Cleanest/Dirtiest Cities in Thailand

[geriatrickid]

I have just come back from Ubon city. I was struck by the relative cleanliness and the relative prosperity of the city. I was traveling around the region and while I saw the ubiquitous garbage piles, for the most part it was free of the plastic bag & styrofoam piles of Phuket. I noticed the same in Udon Thani. In contrast, Patong is a virtual garbage dump with trash everywhere. Cigarette butts all over the beach, and a city bereft of garbage cans. The Karon to kalim strip just keeps getting filthier. Ubon had garbage cans in the heavily visited areas, especially on the Mun River. Krabi was sort of clean, although Railay beach had a nasty garbage dump just beyond the beach. The main tourist town of AoNang was fairly clean with garbage cans. Hua Hin comes out in the middle, mostly clean but with some eyesore garbage dumping zones. I'd put Chiang Mai around Hua Hin in the ranking. Some parts clean, while others an embarrassment. I also noticed that Surat Thani and Nahkon Si Thammarat were at the bottom of the cleanliness scale with garbage everywhere.

One would think that a place like Phuket so dependent upon tourism would invest in collecting litter and cleanliness, but that doesn't seem to be the case. On the other hand, big tourist draws such as Chiang Mai and Hua Hin make the effort. I don't think this is a question of education or wealth either. Hua Hin is the "playground" of Bangkok's elite and despite all the negativity about them, I do see them putting trash in the bin. Ubon and Udon are in the supposedly backward Issan impoverished region and yet the townsfolk keet things clean. However, in prosperous Phuket and Surat Thani, it was anything goes, toss it wherever you want.

(I left out Pattaya because I am not in a position to comment.)

And yes, I actually was thinking about this at breakfast today. Why is there such a difference…….

[chrisinth]

Its funny what we see in the short term. I remember that one of the key factors about me moving from Pattaya to Phitsanulok many years ago was how clean Phits looked compared to Pattaya. Now that I've been here I notice the 'hidden' mess a lot more.

You made a very good point GK about certain tourism areas not making the effort, I have also noticed this. It is not what tourists want to see, and IMHO, why a greater effort isn't given to deal with this by the authorities has always baffled me. I have little against Pattaya, I loved my time there, but the rubbish was always an eyesore.

Cleaning up the trash really does make a difference, if only a visual illusion...............

[farang000999]

Dunno but taking the Bangkok express Airport train... holy shit... it is amazing how many little garbage dumps there are in these little villages. disgusting.

[yermanee]

Khon Kaen struck me as a nice clean city.

Pattaya has improved a lot in the last 20 years.

Yermanee

[DP25]

Nan is by far the cleanest city I've seen in Thailand. I rented a bicycle and rode all over the town and I literally did not see ANY trash, not so much as a plastic bag from 7-11 on the ground. There are no trash piles anywhere and there are garbage cans everywhere, both plastic ones and these giant metal bowls. I saw garbage trucks driving around collecting the garbage cans like in a normal city back home, quickly going from garbage can to garbage can, not sorting through giant piles of trash in the street. There were also people out sweeping the streets at 5am. Place seemed a bit boring, but it was very clean.

[baneko]

My village is pretty clean. Its the Thai love of plastic bags. Go to 7 and you will get a bag in a bag in a bag. Go buy noodles take away and you will get multiple bags.

If they charged 1 baht per bag there would be s dramatic difference.

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[Costas2008]

Khon Kaen struck me as a nice clean city.

Pattaya has improved a lot in the last 20 years.

Yermanee

Yermanee, did you stay in a hotel in Khon kaen?

Did you go around at all?

Did you try to walk on any pavements that they are not full of vendors and trash?

Please show me the clean parts so I can enjoy myself too.

[HeavyDrinker]

One of the cleanest places in Thailand for me was Chanthaburi where we lived from 2002-2003. The centre of the 'old town with it's maze like streets wasn't too clean but away from that and the spotless Taksin The Great Park was a real credit to the town seemingly constantly staffed by gardeners maintaining the place. I always felt they could have utilised the riverside areas more apart from a handful of restaurants and bars there is little by the river.

One of the most unpleasant was Chiang Mai. Dreadful traffic management, planning, piles of litter all around the town and the less said about the air quality the better. I actually went hoping to escape the smog and heat of BKK but found CM worse. It was like soup at times. There weren't half some scruffy 'expats' there all acting like they'd made some amazing Columbus-like discovery, while looking down their noses at us Bangkok expats, which didn't add to the appeal.

[yermanee]

Khon Kaen struck me as a nice clean city.

Pattaya has improved a lot in the last 20 years.

Yermanee

Yermanee, did you stay in a hotel in Khon kaen?

Did you go around at all?

Did you try to walk on any pavements that they are not full of vendors and trash?

Please show me the clean parts so I can enjoy myself too.

First time stayed in the Kosa Hotel which I didn't like much especially the breakfast (oil with eggs).

Then stayed a couple of times in the that time Sofitel (now Pullman) which I liked a lot.

Anyway Khon Kaen struck me as a nice clean city, maybe it's changed for the worse. It's been a while now, don't travel much anymore (arthritis in both knees)

Yermanee

[F4UCorsair]

Last few times I've been to Sangklaburi I've been impressed by the cleanliness, spotless streets, nice little town to spend a few days at P Guest House down on the lake.

[how241]

Khon Kaen struck me as a nice clean city.

Pattaya has improved a lot in the last 20 years.

Yermanee

+1...

[Surasak]

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Khon Kaen struck me as a nice clean city.

Pattaya has improved a lot in the last 20 years.

Yermanee alt=wai.gif width=20 height=20>

Yermanee, did you stay in a hotel in Khon kaen?

Did you go around at all?

Did you try to walk on any pavements that they are not full of vendors and trash?

Please show me the clean parts so I can enjoy myself too.

Have to agree here. Khon Kaen is not the cleanest of places. Report should read, "Could do much better", but will not hold my breath.

[robertthebruce]

I think Thailand as a country is not clean.. Where ever i have been there is always trash or a dump somewhere....

Thats just my view...

As for ''Phuket'' fortunately where i live and the places i frequent are quite clean.. so i have no problems here.

[Frank James]

Chiang Mai always seems to get a lot cleaner jut before election time. Fortunately there's one of those every year.

[geriatrickid]

I'm getting some interesting places to visit this year courtesy of some of the comments.

[alien365]

I live in nakhon pathom and of the 2 years i have been here i havent seen any rubbish, litter or dumping. The only problem is the dust and small rocks on the roads near building sites coming from the trucks but its been a privilege to live here so far.

[Seastallion]

From the OP; " I also noticed that Surat Thani and Nahkon Si Thammarat were at the bottom of the cleanliness scale with garbage everywhere."

One reason is that down south, public litter bins have been removed as they may be a repository for bombs.

[Ombra]

Nakhon Phanom is a well-kept and attractive town which is worth a visit.

[Bluetiger]

Lopburi gets my vote for dirtiest. A virtual monkey feces minefield. Throw is the pigeon poop, the Thai heat and enjoy the aroma!

Surely the city officials can train the monkeys to clean up after themselves or come up with proactive measures to reduce/limit the filth.... Oh wait, I forgot, this is Thailand.

Cleanest... Really? Still looking...

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[maximillian]

From the OP; " I also noticed that Surat Thani and Nahkon Si Thammarat were at the bottom of the cleanliness scale with garbage everywhere."

One reason is that down south, public litter bins have been removed as they may be a repository for bombs.

Sorry to say that, SeaStallion, that is utter nonsense.

I live half way between Surat and NakhonST. There are plenty of garbage cans and there is a very well

functioning garbage collection system, almost daily. Still there is plenty of trash all over the places as nobody seems to care.

Even the better hotels and resorts don't worry about the garbage around their broken garbage cans in front of their entrances and on

their beaches.

A lot of Thai picnicers on the beaches; they just leave their trash behind. After the holidays it will be truckloads of trash on the beaches

and on both sides of the beach road.

[Thai at Heart]

Khon Kaen struck me as a nice clean city.

Pattaya has improved a lot in the last 20 years.

Yermanee

Yermanee, did you stay in a hotel in Khon kaen?

Did you go around at all?

Did you try to walk on any pavements that they are not full of vendors and trash?

Please show me the clean parts so I can enjoy myself too.

I lived in KKC for 18,years and clean is not a word I would ever consider. The drains alone are horrendous and even if it was spotless the roads are permeneantly covered in mud and dirt from construction over the last 5 years.

[Pigdog474]

I stopped this year at Rayong Beach, I'll not go back, Seen no garbage containers, was pathetic. Could of been easily a nice place to visit if it wasn't for the garbage laying all over the place.,

[sirchai]

Bankrud, a village that belongs to Bangsaphan, Prachuap Khiri Khan province seems to be the cleanest place for me.

The most trash is being produced in Pattaya, also a lot of human trash can be seen on the roads at any time.

Some words about Rayong. So many Japanese plastic factories create a very serious air and water pollution, the cancer rate is unbelievable high.

Ko Samet was a little paradise 20 years ago, before the mass tourism started.. Wouldn't go there again now.

I think cities in Isaan are pretty much similar, you'll find dirty and clean places everywhere.

[Mentors]

Trang in the South, hometown of former PM Chuan is the cleanest and nicest town for many people.

Surat Thani and Chumphon are not cleaner or dirtier than other province citys.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Mentors

[Gillyflower]

CM isn't all that clean. My soi goes from Thae Pae to Chiang Moi. The day I arrived end Nov. I saw a nice large rat freshly run over. It stayed there until mid Feb. About 4 years ago there was a certain amount of rather special rubbish at the side of the soi. I grew quite attached to it. I looked for it every year and I was never disappointed. Last year it had gone - the rat was there instead.

Somebody mentioned Rayong beach. I have gone for many years to Mae Rheumping Beach - 15 kms out. A gorgeous long length of beach - well it would be if it was clean. No bins, everything gets thrown on the sand. The rubbish that comes in with the tide every day!!! I wouldn't have to buy a lighter plus other certain objects for the rest of my life. There is a certain David B who writes in regularly to a certain newspaper deploring the dirtiness. It is only the farangs who go around daily cleaning up their part of the beach.

[rgs2001uk]

Hit the road and get out of Bkk, get on the HW#21, now get on the shithole that is the HW#24.

My vote for the cleanest non descript town in Thailand is Wat Phu Toei, may well be the cleanest town in Thailand.

Everytime I drive through I think to myself why is Buriram such a shithole.

Right now I am in a farang &lt;deleted&gt; free songkran zone at Tha Mai in Chan, please dont come here you would hate it, I love it.

[fire2rescue99]

There are several small towns south of Chiang Mai in the Ping River valley that seem immaculate when compared to the rest of Thailand. The industry there is agriculture, of course, and lots of cotton fabric mills. I went to a two story restaurant overlooking long gan fields. I have never seen any region so well kept in Thailand.

[bbbbooboo]

I guess the problem is that generally the Thais think the world is their rubbish bin

[peppa]

I'm getting some interesting places to visit this year courtesy of some of the comments.

Me too, it's always best to get it from the horses mouth, so to speak. I had Kata beach Phuket on my list until I saw the report yesterday about the raw sewerage washing up on the beach. Shame about that.

[benalibina]

It is such a beautiful country, pity they lack ownership to preserve it.