What Does Koh Phangan Need Now After Lotus

[thaiwalker]

Now kpn has lotus what the next thing we need overhere

Less people arguing...

Edited July 24, 2008 by thaiwalker

[girlx]

i agree, it is a good idea to promote the business owners who contribute positively to the island. but it is really subjective who those are, and a lot always goes on under the surface anyway. i think more than that, the correct actions should be promoted. ie. educate the public and raise awareness on the things they can do to contribute to the island's progress, such as:

- clean up the water and beaches

- recycle and work towards better waste management

- stop cutting trees

- care for sick animals and participate in local spaying/neutering

- conflict resolution between thais and farangs and educating both sides about the others' cultural norms, languages, etc.

- stop the spread of STDs and promote safe sex, especially on horny mile

- provide alternatives to drug parties and educate about long term drug effects and where to get help with addictions (is there anywhere on phangan?)

- promote artists (there are very few venues for local or even visiting musicians, artists, writers, athletes etc. so there is not much to do other than drug parties at this point!)

- reminders of how to go about purchasing and developing land properly

- creating a farang support network (since the thais have their own and the police ain't helping anyone)

etc...

there is one israeli woman who is trying to set up a production company in thong nai pan. i don't personally think she has gone about it the right way, but her ideas are good. starting a non profit which supports events promoting eco-awareness as well as all of the above, with all proceeds from those events going towards those causes, is exactly what the island needs.

it is difficult to make much money via a website (i am a web professional), so i would suggest using a website more as a point of contact and collaboration on ideas to start, and as a way to track projects. almost everything has to initially be done by volunteers and donations so people really should make an effort to do things rather than just talk about them. but it can be done!!!! and it would be great to see things improved!

[Mark Wolfe]

I was just on Koh Phangan and saw that the profiteering by shops on several beaches (probably all of them) is still there. I thought the argument that prices were double or more of Samui, for instance, because things had to be shipped in from off island. Now with Tesco there, there is no excuse for selling sun creams for three times the normal price, etc.

[seville]

Ham you have the perfect domaine already!!! Why I didn't ask you? I don't know. Your website was one of the first ones I found after my first trip to the island. I'm really close to the Honey Bungalow Family.

What's the NA prayer; " God help me to change what I can and accept the things I can't." Something like that.

Anyway, I hear you Baco about pit falls and draw backs and ticking off the wrong guy who isn't listed.

Girlx you should try and get the women you mentioned to join in the dialog here.

Anyone know the guy from Sage/Phangan Explorer? It would be great to have him and his mag on board trying to help out. I'm a little put off by the statement on the Sage site about desenilasation being a good way to solve the water issue, but he does try to tactfully warn tourist not to be foolish and get themselves in trouble. Maybe he would be willing to have a top 10 list on how to help us keep the Island clean and help put a fund raiser to buy really good sturdy rubbish bins as a start.

So what do you think folks. What villages get regular garbage pick? Where can we buy 1,000 or more sturdy rubbish bins? Who is the head of the dept. of sanitation? As you all know I'm not there now, but I'll be more then happy to go around to try and collect donations from businesses willing to chip in. Is this a good place to start?

[sbk]

Sanitation depends on where you live seville. It is localized and therein lies the problem. I believe Thong Sala and part of Ban Tai (to the 7-11 I think) are picked up by the Tessaban. After the 7-11 to Hadrin is done by the Or Bor Dor. So, I think part of the problem lies in the fact that the local govt system in Thailand is so fractionalized (thank you K Chavalit for your useless Or Bor Dor) as to be almost ineffective.

Garbage pick up is charged on a monthly basis, so even if bins were put out the Or Bor Dor would not pick them up if pickup were not also being paid for.

[ham]

Ham you have the perfect domaine already!!! Why I didn't ask you? I don't know. Your website was one of the first ones I found after my first trip to the island. I'm really close to the Honey Bungalow Family.

What's the NA prayer; " God help me to change what I can and accept the things I can't." Something like that.

Anyway, I hear you Baco about pit falls and draw backs and ticking off the wrong guy who isn't listed.

Girlx you should try and get the women you mentioned to join in the dialog here.

Anyone know the guy from Sage/Phangan Explorer? It would be great to have him and his mag on board trying to help out. I'm a little put off by the statement on the Sage site about desenilasation being a good way to solve the water issue, but he does try to tactfully warn tourist not to be foolish and get themselves in trouble. Maybe he would be willing to have a top 10 list on how to help us keep the Island clean and help put a fund raiser to buy really good sturdy rubbish bins as a start.

So what do you think folks. What villages get regular garbage pick? Where can we buy 1,000 or more sturdy rubbish bins? Who is the head of the dept. of sanitation? As you all know I'm not there now, but I'll be more then happy to go around to try and collect donations from businesses willing to chip in. Is this a good place to start?

no daubt your ideas are great, but you not think it could be taken as interfere in their local affairs? I would not participate on that level. It is just not our affair, i guess? It could be a project on paper what and how to do such or realize such a proposal, translated in Thai, so local politician can read and understand the meaning of it. Also it is not made with buying 1000 rubbish bin at all, sorry. And again I don't think it is on us to take action! Finally money is not going there where it should, it does not stay on the archipelo.

I said this on another topic but it fit's here to very good:

"........ Thailand is not a 3d world country anymore, since long time. There is people out there which have an idea about a master plan, recycling, sewage systems, pollution, traffic. Why this knowledge transfer is so slowly or even not available, like it seem to me? But putting a law through for helmet, most not want to wear seems to happen and supported easily?? Not want to discuss helmet or not helmet, it is just an understandable example"

[t.s]

Ham you have the perfect domaine already!!! Why I didn't ask you? I don't know. Your website was one of the first ones I found after my first trip to the island. I'm really close to the Honey Bungalow Family.

What's the NA prayer; " God help me to change what I can and accept the things I can't." Something like that.

Anyway, I hear you Baco about pit falls and draw backs and ticking off the wrong guy who isn't listed.

Girlx you should try and get the women you mentioned to join in the dialog here.

Anyone know the guy from Sage/Phangan Explorer? It would be great to have him and his mag on board trying to help out. I'm a little put off by the statement on the Sage site about desenilasation being a good way to solve the water issue, but he does try to tactfully warn tourist not to be foolish and get themselves in trouble. Maybe he would be willing to have a top 10 list on how to help us keep the Island clean and help put a fund raiser to buy really good sturdy rubbish bins as a start.

So what do you think folks. What villages get regular garbage pick? Where can we buy 1,000 or more sturdy rubbish bins? Who is the head of the dept. of sanitation? As you all know I'm not there now, but I'll be more then happy to go around to try and collect donations from businesses willing to chip in. Is this a good place to start?

his name is Pafi and he can be found (or contacted) through the furniture shop near the corner pub. seems like a good guy

[seville]

Ham I know English is not your first language so sometimes your posts are hard to follow.

Ham, I think we understand what's possible and what needs to just be over looked, because it's better that way.

I'll be just thrilled when you get your site up. I think it is going to be a very helpful to the people who visit the island and I for one will be happy to help support your efforts. I think we are on the same page.

Who knows what officials are more likely to be happy with a group of Westerns who want to do something for the whole island?

Someone like SBK could be an invaluable in this, as her husband could lead us to the right people. Someone like Pafi, another good bridge. There are plenty of Westerns who have high profile businesses that clearly would know who to warm up to.

So idea is;

A. Find a reasonable cause that has a fairly attainable solution.

B. Find out which officials are more likely to welcome a group of Westerners helping to make the island more attractive to all.

C. We don't hand over any money to anyone other then the venders that we are making purchases from.

Maybe rubbish bins is too big of a venture at this point. Let's put it on the back burner and save it. How about we start with reduction of plastic bag use and make really nice signs on how to help keep Phangan cleaner.

So Pafi is doing the magazine? I've met him and he seems like a really nice guy. Can anyone get me the e-mail for him the website has been down. I'm sure someone has an P.E sitting around.

Where's Jose? Who's willing to give 50 baht to help produce and distribute nice signs that can be placed around the island on how to help reduce the garbage.

[frankman]

I still like the idea; not to allow the 'haad rinnis' to go out of haad rin! Safty reasons, of course. I still like the idea with the fence around haad rin, and get propper tourists to the rest of the island! That's what KPG need after TESCO! Any thoughts?

[angiud]

It's reductive (can say it in english??) to think Haad Rin is the mother of all the bad in the island.

So, what after, don't allow people from Samui to come in KPG??

[Jose]

Where's Jose? Who's willing to give 50 baht to help produce and distribute nice signs that can be placed around the island on how to help reduce the garbage.

I'm here Seville, and have my 50 Baht ready.

This is one very worthwhile but tough cause... I'm thinking that unless the local Thais can see an immediate benefit ($) in a worthy cause, then any effort to improve the dismal treatment of KPG's nature is doomed from the start.

How about signs in pictures/Thai/English, which show how destructive styrofoam and plastic really are? One kills the fish by ingestion, the other is highly toxic when buried or burned.

I wish the same could be done to wake people up to the life-threatening danger of asbestos roofing tiles...

Call me a pessimist, but... let's see where this goes.

[frankman]

Good idea. Let's do something to clean up the dirt on the island. But where to begin? Forbid plastic bags, energysaving lightbulbs only and little offender claening up the sidewalks in comunityservice. Keep KPG clean!

Forget about haad rin, lost case anyway.

But how to bring them all under one head? You got an answer, I'm in.

[angiud]

Frankman, why so mad at Haad Rin??? I recognize Haad Rin is not the best place on KPG, but, what about girls bar road between Thong Sala and Bantai? What about TNP mafia? Etc etc.

Just say you can choose where to go in KPG. Some people like Haad Rin, some people like Sanctuary, some people like the ladies Bar, etc etc

[ham]

Frankman, why so mad at Haad Rin??? I recognize Haad Rin is not the best place on KPG, but, what about girls bar road between Thong Sala and Bantai? What about TNP mafia? Etc etc.

Just say you can choose where to go in KPG. Some people like Haad Rin, some people like Sanctuary, some people like the ladies Bar, etc etc

because of this????: www.phangan-guide.com/index.php?opt...9&Itemid=62

I like to know where your problem really is? sorry

[girlx]

you have to admit ham that those pictures present the cleaner side of the FMP.... but i agree with you, there are things that can be fixed all over the island.

[mssabai]

Where's Jose? Who's willing to give 50 baht to help produce and distribute nice signs that can be placed around the island on how to help reduce the garbage.

I'm here Seville, and have my 50 Baht ready.

This is one very worthwhile but tough cause... I'm thinking that unless the local Thais can see an immediate benefit ($) in a worthy cause, then any effort to improve the dismal treatment of KPG's nature is doomed from the start.

How about signs in pictures/Thai/English, which show how destructive styrofoam and plastic really are? One kills the fish by ingestion, the other is highly toxic when buried or burned.

I wish the same could be done to wake people up to the life-threatening danger of asbestos roofing tiles...

Call me a pessimist, but... let's see where this goes.

A lot of Thais do recycle their plastic bottles for $$$.

There are recycling bins outside Limpipong and in Ban Tai.

[mssabai]

Happy hippie days, nice turn of phrase there girlx. Happy hippie days usually resulted in a death a month at the FMP. If not a death then someone being sent off to Suan Saranom psychiatric hospital for evaluation after having flipped out on drugs. Personally, the parties are tamer now than they used to be.

I had the mis-fortune to attend the FMP on Saturday and I only saw a handful of people on drugs and these were mainly Thai lady boys, the majority of the aXXholes were drunk on buckets.

I have a lot of experience with drugs and the affects on people and have been to many drug fuelled parties around the world and I would rather be at a drug fuelled party than the awful BUCKET fuelled party that calls itself FMP.

just my 2 bahts worth

TOTALLY TOTALLY agree with you. Not that many people at FM are on drugs these days - mainly it is locals and ex pats who are doing them...the majority of backpackers and tourists are just bucketed up (just as scary at times I feel though!). I have heard people make tons of money selling fake drugs, so very few people seem to see the point in selling real drugs to tourists they will never see again.

And girlx, TNP is pretty tame these days too. Parties have pretty much been stopped (Noi parties will be cancelled within the next year). It is turning into a very popular family and 5* destination now and most land owners are realising that there is no place for debauched parties anymore...and with the parties dissipating, the drugs are too.

I would say that the only places where drugs still play a big part are the 'after parties' that very few tourists know about.

[seville]

Phangan Guide? New site? My computer as some of you know is really having old age problems and some days I can't even get a post out within 10 minutes.

I'll give the site a better look latter the pics are lovely. Had Rin has some true quality people that are trying to keep things calmer and safer. It's an up hill struggle for them, but there is a lot of good happening there. And I love Had Rin when it's not packed with drunks. It's only like that a few days out of the year.

Hey Frankman, what's a proper tourist. I'm interested in your comment.

So my computer issue is slowing me down a lot these days. However, I fully intend on moving forward with my idea. Which may or may not be clear as of yet. So anyone wanting to work on a campaign on how to educate as many people as we can on easy steps to make the island cleaner and more eco-friendly. PM me and we can dialog and move on. So first is a Sign Campaign.

Here is the jist:

1.Come up with a list no longer then 10 sugestions. Not a ban way to early for that kind of thing.

Example:

Say no thanks to the plastic bags, bring your own.

Don't throw anything in the water.

Refill your water bottles.

Clean the beach. You'll get a more even tan walking around.

Bring your own container for take away.

What else?

2. Design the the layout and yes, in Thai and English.

3. Present the idea to P.E. and any of the other mags around see if we can't get them to make this part of the mag. As soon as the list is set this can be presented. And I think PE at least will go for it.

4. Price how much it would take to make one sign. Same size and as say the, "good taste" signs

5. Go to business owners and see if we can raise the money to make the signs and have them placed in the stores around the island.

And it does save business owner money.

This is where I'm going to start.

[Jose]

5. Go to business owners and see if we can raise the money to make the signs and have them placed in the stores around the island.

Excellent idea(s), Seville.

Within 36hrs of Tesco's opening, their plastic bags begun to wash up on Bantai beach. Is this the corporate image they'd like to project?

How about:

"Tesco Lotus cares for Koh Pha-Ngan"

"Tesco Lotus cares for nature"

"Please take care of nature, and nature will take care of you - Tesco Lotus"

...Imagine the impact these slogans (Thai & English) would make at the bottom of all Tesco advertising billboards around the island.

Imagine if Tesco's senior management could be convinced to ditch plastic bags, or at least offer an alternative, and/or perhaps a 1 Baht surcharge and refund for each plastic bag returned...

Imagine 7-11 following up...

Does anyone here have any connections to big business on the Island?

[nomadspike]

Only a small business owner here but i certainly would be happy to place a sign at the front of my restaurant.

And I have print and web design skills and would be happy work on designing some signs if that is needed.

5. Go to business owners and see if we can raise the money to make the signs and have them placed in the stores around the island.

Excellent idea(s), Seville.

Within 36hrs of Tesco's opening, their plastic bags begun to wash up on Bantai beach. Is this the corporate image they'd like to project?

How about:

"Tesco Lotus cares for Koh Pha-Ngan"

"Tesco Lotus cares for nature"

"Please take care of nature, and nature will take care of you - Tesco Lotus"

...Imagine the impact these slogans (Thai & English) would make at the bottom of all Tesco advertising billboards around the island.

Imagine if Tesco's senior management could be convinced to ditch plastic bags, or at least offer an alternative, and/or perhaps a 1 Baht surcharge and refund for each plastic bag returned...

Imagine 7-11 following up...

Does anyone here have any connections to big business on the Island?

[seville]

Hey Nomadspike

Are you on the island now or in SF. I'm in Marin till November. Looks like we have 3 people on board. Let's start with the list and get that nailed down. Don't think we could get Tesco on board anytime soon, but I'm sure we can get a sign placed there.

[girlx]

signs are a good start but doubt they will help. remember they put signs up all over the island (in thai) saying "don't cut down the trees"? they were flatly ignored, and in fact someone went around knocking them down. in koh tao they have loads of signs up saying "don't feed the fish, they can't digest human food and it kills them". boatloads of western and thai tourists were still chucking the remains of their lunch in the water, plastic bag and all. there has to be some better way to educate.

ham, you (& others here maybe) know the (www.galitbenamiproductions.com) israeli lady who is setting up the non-profit in thong nai pan for this very reason, don't you? why don't you all pitch in on a fund-raising event under the umbrella of her org, which has already been set up legally, has the backing of businesses on the island, and has a great venue? she could use help setting things up as she has a hard time doing it all herself. does anyone know any bands, artists, etc. who might want to play a night? you could get someone to make you cloth shopping bags to pass out (they did this at the phangan film festival but the bags were too small to be of any help), you could get visitors to make signs and have a contest for the best one, you could play movies about environmental issues, get people to sign up for weekly trips to a different beach to clean up and promote, etc.

Edited July 31, 2008 by sbk

[nomadspike]

Hey seville,

I am in SF until December. More than happy to help in any way that I can.

In response to girlx, I'm not sure if signs will help but they certainly can't hurt, imho.

I'd also be happy collaborating with the Israeli woman you mention. Pls advise how to make contact.

And once I am back on the island I'd be up for hosting a benefit at my restaurant.

Does anyone know any suppliers in Bangkok or elsewhere in Thailand that produce those brown paper shopping bags which are common at supermarkets in the States and Europe?

Spike

Hey Nomadspike

Are you on the island now or in SF. I'm in Marin till November. Looks like we have 3 people on board. Let's start with the list and get that nailed down. Don't think we could get Tesco on board anytime soon, but I'm sure we can get a sign placed there.

[girlx]

I'd also be happy collaborating with the Israeli woman you mention. Pls advise how to make contact.

click on the link in my post

[nomadspike]

Thanks girlx !!

I'd also be happy collaborating with the Israeli woman you mention. Pls advise how to make contact.

click on the link in my post

[frankman]

Phangan Guide? New site? My computer as some of you know is really having old age problems and some days I can't even get a post out within 10 minutes.

I'll give the site a better look latter the pics are lovely. Had Rin has some true quality people that are trying to keep things calmer and safer. It's an up hill struggle for them, but there is a lot of good happening there. And I love Had Rin when it's not packed with drunks. It's only like that a few days out of the year.

Hey Frankman, what's a proper tourist. I'm interested in your comment.

Someboby reacting responsesly.

[ham]

I'd also be happy collaborating with the Israeli woman you mention. Pls advise how to make contact.

mail me and I will send you the requested information. Only she will be with her family back home soon. After coming back to TNP, I'm sure she will join in!

I will let her know about seville's project a.s.a.p.

any way she also have to digest her big loss for the event she maintained in TNP. But as girlx mentioned she has a lot of experience now about a fund raising project and "happy nature". Maybe the closing of the topic was not hitting correctly the right person I guess!!!! Whatever happen there, I always will support things I can stand begind.

[nomadspike]

seville, do you think it might be a good idea to start a new topic called something like Ecological issues, recycling, etc on Koh Phangan? The current topic's title is rather vague and doesn't really pertain to the project we're discussing. We could put a call out for ppl to sign up and then hopefully get a discussion going...

I'd also be happy collaborating with the Israeli woman you mention. Pls advise how to make contact.

mail me and I will send you the requested information. Only she will be with her family back home soon. After coming back to TNP, I'm sure she will join in!

I will let her know about seville's project a.s.a.p.

any way she also have to digest her big loss for the event she maintained in TNP. But as girlx mentioned she has a lot of experience now about a fund raising project and "happy nature". Maybe the closing of the topic was not hitting correctly the right person I guess!!!! Whatever happen there, I always will support things I can stand begind.

[seville]

Okay new topic

[baco]

that israeli woman is that the one from that event that was cancelled for some vague reason? some people told me it was a big scam but that is only from hear say so