Thailand grants citizenship to half a million people – but not farangs

[jwdub]

22 hours ago, spinner2020 said:

From recent observation (in BKK) I'd say the supermarkets are deserted compared to Before the Ban. In particular, drop in people shopping for fresh veg and fruit - bulky, needs bags.

And online grocery is simultaneously booming (I just got an order where the first available delivery slot was two days hence) - I'd say that's a result of the Ban. Yes it all arrives without a clutch of bags, but you only have to carry from your door, not all the way home.

If I'm right, and if the Ban stays, it could be the end of selecting your own onions or potatoes.

 I'll agree that it will increase online grocery buying with larger purchases and items such as sacks of rice. But I also think that people actually do like to get out to the big box stores and pick out there own items especially if it can all fit into one of their own bags.

[Gerard052]

On 1/26/2020 at 10:45 AM, Beggar said:

I don't like to go shopping like before. I always have now the feeling that I get punished when I have to bag everything myself. Therefore now I buy only what I really need and what fits into 1 bag. And I never buy anything if I don't have a bag with me. I save a lot of money. 

 

If you are that lazy that you can’t bag your groceries you should starve to death.  Problem solved.

[Saltire]

The small village where I live in Kanchanaburi is making an effort, so it's not just in the bigger towns and cities.. We have no 7/11, CJ or Tesco etc, only small mom and pop shops and market/food vendors, who have now cottoned on to why the wife and I have not needed a plastic bag very often, having carried our own bags for 3 years or so.

 

The stinky fish (Ba la) vendor, asked us to ensure we bring a tupperware container next time as she was trying to phase them out.

 

At the local hospital they have a collection point for paper bags to help customers with no bags carry their vast allocation of medications, whereas before a bag was provided.

 

It will be gradual and at least most are trying.

 

 

 

 

[yogavnture]

disagree with what you say .. it begins to tell the general public to start protecting the environment and the days of throwing plastic into the fragile sea are over

[ujayujay]

Hua Hin: No more Plasticbags in 7/11, Tesco Lotus and Big C. Makro anyway. Markets (Talad) they still give it as theres no tomorrow!

[inThailand]

Bought some cold drinks from Tesco. The cashier could see I can't carry all of them. She put them in a brown paper bag and it disintegrated before I got home. Worthless.

 

Bring back the plastic bags for those customers who request and need them. 

Edited January 27, 2020 by inThailand

[AgMech Cowboy]

On 1/26/2020 at 11:13 AM, Denim said:

... George Carlin on Saving the planet and plastic bags.

 

Outstanding! Thanks for sharing it.

[Nickymaster]

Of course 7/11 is still giving out bags. Do you really think they would do anything that might cost them money?

[Yinn]

On 1/26/2020 at 10:57 AM, Chazar said:

Ask  Yinn

No problem, happy to help. Especially this topic.

 

all small shop west coast Thailand now use the cardboard takeaway box (picture) for take away food.

 

The “gracz” brand expensive one. The cheap shops use the cheap cardboard one.

 

have good one can also use for soup.

 

drink in bamboo, not plastic popular now 

 

resorts all use paper straw. And recycle glass bottle for guest water

 

plastic water bottle reduce the plastic 30% every bottle also

 

because the tesco now not give plastic bag, the people all have reusable bag now for shopping. Many (IMO about 50%) now take this bag to market shopping also. 

The market still sell a lot of soup, wet curry in the plastic bag with the rubber band. This is next big challenge. Any idea?

 

Before you recieve two plastic bag for food, the rubber band one and the carry one. Now if the people take the reusable carry bag it reduce the plastic by 50%.

 

many vendor also change the packaging. Eg. The mackerel in the picture, before it is foam, now they use banana leaf and banana tree. If sell 100,000 per day in Thailand, will be 3 million less foam pack every month only for mackerel. 

 

Also more seller now use banana leaf etc.

 

The plastic/foam problem annoy me many year already. I am so happy the people changing now. I hope other countries will do the same now.

 

Everybody help together Reduce Reuse Recycle!!!!

 

 

 

[Yinn]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Bought some cold drinks from Tesco. The cashier could see I can't carry all of them. She put them in a brown paper bag and it disintegrated before I got home. Worthless.

 

Bring back the plastic bags for those customers who request and need them. 

Why you not take a bag yourself? 

 

Next time right?

[josephbloggs]

4 hours ago, fulhamster said:

I see people in 7/11 only buying what they can store on their motorcycle, usually only 2 or 3 items.

 

Used to be at least 2 bags stuffed full.

 

 

Rubbish. Since when did 7-Eleven ever stuff bags full?? You were lucky if they ever put more than two things into a single bag. 

[Moonlover]

On 1/26/2020 at 10:56 AM, Chazar said:

On 1/26/2020 at 10:45 AM, Beggar said:

I don't like to go shopping like before. I always have now the feeling that I get punished when I have to bag everything myself. Therefore now I buy only what I really need and what fits into 1 bag. And I never buy anything if I don't have a bag with me. I save a lot of money. 

 

On 1/26/2020 at 10:56 AM, Chazar said:

Hand them your  own bag.............if they dont fill  it walk away....with the bag 

I always hand over my tote bag first and the check out lady (usually a lady) packs it for me And it's all done with a smile.

 

Don't understand what all the fuss is about.

[Thingamabob]

I much prefer shopping with no plastic bags. Now I make do with one or two large cloth bags rather than several plastic bags. I wish I'd started this a long time sgo.

 

 

[White Christmas13]

4 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

I grew up with this in Sweden 50 years ago...

Try doing your shopping at Aldies in Australia nobody packs anything for you

you have to do it your self but people don't mind because it keeps prices down.

[Thingamabob]

On 1/26/2020 at 10:45 AM, Beggar said:

I don't like to go shopping like before. I always have now the feeling that I get punished when I have to bag everything myself. Therefore now I buy only what I really need and what fits into 1 bag. And I never buy anything if I don't have a bag with me. I save a lot of money. 

 

Poor you, feeling you're being punished. Snowflakes everywhere, even in sub-tropical Thailand. 

[Moonlover]

5 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

I much prefer shopping with no plastic bags. Now I make do with one or two large cloth bags rather than several plastic bags. I wish I'd started this a long time sgo.

 

 

I actually feel a sense of pride and satisfaction in knowing that I'm doing my little bit. I've been using my own bags for about 6 months ever since watching a BBC documentary about the terrible impact plastic is having on the planet.

 

My wife and I even use them when we go to the local markets and shops and decline plastic wherever possible. The message will slowly take affect over time.

 

[KenKadz]

On 1/26/2020 at 11:13 AM, Denim said:

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by KenKadz

[Burma Bill]

In answer to the question, locally here in a rural Isaan town, the 7-11, Mini Big C and Tesco Express stores do not provide plastic bags but ALL the local Thai businesses, whether shops or market stalls DO!

 

 

 

[stevenl]

7 hours ago, theonetrueaussie said:

It's back to business as usual here in phuket, Central festival still does not give out bags at the supermarket there so most stopped going there and big tesco lasted a whole 3 weeks without bags and they now have plastic bags back. The manager told me not just tesco but all the stores in the complex were losing lots of money because of it, people didn't want to walk around and shop while carrying 6-10 items....Good to see some of the big shops showing some common sense!

So here in Thailand you call it common sense, while in Western Europe it has been abandoned a long time already.

[Max69xl]

26 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So here in Thailand you call it common sense, while in Western Europe it has been abandoned a long time already.

Where in western Europe has plastic bags "been abandoned a long time already"?  In many western European countries you pay for the plastic shopping bag. Then it's up to you if you want to buy one or re-use a bag over and over again or use something else.

4 convenient stores in the area where I'm staying in Jomtien have lost loads of thai people because of non-existing plastic bags. 

[AlQaholic]

It seems most people are only concerned with the plastic waste as such, after having used the bag. Let me remind, the production of the plastic bags has an enormous environmental cost, as well as the transportation and packaging of the bags. So when one plastic bag is not used, the whole life cycle of the bag is taken out of the environment, the raw material, production, production energy, transportation energy, a truck less produced etc. etc. The lost jobs is a small penalty to pay in comparison. alternative bags (such as textile bags) has of course similar environmental costs when produced, but these are one-off costs because the bag is re-used. By the way, the fashion industry (textile) is one of the dirtiest industries of them all.

[adammike]

On 1/26/2020 at 6:00 AM, spinner2020 said:

From recent observation (in BKK) I'd say the supermarkets are deserted compared to Before the Ban. In particular, drop in people shopping for fresh veg and fruit - bulky, needs bags.

And online grocery is simultaneously booming (I just got an order where the first available delivery slot was two days hence) - I'd say that's a result of the Ban. Yes it all arrives without a clutch of bags, but you only have to carry from your door, not all the way home.

If I'm right, and if the Ban stays, it could be the end of selecting your own onions or potatoes.

You can get small string bags to put loose fruit and veg in you may struggle to find some,carry cotton tote bags they fold up to the size of a mobile.we are adults now is the time to be a responsible one.

[talahtnut]

I remember the early 50s in UK, cheese, meat

wrapped in greaseproof paper, , Milk came in

reusable bottles..no plastic, no waste.

We have become fussy, lazy, and silly.

[Gandtee]

On 1/26/2020 at 6:18 PM, Crossy said:

One thing they will have to do is to modify the checkout counters for self-bagging.

 

In Italy and Belgium (both bag-free and we've lived there) the outgoing side is sloped with a movable divider. Checkout operator places the goods on the slope and it slides towards the customer who is packing it. Once customer is done the divider is moved across and the next customer served before customer one has finished packing.

 

Like this:-

 

The same in Switzerland.. Here in New Zealand no plastic bags.

[seancbk]

On 1/26/2020 at 10:45 AM, Beggar said:

I don't like to go shopping like before. I always have now the feeling that I get punished when I have to bag everything myself. Therefore now I buy only what I really need and what fits into 1 bag. And I never buy anything if I don't have a bag with me. I save a lot of money. 

 

And presumably you'll lose weight not buying as much food.

[DUNROAMIN]

8 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

I grew up with this in Sweden 50 years ago....

Remember TIT maybe another 50 before they catch on.

[Max69xl]

2 hours ago, Gandtee said:

The same in Switzerland.. Here in New Zealand no plastic bags.

Do you really think they will modify the counters because of the no bag policy? This is Thailand. 

[Nyezhov]

I use one or more cloth bags, or my Manpurse, or my pockets, or an Internet Order. I really dont think much about it till I read stuff here.

[impulse]

On 1/25/2020 at 10:56 PM, Crossy said:

Pack the shopping in it as it comes off the till. Two of us lift it out of the trolley into the truck.

 

And there's the key....  The truck.  Which the vast majority of the locals can't afford.  So it's another regulation that discriminates against the poor...

 

Supported, in large part, by people it doesn't adversely affect.  The ones who can afford a car or truck.

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by impulse

[samsensam]

9 hours ago, inThailand said:

Bought some cold drinks from Tesco. The cashier could see I can't carry all of them. She put them in a brown paper bag and it disintegrated before I got home. Worthless.

 

Bring back the plastic bags for those customers who request and need them. 

 

or carry your own as people do very effectively in many other countries, and i am able to to do with very little effort here. it's amazing what a bit of 'can do' thinking/attitude can achieve