Isaan Is Burning.....

[selftaopath]

Our is burning all its trash. As a new resident to village living I can not understand many things. People in our village are burning their trash, because there appears to be no trash pick up/removal. Is this the way of rural Isaan? Green waste is strewn about or also burned, when possible. I can hardly believe this and hope something can be done. I suspect this is yet another example of how poverty/corruption can impact others. The air is polluted with burning plastic and anything else that is flammable. The air doesn't just hover over Isaan but goes to all parts of the world. Trash that is not burned will readily be blown away to again litter the countryside. I believe flies, rats, and maybe even mosquito's are attracted to the green trash that is thrown outside house with the hope that it might be devoured by ???? something or anything. Is our village unique? We've started digging holes and putting the green trash into it hoping that it will decay. Now I'm wondering how this will effect the water lying beneath the surface. Doesn't the Thai government provide for such basics as rubbish removal?

Thanks for viewing and hopefully for sharing your comments.

Keoki

[gotlost]

My wife's family in Kap Choeng recycles all most everything. Recycle gets sold to the recycle man and so called green wast ( I hate the over sold word) gets put into a compost pit and used as fertilizer. What is left is burnt but very little. They have been doing this for years, before that word green became what it is today.

[isanbirder]

There is no waste collection in most villages, so they recycle what they can. The rest they tend to just leave about.... or burn. Few, in my opinion, go as far as composting green waste.

[selftaopath]

There is no waste collection in most villages, so they recycle what they can. The rest they tend to just leave about.... or burn. Few, in my opinion, go as far as composting green waste.

I really have difficulty "getting my head around" this, maybe b/c I'm from a more developed country. A hel_l of a lot of fires burn here daily. I'm not sure how much is recycled in this village however. The smell of polyurethane etc lingers in the air and I imagine children who breath is are effected. My wife was born and raised here and ponders who we can connect w/ re: personal recycling. Isn't this a government obligation? Or is it because this is Isaan that it is disregarded? The "chief" has funds to put loud speakers on many utility polls to send his "wise" messages in the early AM. Don't they have any funds or inclination a/b this issue? I mean the unburned trash just is blown helter skelter and nobody - but me perhaps - notices or cares. Geeze I hate litter.

thanks for your response,

Keoki

[Cuban]

If it is not burnt locally - would you prefer to pay someone else to collect it in a truck giving off diesel fumes to be taken to a central location to burn it there?

Logic?

[gotlost]

If you thanks it is bad in Issan come up to Chiang Mai in Feburay, March and April. You can not see your hand in front of you for the smoke from all the burning in the fields and mountains.. I go between both areas and I'll take Issan any day over Chiang Mai for that time of year.

[Thaddeus]

Same as gotlost, plastic, cans, cardboard are all recycled, the Steptoe & Son man is a fairly regular visitor, I thought every village in Thailand would be visited by someone willing to buy your krap from you.

[tartempion]

We have trash pick-up, but at 20B/month not many pay for the service.

Thus they throw it out of the door!! Some burn it.

Brilliant

[honoluludave]

The thai goverment does not provide trash pick up. You must pay for it if it is avaible in your village. It is only 30 baht a month. For many years we did not have trash service and the only way to get rid of the garbage was to burn it. Anything that was able to sell at the recycle place was saved (botles, paper, cardboard). Not the most enviromental friendly practice but they even still do it in places in the USA.

[jocsum]

If the garbage collection service isn't in your village, talk to your phuyaiban and ask him to talk to the kam nan, who is the

lowest official appointed by the government. I have lived in my village on/off for 16 years and we finally got garbage collection, 10 Bhat/month. Patience is a virtue.

[selftaopath]

If the garbage collection service isn't in your village, talk to your phuyaiban and ask him to talk to the kam nan, who is the

lowest official appointed by the government. I have lived in my village on/off for 16 years and we finally got garbage collection, 10 Bhat/month. Patience is a virtue.

WOW. Thanks for that suggestion. I'll ask my wife to do just that (wish I could learn Thai, but seems like my memory is taxed and I'm lucky I remember why I went into the hong nam :-) I would love to have the trash picked up and to answer another TV member: Yes I would rather all the trash be taken to a central location. Logic? Yes there it might be sorted and not all the plastic etc would be burned like is happening now. And another comment: I love/loved Steptoe and Son. Does that "age me"? :-)

Currently there is so much trash thrown around in this village I feel like I'm living in a trash dump. These "rotten" chickens have a field day trecking from one pile to another scrounging for "tid bits" to munch on. YIKES. :-)

OH guess I better go.... got some things to burn :-)

[cardholder]

Same as gotlost, plastic, cans, cardboard are all recycled, the Steptoe & Son man is a fairly regular visitor, I thought every village in Thailand would be visited by someone willing to buy your krap from you.

I imagine Thaddeus that you have to remain alert to ensure that some of your possessions don't get recycled ?

[cardholder]

. And another comment: I love/loved Steptoe and Son. Does that "age me"? :-)

It most certainly does age you .

However, I am surprised that series reached the States, because I am as sure hel_l that Harold never got involved with "trash" !

[kokesaat]

I agree with jocsom........ask and you might receive. Villagers are often reluctant to ask......ask for running water, ask for more reliable electricity, ask for telephone lines, ask for paved roads. Or, they'll ask once........and after several months, they'll say, "we asked". I'd say, don't be afraid of being a squeaky wheel....but always do it politely and by expressing the best interests of all the villagers.

[jubby]

We have trash pick-up, but at 20B/month not many pay for the service.

Thus they throw it out of the door!! Some burn it.

Brilliant

Yeah, I see this also.

granted a lot of stuff is recycled but I know a couple of households personaly that will not pay the 20 baht per month.

Instead they throw it anywhere. Its usually plastics bags and empty drinks cartons etc.. two familys I know just toss it out the nearest window. One family I know toss it into the Mekong River. The waste collection bins are actually closer than the river. what can you, I say !?

[thomo]

My experience was that most things are collected to be sold by various people wearing an insane amount of clothes.

The plastic woman.

The glass woman.

The cardboard man.

Odd how they have them segregated into gender.

Edited September 8, 2010 by thomo

[bina]

the 'tossingout thte door' behavior stays no matter where country folk go... my husband still tosses litter... he's gotten much better... since my kibbutz has 'gone green' he has learned to recycle bottles - glass; large plastic, and beer cans we get money for so most thais working here have learned not to toss them... we also recycle paper, cartons, batteries, metal, and greens stuff... this however he tosses in the garbage cause we are on second floor, otherwise he would toss it all out the door for the dogs/chickens (which i had for a while until neighbhors complained)...

yes, isaan they burn plastic, and any garbage that doesnt get eaten by dogs/cats/chickens... everything else recycles... btw, poisons and their containers also get burned or recycles. here in israel, the thais would re use poison /chemical containers/barrels until it became a safety reg to punch holes int eh containers so couldnt be re used as water containers. in thailand they still do that..........

its because it used to be that most stuff in up country was bio dereadable and not frm plastic, and the habit stayed instilled in the society.

guess u havent been sprayed with stufv against mossquitoes? even over your open drinking water containers?

over use of fertilizers in the fields and near open water sources? hormones for your veggies: more is better...

welcome to issaan farming and living society. go to the organic gardening and regular farming sections of the forum to see how many residents are coping and changing these habits on their own yards and in some small towns...

bina

btw, smell the air near korat where all the facotries for chemicals from cassava are.. and see how the areas around the factories look...

bina

israel

[Dave the Dude]

It most certainly does age you .

However, I am surprised that series reached the States, because I am as sure hel_l that Harold never got involved with "trash" !

Hi Ray

Sfunny had a convo about Steptoe & Son with Bear,Jason,Danny & Cookie, yesterday at the restaurant with Lao ladies in Surin.

It appears like many UK hits series, it had a name change to .... Sanford & Son

[Thaddeus]

Same as gotlost, plastic, cans, cardboard are all recycled, the Steptoe & Son man is a fairly regular visitor, I thought every village in Thailand would be visited by someone willing to buy your krap from you.

I imagine Thaddeus that you have to remain alert to ensure that some of your possessions don't get recycled ?

Yep ...... all my wives have been recycled now.

[selftaopath]

. And another comment: I love/loved Steptoe and Son. Does that "age me"? :-)

It most certainly does age you .

However, I am surprised that series reached the States, because I am as sure hel_l that Harold never got involved with "trash" !

Actually while I was in the USAF I was stationed in Mildenhall England. We were protecting the pubs and birds from the Viet Cong. :-) And during a few rare moments we were not actively doing that I watched/saw Steptoe and Son and loved it. I also listened to Pirate radio...ouuuuuuu such a rebel.... eh?

[selftaopath]

I remain "in the dark" re: trash removal in Chaiyaphum district, Isaan etc.  Thanks for the suggestion a/b organic farming. Currently I'm digging holes in the Isaan clay and burying green trash. I'm running outta yard :-) <br><br>I'm not sure what my wife has been saying. I think she's using Thai double talk, because I don't have a clue -yet - about what is/isn't available in this village. I see mounds of stuff piled here and there and of course fires going daily. My darling did tell me "the chief" LOL (the idea of a village chief cracks me up) asked the local Wat if they would donate some land for trash. Not sure when this took place, but the wat declined. :-) LOL (no comment).<br><br>I've stated I would gladly pay someone/anyone to come pick up the stuff and dispose of it. But - I don't know - I just get a blank look like I'm really speaking a language neither of us fully understand.  I don't imagine I can buy a garbage disposal anywhere?  LOL We were the first - maybe second- to install running water in the mooban. I'm looked at w/ a bit of suspicion currently. LOL And now with my questioning trash removal and picking up litter that blows my way - well ....?????

[sinbin]

Refuse collection, 2-3 times a week where I live, and free of charge. Even so, the locals still throw their rubbish about like it confetti and have no respect for their environment. They've also just closed the shop that bought recyclable tat and that's led to a big problem. It's not cost effective to recycle now.

Edited September 14, 2010 by sinbin

[mickylonster]

I remain "in the dark" re: trash removal in Chaiyaphum district, Isaan etc.  Thanks for the suggestion a/b organic farming. Currently I'm digging holes in the Isaan clay and burying green trash. I'm running outta yard :-) <br><br>I'm not sure what my wife has been saying. I think she's using Thai double talk, because I don't have a clue -yet - about what is/isn't available in this village. I see mounds of stuff piled here and there and of course fires going daily. My darling did tell me "the chief" LOL (the idea of a village chief cracks me up) asked the local Wat if they would donate some land for trash. Not sure when this took place, but the wat declined. :-) LOL (no comment).<br><br>I've stated I would gladly pay someone/anyone to come pick up the stuff and dispose of it. But - I don't know - I just get a blank look like I'm really speaking a language neither of us fully understand.  I don't imagine I can buy a garbage disposal anywhere?  LOL We were the first - maybe second- to install running water in the mooban. I'm looked at w/ a bit of suspicion currently. LOL And now with my questioning trash removal and picking up litter that blows my way - well ....?????

My wife and I have just finished building our new home in her village 1.8 million baht, great house , running water , european `hog nams` but twenty metres along the road is the `village shop` and I see people of all ages come out of the place, open packets, bottles, etc etc. consume the contents , and discard the empty container on the side of the road , which basically is in front of our house , I feel frustrated and exasperated in trying to impart basic litter sense to these villagers , who just look at me with an air of `what does a farang know ` There does`nt seem to be one iota of comprehension , re litter , food scraps , and waste in general , Which in turn brings an inundation of flies, So for all my wife`s investment and the niceness of the house , the immediate area around the house is really strewn with &lt;deleted&gt; of all sorts, We don`t even live there full time right now, we are still in Bangkok , but am so dissapointed knowing when we visit we`re gonna get overwhelmed by flies crawling allover the food that they still serve on the floor in spite of two new tables and chairs, I don`t have the inclination to try improve this medieval

mindset cos its like pissing in the wind .

[selftaopath]

I remain "in the dark" re: trash removal in Chaiyaphum district, Isaan etc.  Thanks for the suggestion a/b organic farming. Currently I'm digging holes in the Isaan clay and burying green trash. I'm running outta yard :-) <br><br>I'm not sure what my wife has been saying. I think she's using Thai double talk, because I don't have a clue -yet - about what is/isn't available in this village. I see mounds of stuff piled here and there and of course fires going daily. My darling did tell me "the chief" LOL (the idea of a village chief cracks me up) asked the local Wat if they would donate some land for trash. Not sure when this took place, but the wat declined. :-) LOL (no comment).<br><br>I've stated I would gladly pay someone/anyone to come pick up the stuff and dispose of it. But - I don't know - I just get a blank look like I'm really speaking a language neither of us fully understand.  I don't imagine I can buy a garbage disposal anywhere?  LOL We were the first - maybe second- to install running water in the mooban. I'm looked at w/ a bit of suspicion currently. LOL And now with my questioning trash removal and picking up litter that blows my way - well ....?????

My wife and I have just finished building our new home in her village 1.8 million baht, great house , running water , european `hog nams` but twenty metres along the road is the `village shop` and I see people of all ages come out of the place, open packets, bottles, etc etc. consume the contents , and discard the empty container on the side of the road , which basically is in front of our house , I feel frustrated and exasperated in trying to impart basic litter sense to these villagers , who just look at me with an air of `what does a farang know ` There does`nt seem to be one iota of comprehension , re litter , food scraps , and waste in general , Which in turn brings an inundation of flies, So for all my wife`s investment and the niceness of the house , the immediate area around the house is really strewn with &lt;deleted&gt; of all sorts, We don`t even live there full time right now, we are still in Bangkok , but am so dissapointed knowing when we visit we`re gonna get overwhelmed by flies crawling allover the food that they still serve on the floor in spite of two new tables and chairs, I don`t have the inclination to try improve this medieval

mindset cos its like pissing in the wind .

Years ago I went to my in-laws home to “socialize”. I ate there, but was repulsed by the flies on the food and surrounding areas. I bought a fly swatter and began killing them. My wife’s brother (an ex monk – and current stay at home TV repair man) J shrieked in horror. I continued killing flies with joy. I watched as they threw food scraps in the yard – because eating is done out of doors – (still can not understand this). This food discarding brought neighbors’ dogs/chickens and I’m sure rats to “feast”.

I do not go there now, and if her family eats at our house I demand they honor our lifestyle/boundaries etc. There is NO throwing food or trash on our land/dwelling. And we eat indoors.

Previously when I told a child to pick up the trash they just threw on “my/our” floor I got a look like I just refused him air. His mother needed to tell me as he was intent on ignoring me.

I really really really can not understand the lack of respect for the very space in which they reside/work/walk/ etc. Where is any logic? Is it such a “stretch” to believe the simple fact that trash, both eatable or not diminishes the quality of life when let to sit/rot/draw vermin.

I suppose burning is "better" than throwing everything over ones' shoulder. Humn, ......

[Thaddeus]

I really really really can not understand the lack of respect for the very space in which they reside/work/walk/ etc. Where is any logic? Is it such a “stretch” to believe the simple fact that trash, both eatable or not diminishes the quality of life when let to sit/rot/draw vermin.

What is needed is a Thai version of this on TV, possibly endorsed by the 'higher authority' with the national anthem playing in the background.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R-FZsysQNw

[AjarnNorth]

I remain "in the dark" re: trash removal in Chaiyaphum district, Isaan etc.  Thanks for the suggestion a/b organic farming. Currently I'm digging holes in the Isaan clay and burying green trash. I'm running outta yard :-) <br><br>I'm not sure what my wife has been saying. I think she's using Thai double talk, because I don't have a clue -yet - about what is/isn't available in this village. I see mounds of stuff piled here and there and of course fires going daily. My darling did tell me "the chief" LOL (the idea of a village chief cracks me up) asked the local Wat if they would donate some land for trash. Not sure when this took place, but the wat declined. :-) LOL (no comment).<br><br>I've stated I would gladly pay someone/anyone to come pick up the stuff and dispose of it. But - I don't know - I just get a blank look like I'm really speaking a language neither of us fully understand.  I don't imagine I can buy a garbage disposal anywhere?  LOL We were the first - maybe second- to install running water in the mooban. I'm looked at w/ a bit of suspicion currently. LOL And now with my questioning trash removal and picking up litter that blows my way - well ....?????

My wife and I have just finished building our new home in her village 1.8 million baht, great house , running water , european `hog nams` but twenty metres along the road is the `village shop` and I see people of all ages come out of the place, open packets, bottles, etc etc. consume the contents , and discard the empty container on the side of the road , which basically is in front of our house , I feel frustrated and exasperated in trying to impart basic litter sense to these villagers , who just look at me with an air of `what does a farang know ` There does`nt seem to be one iota of comprehension , re litter , food scraps , and waste in general , Which in turn brings an inundation of flies, So for all my wife`s investment and the niceness of the house , the immediate area around the house is really strewn with &lt;deleted&gt; of all sorts, We don`t even live there full time right now, we are still in Bangkok , but am so dissapointed knowing when we visit we`re gonna get overwhelmed by flies crawling allover the food that they still serve on the floor in spite of two new tables and chairs, I don`t have the inclination to try improve this medieval

mindset cos its like pissing in the wind .

Years ago I went to my in-laws home to "socialize". I ate there, but was repulsed by the flies on the food and surrounding areas. I bought a fly swatter and began killing them. My wife's brother (an ex monk – and current stay at home TV repair man) J shrieked in horror. I continued killing flies with joy. I watched as they threw food scraps in the yard – because eating is done out of doors – (still can not understand this). This food discarding brought neighbors' dogs/chickens and I'm sure rats to "feast".

I do not go there now, and if her family eats at our house I demand they honor our lifestyle/boundaries etc. There is NO throwing food or trash on our land/dwelling. And we eat indoors.

Previously when I told a child to pick up the trash they just threw on "my/our" floor I got a look like I just refused him air. His mother needed to tell me as he was intent on ignoring me.

I really really really can not understand the lack of respect for the very space in which they reside/work/walk/ etc. Where is any logic? Is it such a "stretch" to believe the simple fact that trash, both eatable or not diminishes the quality of life when let to sit/rot/draw vermin.

I suppose burning is "better" than throwing everything over ones' shoulder. Humn, ......

[AjarnNorth]

Page 449...

[Thaddeus]

huh

[bdenner]

When I moved into the village some 9 years we had a rubbish collection. They actually used recycled tyres to make the rubbish bins out of. As someone said only 20 Baht per month but, alas, it only lasted about 18 months. People still use their bins and we have a communal waste disposal area about a kilometer out of town which gets leveled and covered with dirt a couple of times a year.

I've got to admit we burn most waste vegetation and used paper products. Plastics, glass, cardboard and the like gets sold to the recyclers. I think TW gets 9 baht for a carton of empty beer bottles.

I can't see the practice of burning rubbish being stopped in the near future.