Pattaya left hanging by plastic bag ban

 

PATTAYA:--Pattaya residents were still unprepared when major Thai retailers stopped offering single-use plastic bags Jan. 1 despite several earlier public-relations campaigns.

 

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.

 

An employee at a Pattaya convenience store said Jan. 3 customers were pushing back against the bag ban, arguing they had nothing to carry their groceries in. But she said the store would continue to follow the agreement.

 

Of course, not everyone was left flat-footed, with social media flooded with humorous alternatives to plastic bags, including buckets and wheelbarrows.

 

Despite the pledge, some stores still continue to use plastic bags, although some are charging several baht for them now.

 

See more: https://www.pattayamail.com/news/pattaya-left-hanging-by-plastic-bag-ban-283422

-- PATTAYA MAIL 2020-01-07--

Charge 0,25 bht for one recycle bag and within one week Thais bring there own bag. Its not rocket science 

13 hours ago, Rimmer said:

some are charging several baht for them now.

Thais are quick to spot a business opportunity.

I was in Big C Extra on Pattaya Klang today, I didn't see any option to purchase any bags.  There were none visible near the cash register.  I brought my own and placed them on the counter, and the cashier just rang everything up and didn't bother bagging anything.  I bagged my own, and noticed that everyone else was also bagging their own.  The lines were longer and slower than normal as all of us non-professionals bagged our own groceries. 

 

Foodland yesterday was much more pleasant, I placed my bags on the counter and the cashier bagged everything for me as usual.  There were also normal plastic bags behind the counter.  I asked how much and she said 1 baht and pointed to a jar that said "Save the Environment", I assume the 1 baht per bag went there.