National Park hits back at online trash drama - tourists help to clean up too

 

Picture: Sanook

 

Officials from the Than Bok Korani national marine mark hit back at suggestions from netizens that they are not doing anything about trash on the beach at the idyllic Koh Hong. 

 

A post said that the area was beautiful again after a clean up operation in the morning. 

 

Chief Weerasak Srijatjang said that trash blown in off the sea was normal at this time of the year even if it was especially bad in the last few days. 

 

His teams were working to make sure the area was cleared up every day. Sometimes foreign and Thai tourists chipped in to help too. 

 

Campaigns to stop one use plastic and foam from being used and discarded in the area were working, he said, with many tourists bring pintos containing their lunch. 

 

He denied suggestions circulating online that national park staff were doing nothing about it. 

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-08-05

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Why oh why do tourists and other foreigners get involved in this kind of clear up?  If the Thais can't be bothered to clear things up when it is clearly their job,  I sure wouldn't help them do it, while they sit on their backsides doing very little.  All the tourists are doing is helping to ensure that the laziness of the National Park staff continues.   

Perhaps because the farangs are hoping that the see and do approach might get through to them, i.e. education is a powerful tool, however the government needs to get an advertising campaign out there, and keeping it going for a few years, something on the lines of "clean up Thailand" our backyard is our kids future, and we shouldn't be leaving it for our tourists to clean up our own backyard.

 

Add to that heavy fines and rangers enforcing the fines with wide media coverage, over and over and over again.

 

Loss of face, but no harm in trying.

4 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Perhaps because the farangs are hoping that the see and do approach might get through to them, i.e. education is a powerful tool, however the government needs to get an advertising campaign, something on the lines of "clean up Thailand" our backyard, is our kids future, and we shouldn't be leaving it for our tourists to clean up our own backyard.

 

Loss of face, but no harm in trying.

good grief, how much 'education' do National Park staff need,  to know that they should pick up trash?  It's not rocket science. they are just a lazy bunch with no pride in their work or in their country.  I see it far too often, in far too many locations, to be impressed with their 'dedication'. to cleaning up after themselves. They don't need 'education', they need a firm kick up the backside from their supposed managers, or both getting sacked and get others in who will do the job that they are paid to do.    

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

tourists help to clean up too

could be a new angle on tourism - trash collection vacations in Thailand, exactly what people want to do on their 3 week holiday that they saved for all year working their ass off

 

Sure don't even clean the hotel rooms - the guests can do that too

 

One thing I know for sure - if I arrived at a resort for a relaxing beach holiday and it was filthy - I wouldn't be back and I mean the country  

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai tourists chipped in to help too.

Tourists help to point out the trash, which the the national park staff are unable to recognize. It's called trash-blind.

They make enough money out of Tourism, they should set some aside for clean up operations. Not as if labour is expensive in Thailand.

I remember the mountaineer, Doug Scott, saying that, to many Asians, a rusty tin can lying in the grass, is not trash at all, but just a rusty tin can lying in the grass. I thought at the time that this was just hippy BS and a convenient excuse for laziness. I am even more convinced now that it is indeed BS.  Not sure what good old Doug was smoking at the time.

Sadly the whole country is riddled with trash.

Signs are put up on the roads around us warning of 2k baht fines for dumping trash, behind them the piles of it grow daily as nobody is ever caught so there is no deterrent.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

trash blown in off the sea

What an excuse?  Who has ever heard of trash being "blown in off the sea "?  That would make it airborn, a very difficult task for some of the stuff seen at in the photo, even for strong winds.

'nuf sed.

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

Why oh why do tourists and other foreigners get involved in this kind of clear up?  If the Thais can't be bothered to clear things up when it is clearly their job,  I sure wouldn't help them do it, while they sit on their backsides doing very little.  All the tourists are doing is helping to ensure that the laziness of the National Park staff continues.   

Umm ... well grinch ... maybe because it’s OUR planet, and helping each other is good for our wizened up souls ????????

If the trash is being blown/washed in from the sea and this is normal, the park authorities should also be acting normally and organising frequent and regular clean up operations and not waiting for social media to pull the trigger.

We pay 200 THB, 400 THB to enter a park when Thai people pay only 50 THB... and now we help to clean. Where goes our money? Not to pay sometimes people to clean?

 

Last week I was at the Pranburi Park. I just walked on the beach 10 minutes go and back to the sea.

Come back with a plastic bag full of bottles,.. and other plastic objects.

Nobody who earns money with tourism go to the beach like this : 2 restaurants, souvenir shops, boats ownerd, etc...

They don't care but it is their job,it's their place, their country!

They look only at our wallet! And when there is no customers they play on their phone.

 

With my bag full of trash I went to the park entrance and I asked why nobody everyday doesn't go to the beach to clean.

It seemed that my question was not very interesting.

 

picture Koh Samui yesterday

and lot of pictures like this everyday.

and not only on the beach. Look around all roads 

1 hour ago, Ron jeremy said:

Sadly the whole country is riddled with trash.

Exactly, there is hardly a couple consistent kilometers of land anywhere in the country that is nice, clean and maintained. 

 

Land upkeep does not seem to be popular here which is a shame.

 

Thailand could be a beautiful country given its natural diversity, but it's just trashy almost everywhere.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Campaigns to stop one use plastic and foam from being used and discarded in the area were working, he said, with many tourists bring pintos containing their lunch. 

That's nice. This should solve the garbage problem everywhere in Thailand. It's most likely these dastardly tourists causing this problem....

Yesterday I wanted to stop and pick up a thai mans garbage that he threw down at his feet while crossing the road in front of me. But of course that would be real stupid.

 

All over..this in Jomtien.

3 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

Umm ... well grinch ... maybe because it’s OUR planet, and helping each other is good for our wizened up souls ????????

then they should start in their own back yard, as I do. I'm not doing a whole lot to save the planet whatever I do, while billions are doing their their best to destroy it. The planet will do fine when humanity is dead and gone, a distant memory in Nature. We don't deserve this wonderful planet, and it sure doesn't deserve us. 

4 hours ago, Pilotman said:

I remember the mountaineer, Doug Scott, saying that, to many Asians, a rusty tin can lying in the grass, is not trash at all, but just a rusty tin can lying in the grass. I thought at the time that this was just hippy BS and a convenient excuse for laziness. I am even more convinced now that it is indeed BS.  Not sure what good old Doug was smoking at the time.

You already mentioned grass.

 

Rooster

Yes, the thai culture has a huge waste management problem

 

been here 20 years - sadly it has not improved

 

who in the hell knows why - laziness lack of pride bad attitude low energy inability to problem-solve don’t put any value in trash etc 

 

 

5 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Tourists help to point out the trash, which the the national park staff are unable to recognize. It's called trash-blind.

Just  payed 10 times the price of a local to enter the national park but then are expected to clean up too. ????????

5 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Why oh why do tourists and other foreigners get involved in this kind of clear up?  If the Thais can't be bothered to clear things up when it is clearly their job,  I sure wouldn't help them do it, while they sit on their backsides doing very little.  All the tourists are doing is helping to ensure that the laziness of the National Park staff continues.   

In all other Countries that have a large Tourism Industry, the Governments, and Local Authorities work tirelessly to maintain their credibility by ensuring trash is Picked up on a Daily basis, Beaches are cleaned Daily, Lawns are kept well, and Flowers are planted Etc.

But these Countries are really proud of their reputations for cleanliness and service Etc, and will openly tell you that they wish you have a marvelous Holiday,and will return back to enjoy their hospitality again. 

I wonder how many Tourists that visit Thailand are " once only, not going back to that filthy place " Tourists, quite a lot me thinks. 

2 hours ago, johng said:

All over..this in Jomtien.

Here lies the extent of the effort put into making and enforcing rules in Thailand. Put it in the media then put up a sign. Job done!

 

Just  payed 10 times the price of a local to enter the national park but then are expected to clean up too. ????????

And if you did I bet you be 10 times more efficient cleaning up :-)


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8 hours ago, webfact said:

Chief Weerasak Srijatjang said that trash blown in off the sea was normal at this time of the year even if it was especially bad in the last few days. 

So increase the clean up effort to match the flotsam.

8 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Why oh why do tourists and other foreigners get involved in this kind of clear up?  If the Thais can't be bothered to clear things up when it is clearly their job,  I sure wouldn't help them do it, while they sit on their backsides doing very little.  All the tourists are doing is helping to ensure that the laziness of the National Park staff continues.   

Educate by example. 

The trash comes from fishing boats as they throw all their trash into the sea. Even change the oil directly into the sea. The wind blows it into shore. TIT

On 8/5/2019 at 12:55 PM, johng said:

All over..this in Jomtien.

Nice view

Its not just the beaches I buy a bin and 6 other people use it, too sticky to go buy a bin with only one bin all the other <deleted> ends up all the the soi

Paradise Lost. Trash is everywhere in Thailand. 

I think one of the overlooked causes is what has been total lack of municipal garage services outside of the main cities and towns. They are getting more wide spread now but the consequences of this have been a nation that thinks chucking it is the "natural" way because its the only way. The results are terrible.