Pattaya unprepared for plastic-bag ban

[Rimmer]

Pattaya unprepared for plastic-bag ban

 

PATTAYA:--In six weeks, major Thai retailers will stop handing out single-use plastic bags, but Pattaya residents seem unprepared for the change.

 

An informal survey by the Pattaya Mail found most people ignorant of the agreement announced Sept. 6 between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the country’s largest retail chains. And other than in convenience stores, there is little awareness of the government’s campaign to cut plastic use.

 

Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said in September that the ministry asked Thai retailers to give up single-use plastic Jan. 1.

 

See more: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattaya-unprepared-for-plastic-bag-ban-277128

-- PATTAYA MAIL 2019-11-24--

[mikebell]

Thais are unprepared for the inevitable droughts; the monthly floods; the burning season; high season/low season; helmet crackdowns; red lights.

[PatOngo]

16 hours ago, mikebell said:

Thais are unprepared for the inevitable droughts; the monthly floods; the burning season; high season/low season; helmet crackdowns; red lights.

….but are 100% up to date on the latest television soap opera! Priorities!

[jacko45k]

Bloody right...I left Big-CX fumbling to carry my bit of shopping from the under 10 items 'quick' (not so) line. No bags there, but available to those buying for the army! Did it again at Homepro yesterday. Have a cloth bag but keep forgetting the damned thing, either in the house or the car. 

[mickey rat]

Those pesky plastic bags throwing themselves by the side of the road are the real culprit! How dare they!  ???? 

[RichardColeman]

I'm OK, I have an elite single plastic bag use retirement visa

[Prairieboy]

21 hours ago, mikebell said:

Thais are unprepared for the inevitable droughts; the monthly floods; the burning season; high season/low season; helmet crackdowns; red lights.

Rewrite: Thais are unprepared!

 

If I buy 5 things in the local market I get 6 or 8 plastic bags.  Eliminating plastic bags will certainly place the market vendors in a dilemma.

[Assurancetourix]

22 hours ago, Rimmer said:

An informal survey by the Pattaya Mail found most people ignorant of the agreement announced Sept. 6 between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the country’s largest retail chains

Astonishing in a country where the TV is lit almost 24 hours a day ...

When they are in front of a cashier who will tell them: there is no more plastic bag, they will find a solution quickly.

[Matzzon]

Where is the news? They are unprepared for everything. Even if somebody do prepare them, then the one that is supposed to prepare them in lack of proper knowledge and education do do so. And the ones that truly gets prepared by the few that knows enough to do so, will just not care about it.

[Giving it a Go]

7/11's are selling forever bags for 39 baht. Someone needs to design forever bags for drinks that can go on the handlebars. The bags are there to buy. No excuse!

[tgw]

20 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

Astonishing in a country where the TV is lit almost 24 hours a day ...

When they are in front of a cashier who will tell them: there is no more plastic bag, they will find a solution quickly.

assaulting the cashier will be the first thing some will do

[Benmart]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Bloody right...I left Big-CX fumbling to carry my bit of shopping from the under 10 items 'quick' (not so) line. No bags there, but available to those buying for the army! Did it again at Homepro yesterday. Have a cloth bag but keep forgetting the damned thing, either in the house or the car. 

I carry a man bag. Two reusables are in there and a backup in my car. Took practice for it to become a habit for me. Good luck.

[Liverpudlian]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Bloody right...I left Big-CX fumbling to carry my bit of shopping from the under 10 items 'quick' (not so) line. No bags there, but available to those buying for the army! Did it again at Homepro yesterday. Have a cloth bag but keep forgetting the damned thing, either in the house or the car. 

Try wearing cargo type shorts and keep ya cloth bag with you, i do .

[Pattaya46]

23 hours ago, Rimmer said:

// most people ignorant of the agreement //. And other than in convenience stores, there is little awareness of the government’s campaign to cut plastic use.

Non sense. How could people ignore it? 

At least for shops I frequent (7/11, Friendship, Tops, BigC) there all have boards about the change. Also, at least BigC and Tops make very frequent audio announcements about the end of plastic bag. Friendship displays discount on those bringing their own bag. Tops already have a no-plastic day, once a week. Etc. It's seems just impossible to not know about that! 

[TEFLKrabi]

Did anyone consider tourist places like Pattaya and how the tourists will not be prepared for this?

[NightSky]

What will everyone use as bin bags

[wpcoe]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

Fun-bags for life !     555

Until they ban silicone bags.

[kingdong]

1 hour ago, Giving it a Go said:

7/11's are selling forever bags for 39 baht. Someone needs to design forever bags for drinks that can go on the handlebars. The bags are there to buy. No excuse!

Right on comrade,can,t begin to tell you how I cry myself to sleep every night worrying about my carbon footprint.

[neeray]

It should not be a problem in Pattaya. Many (yes, men and women) probably have a condom or two on their person.

[Rimmer]

Off topic post and reply removed

[MAGA 2020]

4 hours ago, Giving it a Go said:

7/11's are selling forever bags for 39 baht. Someone needs to design forever bags for drinks that can go on the handlebars. The bags are there to buy. No excuse!

Must be a regional thing, I'm yet to see them

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, TEFLKrabi said:

Did anyone consider tourist places like Pattaya and how the tourists will not be prepared for this?

Now that, to me, sounds like a business opportunity. Bag sir, only 50 Baht?

[Rimmer]

Many years ago I owned an import export business in Singapore as well as five retail mountain bike shops, weekends I would often help out in one or other of the shops, my favorite saying when attending to a customer was  "would you like an environmentally unfriendly plastic bag that will still be here in one hundred years time"?  Nine times out of ten the reply was 'Ohhh yes please'.

[VBF]

5 hours ago, TEFLKrabi said:

Did anyone consider tourist places like Pattaya and how the tourists will not be prepared for this?

Many, possibly most (?) tourists will be from countries where this is already happening like UK for example. Here we've not had free "single-use" plastic bags for several years.

[HHTel]

Yes, it's a Thai problem.  As said, most tourists are already conditioned to the 'no plastic bag' scene.  The problem is mostly with some of the 'pro-plastic' posters on this forum.  Some people will never understand and carry on with their head in the sand.  Fortunately, they are very much in the minority.

[rickudon]

Tesco express had reusable plastic carrier bags for 5 baht when i last went in. maybe after having to buy a few the idea will sink in. As said, in Europe most countries banned free single use carrier bags years ago. Was not an issue. Maybe the die hard 'I want a bag' farangs moved to Thailand to avoid the ban - tough, you are running out of bags ....

[sunnyboy2018]

On 11/25/2019 at 8:49 AM, VBF said:

Many, possibly most (?) tourists will be from countries where this is already happening like UK for example. Here we've not had free "single-use" plastic bags for several years.

Only at some big stores but small shops give away bags.

[VBF]

21 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Only at some big stores but small shops give away bags.

Actually in UK, it's ALL "large retailers" - by law if a small business employs fewer than a certain number of people, they can continue to give free bags 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities links to

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities#work-out-if-youre-a-large-retailer

Edited November 27, 2019 by VBF

[dudopode]

What is really funny about this is!

We are living in a place that enforce this policy right away. So on the 25 there were no more plastic bags available in our local 7/11.

 

So the alternative was to buy a bag... Which was also a plastic made bag. Thicker and smaller than the other usual bags. Sold for 20 baht a piece. And guess what those bag where sold inside a plastic covering!!!! I told the staff and she realised it and laughed 

So no more plastic bags to buy a smaller thicker plastic bag sold in a plastic film

 

You got it covered 

 

That day I heard many people saying ... No bags then keep what I want to buy 

 

The idea is great but the execution is mentally retarded 

[White Christmas13]

33 minutes ago, dudopode said:

What is really funny about this is!

We are living in a place that enforce this policy right away. So on the 25 there were no more plastic bags available in our local 7/11.

 

So the alternative was to buy a bag... Which was also a plastic made bag. Thicker and smaller than the other usual bags. Sold for 20 baht a piece. And guess what those bag where sold inside a plastic covering!!!! I told the staff and she realised it and laughed 

So no more plastic bags to buy a smaller thicker plastic bag sold in a plastic film

 

You got it covered 

 

That day I heard many people saying ... No bags then keep what I want to buy 

 

The idea is great but the execution is mentally retarded 

Yes I do have many carry bags in my car we don't get plastic bags anymore in shops.

(In Australia) but one thing really annoys me, when I go shopping (lets say vegetables)

every thing is wrapped in plastic