Plastic bag ban: Forgetful Thais taking supermarket baskets home! Social media meltdown!

[webfact]

Plastic bag ban: Forgetful Thais taking supermarket baskets home! Social media meltdown!

 

Thai caption: To stop theft!

Picture: Daily News

 

A Twitter user went online to claim that Thais who had forgotten to bring a bag with them for their shopping after the plastic bag ban was introduced  were taking plastic supermarket baskets home with them.

 

So much so that a leading chain had started putting electronic security tags on their baskets to guard against theft. 

 

They tweeted a picture of a green basket with the Tesco Lotus name on the side and a tag attached. 

 

The story created a social media meltdown.

 

The post from "Kittinunn" was retweeted 24,000 times. 

 

Some people commented that Thais were not just taking baskets. Some claimed they were making off with trolleys too, reported Daily News. 

 

The media didn't publish confirmation of the story from the supermarket concerned, notes Thaivisa.

 

The plastic bag ban came in on January 1st and there are stories daily about it in the Thai media. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

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[darksidedog]

While I applaud the initiative to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic bags being used, this does kind of suggest that the replacement options should have received significantly more consideration before the ban was implemented in such a rush.

[madmitch]

My daughter was telling me about this. Apparently the local 7-Eleven lost half its baskets in the first couple of days, which probably initiated the clever response of offering a plastic bag to those with a larger amount of shopping!

[seajae]

shows how some thais will not go out of their way to do the right thing, stealing the baskets  isnt really unexpected as many simply do what ever is easiest for them and doesnt put them out at all

[impulse]

Seems like a good idea to offer them for sale, maybe a different color so they know which ones are stolen...

 

As much as Thais love those loyalty stamps at 7/11, it may be a great gimmick to give them away for X number of stamps...

 

At Home Depot in the USA, the first thing I usually pick up is a 5 gallon bucket for a few $$$.  I fill the bucket with tools and hardware, and it goes home with me in lieu of a plastic bag.  I always have use for one more 5 gallon bucket...  Or give it to the neighbors.

 

[CNXexpat]

10 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

before the ban was implemented in such a rush.

So far I remember I read about the ban months before it started at January 1st. 

[AhFarangJa]

They are simply recycling them to save the environment...............

[impulse]

Just now, CNXexpat said:

So far I remember I read about the ban months before it started at January 1st. 

 

And many other times, for years before that...  I think everyone was caught off guard that it actually passed.

[samsensam]

 

people have been stealing supermarket shopping trolleys and dumping them in canals back home for years...

[RotBenz8888]

Those store-alarms are ringing constantly, never seen anyone react to it.

[ThaidDown]

Baskets with security tags appeared at our local Tesco Lotus on 1st Jan so the 'walking'  of the baskets was foreseen.

 

[Matzzon]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

The story created a social media meltdown.

Again!? It´s such delicate flowers, those Thai netizens.

[zydeco]

Good for them! The Resistance!

[zydeco]

Store owners thought they were going to scam their customers. They thought they would make a windfall not giving out plastic bags while turning around and charging money for same. Instead, they're getting a big hit to their bottom line. Good. Getting what they deserved.

[scubascuba3]

The thing is the supermarkets have prepared badly for this, yesterday in FamilyMart no bags at all, can't buy any

[stevenl]

40 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

While I applaud the initiative to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic bags being used, this does kind of suggest that the replacement options should have received significantly more consideration before the ban was implemented in such a rush.

Just takes a little bit more time and they'll adjust.

[neeray]

Another use @AhFarangJa is to invert one (or more) in the yard and create an animal enclosure.

[robblok]

13 minutes ago, zydeco said:

Store owners thought they were going to scam their customers. They thought they would make a windfall not giving out plastic bags while turning around and charging money for same. Instead, they're getting a big hit to their bottom line. Good. Getting what they deserved.

Ah yes one of the lazy people who finds it hard to plan ahead and bring a reusable bag. I always thought people from the west were more educated. I guess not all of us.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The story created a social media meltdown.

Don't they all...

[Rookiescot]

Thing is I used to reuse the carrier bags as bin bags. 

Now I have had to buy bin bags. The bin bags are thicker and therefor unlikely to degrade and will be worse for the environment.

[robblok]

8 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Thing is I used to reuse the carrier bags as bin bags. 

Now I have had to buy bin bags. The bin bags are thicker and therefor unlikely to degrade and will be worse for the environment.

Yes but your a minority most of these bags ended up in the environment. 

[canopus1969]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

While I applaud the initiative to reduce the amount of unnecessary plastic bags being used, this does kind of suggest that the replacement options should have received significantly more consideration before the ban was implemented in such a rush.

Jesus wept, how much more " consideration" is needed, the morons were given enough notice to take their own own bags

It is worrying if people cannot understand a simple request

[johng]

12 minutes ago, canopus1969 said:

It is worrying if people cannot understand a simple request

But its not a simple request...its an imposed inconvenient collusion between the biggest retailers to stop giving out bags and in many cases with absolutely no alternative ways for the shopper to get their stuff home..if the retailers are worried about the environment  they should look to reduce plastic packaging in the many other areas of their supply chain before doing away with plastic bags at the cashier  which are very convenient for the customer.

 

The whole thing is ass backwards its not the plastic bags themself that are "the problem"  its the incorrect disposal of them and other "rubbish" that needs to be addressed by a huge publicity campaign  "Keep Thailand tidy"

[kotsak]

2 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

They are simply recycling them to save the environment...............

Where is the classic photo of a hobo pushing a shopping cart?

 

[Don Mega]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

The thing is the supermarkets have prepared badly for this, yesterday in FamilyMart no bags at all, can't buy any

I think thats a distribution centre issue as my local family mart has bags one can buy for 1b each.

[zydeco]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

I always thought people from the west were more educated. I guess not all of us.

I congratulate you on your candid admission to being among the less educated.

[Saint Nick]

Forgetful!

Yeah...right...

[fforest1]

Folks if your not buying a whole cart full of stuff you can use the plastic bags for fruit and vegetables as your carry home bags,,,,,,100% free......

[PremiumLane]

2 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Again!? It´s such delicate flowers, those Thai netizens.

unlike the hardy posters of TVF, who never get in a tizz about anything ???? 

[Salerno]

 

3 hours ago, impulse said:

And many other times, for years before that...  I think everyone was caught off guard that it actually passed.

Imagine their shock when the actual ban comes into affect next year