4 hours ago, Rama said:

Agree with need to end use of plastic bags. But to only offer boxes as the only alternative is not a solution. Boxes are fine if you have a car, but it shows they don't understand their customer base  - many who come on motorbikes - and an elitist attitude by only offering boxes. They should be offering reusable large cloth bags for sale - at the checkout. I walked out and left my 2000 baht at the checkout when I was told there were no bags. Give a real solution to plastic bags and it would work. 

They do.  Although the bags aren't right at the checkout, they are an arm's length away and the clerk will get one for you if you ask. Every Rimping store and every Tops store sell their own branded heavy-duty cloth shopping bags... in two sizes. Actually, Rimping has them in three sizes.

 

56 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Daiso Airport Plaza had only small ones, about 8"x12" today. I want some about twice the size of Rimping's big plastic ones. Any recent sightings?

 

 

Daiso, Nim City had ones just half again larger than the Rimping plastic bags as of yesterday. But there were three or four people sorting through them, apparently planning to make a purchase. With Rimping right next door, they have a captive market. Fortunately, more and more people are taking a proactive stand about disposable plastic. I noticed today at Rimping a two different people had their own bags in use even though Rimping was giving plastic today. I carry two bags on my motorbike, as I like to shop daily for fresh food for dinner.

"25 years ago this was a pristine location..."

 

That sort of reminds me of...well, almost any place I can think of in (SE) Asia that I've been to and returned. Angkor Wat in '93...what a blast. I have photos from that time that are totally impossible now, vis-à-vis, all the famous scenes with about two or three people somewhere in the shot (or totally empty). During the day time, those shots will never, ever be possible again. 

 

By the way, you mentioned that you didn't dive this site because you had to go through or under a cloud of plastic material. Maybe I am reading it wrong, but can't you just go down to your 18 meters or whatever you are rated for and get below all this crap? (I don't dive anymore because of ear episodes long ago, and I very much enjoy listening in stereo...)

 

The only time I take a plastic bag folded up in my pocket is when I go to Makro, since the stingy bastaroonies don't give you bags. 

25 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

 

 

By the way, you mentioned that you didn't dive this site because you had to go through or under a cloud of plastic material. Maybe I am reading it wrong, but can't you just go down to your 18 meters or whatever you are rated for and get below all this crap? (I don't dive anymore because of ear episodes long ago, and I very much enjoy listening in stereo...)

 

 

Good luck finding a skipper willing to take his boat into a sea of garbage.

1 hour ago, Trujillo said:

 

By the way, you mentioned that you didn't dive this site because you had to go through or under a cloud of plastic material. Maybe I am reading it wrong, but can't you just go down to your 18 meters or whatever you are rated for and get below all this crap?

 

Two problems with that. Or three if you consider Sharktooth's comment about finding a boat driver who will enter that sludge. First is, when we go diving, or just out boating (or trekking,)  we want a healthy environment. Most folks don't wish to vacation in a garbage dump.  But second, and perhaps more importantly, the problem isn't just on the surface. The trash is free-floating all through the water column. I'm certified as 'Dive Master' and as 'Master Scuba Diver,' so if I'm doing NDL diving, I'm good to about 40 meters... and there is trash down there too. Please believe me when I say this is a very serious problem today.

 

Take a look at this video, shot at a dive site off the beautiful, pristine island of Bali just this past March. We dove this site just 5 years ago and it was spectacular. Needless to say, we don't dive in Bali any more either.

 

 

 

I've seen that video, oddly enough. 

I am aware that this is a problem, or should I say, a growing problem. 

Another question: Is this by virtue of seasonal currents (as was the case in Samui, regarding beach detritus), or all year round? 

2 hours ago, Trujillo said:

I've seen that video, oddly enough. 

I am aware that this is a problem, or should I say, a growing problem. 

Another question: Is this by virtue of seasonal currents (as was the case in Samui, regarding beach detritus), or all year round? 

 

There is certainly going to be season variation everywhere, but that just changes the volume and concentration. It doesn't make for clean beaches and pristine waters.

Well done to the OP on his victory. Hopefully he hasn't too much time left on the earth in which to fight things like a much needed plastic bag ban. 

On 12/26/2018 at 3:00 AM, Loaded said:

China and USA industry pumping out billions of cubic meters of carbon each year and we worry about plastic bags. If that photo of a turtle with a pen up its nose hadn't gone viral, nobody would care about plastic.

"...nobody would care about plastic."

 

You are projecting your own lack of social consciousness onto the rest of the population.

8 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

I'm not good at planning.  And besides I like getting free bags; I used them again as garbage bags.

 

If people are required to plan their daily lives it feels like some Thainess is lost.

Not the Onion?

On 12/26/2018 at 10:22 PM, WinnieTheKhwai said:

GREAT NEWS!!!

 

Absolutely hated it when stuck at Rim Ping on a Wednesday.  I actually walked away once when they pulled the no-bags scam.   

 

Customer is king again!

I know you have children so it is good to see that you do not care one bit about the world they inherit.

On 12/26/2018 at 6:00 PM, Loaded said:

China and USA industry pumping out billions of cubic meters of carbon each year and we worry about plastic bags. If that photo of a turtle with a pen up its nose hadn't gone viral, nobody would care about plastic.

What a complete load of BS. The truth is that you don't care at all and now feel guilty that you should care. As another poster said a complete lack of social awareness on your part.

13 hours ago, Rama said:

Agree with need to end use of plastic bags. But to only offer boxes as the only alternative is not a solution. Boxes are fine if you have a car, but it shows they don't understand their customer base  - many who come on motorbikes - and an elitist attitude by only offering boxes. They should be offering reusable large cloth bags for sale - at the checkout. I walked out and left my 2000 baht at the checkout when I was told there were no bags. Give a real solution to plastic bags and it would work. 

I paid 50 baht for a reusable bag and am still using it. Solutions were there.

I get 95% of my food in the US from Trader Joe's which calls themselves a specialty food store.

 

I used to save plastic bags and reuse them when I went to stores and not accept new ones unless/until the ones I had would wear out. (I now have cloth carry bags for groceries).

 

I don't think I ever saw anyone else bring in their own bags.

 

One day Trader Joe's started a drawing. Bring one's own bags, put name in a drum. Once a month (maybe weekly) they would draw a name and - currently it's for a $10 Trader Joe's gift card, I think it might've been $20 when they started).

 

I thought I'd be winning frequently.

All of a sudden lots of people were bringing their own bags and the drum was stuffed with tickets.

 

A good way to get people started on being responsible and avoiding more plastic waste.

 

A post in violation of the following has been removed:

 

26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.

Said before, will say again (having just read every post in this thread).

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

 

Buy your reusable bags, do your part.

The Government announced yesterday that there will be a ban on single use plastic starting from 2023. So for the people who cant live their live without plastic bags another reason to leave.

9 minutes ago, johnoko said:

The Government announced yesterday that there will be a ban on single use plastic starting from 2023. So for the people who cant live their live without plastic bags another reason to leave.

You mean the Wednesday Rimping ban on plastic bags didn't work????  Oh No!

20 hours ago, Kelsall said:

You mean the Wednesday Rimping ban on plastic bags didn't work????  Oh No!

What it meant is that things are going to continue in the way that Rimping has started doing.. Are you really that stupid or just a sad lonely troll?

23 hours ago, Kelsall said:

You mean the Wednesday Rimping ban on plastic bags didn't work????  Oh No!

 

It means that it is working so well that the government has decided to enforce the ban on bags so that even people such as yourself will have to do their part to protect the planet. It's just a shame that it takes governmental orders to make that happen, although I have a feeling that you will try to figure out a way to avoid doing so...

" Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." - Plato

On 12/26/2018 at 7:00 PM, Loaded said:

China and USA industry pumping out billions of cubic meters of carbon each year and we worry about plastic bags. If that photo of a turtle with a pen up its nose hadn't gone viral, nobody would care about plastic.

Happy swimming 

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-06/diver-films-wave-of-plastic-pollution-off-bali-coast/9508662

Where is the link to the news about this proposed plastic bag ban? 

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26) The Bangkok Post and Phuketwan do not allow quotes from their news articles or other material to appear on Thaivisa.com. Neither do they allow links to their publications. Posts from members containing quotes from or links to Bangkok Post or Phuketwan publications will be deleted from the forum.