Garbage Overtakes Holiday Islands In Thailand

[Boater]

Thailand has long been a popular destination for Europeans and Westerners. But tourism also has a downside. On some of the popular holiday islands the garbage produced by the tourist industry are growing into huge mountains.

One example is the Island Koh Lanta and its garbage dump “The West.”

[Veera Kerdsirimongkol, Chief District Officer]:

“Every year we have many tourists coming here every year, I think about 300,000 per year. It is big problem for The West.”

In 2007, Berkley University made an investigation that made it clear that the groundwater of the island is threatened.

The local authorities are still working on finding a solution.

continue here - http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_asia/2011-01-03/585849764867.html

[Forethat]

The local authorities are still working on finding a solution.

The solution may be to allow someone else make the decisions...

[dominique355]

The province of Trat, bordering Cambodia and including tourist spots like Kho Chang, has kilometers of pristine sand beaches where virtually nobody ever goes, except ...

... well, except on Songkran and New Year. Then all of a sudden, dozens if not hundreds of pickup trucks with local license plates inundate the beaches and the result is absolutely horrible: garbage everywhere, plastic bags, beer cans, food left-overs...

I was also there on New Year and almost got into a fight with a group of locals who had the doors of their truck wide open, music at full power and - of course - the engine running, blowing clouds of smelly diesel fumes out into nature. My Missus asked them if they know "greng jay" and got only laughed at. Since the beach belongs to the military, she called a "thahan" and all of a sudden all went quiet. Well ... 30 minutes ... then it started again.

We left disgusted at 2 PM and drove back to Bangkok.

Pollution is not only garbage but also sound.

[IanForbes]

On Grand Cayman Island the highest point of land is the local garbage dump. The Grand Cayman Islands are just south of Cuba and many of the inhabitants are multi-millionares who live there as a tax haven from the USA. Garbage is a problem EVERYWHERE. Even though there are some practical solutions for it there isn't going to be any change because the oil industry MAKES the plastic stuff everything is packaged in.

[JWJ]

Blame the tourist industry...not tourists.

Tourism in Thailand is run by unethical, immoral, money grubbing thugs that don't give a darn about their country (or tourists).

[manarak]

Blame the tourist industry...not tourists.

Tourism in Thailand is run by unethical, immoral, money grubbing thugs that don't give a darn about their country (or tourists).

yawn

Thais are the first to litter!

The garbage is a big problem everywhere in Thailand, if only they could start a big campaign "clean up Thailand and keep it clean", under serious patronage.

The garbage is really very damaging for the country's image.

[Forethat]

Krabi is a fine example of who's doing the littering - compare Nop Pharat and Ao Nang. For those of you who hasn't been to Krabi or doesn't know the locations by name: Nop Pharat is the North side of Krabi and Ao Nang is the South side where a majority of the shops and restaurants are located. The North side is where all the Thais tend to hang out. But look at the difference in littering… I'm not implying anything here; I'm just referring to the obvious.

Having said that, garbage is a problem in many places around the world, if others can solve the issue (at least partially), so can Thailand. It's a matter of making the required investments.