Plastic Bag'S Everywhere.

[honoluabay]

Whats up w/ all the trash? I would think that if the Thai Goverment would want to keep this place cleaner than some other places. They make the most money for the Gov here than any other place as far as Tourist places in LOS. The Local Goverment looks to other places for help on many topic's but why not make Phuket the healthy tourist area. Not a trash heap.

They need to BAN all Plastic bags here NOW before its way too late. I am from Maui and the county of Maui banned all Plastic Bags and it has worked great, paper bags are recycled and has inspired other tourist spot's all over the world.

Kata beach is the most polluted beach I have ever been to here in Phuket. ( as far as major tourist area's) Where are the Hotels and why are they not helping the problem. The beach is part of there hotel and they need to help keep them clean. If not these area's are DONE.

Eco- tourism is the next step in Travel and if Thailand doesn't get on board the tourist will go somewhere else. We are seeing it now TODAY. I have paddled to Rawai and have seen soo much garbage it was unbelievable.

Help is needed today. What are you doing to help?

Thanks and Aloha

[steelepulse]

Lots of trash due to the westerly winds which normally don't come until May when the SW monsoon takes over from the NE monsoon. Agree there's way to much plastic used here and that the hotels and local gov't really should have someone cleaning up the beaches on a daily basis.

[Guest]

Plastic bags are pretty handy and useful items. Paper bags are not that nice when it's raining. I wish not to ban plastics.

Then again, it would be good to educate people how to take care of the environment. Change will take a long time, but hopefully we'll get there.

Is there a relation between change of the visitor demographics and the amount of the trash?

[Ping]

We use the plastic bags from the supermarket for our rubbish, tied and placed in the bin for collection. If they are no longer supplied when we do our shopping, we will need to buy plastic rubbish bags. Ergo, saving to the environment: nil. I suppose they could make the supermarket bags more readily biodegradable, but I understand it's a rather costly process. If we had the choice of paper bags from the supermarket, it would be more of a problem, since there would be more trees felled and pulped and we would still need to buy plastic rubbish bags. The supply of reusable cloth bags has some merit, but once again we would have to buy rubbish bags. Is greater biodegradability the best option, despite the cost?

[honoluabay]

Plastic bags are pretty handy and useful items. Paper bags are not that nice when it's raining. I wish not to ban plastics.

Then again, it would be good to educate people how to take care of the environment. Change will take a long time, but hopefully we'll get there.

Is there a relation between change of the visitor demographics and the amount of the trash?

Yes I agree that paper is not good in rain but most paper bags these days are recycled and are not from new tree's. Yes you might have to buy some for your rubbish, Plastic that is. But that will take many off the street's heading towards the ocean. Maui alone does 1 million tourist a year, but the total population is under 250,000 not w/ tourists. It is my opinion that we as a group need to address this issue. We cannot stand by and just say it's not my problem anymore, because it will be the next generations problem and so on. Thanks for the input just wanted to see if people are thinking aboute it or just say F it. I as a surfer think otherwise. Aloha

[bunta71]

Trash cans

[honoluabay]

Trash cans

WoW What an idea, as I see <deleted> throwing there cig buts on the beach as if someone is waiting to pick up. Maybe more trash cans is the idea w/ better understanding that all rain takes things to the ocean. That should be put on all airlines coming to Phuket. Use tarsh cans, just like in Japan where you cannot find trash at all. Everything is recycled. Hoping for a better Kata and Phuekt for that matter. Aloha

[Guest]

There are other solutions as well. Like said here, education and well serviced public trash bin.

The root cause is not the plastic bags but the people who just do not care.

I suppose the overall energy consumption to produce and transfer the paper bags is higher than what is with the thin plastic bags on the stores here.

[MisterMan]

Ah so you have never been here during low season? What do you mean someone needs to do something? The beach venders will clean up their spot on the beach, and not a cm more perhaps once a day! Isn't that an A for effort? Kata Noi was disgusting and the hotels do clean but the beach chair venders do nothing. Take but don't give.

There is a campaign to ban plastic bags but perhaps they should start with styrofoam. I refuse to by veggies at Villa from Ananada farm, 2 tomatos in a stryo tray!

They the majority don't care. They have no pride. Don't you see the tuk tuk taxi drivers just sitting around in their own filth, flicking cigarettes.

Stay here long enough and these things really make it impossible to enjoy the place.

This could be an amazing place and I think that is why a lot of expats complain, because they know.. and care.

However it is hard for me to count on 2 hands things that have improved over the last decade here.

1. There are lifeguards

2. _________________ anyone?

A sense of community and community effort is lacking. There are Thais that care but I think there is no motivation and power to the people kind of movement. Maui sounds like bliss.

My life is good here but certainly feel your aggravation. Just smell the water going from the hotels, near Ska bar, at night..nasty gray water..

[stevehaigh]

unfortunately, i think Thailand will get rid of alcohol, tobacco and bar girls before giving up the beloved plastic bag. if i was PM, i'd slap a 1 baht tax on every plastic bag, then see how fast 7/11 and tesco stop triple bagging everything

[geriatrickid]

Lots of trash due to the westerly winds which normally don't come until May when the SW monsoon takes over from the NE monsoon. Agree there's way to much plastic used here and that the hotels and local gov't really should have someone cleaning up the beaches on a daily basis.

Is that why Patong Beach was covered with dead fish 2 days ago? I mean literally covered at low tide with thousands. All smaller than a 1/2 a thumb. I noticed a few Thais picking them up. Don't know if it was the result of a pollution run off event, or fisherman purging their gill nets or maybe the monsoon.

[Guest]

For those who wish to think of the problem a step further, here is one video to show what could be changed in our minds.

[Jimi007]

unfortunately, i think Thailand will get rid of alcohol, tobacco and bar girls before giving up the beloved plastic bag. if i was PM, i'd slap a 1 baht tax on every plastic bag, then see how fast 7/11 and tesco stop triple bagging everything

It's not about plastic bags, it's about the people who use them. Kind of like the guns don't kill, people do, argument. I am currently at my house in California and there are no trash problems here like in Thailand. Kids are taught all through school not to litter and they participate in beach cleanups. There are recycling bins everywhere as well as trash bins and people use them. From what I've seen, it's about education, not banning or taxing bags...

[Valentine]

unfortunately, i think Thailand will get rid of alcohol, tobacco and bar girls before giving up the beloved plastic bag. if i was PM, i'd slap a 1 baht tax on every plastic bag, then see how fast 7/11 and tesco stop triple bagging everything

It's not about plastic bags, it's about the people who use them. Kind of like the guns don't kill, people do, argument. I am currently at my house in California and there are no trash problems here like in Thailand. Kids are taught all through school not to litter and they participate in beach cleanups. There are recycling bins everywhere as well as trash bins and people use them. From what I've seen, it's about education, not banning or taxing bags...

Totally agree as I am always seeing kids toss away plastic bags & drink containers while riding on the back of a motorbike or out of a car. Parents don't seem to care. Once it has been thrown in the long grass or over the back wall you cannot see it anymore so it is not a problem. Perhaps more voluntary clean ups such as the Laguna group used to do along with plenty of publicity in the Thai & western media will help to raise awareness.

[grumpyoldman]

Recently I have picked up a reusable cloth bag, keep it under the seat of the bike.

But, as one poster mentioned, now I'm just about out of trash bags..........but completely agree, at some point Thailand needs to go green.