53 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

I to have instructed the Mia Noi,  not to buy any more vibrators 

This will be saving on plastic and 4,   D-Cell batteries.

We should all do our bit for the environment. 

Killjoy.

Every one taking the piss at the thais again? Been to England, discusting filty country. Ugly smelly people. So, there you go?

A few plastic bags is nothing compared to the billions of single use plastic bottles that are thrown away every year.

14 minutes ago, Bendi said:

Every one taking the piss at the thais again? Been to England, discusting filty country. Ugly smelly people. So, there you go?

Yes totally agree,  We should get rid of all the asylum seekers tomorrow. 

Also anyone from Dundee. 

 

14 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Where I come from the tapwater is better quality than in the bottles. No need for dispensers. 

 

Thailand is a filthy sewer so of course they need to filter the water. 

Strange perspective. I consider Thailand to be quite clean. Most Thais I know shower two or three times a day. Their clothes are usually spotless. Many mop their floors daily. I see them constantly sweeping, dusting, and washing their cars. In the west, I see floors that have not seen a mop in weeks. It is all relative. I see some smaller towns here that really go out of their way to clean, and keep their homes looking quite nice. 

 

When I spent time in India, a case could be made for the filth. Everywhere you looked, there was thick film of dust, and grime. Not the case here. Alot of the stores and markets are immaculate. 

13 hours ago, Searat7 said:

I use every plastic bag received from supermarket for trash bag in my condo. If I switched to reusable cloth bags for shopping I would still have to buy  small plastic trash bags. What is the difference ?

Every single thing you do makes a difference. Convincing yourself otherwise is the personal denial of responsibility. If it does not start with us, where does it start? 

21 hours ago, jaiyen said:

This is the start !  It will take a long time or may never happen. Better than doing nothing.  Here in Perth Woolworths have stopped giving out any plastic bags effective today.  Try doing that in Thailand !

Makro has been doing it for a while - and shoppers have easily adjusted to their 'no free bags' policy.

21 hours ago, Thian said:

What? Only since today? I thought Ozzies were such naturelovers?

 

In Holland there are no free plastic bags in supermarkets since 25 years i recon.

 

The Thai should start drinking tapwater...that would save so much plastic.

Are you kidding??

 

Where on earth do you live that you trust tap-water?

17 hours ago, wvavin said:

"Waking up call" simply does not work in this country with this mind set!

I disagree.

 

I buy take-away food regularly from a local food 'stall', and was suprised when she paid attention to the Phuket campaign re. polystyrene containers - and changed to cardboard containers!

 

Which was a 'blessing' for me, as I was trying to work out the correct size of tupperware ?!

11 hours ago, Thian said:

You probably don't live in a decent house...all our neighbours have a waterfilter and drink tapwater.

So not living in a "decent house" (according to your version of a "decent house"....), is suddenly socially irresponsible???

1 minute ago, dick dasterdly said:

So not living in a "decent house" (according to your version of a "decent house"....), is suddenly socially irresponsible???

Where did i say so? But most Thai in a decent house can afford waterfilters and they use them.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Strange perspective. I consider Thailand to be quite clean. Most Thais I know shower two or three times a day. Their clothes are usually spotless. Many mop their floors daily. I see them constantly sweeping, dusting, and washing their cars. In the west, I see floors that have not seen a mop in weeks. It is all relative. I see some smaller towns here that really go out of their way to clean, and keep their homes looking quite nice. 

 

When I spent time in India, a case could be made for the filth. Everywhere you looked, there was thick film of dust, and grime. Not the case here. Alot of the stores and markets are immaculate. 

My impression is when compared to the West Thai's are generally cleaner when it comes to their person and personal presentation but less so when it comes to homes, yards, lawns, litter etc. The exceptions are cars and some other personal belongings. Plenty of exceptions of course.

Just now, Thian said:

Where did i say so? But most Thai in a decent house can afford waterfilters and they use them.

I live in a "decent" house, even according to your definition I suspect ?, but being a bit remote am reliant on well water.

 

I looked into water-filters, but although the initial cost is fine - maintenance costs were prohibitive on my budget.

 

But this is off-topic.

 

Makro are leading the way on not providing free plastic bags, and the local vendors (I use regularly) realise that I'm not keen on plastic bags, and so don't put my purchases in plastic bags.

Just nonsense this, they are not waking up to anything.  Buy a banana from 7/11.  Its in a plastic bag and as you pay they put it in another plastic bag.  Buy a drink and they have to supply you with a straw.  No proper recycling, a nation that throws garbage plastic anything wherever, whenever they want....i could go on but whats the point, nothing will ever change here, they'll just blame everyone else for their shortfalls.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Strange perspective. I consider Thailand to be quite clean. Most Thais I know shower two or three times a day. Their clothes are usually spotless. Many mop their floors daily. I see them constantly sweeping, dusting, and washing their cars. In the west, I see floors that have not seen a mop in weeks. It is all relative. I see some smaller towns here that really go out of their way to clean, and keep their homes looking quite nice. 

 

When I spent time in India, a case could be made for the filth. Everywhere you looked, there was thick film of dust, and grime. Not the case here. Alot of the stores and markets are immaculate. 

 

7 minutes ago, Poottrong said:

My impression is when compared to the West Thai's are generally cleaner when it comes to their person and personal presentation but less so when it comes to homes, yards, lawns, litter etc. The exceptions are cars and some other personal belongings. Plenty of exceptions of course.

I would concur about the personal presentation/hygiene. Such a pity they don't apply their tidiness away from their surrounding living areas.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Strange perspective. I consider Thailand to be quite clean. Most Thais I know shower two or three times a day. Their clothes are usually spotless. Many mop their floors daily. I see them constantly sweeping, dusting, and washing their cars. In the west, I see floors that have not seen a mop in weeks. It is all relative. I see some smaller towns here that really go out of their way to clean, and keep their homes looking quite nice. 

 

When I spent time in India, a case could be made for the filth. Everywhere you looked, there was thick film of dust, and grime. Not the case here. Alot of the stores and markets are immaculate. 

If you consider Thailand to be clean then clearly its been a while since you lasted visited.  The garbage you saw as you left last time is probably steal festering in the same place!!

7 minutes ago, carmine said:

If you consider Thailand to be clean then clearly its been a while since you lasted visited.  The garbage you saw as you left last time is probably steal festering in the same place!!

Wrong. I live here. Though I do live in an exceptionally clean area. I agree there is more that can be done. They need to install 30,000 trash receptacles nationwide. It sometimes takes me 10 minutes to find a bin to put something in Bangkok. And Samui needs to arrest the mayor, so they can divert the money to the waste management plant, that is being sucked into his many, many personal accounts. And in Issan, they need to establish a trash collection program for most villages. But, most Thai people are quite clean. And many houses I see are well kept. 

It took me a while but I finally got my local farmers market & 7/11 folks to understand I will use my OWN reusable bags. I even see a light bulb flickering above a few of their heads. Almost an "Aha!" moment.

14 minutes ago, carmine said:

Just nonsense this, they are not waking up to anything.  Buy a banana from 7/11.  Its in a plastic bag and as you pay they put it in another plastic bag.  Buy a drink and they have to supply you with a straw.  No proper recycling, a nation that throws garbage plastic anything wherever, whenever they want....i could go on but whats the point, nothing will ever change here, they'll just blame everyone else for their shortfalls.

Except Makro have already started charging for bags - and everyone has accepted their policy.

 

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, my local vendor has replaced the polystyrene/foam (?) take-away food containers with cardboard containers.

 

Edit - I agree that 7/11 are the worst of the worse, but it's always possible to refuse the plastic bags/straws/spoons etc.!

17 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Wrong. I live here. Though I do live in an exceptionally clean area. I agree there is more that can be done. They need to install 30,000 trash receptacles nationwide. It sometimes takes me 10 minutes to find a bin to put something in Bangkok. And Samui needs to arrest the mayor, so they can divert the money to the waste management plant, that is being sucked into his many, many personal accounts. And in Issan, they need to establish a trash collection program for most villages. But, most Thai people are quite clean. And many houses I see are well kept. 

So in other words it's no where near as tidy as the West ?

"2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant."

 

lol, find another way or dont go out on resturants

Thais have a good personal hygiene , and they try to keep their homes clean. But the problem is outside their homes, they turn a blind eye to what's laying on the ground outside, thats where all the trash go ! Just walk into any village, a pile of trash will be nearby. 

36 minutes ago, balo said:

Thais have a good personal hygiene , and they try to keep their homes clean. But the problem is outside their homes, they turn a blind eye to what's laying on the ground outside, thats where all the trash go ! Just walk into any village, a pile of trash will be nearby. 

Very difficult for many (not just Government and its officials) to "think outside the square". 

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

Except Makro have already started charging for bags - and everyone has accepted their policy.

 

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, my local vendor has replaced the polystyrene/foam (?) take-away food containers with cardboard containers.

 

Edit - I agree that 7/11 are the worst of the worse, but it's always possible to refuse the plastic bags/straws/spoons etc.!

I agree with your edit. When I stay in Pattaya, i'm often in a hotel or guest house for an extended period, so the first time I go to 7/11, I grab a handful of straws and a couple of disposable spoons and keep them in the fridge with the drinks / yogurt or whatever, using the straws as I go and rinsing the spoons. The straws are useful for some drinks (small tins of coffee, the mini drinking yogurts and the like)  Future trips to 7/11 or Family Mart, i decline straws until i run out.   (In the past, I've checked out, leaving loads of unused straws in the room for the cleaner to throw away - very wasteful!)

 

Next trip I'm dropping a metal teaspoon in my wash-bag which I can use throughout the trip. They're nicer to eat with anyway.

 

Plastic bags I do accept - when necessary and the minimum quantity required.  They then get used for dirty laundry, shoes and if i generate rubbish  like fruit peel etc which, in that situation, I cannot recycle. Every little helps! 

 

Having said all this and read this thread, when one is travelling around (wherever in the world) disposable plastic is a boon - as long as it's recycled. 

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

Except Makro have already started charging for bags - and everyone has accepted their policy.

The Makros I've been to have NEVER supplied bags, charged or otherwise.  As far as I know, the only bags you can purchase in Makro are the Hot/Cold bags.

And yes, their policy of not supplying bags is accepted without loss of trade.  So there's no reason why other retailers can't follow suit.

Might have been said but aren't those notice signs plastic ? Negative attitude aside;  Some suggestions. Make something trendy/ fashionable and people will follow. Make it "cool" to be environmentally  conscious  by using pop stars, film stars etc. Give out the first eco friendly bag for free and make it easy to carry and fashionable. Turn up at your 7/11 without one and you can buy a new one for 100 Thb and instead of giving stamps to collect and cash in against products based on how much you spend.... Give out the stamps for every time you use the bag. Give out things like something small and upwards based on how may times you use the bag and collect stamps.  I don' know??? 50 stamps a new bag saying "I recycle...Do you ?" With a picture of someone or something trendy on it. Have a catchy slogan endorsed by some current icon and an upgrade system so they get a better bag the more times that use. The old bags can drop in a bin to be recycled . Make it so everyone wants to get the 5 star platinum rating and a t-shirt ( Made from environment friendly materials).

 

Good idea ?

 

Steve

22 minutes ago, HHTel said:

The Makros I've been to have NEVER supplied bags, charged or otherwise.  As far as I know, the only bags you can purchase in Makro are the Hot/Cold bags.

And yes, their policy of not supplying bags is accepted without loss of trade.  So there's no reason why other retailers can't follow suit.

Wrong...

Have you seen the size of Makros parking lot? What do you see parked there? Bicycles?  Nope.....You see cars lots and lots of cars.....

People do not need plastic bags in Makro because they have a big bag called a car to carry their goods home in....

The % of people who shop at lets say Big C who do not have cars is way way higher than Makro....

So Big C needs to have plastic bags...People can not walk around 24/7 carrying a cloth bag to go shopping...So Big C would be pretty stupid to not have plastic bags....

Plastic bags are good for business..

18 hours ago, Thian said:

It's not my hobby to lift/carry 18litre waterbottles...filter works much easyier.

I have a filter but only use it for washing fruits/veggies and for cooking purposes. Like the vast majority of Thais, will continue to drink reverse osmosis and store bought water. Nothing difficult about lifting or carrying 18L bottles of water - the guy who brings us our water will do all the lifting and carrying himself for free. It's part of the job, as is usual in Thailand, no one is expected to get their hands dirty when there's a guy willing to do it for you.

fforest1. I hope you are taking the Micky ?   Motorbike ?  Under the seat.  Bicycle ? In a saddle bag. If on foot you are carrying bags anyway.  Bike or  motorbike the same. Plastic or reusable environment friendly ? Difference ? Fairly obvious .

 

Steve

10 hours ago, fforest1 said:

Have you seen the size of Makros parking lot? What do you see parked there? Bicycles?  Nope.....You see cars lots and lots of cars.....

Not really true , plenty of bikes also . I visit Makro myself and use the bike. I carry a bag wiith me so easy to carry, doesn't matter if you have a car or a bike. The reason for all the cars are business owners who buy in big quantities. But a lot of private persons show up and bring their own bags.