Thailand once was the place, now dirty beaches, bad air, cheapo tourists

[heiri007]

Been a while in LOS, three decades to be exact. Until some years ago you could stroll along any beach, I don't recollect feeling tempted to always walk with a waste bag in hand to collect all the rubbish washed up on beaches.

 

Until some years ago, I don't recollect having been warned about PM2.5. Of course there was the slash and burn season. Now? The air in the places we all know is so bad, you can clean the floor daily and you still have a dark fingertip when checking the floor.

 

Oh, and I prefer to stay in a beach town which was rather sleepy until a few years ago. Meanwhile, there was so much development, when schools are off in the afternoon there are Bangkok-like traffic jams. It's a wild building frenzy. Of course, infrastructure is not expanded. The authorities just informed there is not enough water, so tabs are closed each day after 10 a.m.

 

Oh and of course hardly anyone in decision power cares about the future. There is hardly any awareness about the environment. Kids throw away ice tea cups and snack packings, because... who cares.

 

And especially now, in this heat with ample clear skies and burning sun, the authorities still don't make it a priority to feed the power grid with solar power. Cheap electricity: Thailand could run on it, but the vested interests love coal.

 

At least tourism arrival numbers are reaching record levels again... Thais get upset with rage tourists who are not too "krieng jai"... Thailand has become all about short-term profits, with zero vision about a sustainable future.

[bob smith]

I agree with you mate!

 

Thailand is a shadow of it’s former self.

 

Cambodia is miles better.

 

much love,

BOB.

[rexpotter]

Solar Power? Not sure on that one, but I do agree with the rest of your concerns.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Chiang Mai comes to Bangkok today.... You don't want to be breathing outside without some filtration:

 

 

https://aqicn.org/station/thailand/bangkok/chulalongkorn-hospital/

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

Agree to a point ... but ... 

 

location location location

[heiri007]

17 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Agree to a point ... but ... 

 

location location location

Agree... let's keep those hidden treasures secret 😇

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, heiri007 said:

And especially now, in this heat with ample clear skies and burning sun, the authorities still don't make it a priority to feed the power grid with solar power. Cheap electricity:

You need to do a bit of homework on that one.

 

https://www.egat.co.th/home/en/the-worlds-largest-hydro-floating-solar-hybrid/

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, heiri007 said:

And especially now, in this heat with ample clear skies and burning sun, the authorities still don't make it a priority to feed the power grid with solar power. Cheap electricity: Thailand could run on it, but the vested interests love coal.

Never wait for the authorities to do anything correct or timely.   DIY, or have installed, and solar is quite inexpensive, if DIY, and not so bad it installed.

 

Coal, not so much, do like their natural gas though.

[brewsterbudgen]

A truly dreadful place. 🤨

[Thingamabob]

Thailand is not alone. Standards have fallen everywhere.

[Colabamumbai]

13 hours ago, heiri007 said:

Been a while in LOS, three decades to be exact. Until some years ago you could stroll along any beach, I don't recollect feeling tempted to always walk with a waste bag in hand to collect all the rubbish washed up on beaches.

 

Until some years ago, I don't recollect having been warned about PM2.5. Of course there was the slash and burn season. Now? The air in the places we all know is so bad, you can clean the floor daily and you still have a dark fingertip when checking the floor.

 

Oh, and I prefer to stay in a beach town which was rather sleepy until a few years ago. Meanwhile, there was so much development, when schools are off in the afternoon there are Bangkok-like traffic jams. It's a wild building frenzy. Of course, infrastructure is not expanded. The authorities just informed there is not enough water, so tabs are closed each day after 10 a.m.

 

Oh and of course hardly anyone in decision power cares about the future. There is hardly any awareness about the environment. Kids throw away ice tea cups and snack packings, because... who cares.

 

And especially now, in this heat with ample clear skies and burning sun, the authorities still don't make it a priority to feed the power grid with solar power. Cheap electricity: Thailand could run on it, but the vested interests love coal.

 

At least tourism arrival numbers are reaching record levels again... Thais get upset with rage tourists who are not too "krieng jai"... Thailand has become all about short-term profits, with zero vision about a sustainable future.

I remember the 70s here. 

 

[Stevemercer]

That's the price of progress, I guess. On the other hand, Thais are generally richer and better off.

[Presnock]

Hey, not sure if you have been following the local news media about the missing cadium waste from Tak that was sent south to this region and then began to go missing.  The Thai Examiner has an interesting article in their 10 April, 2024 news, suggest others read it.

 

 

[nobodysfriend]

15 hours ago, heiri007 said:

Been a while in LOS, three decades to be exact. Until some years ago you could stroll along any beach, I don't recollect feeling tempted to always walk with a waste bag in hand to collect all the rubbish washed up on beaches.

 

Until some years ago, I don't recollect having been warned about PM2.5. Of course there was the slash and burn season. Now? The air in the places we all know is so bad, you can clean the floor daily and you still have a dark fingertip when checking the floor.

 

Oh, and I prefer to stay in a beach town which was rather sleepy until a few years ago. Meanwhile, there was so much development, when schools are off in the afternoon there are Bangkok-like traffic jams. It's a wild building frenzy. Of course, infrastructure is not expanded. The authorities just informed there is not enough water, so tabs are closed each day after 10 a.m.

 

Oh and of course hardly anyone in decision power cares about the future. There is hardly any awareness about the environment. Kids throw away ice tea cups and snack packings, because... who cares.

 

And especially now, in this heat with ample clear skies and burning sun, the authorities still don't make it a priority to feed the power grid with solar power. Cheap electricity: Thailand could run on it, but the vested interests love coal.

 

At least tourism arrival numbers are reaching record levels again... Thais get upset with rage tourists who are not too "krieng jai"... Thailand has become all about short-term profits, with zero vision about a sustainable future.

 Good post .

Time keeps on  slippin' into a dystopian future .

About everywhere , not only Thailand .

Be happy here , there are places that are much worse .

 

 

[KhunLA]

5 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

 Good post .

Time keeps on  slippin' into a dystopian future .

About everywhere , not only Thailand .

Be happy here , there are places that are much worse .

 

 

Before I even scrolled down to see vid, Steve Miller came to mind 👍

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, heiri007 said:

Been a while in LOS, three decades to be exact. Until some years ago you could stroll along any beach, I don't recollect feeling tempted to always walk with a waste bag in hand to collect all the rubbish washed up on beaches.

 

Until some years ago, I don't recollect having been warned about PM2.5. Of course there was the slash and burn season. Now? The air in the places we all know is so bad, you can clean the floor daily and you still have a dark fingertip when checking the floor.

 

Oh, and I prefer to stay in a beach town which was rather sleepy until a few years ago. Meanwhile, there was so much development, when schools are off in the afternoon there are Bangkok-like traffic jams. It's a wild building frenzy. Of course, infrastructure is not expanded. The authorities just informed there is not enough water, so tabs are closed each day after 10 a.m.

 

Oh and of course hardly anyone in decision power cares about the future. There is hardly any awareness about the environment. Kids throw away ice tea cups and snack packings, because... who cares.

 

And especially now, in this heat with ample clear skies and burning sun, the authorities still don't make it a priority to feed the power grid with solar power. Cheap electricity: Thailand could run on it, but the vested interests love coal.

 

At least tourism arrival numbers are reaching record levels again... Thais get upset with rage tourists who are not too "krieng jai"... Thailand has become all about short-term profits, with zero vision about a sustainable future.

Sounds pretty much like the Thailand I've always known and I was there longer than 30 years.

Money's always been the important thing.

 

However it was better on the beaches when there were a lot less tourists. It got really bad after turn of the century when Samui and Tao were destroyed by concrete and encroachment. Phangan held on for a while, but only because it doesn't have an airport.

Even little Haad Khom was destroyed after the concrete road reached it.

 

Mass tourism is a plague to the environment.

 

Last time I was on Samet it was a garbage tip, and Larn was infested by the Chinese horde with the speed boats and the <deleted> jet skis.

 

IMO Thai tourism is an example of how to destroy a country for greed.

 

 

Edited April 12 by thaibeachlovers

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, heiri007 said:

Until some years ago you could stroll along any beach, I don't recollect feeling tempted to always walk with a waste bag in hand to collect all the rubbish washed up on beaches.

I guess you never went to Chaweng in the 90s then. I stayed there a lot last century, and every morning when it was cool I walked along the beach with a plastic bag and filled it with garbage washed up, mainly from factory waste and garbage from fishing boats. Took it all up to the northern tip of the beach where I had dug a big hole, and on my last day I had a big fire. There were no buildings there back then.

 

Every morning the staff at the big resorts would rake up the rubbish and bury it in the sand in front of the resort. Must be a lot of rubbish buried under Chaweng Beach.

 

Back then the Ark Bar was a lovely laid back place made of natural materials, but even that went up market, concrete and horrid noise instead of enjoyable music. I suppose that is what some people call progress, but to me it was destruction of the good because of greed.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I guess you never went to Chaweng in the 90s then. I stayed there a lot last century, and every morning when it was cool I walked along the beach with a plastic bag and filled it with garbage washed up, mainly from factory waste and garbage from fishing boats. Took it all up to the northern tip of the beach where I had dug a big hole, and on my last day I had a big fire. There were no buildings there back then.

 

Every morning the staff at the big resorts would rake up the rubbish and bury it in the sand in front of the resort. Must be a lot of rubbish buried under Chaweng Beach.

 

Back then the Ark Bar was a lovely laid back place made of natural materials, but even that went up market, concrete and horrid noise instead of enjoyable music. I suppose that is what some people call progress, but to me it was destruction of the good because of greed.

The Ark Bar has been an abomination as long as I have been here. Horrific music, over priced drinks and noise pollution that travels many miles south. I lived in a villa on the hills adjacent to it for years, and the noise was deafening. We tried having them sanctioned, fined, shut down, etc. Turned out they had a very well connected Mr. Big backing them up and they were above the law. Absolute cretins. 

[Hummin]

16 hours ago, bob smith said:

I agree with you mate!

 

Thailand is a shadow of it’s former self.

 

Cambodia is miles better.

 

much love,

BOB.

Good luck in Cambodia Bob, you deserve it

[spidermike007]

They shut down the economy due to covid. But, burning cane is ok. Can't they see the effect it is having on the air? Do they care one iota? Don't the leaders live here too? Why are they MIA? Why don't the "do nothing guys" do something for a change? 

 

When the crop burning starts to kill the population, and lowers the quality of life for those of us who don't die, isn't it time to take action? We just don't need the sugar. Shut down this toxic, heinous industry. Lock up the farmers. Sieze their land. Do whatever it takes. 

 

The problem is not only the politicians, but also the people, a large part of the population, which does not care:

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/12/how-chiang-mai-became-the-worlds-most-polluted-city

 

Now Sretta is the latest version of a do nothing PM. He refuses to resist the will of his criminal friends, who run the sugar refineries. Absolute sewer trash. 

 

Edited April 12 by spidermike007

[Hummin]

There is still miles and miles with untouched beaches if you want to live remote and accept simple lifestyle, but plastic garbage you cant escape. Remember first time  came here, you where given food in banana leaf, not plastic.

[brianthainess]

15 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Agree to a point ... but ... 

 

location location location

Agree,  KC air quality today Good, all the resorts keep the lovely beaches clean of rubbish too., and the 'Trash Heroes' clean the other small islands close by.  

[daveAustin]

No it's not what it was, but neither is anywhere else. I'd still sooner be here than elsewhere and it's easy to avoid main tourist areas. Someone said that Cambodia is way better. 🤣

[SAFETY FIRST]

17 hours ago, heiri007 said:

 now dirty beaches, bad air, cheapo tourists 

It's always been this way, the only thing that is changing are more and more crazy, disrespectful foreigners arriving. 

 

[JimTripper]

It may be just me, but I distinctly feel as though the country is increasingly becoming more crowded with people.

 

The towns I have lived in all get more crowded and people are always wanting to move somewhere less crowded. I wonder if they are letting more people in or if people are moving into the cities more.

Edited April 12 by JimTripper

[spidermike007]

18 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

It may be just me, but I distinctly feel as though the country is increasingly becoming more crowded with people.

 

The towns I have lived in all get more crowded and people are always wanting to move somewhere less crowded. I wonder if they are letting more people in or if the birth rate is increasing.

What are your experiencing is happening around the entire planet, the population keeps expanding, now we're up to 8 billion.

 

The best thing that's happening to the world right now is countries like China and Japan just saying no to children. Children are not that special, they're not really needed, they are way over rated, and thankfully it's a choice these days and not compulsory. A lot of people are saying no I don't need the headaches, I don't need the nonsense, I don't need the expense, I don't need the responsibility.

 

Nah, I choose to have a great life, I don't need kids. I did that and it was the wisest and smartest decision of this lifetime. I don't miss not having kids for a nanosecond. 

[DonniePeverley]

The current leadership, without much consultation, prefers mass cheap tourism, AT THE EXPENSE of quality tourism, albeit lower numbers.

 

Locals (whom are voters) are starting to resent mass cheap tourism as the quality of life in Thailand is severely effected.

 

The beauty is being spoilt. 

 

The pollution, especially on ground level with vehicle emissions is disgusting. Some of the worst i've seen in Bangkok. 

Edited April 12 by DonniePeverley

[DonniePeverley]

52 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

It may be just me, but I distinctly feel as though the country is increasingly becoming more crowded with people.

 

The towns I have lived in all get more crowded and people are always wanting to move somewhere less crowded. I wonder if they are letting more people in or if people are moving into the cities more.

 

 

They are going to smash their record for incoming tourists this year in their history. They've done this by waving visa fees for many nations, like India and China - essentially letting in mass cheap tourism. 

 

Just horrific. 

[DonniePeverley]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

They shut down the economy due to covid. But, burning cane is ok. Can't they see the effect it is having on the air? Do they care one iota? Don't the leaders live here too? Why are they MIA? Why don't the "do nothing guys" do something for a change? 

 

 

 

 

Probably on holiday again. It's been a week. 

[BE88]

17 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Agree to a point ... but ... 

 

location location location

 

Agreed but until these last places are not submerged in rubbish and pollution, every year I see more and more pollution which increases throughout the territory