Environment Report Paints Bleak Picture For Thailand

[webfact]

Environment report paints bleak picture

By Janjira Pongrai

The Nation

The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policies and Planning (ONREPP) yesterday launched its 2010 Environmental Report, which projected a gloomy outlook.

ONREPP secretary-general Nisakorn Kositrat told a press conference that 30 million rai of land were affected by soil degradation while forested land has increased by only 0.1 per cent. The total amount of waste has increased to more than 15 million tonnes annually of which only 5 million tonnes could be destroyed.

The report details how Thailand is suffering from degradation of soil resources and inequitable distribution of land. About 35,976,997 rai of land face critical degradation. In addition, the ownership of land for agricultural purposes has drastically decreased.

The usage and export of minerals has also decreased but the import of minerals has increased, especially for energy purposes. Nisakorn added that the total amount of waste across the country was 15.1 million tonnes a year but only 5.97 million tonnes could be eliminated.

The average annual rainfall was 1,707 millimetres, higher than the normal rate. Meanwhile, the report said the water quality, including underground water, was good. But the authorities still found contamination by hazardous substances in industrial and agricultural areas, mining areas, and in areas which were covered by waste.

The report said there was degradation in coastal-water quality when compared with the figures two years ago. State environmental agencies also reported that the wetlands and peat swamp forests were severely damaged. The amount of mangrove forests increased from 66,886 rai in 2004 to 1,525,061 rai.

Coral-reef bleaching was found in many areas during the past year. A lot of rare aquatic animals such as dolphins, sea turtles, whales and dugong were killed.

"We found that a large number of animals and plants of various species were destroyed by humans during the past year which was named the year of diversity," Nisakorn said.

There was a lot of illegal wildlife trading and smuggling, especially of tigers, bears and sea horses. Meanwhile, many different kinds of trees, including agar trees, shore trees, teak trees, iron trees and Thai tree were illegally cut down.

The spread of alien species was also a critical environmental problem, according to the report. So far, about 82 alien species have been found in Thailand, including seven types of micro-organism, 23 types of plants, 51 types of animals and a round worm.

Adit Issarangkun na Ayutthaya, who headed the team that prepared the Annual Environmental Report, said it would be difficult to increase the amount of forested land as the government had launched the community land title deeds and land bank, which allocate the unoccupied land - such as degraded forest land - to landless people.

"Even if it would be good for landless people in the short and long term but the community title deeds would be also handed over to capitalists," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-01-15

[khaowong1]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

[ginjag]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

rural thai- every street is a tip, countryside is used as a tip, local people try to burn bottles and tins with the rubbish, thinking it will-burn. school education, enforce the law on sugarcane burning, black bits falling from the sky, we call it black snow, again police nowhere-no patrols, not care, dog sh--t everywhere. Kids throwing plastic out of cars-learn from mum. unclean houses and kitchens-outside most houses are like gypsy camps. This is a disaster--Bkk-canals--under the noses of the mayor and officials. Food markets stink, no health checks on sellers. all rivers polluted-so the fish for sale are full of poison. this is last years report-and the years before. No one is doing their job properly-goverment departments are using money allocated on other money making contracts. I live in a rural village, if anyone dissbelieves me then he has blinkers on. It is serious, but like everything reports and a news splash and its forgot. Sustainable-was a word we used in helping other countries-AID- if it wasn't no money was forwarded. This government should follow -sustainable.

[asiawatcher]

As per jinjag's post - the country is in so many place, pure filth, as are the cities and waterways. But this is again simply about education. Tell them what they are doing, show a small video presentation and then offer the solution and create some jobs by 'transfer' stations or properly run recycling plants or garbage dumps. It does not take much for the 'village heads' to sit and discuss - hell buy the bottle of whisky and make it open forum for an hour and have everyone put in their two cents worth! It will work and it does not take 'AID'. It takes common sense.

[antsrule]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

rural thai- every street is a tip, countryside is used as a tip, local people try to burn bottles and tins with the rubbish, thinking it will-burn. school education, enforce the law on sugarcane burning, black bits falling from the sky, we call it black snow, again police nowhere-no patrols, not care, dog sh--t everywhere. Kids throwing plastic out of cars-learn from mum. unclean houses and kitchens-outside most houses are like gypsy camps. This is a disaster--Bkk-canals--under the noses of the mayor and officials. Food markets stink, no health checks on sellers. all rivers polluted-so the fish for sale are full of poison. this is last years report-and the years before. No one is doing their job properly-goverment departments are using money allocated on other money making contracts. I live in a rural village, if anyone dissbelieves me then he has blinkers on. It is serious, but like everything reports and a news splash and its forgot. Sustainable-was a word we used in helping other countries-AID- if it wasn't no money was forwarded. This government should follow -sustainable.

When I came to Thailand it was because I was, like most visitors, enamored by the culture of tolerance, family strength and a life that seemed to have less stress in general. I have witnessed many of the things you outline in your comments and here were my thoughts. I am a farang, I have no right to comment, this is an issue for Thai people. But now I realize that the wonderful tolerance of Thai people works against them when it comes to the environment. I see this same issue when I am in a van with a reckless driver. I don't say anything and the Thai people don't say anything for the reasons noted above. However, we are all hanging on for dear life.

My other mistake was to assume "Well everyone else seems healthy, I shouldn't worry". Then I read about the extremely high rate of fatal liver disease cause by liver flukes in undercooked fish. Now I am beginning to worry about the safety of the food I am eating. Even UHT milk has issues here.

I also marvel at the destruction of the sense of hearing among Thais who constantly are bombed with very dangerous levels of noise. What is it, considering there is a widespread belief in Buddhism, tranquility and enlightenment, that causes Thai people to enjoy these insane levels of intense sound? For me, this is one of the great paradoxes of Thai society.

[ukfool]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

rural thai- every street is a tip, countryside is used as a tip, local people try to burn bottles and tins with the rubbish, thinking it will-burn. school education, enforce the law on sugarcane burning, black bits falling from the sky, we call it black snow, again police nowhere-no patrols, not care, dog sh--t everywhere. Kids throwing plastic out of cars-learn from mum. unclean houses and kitchens-outside most houses are like gypsy camps. This is a disaster--Bkk-canals--under the noses of the mayor and officials. Food markets stink, no health checks on sellers. all rivers polluted-so the fish for sale are full of poison. this is last years report-and the years before. No one is doing their job properly-goverment departments are using money allocated on other money making contracts. I live in a rural village, if anyone dissbelieves me then he has blinkers on. It is serious, but like everything reports and a news splash and its forgot. Sustainable-was a word we used in helping other countries-AID- if it wasn't no money was forwarded. This government should follow -sustainable.

How very sad, but unfortunately so very very true, ginjag

[jsflynn603]

Epidemiologically speaking the widespread burning of essentially all forest undercover annually by foragers is probably responsible for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year, though there are is no mention of air quality.

In Chiang Mai, as soon as the sun sets thousands of store/factory/hi-rise, etc. incinerators are fired. An hour after sunset the air quality is so seriously degraded that instead of enjoying the cool evening air, I close my windows. I'm sure it's the same everywhere. "Out of sight--out of mind"

There are both sensible and economical actions that can be taken such as a gradual shift to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). I was surprised the other day when I stopped at a gas station, and realized that it was an LPG gas station--so there are plenty of cars in CM that use LPG.

Now imagine making vailable LPG replacement engines for all the tuk-tuks, that alone would help CM's air quality, extend it to heavy commercial trucks (I was a bit shocked to see a Coca-Cola truck belch a voluminous cloud of smoke that I pulled my motorbike over for a while to escape the fumes) and significant improments in air quality will occur. Note: Asia has plenty of LPG available and it will become the fuel of choice over the next five years here, if only do to the quantity available.

Everything has a cost--but some measures, at least the cost effective ones hopefully will, in time, be put into effect.

[MJP]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

Externalized cost.

We've covered this a couple of times lately, I think I used the experience of buying a 300ml bottle of Vitamilk (soya milk) from a 7-11. For 12-13 Baht you receive the following.

300ml soya milk

Glass bottle

Plastic label on glass bottle

Metal cap with plastic insert

Plastic straw

Plastic carrier bag

Paper receipt and silly sticky stamp thing

I'm thoroughly looking forward to a long and prosperous career in Asia cleaning the place up.

It's hilarious. Asia may manufacture 'stuff', but essentially they're exporting their environmental quality in exchange for pieces of paper of increasingly dubious value. We take that 'stuff' and shove it into a landfill site or ship it back to be crudely recycled with all the toxic emissions that go with that here.

[Hawaiian]

The modern world likes to introduce their "packaged" goods to third world countries, but fails to educate their customers about how to properly dispose of the "packaging." In the days when most prepared food items were sold in banana leaves or decomposable woven baskets there wasn't such a problem. Now it's mounds of plastic bags and bottles and Styrofoam containers everywhere.

Asiawatcher has the right idea. Using a widely admired and respected personality to spread the word usually brings the best results.

Edited January 15, 2011 by Hawaiian

[hardy1943]

As per jinjag's post - the country is in so many place, pure filth, as are the cities and waterways. But this is again simply about education. Tell them what they are doing, show a small video presentation and then offer the solution and create some jobs by 'transfer' stations or properly run recycling plants or garbage dumps. It does not take much for the 'village heads' to sit and discuss - hell buy the bottle of whisky and make it open forum for an hour and have everyone put in their two cents worth! It will work and it does not take 'AID'. It takes common sense.

We have a professor living a crossed the street with 3 Rai never burns anything like we do and compost everything and we became great friends his son and him even cut their own grass

then we have typical uneducated Thai Hill Billies living next door every morning at 7 AM when still wet they find something to burn and then sit around it and breeze in the heavy smoke

seem like they get off on it. Unreal!!!

[anterian]

Air pollution, black snow, sound pollution, total selfishness, these are the fours aspects of Thailand I hate even more than the mosquitoes.

every morning I am woken before dawn by the noise of my drunken neighbour playing his music at 110db. I am told it is southern music because he misses his homeland.

Every day I have to close all my windows to avoid the choking fumes of the solvents used by another neighbour who makes figurines.

Most nights, particularly at weekends I can never sleep before midnight because of the loud drunken conversations outside the nearby "mum and pop" shop.

Many others are affected, but no one complains, that would not be 'grenjai".

These people are not selfish, they simply are oblivious to the effects of their behaviour on others, just like most car and motorbike drivers.

[MJP]

As per jinjag's post - the country is in so many place, pure filth, as are the cities and waterways. But this is again simply about education. Tell them what they are doing, show a small video presentation and then offer the solution and create some jobs by 'transfer' stations or properly run recycling plants or garbage dumps. It does not take much for the 'village heads' to sit and discuss - hell buy the bottle of whisky and make it open forum for an hour and have everyone put in their two cents worth! It will work and it does not take 'AID'. It takes common sense.

We have a professor living a crossed the street with 3 Rai never burns anything like we do and compost everything and we became great friends his son and him even cut their own grass

then we have typical uneducated Thai Hill Billies living next door every morning at 7 AM when still wet they find something to burn and then sit around it and breeze in the heavy smoke

seem like they get off on it. Unreal!!!

Professors, farangs and hillbillys all living in the same street.

Anyone else see the potential for a reality TV show of solid gold here?

[geriatrickid]

The modern world likes to introduce their "packaged" goods to third world countries, but fails to educate their customers about how to properly dispose of the "packaging." In the days when most prepared food items were sold in banana leaves or decomposable woven baskets there wasn't such a problem. Now it's mounds of plastic bags and bottles and Styrofoam containers everywhere.

Asiawatcher has the right idea. Using a widely admired and respected personality to spread the word usually brings the best results.

Many of the package designs seen in Thailand are Asian "inspired", not western creations. Although Thailand is backward at times it is not third world. Thailand's mess was put there in large part by native Thais, not westerners. The first step of dealing with the problem is not to play the blame game, but to lay the responsibility with those that made the mess: Thais.

[MJP]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

rural thai- every street is a tip, countryside is used as a tip, local people try to burn bottles and tins with the rubbish, thinking it will-burn. school education, enforce the law on sugarcane burning, black bits falling from the sky, we call it black snow, again police nowhere-no patrols, not care, dog sh--t everywhere. Kids throwing plastic out of cars-learn from mum. unclean houses and kitchens-outside most houses are like gypsy camps. This is a disaster--Bkk-canals--under the noses of the mayor and officials. Food markets stink, no health checks on sellers. all rivers polluted-so the fish for sale are full of poison. this is last years report-and the years before. No one is doing their job properly-goverment departments are using money allocated on other money making contracts. I live in a rural village, if anyone dissbelieves me then he has blinkers on. It is serious, but like everything reports and a news splash and its forgot. Sustainable-was a word we used in helping other countries-AID- if it wasn't no money was forwarded. This government should follow -sustainable.

Middle of last year, here in the sticks, domestic waste collection began. No more burning. This particular village is now spotlessly clean, the residents clean the verges, the streets, maintain their houses, plant gardens . . . there has been stunning improvements in the quality of life here.

[Nisa]

I don't think too much they have referenced in this article are unique to Thailand in terms of Thailand's current stage of being a developing nation. Most industrialized nations went through a stage where visibly polluting air and rivers as well as having little concern for natural resources were just part of the growth process. The point is that is should not be acceptable but it is by no means unique to Thailand or what western civilizations went through during their developing stages though Thailand likely has a much denser population given its emergence to this stage later in history.

[jayjay0]

Air pollution, black snow, sound pollution, total selfishness, these are the fours aspects of Thailand I hate even more than the mosquitoes.

every morning I am woken before dawn by the noise of my drunken neighbour playing his music at 110db. I am told it is southern music because he misses his homeland.

Every day I have to close all my windows to avoid the choking fumes of the solvents used by another neighbour who makes figurines.

Most nights, particularly at weekends I can never sleep before midnight because of the loud drunken conversations outside the nearby "mum and pop" shop.

Many others are affected, but no one complains, that would not be 'grenjai".

These people are not selfish, they simply are oblivious to the effects of their behaviour on others, just like most car and motorbike drivers.

You hit the nail rite on the head.

They are oblivious to how there actions affect others.

I only know what I see. In the five years I hasve been here I have seen my wife go from no recycling to lots of recycling. At first it was the tabs on pop cans then plastic bottles then glass and papers. We have recently switched to bottled water in glass she saves those tops also. Now all cans.

My point is that it takes time. I don't know why she started but she did. Perhaps if they were to take it a step at a time they might achieve some thing. The first step is to get the people involved in all facet's of recycling to do that they have to be made aware of the opportunity to do so. Once aware there are Thai's who will utilize it. Make them aware that they can get a little money for some of it that will help.

It was mentioned the pollution caused by recycling. that is in no way a reason not to recycle. It is another issue to be addressed by professional's not the consumer. And it will evolve to a more cleaner way.

All takes time. Give it a chance and go find the closest place for you to recycle.

[jaltsc]

On my first visit to Thailand, 6 years ago, I was taking a bus ride up north. As is my usual practice, I put any trash/bottles/containers into a bag and wait until I can find a trash receptacle when the bus makes a stop. So, here I am acting somewhat environmentally responsible when a lady sitting next to me grabs the bag and tosses it out the window, and then smiles at me as though she had done me a favor.

Now that I have been living in Thailand for a few years, it is impossible not to notice that people love to burn, burn, burn. They burn anything and it doesn't matter how small the pile is. Worst of all, they burn on the side of the road where everyone gets the full effect of the smoke. It is as though they are saying: "Look at me. I discovered fire!!!", and can't help showing off.

Bottom line...some people are not advanced enough to be environmentally responsible. Don't expect it. Change is difficult enough when the people doing the change are aware of the problem, the solution and the reason behind the change. This is not the case in Thailand. People will continue doing what they have done in the past because it takes too much effort to change, and they don't have a clue about the destruction they are causing to the environment and to their own health.

[Hawaiian]

The modern world likes to introduce their "packaged" goods to third world countries, but fails to educate their customers about how to properly dispose of the "packaging." In the days when most prepared food items were sold in banana leaves or decomposable woven baskets there wasn't such a problem. Now it's mounds of plastic bags and bottles and Styrofoam containers everywhere.

Asiawatcher has the right idea. Using a widely admired and respected personality to spread the word usually brings the best results.

Many of the package designs seen in Thailand are Asian "inspired", not western creations. Although Thailand is backward at times it is not third world. Thailand's mess was put there in large part by native Thais, not westerners. The first step of dealing with the problem is not to play the blame game, but to lay the responsibility with those that made the mess: Thais.

I was not referring to Thailand as a third world country, but referring to the worldwide problem of trash disposal

that has come about by the prolific use of plastic items. This started in West (as you call the modern world) because it was less labor intensive and was one way to save the trees. What I should have mentioned is the plastics industry in Thailand could be the catalyst for educating the public about how to tackle the trash pollution problem.

Agree with you that the Thais created the mess and and they alone are responsible to clean it up.

By the way, some might be offended by implying that the modern world is the West.

[Jimi007]

The modern world likes to introduce their "packaged" goods to third world countries, but fails to educate their customers about how to properly dispose of the "packaging." In the days when most prepared food items were sold in banana leaves or decomposable woven baskets there wasn't such a problem. Now it's mounds of plastic bags and bottles and Styrofoam containers everywhere.

Asiawatcher has the right idea. Using a widely admired and respected personality to spread the word usually brings the best results.

Many of the package designs seen in Thailand are Asian "inspired", not western creations. Although Thailand is backward at times it is not third world. Thailand's mess was put there in large part by native Thais, not westerners. The first step of dealing with the problem is not to play the blame game, but to lay the responsibility with those that made the mess: Thais.

I totally agree with you. What strikes me as somewhat of a contradiction is; how proud Thai people are of their country on the one hand and how poorly they treat their land, water, seas and air. It would be nice if they would take care of what they are so proud of! You see someone with a new car, wiping and polishing all the time then throw trash out the window as they drive along.... Just for one example.

[Bagwan]

It would help enormously in the fight against degradation of the environment if people not only recycled but cycled. Help the environment - travel by pogo stick - or hoop. In many ways it would improve the health of the Nation.

[w11guy]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

It's not just Thailand. The same happens in the USA and UK. Look at the recent BP oil spill. That's a classic case of the USA not giving a dam_n about the environment. There are 1000s of other examples. Don't forget that Thailand is still a developing country. What do you think the UK and USA were like when they were at this stage of development. It is easy for people like you to critisise countries like Thailand, but perhaps you should look at yourself first and not try to be so righteous.

[jimbeam1]

I don't think too much they have referenced in this article are unique to Thailand in terms of Thailand's current stage of being a developing nation. Most industrialized nations went through a stage where visibly polluting air and rivers as well as having little concern for natural resources were just part of the growth process. The point is that is should not be acceptable but it is by no means unique to Thailand or what western civilizations went through during their developing stages though Thailand likely has a much denser population given its emergence to this stage later in history.

Very true Nisa. In the early 1960s the UK began a massive clean up with it's keep Britain tidy campaign, using mass advertising and bringing in strict laws on dropping litter which were adhered to by the police. Sadly my last statement is where Thailand fails. The police here would only see it as another means of lining their own pockets

Also a group of people, all volunteers got together, in their own time to clean up the Great Union Canal, which had been turned into a cess pit and restored it very much to it's original glory?

jb1

[Nisa]

I don't think too much they have referenced in this article are unique to Thailand in terms of Thailand's current stage of being a developing nation. Most industrialized nations went through a stage where visibly polluting air and rivers as well as having little concern for natural resources were just part of the growth process. The point is that is should not be acceptable but it is by no means unique to Thailand or what western civilizations went through during their developing stages though Thailand likely has a much denser population given its emergence to this stage later in history.

Very true Nisa. In the early 1960s the UK began a massive clean up with it's keep Britain tidy campaign, using mass advertising and bringing in strict laws on dropping litter which were adhered to by the police. Sadly my last statement is where Thailand fails. The police here would only see it as another means of lining their own pockets

Also a group of people, all volunteers got together, in their own time to clean up the Great Union Canal, which had been turned into a cess pit and restored it very much to it's original glory?

jb1

I think Thailand is in the very very early stages of bringing the environment to the attention of people. I think in the US we all remember this Crazy Eye Cody from the 70's commercials ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6top6loDJE

I think Thailand also is going to be faced with another issue too in terms of plastic use do to both its popularity in the world today as well as the lack of wood and paper (tree) products here.

Anyone have any clue where the trash goes from BKK??? I have never seen a land fill and when I ask people they don't know either but suspected much of it is burned.

[Nisa]

The modern world likes to introduce their "packaged" goods to third world countries, but fails to educate their customers about how to properly dispose of the "packaging." In the days when most prepared food items were sold in banana leaves or decomposable woven baskets there wasn't such a problem. Now it's mounds of plastic bags and bottles and Styrofoam containers everywhere.

Asiawatcher has the right idea. Using a widely admired and respected personality to spread the word usually brings the best results.

Many of the package designs seen in Thailand are Asian "inspired", not western creations. Although Thailand is backward at times it is not third world. Thailand's mess was put there in large part by native Thais, not westerners. The first step of dealing with the problem is not to play the blame game, but to lay the responsibility with those that made the mess: Thais.

I totally agree with you. What strikes me as somewhat of a contradiction is; how proud Thai people are of their country on the one hand and how poorly they treat their land, water, seas and air. It would be nice if they would take care of what they are so proud of! You see someone with a new car, wiping and polishing all the time then throw trash out the window as they drive along.... Just for one example.

Try to find a garbage can walking around tourist areas. In part the public needs to be educated as it really is amazing how much cleaner the USA is compared to the 70s in terms of trash being thrown or dumped. I think the other problem is the cheap labor in Thailand and the need to employ people. They have so many people cleaning the streets and public areas that most people don't really see the consequences of their actions in terms of throwing or dumping trash as if they are used to somebody else picking it up. I was shocked when I visited Koh Larn a couple weeks ago with its beautiful waters and land to see so many areas that people used for dumping trash.

[tigerbalm]

Most of Thailands rain forests and forests have disappeared, (Not easy to replace) most of it's once diversified wild life has dissapeared (Probably been eaten by the locals at some stage ).

The Nation reported recently that....The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry yesterday warned that rubber plantations would be replacing all national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the South from Chumphon down within the next 10 years.

You only have to look at the 118 Chiang mai to Chiang Rai road and the mountains/Hills are slowly being stripped of Trees only to be replaced by Sweet corn and such like, they are even growing it along the road side, chiang mai cant wait until that lot gets burnt off in readiness for the next planting.

Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate is another mess environmentally although I read that the concerns are being addressed, but to what extent i wonder.

And for people who say one should look in their own back yards before criticizing other up and coming industrialized nations, that is true to some extent but one would think it could also be said that these developing nations should be looking to learn and not make the same mistakes as others

I;m afraid the impact of all this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

[MJP]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

It's not just Thailand. The same happens in the USA and UK. Look at the recent BP oil spill. That's a classic case of the USA not giving a dam_n about the environment. There are 1000s of other examples. Don't forget that Thailand is still a developing country. What do you think the UK and USA were like when they were at this stage of development. It is easy for people like you to critisise countries like Thailand, but perhaps you should look at yourself first and not try to be so righteous.

I think it's a case of please don't go down the road we went down and incur the costs later on.

We had a delegation from Thailand to look at municipal solid waste composting technologies in the UK, so there is definitely an awareness not only of the growing problem of waste but also ways to manage it.

[Jimi007]

Is there such a word/phrase in the Thai language as Environmental Concerns? Why am I not suprised about this report.

It's not just Thailand. The same happens in the USA and UK. Look at the recent BP oil spill. That's a classic case of the USA not giving a dam_n about the environment. There are 1000s of other examples. Don't forget that Thailand is still a developing country. What do you think the UK and USA were like when they were at this stage of development. It is easy for people like you to critisise countries like Thailand, but perhaps you should look at yourself first and not try to be so righteous.

Hum, I thought this topic was in the Thai News Forum, not the World News Forum... But if you're going to talk about the USA and UK and not mention China and India... I think you're a bit out of touch with world news as well.

Thailand has raped the land of most all of its hardwood trees and banned has logging many years ago now, but there's still encroachment on National Park lands. Development in some areas, like Phuket goes unchecked, without a general plan or improvements to the infrastructure. Let's build a resort, but not a waste water treatment plant or another garbage incinerator to handle even part of the development's impact on the environment... And those are just of the smaller problems. Build chemical and steel plants out in Chon Buri and let the waste flow into the Gulf of Thailand, along with all the klongs full of waste from Bangkok flowing into the river and then on into the gulf.

By the way, environmental concerns in Thai is: คำนึงถึงสิ่งแวดล้อม Sensitive to the environment...

[ginjag]

The modern world likes to introduce their "packaged" goods to third world countries, but fails to educate their customers about how to properly dispose of the "packaging." In the days when most prepared food items were sold in banana leaves or decomposable woven baskets there wasn't such a problem. Now it's mounds of plastic bags and bottles and Styrofoam containers everywhere.

Asiawatcher has the right idea. Using a widely admired and respected personality to spread the word usually brings the best results.

Many of the package designs seen in Thailand are Asian "inspired", not western creations. Although Thailand is backward at times it is not third world. Thailand's mess was put there in large part by native Thais, not westerners. The first step of dealing with the problem is not to play the blame game, but to lay the responsibility with those that made the mess: Thais.

I totally agree with you. What strikes me as somewhat of a contradiction is; how proud Thai people are of their country on the one hand and how poorly they treat their land, water, seas and air. It would be nice if they would take care of what they are so proud of! You see someone with a new car, wiping and polishing all the time then throw trash out the window as they drive along.... Just for one example.

Try to find a garbage can walking around tourist areas. In part the public needs to be educated as it really is amazing how much cleaner the USA is compared to the 70s in terms of trash being thrown or dumped. I think the other problem is the cheap labor in Thailand and the need to employ people. They have so many people cleaning the streets and public areas that most people don't really see the consequences of their actions in terms of throwing or dumping trash as if they are used to somebody else picking it up. I was shocked when I visited Koh Larn a couple weeks ago with its beautiful waters and land to see so many areas that people used for dumping trash.

Nisa agree with you on the whole-Koh Samet -the same as Koh Larn, on the boats going across people throwing stuff overboard,amazing, In our Tambon-Udon, rubbish bins were provided to every household, got to start somewhere !!!!---but no collection service is provided, so the locals tip the contents out and burn it, 55555. Just to add, the government in the local areas, all have to have a university degree to be employed, so your third world here has the brains, but is not using them, keeping it third world. Now where do Thais go to learn better, the government locally are not showing how its done. But just to add there are areas that are showing signs of improvement. We keep saying it's up to the people, a lot of outside comments are classed as not our business.

[anon467367354]

This article does not surprise me at all. I for the life of me cannot figure out why the Thai are so oblivious to the burning of toxic plastics, chemicals and trash, and even how common and acceptable it is to litter! I see businesses here that take all their plastic wrappings for the aluminum building materials jsut to mention one the really urks me, and pile them outside in a concrete pit and burn it on a regular basis. They pick up my trash on the soi I live on about 3 times a week, is there an extra charge for businesses that they justify burning it instead? As far as polluting the land with chemicals, I'm not surprised. More is better here. More salt, more sugar, more MSG, more volume blasting music or advertising at the markets, more in your face advertising on Thai TV shows, and certainly more chemicals on the plants must be better than less as well. Granted for some reason there just doesn't seem to be many trash receptacles around, certainly not around bus stops or piers, but still no excuse to just toss it in the river or along the side of the street.

What really bothers me is the disrespect. The way I look at it is, this is the Kingdom of Thailand. The land, rivers, air and everything within the disputable borders belongs to His Majesty. How dare anyone disrespect His Majesty by trashing what is rightfully his. If someone threw trash in your house or burnt a styrofoam bowl in your house I think that would be disrespectful.

Make littering against the law, make burning trash against the law, make law enforcement accountable for not enforcing the law. I honestly don't think it's against the law to trash the Kingdom unless you're a foreigner.

[Northman061]

Enviromental cleaning/recycling is very "front end heavy" on investment.

Enviromental work offer little or no immediate financial return, it usuallt takes decades to even break even.

So now you will understand why no one cares.