In Chiang Mai Help Clean Up The Ping River

[alllyn]

Please help.

I am new here and don't know who to report this to.

Daily large amount of white foaming soap is being dumped into the Ping river I am posting a map and pictures.The exact spot is where the purple pin is on the map. Anyone knowing the best way to deal with this please take action or let me know how.

Thanks,

Allyn

[soundman]

More to suited to local forum.

Moved to CM forum.

[jackr]

Sounds like they're already doing a fine job of cleaning up the river if they're pouring soap into it.

[PlaShadow]

Please help.

I am new here and don't know who to report this to.

Daily large amount of white foaming soap is being dumped into the Ping river I am posting a map and pictures.The exact spot is where the purple pin is on the map. Anyone knowing the best way to deal with this please take action or let me know how.

Thanks,

Allyn

Yep, this is part of the new campaign "Clean the Ping River", launched several years ago. On the serious note, I live very close to the spot and you can forget about any action.

What goes on there, crystallizes the situation in Chiang Mai or for that matter Thailand. Every day you can see people fishing there, and yep......no catch and release there.......the fish go right in the pot.

The locals don't mind, so why would any other person, who might have the authority to do anything, do so? Take a close look at the huge expensive villas few hundred meters down stream. If they don't mind or care, why would you?

You can also bet on, that who ever is dumping this amount of toxins into the river daily, is well connected and even if it was radio active waste, he can and will continue.

My advice, don't waste your time on this, because that's exactly what the whole lot who lives around this tox spot does, or like they say "sink abou somding elds"!

Edited January 31, 2009 by PlaShadow

[dinthailand]

Please help.

I am new here and don't know who to report this to.

Daily large amount of white foaming soap is being dumped into the Ping river I am posting a map and pictures.The exact spot is where the purple pin is on the map. Anyone knowing the best way to deal with this please take action or let me know how.

Thanks,

Allyn

Yep, this is part of the new campaign "Clean the Ping River", launched several years ago. On the serious note, I live very close to the spot and you can forget about any action.

What goes on there, crystallizes the situation in Chiang Mai or for that matter Thailand. Every day you can see people fishing there, and yep......no catch and release there.......the fish go right in the pot.

The locals don't mind, so why would any other person, who might have the authority to do anything, do so? Take a close look at the huge expensive villas few hundred meters down stream. If they don't mind or care, why would you?

You can also bet on, that who ever is dumping this amount of toxins into the river daily, is well connected and even if it was radio active waste, he can and will continue.

My advice, don't waste your time on this, because that's exactly what the whole lot who lives around this tox spot does, or like they say "sink abou somding elds"!

sad but true, good post

we can't change the thai attitude so no point trying but the forum should and does help newbies understand life is very different here. (tea money, corruption, the justice system, lack of trust, xenophobia) but lots of good things here too

you've hit the nail right on the head.

[alllyn]

You guys are funny. Don't try anything because it did not work before. Maybe nothing will work now, maybe it will...

You are doing just what you say you don't like in others.

Give up. Yea like I am sure nothing has changed here in the last 10 years....

True for you.

Thanks little for the advice on how not to care or do anything.

How is that working in your life.

[Priceless]

You guys are funny. Don't try anything because it did not work before. Maybe nothing will work now, maybe it will...

You are doing just what you say you don't like in others.

Give up. Yea like I am sure nothing has changed here in the last 10 years....

True for you.

Thanks little for the advice on how not to care or do anything.

How is that working in your life.

I agree with you, "Give up!" is not the most constructive advice imaginable. Since it looks like industrial waste, some of the previous posters may however be right in that the polluter may be a "politically well connected" figure

On a more constructive note: Could you possibly interest e.g. the Department of Chemistry at CMU in at least analyzing the muck that somebody's dumping in the river? If it is in fact soap, I'm afraid you'll have a rather uphill struggle in making somebody actually do something. If, however, it is something more detrimental/dangerous to human health than that, you could possibly get some effect by e.g. contacting the Pollution Control Department, the amphur or the press. There are probably more influential press channels, but CityLife seems to at least take an interest in environmental issues.

/ Priceless

[Mapguy]

Please help.

I am new here and don't know who to report this to.

Daily large amount of white foaming soap is being dumped into the Ping river I am posting a map and pictures.The exact spot is where the purple pin is on the map. Anyone knowing the best way to deal with this please take action or let me know how.

Thanks,

Allyn

This site is well south of the city so calling the Environmental Department of the city isn't useful. I suggest the Enivronmental Protection Department of the province.

Regarding changing attitudes, don't be pessimistic; be persistent, part of the process of effecting change. After all, those globally who complained persistently about smoking eventually have prevailed to a truly remarkable extent, and behavior has changed significantly.

Edited January 31, 2009 by Mapguy

[IanForbes]

Good luck with that. Show me a water system NOT in a national park that ISN'T polluted. I can't thnk of any. Locals have never even thought about the environment, let alone doing anything about it. The local stream that flows beside my apartment in Chiang Mai is a good example. It is full of garbage. Raw sewrage is continually being flushed into the stream and eventually into the Ping River. How the local guys don't get infected legs when wading in the pond beside my apartment is a mystery. I sure wouldn't want to eat any of the tiny fish they catch in their throw nets.

[adjan jb]

I live in the neighbourhood. The first time I saw this foam I thought it was soap. Locals say it's natural foam caused that the nearby canal lock. I don't know if it's true or not but I know that this foam is "seasonal". Sometimes it disapears for weeks. If it was soap i believe it would occur on a more regular basis.

Reason for edit: I forgot to say that this is the locals' favourite fishing spot. Maybe fish is cleaner here

Edited January 31, 2009 by adjan jb

[Nienke]

Locals ain't doing anything? They don't give a dam_n? My ass!!!

They just do it quietly, persistent and already for years.

from: http://www.retireinchiangmai.com/aboutus.php

Dr. Wasan Jompakdee

Assistant Professor Dr. Wasan Jompakdee, the Vice Dean of Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Engineering. He is also a founder of the Coordinating Committee for the Protection of the Ping River Basin and Environment (CCPE), a non-profit, civil society organization established in 1993 to coordinate the various government and civil society efforts to restore the Ping River's integrity.

From 1998 up to the present, he has served as member of the Working Group for the Environmental Protection of Chiang Mai. When the Upper Ping River Basin committee was established in 1999, Dr. Wasan again served as an active member.

Dr. Wasan was awarded best river keeper by the Thai government in 2001. To date, he continues to work for the sharing, protection and restoration of the Ping River.

In 2003, he was featured in ADB's video documentary about the Ping River, entitled "Upstream Downstream."

‘ Everybody has damaged the river either directly or indirectly , so everyone has the responsibility to save it.’ Dr Wasan Jompakdee.

Cleansing a city ‘ s lifeblood by NIRUBOL PORNPITAGPAN

from OUT LOOK : BANGKOK POST FRIDAY APRIL 2 , 1993

read further: http://www.geocities.com/pingriver2002/news/OutLookMPing.doc

Or check further via google, for example: http://www.google.co.th/search?hl=en&l...tart=0&sa=N

[adjan jb]

‘ Everybody has damaged the river either directly or indirectly , so everyone has the responsibility to save it.’ Dr Wasan Jompakdee.

I agree with that. Everybody is damaging the river. Though garbage is collected on that road (the one on the pic), for a small monthly fee, LOTS of locals still throw their garbage in the river. They've always done that. Years ago, they threw banana leaves and bamboo, nowadays they throw plastic, metal and all kind of stuff. Same same.

Edited January 31, 2009 by adjan jb

[dinthailand]

Locals ain't doing anything? They don't give a dam_n? My ass!!!

They just do it quietly, persistent and already for years.

from: http://www.retireinchiangmai.com/aboutus.php

Dr. Wasan Jompakdee

Assistant Professor Dr. Wasan Jompakdee, the Vice Dean of Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Engineering. He is also a founder of the Coordinating Committee for the Protection of the Ping River Basin and Environment (CCPE), a non-profit, civil society organization established in 1993 to coordinate the various government and civil society efforts to restore the Ping River's integrity.

From 1998 up to the present, he has served as member of the Working Group for the Environmental Protection of Chiang Mai. When the Upper Ping River Basin committee was established in 1999, Dr. Wasan again served as an active member.

Dr. Wasan was awarded best river keeper by the Thai government in 2001. To date, he continues to work for the sharing, protection and restoration of the Ping River.

In 2003, he was featured in ADB's video documentary about the Ping River, entitled "Upstream Downstream."

' Everybody has damaged the river either directly or indirectly , so everyone has the responsibility to save it.' Dr Wasan Jompakdee.

Cleansing a city ' s lifeblood by NIRUBOL PORNPITAGPAN

from OUT LOOK : BANGKOK POST FRIDAY APRIL 2 , 1993

read further: http://www.geocities.com/pingriver2002/news/OutLookMPing.doc

Or check further via google, for example: http://www.google.co.th/search?hl=en&l...tart=0&sa=N

Saying people are doing something does not mean they are effectively doing it. Go look see yourself. That is the point of the original poster. Going about it quietly?? So quietly no-one notices . Looks very bad to me.

All praise to Khun Wasan et al though. Some Thais are trying ( sometimes very trying. no. i don't mean that only joking (?)

[Nienke]

Saying people are doing something does not mean they are effectively doing it.

And there are always people who put something positive in the negative, they prefer to see and emphasize the negative part. A glass is half-full or it's half-empty.

Mine is half-full.

[femi fan]

I'll add another voice to contacting Pim the editor at Citylife. She will care enough to do something if she can. She will also have more influence than most in this town.

I recall back in the 70s the huge litter problem in britain. Then the government, i think, started a huge educational campaign to inform the people what they were doing to their country.

I wish they'd do the same here in thailand. It really is ignorance for many people when they just chuck all their rubbish anywhere they want. One of the most beautiful countries in the world is continuously scarred by the most of the thai peoples' disgraceful (yes, ignorance is no excuse) attitude towards getting rid of rubbish. Not to mention irresponsible and greedy business owners who care not a jot about their country outside their own boundaries in life.

To my mind litter and education are the two most pressing, yet pretty easy to solve problems, in thailand today. Maybe it's asia-wide.

Clean your act up thai people!

[dinthailand]

Saying people are doing something does not mean they are effectively doing it.

And there are always people who put something positive in the negative, they prefer to see and emphasize the negative part. A glass is half-full or it's half-empty.

Mine is half-full.

My complete post said some Thais, including Dr wasan, are trying to be more environmentally friendly. All power to them.

The fact is, as I said, go look see yourself - little or nothing is ACTUALLY being done. You are the only poster who for some reason wants to put a slant on the original posters point that the river is dirty in his area and no-on does anything about it.

Politicians spin to put a good side to a story. This forum should say it as it really is, which most people are actually doing from the evidence of their own eyes.

[cmrichsw]

How about those interested organize a clean the Ping River Day - clean up all the junk etc. in and on the river banks. Lots of Thai's would be interested I am sure of all the treasures that might be found.

It could become a monthly event for all.

[dinthailand]

How about those interested organize a clean the Ping River Day - clean up all the junk etc. in and on the river banks. Lots of Thai's would be interested I am sure of all the treasures that might be found.

It could become a monthly event for all.

Have you ever got involved in the last few clean ups? Not many Thais but always a photo opportunity which gets into the media, which is the real point of the exercise.

[jaiyenjohn]

I used to live right by this bend in the river, and having talked with them, the locals do believe it to be natural. Its very possible that they may be correct. I'm sure there's pollution in the Ping river, but maybe we're jumping to conclusions in this case.

Here's a website about how the fatty acids in decaying vegetable matter can make foam like suds when there's water turbulence (like in the locks near this bend).