Koh Lanta – beaches full of trash

[TerryClarke]

I've visited Koh Lanta beaches recently and I was shocked. The beaches were full of trash. I've realized that the plastic "deal" is real. In Asia, there is a lot of plastic waste, almost nobody sorts out the trash and often, there are no bins. Compared to Europe, it is really bad. I think one of the ways how to solve the "trash" problem is to change the mentality of people, but they don't care. What do you think about this. Can the problem be solved? And how?

[fredob43]

Looks like a great improvement to me. I went there some 5 years ago and it was a lot worse then. As luck would have it we moved on after the first day. 

[TerryClarke]

15 hours ago, fredob43 said:

Looks like a great improvement to me. I went there some 5 years ago and it was a lot worse then. As luck would have it we moved on after the first day. 

Improvement? Oh wow... What can be worse than this? And I don't talk about the smell.

[steven100]

sadly things are pretty bad everywhere where rubbish flows into waterways and klongs.

You think that looks bad, try visiting India, canals are just clogged with floating trash.

[Pilotman]

I hate to be the prophet of doom, but nothing can or will be done. The Thai people don't care enough about their environment and are not educated enough as a Nation to band together to force change. The government is incompetent, too concentrated on feathering their own nests and powerless to deal with the problem.  The World wide issue is not being taken seriously enough and respective governments are doing too little and are too Nationalistic to take a World view. "The World is doomed" is an old joke.  Actually, the World, the Earth, will do fine after humankind has managed to destroy itself with short sightedness, selfishness and greed.   

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

The whole country is full of trash. Thailand is one of the 5 biggest plastic polluters in the world!

[TerryClarke]

 

On 7/27/2019 at 8:57 AM, steven100 said:

sadly things are pretty bad everywhere where rubbish flows into waterways and klongs.

You think that looks bad, try visiting India, canals are just clogged with floating trash.

Yes, it was really shocking for me when I saw pictures of my friends trip to India. Even worse than these beaches.

 

On 7/27/2019 at 8:58 AM, Pilotman said:

I hate to be the prophet of doom, but nothing can or will be done. The Thai people don't care enough about their environment and are not educated enough as a Nation to band together to force change. The government is incompetent, too concentrated on feathering their own nests and powerless to deal with the problem.  The World wide issue is not being taken seriously enough and respective governments are doing too little and are too Nationalistic to take a World view. "The World is doomed" is an old joke.  Actually, the World, the Earth, will do fine after humankind has managed to destroy itself with short sightedness, selfishness and greed.   

Yes, education is really important and underestimated. With the correct mindset, everything is achievable.

On 7/27/2019 at 9:01 AM, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

The whole country is full of trash. Thailand is one of the 5 biggest plastic polluters in the world!

 

Well this image speaks for itself...

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/mismanaged-waste-global-total

 

Edited July 29, 2019 by TerryClarke

[bendejo]

Depends on the tide, I guess.

This scenic pic was taken in Kawthaung on a visa run out of Ranong.

 

 

Edited July 29, 2019 by bendejo

[SoilSpoil]

We also left Ko Lanta after just 1 day last year in August. Absolutely filfthy beaches during the low season. Thailands tourism image is at stake, as I have seen the plastic waste piling up almost everywhere in the country. Waste disposal is not a priority in Thailand. So sad to see this.

[dimitriv]

I visited Patong a couple of weeks ago. I was afraid to go into the sea. It looked like a plastic soup. 

 

I will never visit Patong again.

 

 

[ThomasThBKK]

To be fair, this shit is also on empty islands, its mostly all from the oceans. The whole ocean is full with trash... cant blame thais except for beeing too lazy to clean it up.

[TerryClarke]

On 7/29/2019 at 10:18 AM, bendejo said:

Depends on the tide, I guess.

This scenic pic was taken in Kawthaung on a visa run out of Ranong.

 

 

That is really disgusting. ????

On 8/1/2019 at 7:40 PM, SoilSpoil said:

We also left Ko Lanta after just 1 day last year in August. Absolutely filfthy beaches during the low season. Thailands tourism image is at stake, as I have seen the plastic waste piling up almost everywhere in the country. Waste disposal is not a priority in Thailand. So sad to see this.

It seems that the tourism won't last for so long.

On 8/1/2019 at 8:15 PM, dimitriv said:

I visited Patong a couple of weeks ago. I was afraid to go into the sea. It looked like a plastic soup. 

 

I will never visit Patong again.

 

 

Feel free to share some pictures with us.

On 8/1/2019 at 8:19 PM, ThomasThBKK said:

To be fair, this shit is also on empty islands, its mostly all from the oceans. The whole ocean is full with trash... cant blame thais except for beeing too lazy to clean it up.

Yes, we can't but if they want to have some visitors, they have no other choice. 

[Isaanbiker]

On 8/1/2019 at 6:40 PM, SoilSpoil said:

We also left Ko Lanta after just 1 day last year in August. Absolutely filfthy beaches during the low season. Thailands tourism image is at stake, as I have seen the plastic waste piling up almost everywhere in the country. Waste disposal is not a priority in Thailand. So sad to see this.

Are we now talking about a different Ko Lanta?

 

The one you reach by ferry from Krabi province? 

 

My wife and I were on Ko Lanta last August and it was a great holiday.

 

    Neither the beaches where we lived were polluted, nor others on our countless trips on a rented bike. 

 

  We were there for three weeks and can't say that there was a lot of plastic. 

 

    

Edited August 31, 2019 by Isaanbiker

[TerryClarke]

On 8/31/2019 at 6:15 AM, Isaanbiker said:

Are we now talking about a different Ko Lanta?

 

The one you reach by ferry from Krabi province? 

 

My wife and I were on Ko Lanta last August and it was a great holiday.

 

    Neither the beaches where we lived were polluted, nor others on our countless trips on a rented bike. 

 

  We were there for three weeks and can't say that there was a lot of plastic. 

 

    

Still the same Ko Lanta, maybe just different beach.

[Bassosa]

On 8/1/2019 at 7:19 PM, ThomasThBKK said:

To be fair, this <deleted> is also on empty islands, its mostly all from the oceans. The whole ocean is full with trash... cant blame thais except for beeing too lazy to clean it up.

Completely untrue. How do you even come up with this? Look at the pics, that plastic was on land first and got swept into the see, usually via klongs/rain etc. It's self-inflicted and they couldn't care less.

Edited September 2, 2019 by Bassosa

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/26/2019 at 4:17 PM, TerryClarke said:

What do you think about this. Can the problem be solved? And how?

Looking at the photo in the OP, IMO it's during the monsoon.

All the garbage dumped at sea washes up in the monsoon. Normally it's cleaned up for high season. If it's low season they won't won't bother.

Can the problem be solved- NO.

[UbonThani]

Happens every low season. The staff told me they only clean up for high season. Low season tourism drops 90% so they don't bother.

 

 

[Jack Hna]

How can you blame Thais for this given there is a big expat community there?

 

If the expats with business's there grouped together I am sure they could afford to front a team of rubbish collectors to maintain the area. Thais would see this initiative and likely get involved. 

 

2 swedish schools on the island?

At least 150 farang owned business?

Maybe 700 farang living there?

 

Tiny island. Not a difficult task.

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/23/2020 at 8:19 PM, Jack Hna said:

How can you blame Thais for this given there is a big expat community there?

 

If the expats with business's there grouped together I am sure they could afford to front a team of rubbish collectors to maintain the area. Thais would see this initiative and likely get involved. 

 

2 swedish schools on the island?

At least 150 farang owned business?

Maybe 700 farang living there?

 

Tiny island. Not a difficult task.

 

 

 

It would have to be a regular thing and most didn't move to LOS to clean up the beach. Every storm will bring more.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 7/27/2019 at 1:49 PM, TerryClarke said:

Improvement? Oh wow... What can be worse than this? And I don't talk about the smell.

That's no where as bad as it can get. There is a lot of industrial waste floating around in the sea.

[BritManToo]

On 7/26/2019 at 11:17 AM, TerryClarke said:

In Asia, there is a lot of plastic waste, almost nobody sorts out the trash

I't not required, the refuse collectors pick and sort through everything back at the depot.

[Old Croc]

On 7/23/2020 at 3:19 PM, Jack Hna said:

How can you blame Thais for this given there is a big expat community there?

 

If the expats with business's there grouped together I am sure they could afford to front a team of rubbish collectors to maintain the area. Thais would see this initiative and likely get involved. 

 

2 swedish schools on the island?

At least 150 farang owned business?

Maybe 700 farang living there?

 

Tiny island. Not a difficult task.

Koh Lanta Yai is over 30 km long, in area is more than 80 sq. kms and has 9 major beaches. It is one of the larger Islands in Thailand.  

[Old Croc]

On 9/2/2019 at 10:54 PM, Bassosa said:

On 8/1/2019 at 7:19 PM, ThomasThBKK said:

To be fair, this <deleted> is also on empty islands, its mostly all from the oceans. The whole ocean is full with trash... cant blame thais except for beeing too lazy to clean it up.

Completely untrue. How do you even come up with this? Look at the pics, that plastic was on land first and got swept into the see, usually via klongs/rain etc. It's self-inflicted and they couldn't care less.

Your statement is untrue.

The most plastic polluted island in the world is uninhabited and extremely remote (Henderson Island Pitcairn Group).  The plastics in the oceans mainly come from the major polluters - China and Indonesia. Of course Thailand is also one of the biggest and far too much debris is thrown in canals, but tidal flotsam comes from around the planet..

Plastics found on beaches in Australia can be traced to fishing boats and are often branded in Indonesia.