Aussie pensioner just wants the Thais to lend a hand to keep their country clean

[Speedo1968]

I went round for 3 days in a local keep fit park that had recently been built picking up rubbish with a big pair of tongs.     Filled a big bag every day.     It worked for a while with some other people joining in, even giving some local children a few baht for helping - now it's in the same old mess.     Even the water canals and a large rain filled lake are getting rubbish dumped in them
The local council provided large bins including some for recycle products for the rubbish outside each small wooden house for resting and in other easy to reach areas including near the cemented area for ball games.    As usual people were just to lazy and left there litter, often within a meter of a bin.     The council didn't collect often enough and so bins overflowed.

There are some local people who work for the council keeping the grass / flowers / trees in order but they only come every few weeks.

 

Some buffalo / cow common grazing fields are being littered with general rubbish and of course the dogs spread it about.    A small cement manufacturing plant was built about 500 metres away a year ago.    Trucks from the plant wash out their tanks in the fields not doing it back at the plant.

Recently people have been bringing "singing" kites to fly in the fields, at the end of the day they dump tail ribbons in the grass.

It is generally getting worse.
 

[giddyup]

20 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

By government dictate, it will not happen here. 

You're definitely a glass half empty kind of person. You know they used to empty their chamber pots into the street in London a couple of hundred years ago and public hangings were common. Governments can change and sometimes people need change forced upon them.

[from the home of CC]

10 hours ago, ezzra said:

If you wanna clean, clean.. don't preach...

I'm curious to the reaction that Australians would have if a foreigner was lecturing and cajoling them on civic pride..

[Pilotman]

12 minutes ago, giddyup said:

You're definitely a glass half empty kind of person. You know they used to empty their chamber pots into the street in London a couple of hundred years ago and public hangings were common. Governments can change and sometimes people need change forced upon them.

I'm not, I'm a realist. The problem is far larger in Africa, but I don't go there preaching and picking up litter, Not my job. One old farang picking up noodle boxes is not going to change the world, or change Thailand and it attitudes, anymore than some intensely annoying Swedish kid will change the global climate change debate. By the way, they stopped throwing <deleted> out of the front door because it made them ill, it was pure cause and effect.  The Thais don't care about litter because it doesn't mean anything to them or impact them.  

The great mountain climber, Doug Scott used to get upset when he saw littler in the mountains.  Then he realised that when he saw an old empty can lying by the side of the road, he saw it as abandoned litter, whereas when  a local saw it, all he saw an old tin can. You can't put a western head on locals here, so stop trying.  

[giddyup]

3 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

I'm curious to the reaction that Australians would have if a foreigner was lecturing and cajoling them on civic pride..

We don't throw our sh*t in the street for a start, and I don't think she's lecturing one little bit, merely encouraging. 

[spiekerjozef]

1 hour ago, Olmate said:

Where is the hubby? 

Walkabout.

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

I'm not, I'm a realist. The problem is far larger in Africa, but I don't go there preaching and picking up litter, Not my job. One old farang picking up noodle boxes is not going to change the world, or change Thailand and it attitudes, anymore than some intensely annoying Swedish kid will change the global climate change debate. By the way, they stopped throwing <deleted> out of the front door because it made them ill;, it was pure cause and effect. t The Thais don't care about litter because it doesn't mean anything to them or impact them.  

My point is, she's hurting nobody, and if she feels she may bring about some change, good for her. Many changes have been brought about by one persons actions, but it is easier to just stick your head in the sand and do nothing. You have your opinion, I have mine. End of.

[from the home of CC]

1 minute ago, giddyup said:

We don't throw our sh*t in the street for a start, and I don't think she's lecturing one little bit, merely encouraging. 

no litter in Australia then? And this is one town..

 

How much does it cost to clean up litter in Australia?

Simply overlooking a law like that, kills millions of animals every year. And it isn't just the animals paying the price. Litter costs heaps too. On average, Victoria spends around $43.5 million cleaning up rubbish each year – almost $200,000 each day!

[Pilotman]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

My point is, she's hurting nobody, and if she feels she may bring about some change, good for her. Many changes have been brought about by one persons actions, but it is easier to just stick your head in the sand and do nothing. You have your opinion, I have mine. End of.

She, or someone seeing her,  has made it a forum debate, so its open to comment. I live my life, I don't try to live other peoples lives for them. 

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

She's leading by example and encouraging the Thais to help, she's not preaching in the slightest. If things don't change Thailand will just be one huge garbage dump in 10 years, but I guess some people don't mind living like that.

 

It all boils down to education, but it's got to start somewhere and it is lacking all the way to the top, so as someone else already said, kudos to her.

 

 

 

 

[Rimmer]

Usual predicable troll comment removed

[giddyup]

22 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

no litter in Australia then? And this is one town..

 

How much does it cost to clean up litter in Australia?

  On average, Victoria spends around $43.5 million cleaning up rubbish each year – almost $200,000 each day!

Don't spend the money, just let it all rot in the streets.

[Cake Monster]

16 hours ago, The Farang said:

Can't really tell people what to do in their own country. 

Why is she even asking the very people that trash the place to help clean it up ????

[from the home of CC]

1 hour ago, giddyup said:

I'm not surprised. My point is people can change and change can be brought about in various ways. Singapore used to be an absolute sh*thole, not any longer. Wonder how that happened?

they started flogging people for littering chewing gum, you tend to stop littering when blood is running down your legs..

[from the home of CC]

8 hours ago, simon43 said:

[quote]

... I think back to when I was a kid in a developed country, tossing Snickers wrappers out the car window (like everyone else)

[/quote]

 

What country were you brought up in?  When I was a kid in the UK, my parents taught me never to drop litter.  I have never done so throughout my 62 years.  If there's no litter bin, keep your litter bin until you find one....

1 billion a year to try and keep it clean lol, you must be 1 in a million..

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/12/britain-is-nation-of-litter-louts-says-jeremy-paxman

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

they started flogging people for littering chewing gum, you tend to stop littering when blood is running down your legs..

Change can be painful, and some people are slow to learn.

[from the home of CC]

46 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

I'm not, I'm a realist. The problem is far larger in Africa, but I don't go there preaching and picking up litter, Not my job. One old farang picking up noodle boxes is not going to change the world, or change Thailand and it attitudes, anymore than some intensely annoying Swedish kid will change the global climate change debate. By the way, they stopped throwing <deleted> out of the front door because it made them ill, it was pure cause and effect.  The Thais don't care about litter because it doesn't mean anything to them or impact them.  

The great mountain climber, Doug Scott used to get upset when he saw littler in the mountains.  Then he realised that when he saw an old empty can lying by the side of the road, he saw it as abandoned litter, whereas when  a local saw it, all he saw an old tin can. You can't put a western head on locals here, so stop trying.  

I also find her 'intensely annoying'...

[from the home of CC]

9 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Change can be painful, and some people are slow to learn.

you think beating folks till they bleed is a good way to learn?

[connda]

 

17 hours ago, rooster59 said:

She didn't think it was worth trying to get the locals not to litter in the first place.

 

But she wanted them to help clear it up.

 

I would like the Thai people to help me"

Interesting.  She wants Thais to be socially responsible like Australians.
I hate to inform her but her response is really close to exemplifying the rather jingoistic attitude enshrined in the Rudyard Kipling poem, The White Man's Burden, or in other words its her duty to uplift and provide role models for the indigenous non-white culture.  But it won't work.  She's got a snowball's chance in Hell of enlisting the help of people who themselves are culturally xenophobic and believe that all foreigners are a risk to Thai national security and their way of life - and here right in front of them is a high-and-mighty foreigner lecturing them on keeping their own country clean. 
I doubt that will go over very well.  Thais do love it when foreigners clean up the Thai environment.  It makes good press.  A foreign non-entity cleans up Thai dirt <hand-claps, photo-op>  but telling Thais that they need to get up and clean up their own messes?
That will go over like a lead balloon.  If you wants that level of social activism she should recruit young people in the 18 to 25 year old range and provide a role model while discussing the advantages of social responsibility.  Anybody older than that is just going to see her as a foreigner busy-body and take offense at being lectured.

[from the home of CC]

3 minutes ago, peter0017 said:

This is a heartbreaking story. 

I gave up on this aspect of Thailand a long time ago. 

this is a 'world aspect' - not sure why but folks tend to get a little tunnel vision when they arrive here or possibly they've never really travelled..

[connda]

55 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

I'm not, I'm a realist. The problem is far larger in Africa, but I don't go there preaching and picking up litter, Not my job. One old farang picking up noodle boxes is not going to change the world, or change Thailand and it attitudes, anymore than some intensely annoying Swedish kid will change the global climate change debate. By the way, they stopped throwing <deleted> out of the front door because it made them ill, it was pure cause and effect.  The Thais don't care about litter because it doesn't mean anything to them or impact them.  

The great mountain climber, Doug Scott used to get upset when he saw littler in the mountains.  Then he realised that when he saw an old empty can lying by the side of the road, he saw it as abandoned litter, whereas when  a local saw it, all he saw an old tin can. You can't put a western head on locals here, so stop trying.  

I may walk up and down the road around my own home in the moobaan and pick up garbage, but I doing that just for myself.  I don't like living in a garbage heap.  We keep our home and land clean and the area direct adjacent to our land.  I'm not going to lecture Thais on civic pride.  Thais don't do cleanups as individuals.  I have seen them get together as a group under the organization of the local government.  They'll be a group cleanup of the roads around the villages followed by group lunch with plenty of photo-ops and fanfare. Happens about once a year or so.  Then it's back to dumping trash everywhere. 

[BritManToo]

Just now, connda said:

I may walk up and down the road around my own home in the moobaan and pick up garbage, but I doing that just for myself.  I don't like living in a garbage heap.  We keep our home and land clean and the area direct adjacent to our land.  I'm not going to lecture Thais on civic pride.  Thais don't do cleanups as individuals.  I have seen them get together as a group under the organization of the local government.  They'll be a group cleanup of the roads around the villages followed by group lunch with plenty of photo-ops and fanfare. Happens about once a year or so.  Then it's back to dumping trash everywhere. 

My village is litter free, they employ a guy to sweep and collect litter.

He's outside sweeping up fallen leaves from my mango trees every day.

[giddyup]

14 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

you think beating folks till they bleed is a good way to learn?

Who are we to tell them how to run their country, isn't that what you said about falangs interfering in Thailand?

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Aussie pensioner just wants the Thais to lend a hand to keep their country clean

this is the only hand you'll get from the locals.

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, rooster59 said:

She didn't think it was worth trying to get the locals not to litter in the first place.

 

But she wanted them to help clear it up.

 

I would like the Thai people to help me", she told a reporter. 

When she's been retired here a bit longer she'll understand more.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

Some people are reading to much into this. She's probably a nice lady who had some spare time as older people tend to have and she decided to clean up the area. Someone asked her about it and it became a story. Nothing to serious about it. She isn't standing on a soap box telling people what to do. If she reads this she'll probably be amused.

[shackleton]

Well she has chosen to help and clean up her area

Probably makes her feel good she is doing something worthwhile 

In her community if it encourages others  then good but 

Would not say to people   you should do the same 

[Pilotman]

46 minutes ago, connda said:

I may walk up and down the road around my own home in the moobaan and pick up garbage, but I doing that just for myself.  I don't like living in a garbage heap.  We keep our home and land clean and the area direct adjacent to our land.  I'm not going to lecture Thais on civic pride.  Thais don't do cleanups as individuals.  I have seen them get together as a group under the organization of the local government.  They'll be a group cleanup of the roads around the villages followed by group lunch with plenty of photo-ops and fanfare. Happens about once a year or so.  Then it's back to dumping trash everywhere. 

Yes, I do the same in our immediate area and of course on my own patch of land. I also ensure that we take poo bags with us when we take the dogs for walks, even though the surrounding area may have dog pats everywhere.  I also pick up broken glass if I find it on the beach areas to avoid injury to others, but that's about the extent of my duties in regards to rubbish.   

[Pilotman]

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

you think beating folks till they bleed is a good way to learn?

worked for me in the Military  ????

[Pilotman]

49 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My village is litter free, they employ a guy to sweep and collect litter.

He's outside sweeping up fallen leaves from my mango trees every day.

excellent, its a pity its not done elsewhere.