourists to that beach. Makes them feel at home!

 

Reminds me of a time when I was at a beach further south of Phuket and I saw this large brown sewerage sleek starting to cover all the water near the shore. All Falangs got out EXCEPT the Chinese. They had no idea! Well I think they had no idea. I guess they were used to it.

[Yann55]

I was a kid back then, but I distincly remember the shores of the Mediterranean in the 1960s. Whether you were in Italy, France, Greece or Spain, the amount of littering was shocking. People would stop by the road for a picnic with a breathtaking view, and then simply leave their pile of trash behind.

 

The beaches, too, were infested with all kinds of rubbish blown in from the sea, a gift from the passengers of the boats. Fishermen, yachtmen and tourists on cruise ships simply disposed of their garbage overboard. To make matters worth, the big tankers regularly 'cleaned' their tanks in the open sea, releasing billions of sticky black oil balls that ended up on the beaches.

 

At the end of the 1960s a major sociological shift occurred in the Western world, and even though thousands of books have been written about it, the making and magnitude of that phenomenon still remains quite a mystery.

 

The way Westerners saw themselves, others, their destiny, religion, politics, feelings, and attitude to the environment suddenly underwent a massive shake up. It was no less than a change of paradigma.

 

Today we (Westerners) are still bathing in this paradigma. It defines our thoughts, opinions, judgments, enthusiasm or indignation, it is so deeply infiltrated in our neurones that we can hardly see it any more, just like a driver can't be driving and watching himself drive by at the same time.

 

This sociological shift did not occur in Asia. People who live in the countries known as the 'Far East' (ie East of India) operate on a paradigma that is extremely different from ours. Unless we acknowledge that fact, we simply cannot understand this continent and its inhabitants. We can judge them, patronize them, chastize them, and we do it constantly because 'the West', led by the US, still has the upper hand economically and politically (albeit not for much longer), and like all conquerers we feel that our ways are right, better, more efficient.

 

On many issues I believe we are delusional and arrogant, but on the ecological issues I think we've got it right. For example, throwing one's garage around is simply unconscionable. But, but but ... Unless a deep sociological tsunami occurs in the 'Asian mind' (sorry for the shortcut, I realize it's unsatisfactory) the trashing habit will simply continue, and new laws are not the solution, because laws do not change societies, it's the other way around (the helmet issue being a striking illustration of that truth).

 

If that change occurs it must come from within, it cannot, and should not be forced down their throats.

 

When, for instance, the Chinese say to the West : "hey, you want us to shut down our coal-powered plants, but your fabulous wealth today is largely based on the fact that you did that very same thing for more than a century, so don't throw stones at us from inside your glass house".... like it or not, they are right.

 

 

[maximillian]

3 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

I don't think Thais see garbage...they seem to be happy living in filth!

Maybe they think: "Better we leave the garbage at the beach so we have the beach for ourselves, don't have to share them with *$^#@ tourists."

 

Indeed, they seem not to see filth and garbage, not even in or around their houses.

My wife's daughter of 20 years lives alone in a house, that sure is the "best" one in that area,

A wall, a gate, a spacious driveway, a small "garden" and a big mango tree. It could be a real gem if only she could keep it clean and orderly inside and out. A mess, to say the least.

Cigarette buds and all kind of garbage around the house and between the plants. Dirty windows, spider webs and, and, and... Thai style, no style. Mom doesn't say a word about it.

[newnative]

  For the umpteenth time.  You have a sputtering economy with one very,very bright spot--tourism.  Why in the world aren't you cleaning ALL your tourist beaches on a DAILY basis and protecting your valuable tourism asset?  And, again, this is not rocket science.

[Boedog]

Im in Hua Hin, just yesterday riding alone 2 school kids on a scooter 1 opens a ice cream and doesnt even hesitate to throw wrapper on the road no thought of ever putting it in a bin, poorly educated, if they are taught the consequences of dumping rubbish into the environment and the damage it cause to flora and fauna and people, they need to start somewhere at least the kids are not set in there ways like there parents and can be educated, but same old story in thailand never mind theres no problem hear.

[Tchooptip]

Clean beaches are a problem in every tourist area in the world...But there are effective solutions nowadays!

[impulse]

10 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

Clean beaches are a problem in every tourist area in the world...But there are effective solutions nowadays!

They have 'em in Songkhla...  This is Samila Beach, right after a big storm blew through.  Otherwise, the water would be a pretty blue/green.

[connda]

Look at what the evil Chinese tourists have done to Rayong beaches! 

 

What I find interesting about Thailand is the ability of it's peoples to deflect their own shortcomings onto a proxy or scapegoat.  Just institutionalized face-saving that is promulgated by both the Thai government and the Thai media.  The beaches I've seen here are rather pathetic compared to other beaches I've seen around the world.  And the problem is uniquely Thailand's fault, but they will blame it on anyone else that they can.

[gjbones]

Map Tha Phut is the largest industrial estate in thailand. It's midway between Sattahip and Rayong City. It has a big impact on the garbage dumping situation in Rayong area, as do the many fishing boats in this region. In addition, there are many large tanker ships and cargo ships that use Map Tha Phut harbour. It's a major centre of shipping. I live on the coast to the west of, but in sight of the "estate", and witness the garbage floating up to the beach at my home. The terminus of the oil offloading pipeline that stretches out into the gulf from the southern tip of Map Tha Phut harbour is on a line directly from this little stretch of beach.

 

Of course, plastic in thailand is a huge issue, but I believe a lot of the crapola on the beaches in Rayong comes from the ships, as well as, the rigging and other flotsam tossed over from fishing boats.

 

The other consideration regarding the Rayong beaches being garbage dumps is the west to east coastline that extends from Sattahip peninsula all the way past Rayong and down to Chantaburi, roughly at Pak Nam, before it turns south again. I'm not an expert on the regional tidal phenomena (other than to note it's usually a once a day high/low tide here), nor about gulf currents, but with all the junk making it's way to the ocean from Bkk, Samut Prakan, and the entire eastern coastline down to sattahip, I wonder if this west/east coastal stretch doesn't act like a landfall. If you travel further down the coast toward Trat the landfall of garbage doesn't seem to exist once past the easternmost stretch of coastline about 50Km past Rayong city. 

[thaiowl]

2 hours ago, bikerlou47 said:

I live in the beautiful area of Khao Yai. I ride several KM each week, I force my self not to look down at the sides of the road, garbage everywhere.

Not to throw garbage on the ground takes a certain maturity level which many Thai's do not possess! 

I ride my bike every day in Hua Hin and encounter the same problem of garbage on the road road verges...it is absolutely appalling and is the shame of Thailand. The locals have no pride and just do not care. I pick up litter every day and now the bike lane is free from litter. It breaks your heart to see  the country trashed in this way.

[Tchooptip]

15 minutes ago, impulse said:

They have 'em in Songkhla...  This is Samila Beach, right after a big storm blew through.  Otherwise, the water would be a pretty blue/green.

Someone could try to convince the generals it would be cheaper than the submarines and better for tourism so better for the country

[janpharma]

Thainess...again...

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Graemej100 said:

It'll be those pesky Chinese for sure. No Thai would ever contribute to rubbish like this.

Back when Chaweng was nice enough to visit ( sad what happened to it ) I used to walk along the beach every morning and pick up the rubbish. One morning I picked up a large plastic container that had once held oil. I got into a conversation with a Thai in a dive shop later, and he looked me in the eye and told me that a tourist had thrown it away!

[Cake Monster]

Reports of filthy beaches all the time in Pattaya and Jomtien

 

Reports of Tourists trashing them beaches in Sattahip

 

Now its the turn of Rayong

 

Just about proves beyond any doubt that Thailand is now a dirty stinking waste dump, after years of neglecting the issue in search of profits and corruption money.

[bbbbooboo]

hmmmm.....time to wake up Thailand....what rubbish I can’t see any rubbish?.....ad nauseum

[jenny2017]

They said that even though it was the weekend there were no tourists in sight.

 

They called the matter a crisis of severe proportions.

 

They let a little man take over who did nothing else than promising things that aren't important.

 

They didn't even try to have a Diamond Heart, such a thingy local people usually own. Or not. Or both. 

 

They ( the tourists) seem to be fed up with regulations at the beach. Sexy girls at beaches can get raped because the little man said so, they create rapists.

 

They ( the tourists ) can't smoke, drink alcohol, have fun at the beach.

 

They ( the tourists have decided to go to better places, without such restrictions? 

 

Why can't all these tourists and retired Farang clean their beaches and be like their Thai counterparts with diamond hearts?

[Blackheart1916]

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

The beach needs a tractor with a rake scoop.

Saw one working on Bondi Beach in Sydney at night a few weeks ago. Did a great job, would be a short term solution while they tried to convince people to dispose of their rubbish properly (!) Problems- allocate money for ten, one will turn up, and the authorities accept the problem as their own making, which will never happen.

[Grumpy Duck]

Simple, fix it with a smoking ban. 

 

When I shop I usually refuse plastic bags. When I do use them I save them and give to the maids to recycle. It is funny to see the faces of the cashiers when I say no to the plastic bags and place my groceries in a backpack. 

[masuk]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

 

....which is why I'm going on a break to a nearby country to enjoy their beaches.

[steve73]

Beach cleaning would be an ideal "clerical" job for any disgraced officials....

I believe Rayong has one available at the present time.

[falangjim]

You'd think an army of workers with rakes would have been summoned, but we get one middle-aged woman pushing a rake up and down the beach.  

 

 

[Benmart]

It appears that many regard nature as one, big trash bin. The rush to make money, to consume and to display their jaded wealth, has blinded many of their own destructive behaviors.

[PAIBKK]

I didn't see any Chinese nor Farangs. 

And the smoking ban on the beaches are working as I didn't see any cigarette butts. 

[smew]

Thais in respect to cleanliness outside of their own premises is rare they simply don’t care, if follow a motorbike or a car for a long tome sooner or later a garbage is thrown out, which finds its way to the seas with the rain run-off. Pigs on human legs !