Thais and the culture of just dumping rubbish with no regards for others.

[gigman]

In defence of Thai people, there are folks like that all over the world!!

That's right

I remember time in 1980 when travelling from Sydney to New Castle both sides of main state road was packed with rubbish ...even worst i can find in Thailand. There was everything there..mattresses. .fridges..beds..car wrecks just all the way 150km was rubbish.

Those days gone long time ago because one day government gave police rights to put heavy fines for litters.

But Thai must start from education and supplying bins.

[ThaiFelix]

Seeing people toss their trash on the ground and in the canals is heartbreaking.

It's just what low-educated and low class folks do.... there are lots of Thais with the sense not throw trash everywhere, but unfortunately they aren't the majority...

Trashy low class folks in Japan chuck trash everywhere too. I have seen that decline in the last 20 years, but it's still a problem.

Lots of trashy folks in the U.S. just chuck their trash into the wind or out their cars as they drive down the road. Again, awareness of this being a bad thing has started to grow.... the world is waking up to this. It's not a Thai thing, it's an awareness thing.

I disagree re the low class or low educated folks being the main offenders. Some of the worse offenders I have seen was when I taught at one of a chain of private bilngual schools on the outskirts of Bangkok. These students and parents are the so called hi-so. On many occasions I was astounded to witness these hi-so parents spoon feed their kids in the back of their flash new cars and then finish up by sweeping/throwing all the left over garbage, even used plastic nappies, out of the cars into the car park in full view of passing students, parents and teachers without any shame.

However, I was surprised the other day, while parked on a busy road in Udon, to see a baker's van (Farm Fresh?) swerve to the side of the road and park next to a bin whereupon the passenger side window opened and a couple of bags of rubbish were tossed in the bin before taking off again. I think things are changing. My wife was a guilty culprit when I first met her, even though she loves nature, but now she actually speaks up before me and teaches the kids in the extended family to put things in the bin and to not burn plastic.

[GuestHouse]

We ought to remember that prior to the 1970s the lack of concern we see in Thailand towards littering was predominant in the west - People who cared about the environment campaigned against littering (I have a collection of old cycle touring magazines from the 1950s containing articles encouraging people to take their litter home - statements like take nothing but photos, leave nothing but memories).

It wasn't until the wide scale government funded ant litter campaigns that things changed - "Keep Britain Tidy" being the one that springs to mind, but of course every western country had similar campaigns.

Those campaigns have changed public attitudes, a recent article I read on the problem of fly tipping in the UK stated that most prosecutions for fly tipping come about because the general public file reports of cases they witness. Fly tipping and throwing trash has become socially unacceptable. It seems to have taken around a generation to achieve this.

Problematic in Thailand is the fact that while a western trash thrower of the 1970s would have been discarding largely organic or non reactive waste, the content of all garbage has become far more toxic to the environment. Plastics, solvents, batteries and the simple increase in quantity of discarded material.

Then we have the usual response to any TVF member making a comment about a negative Thai behaviour - But in this case, yes it is important to understand that trash throwing is something for which social attitudes in the west have changed, something that did occur commonly in the recent past.

But it is also an example of people expressing an opinion about something they care about, because they care about their environment in Thailand and it is an issue that, Thai people themselves would benefit from by learning lessons from the Western experience.

For the record:

I have on a number of occasions organized trash collections at waterfalls in Thailand and I sponsor a trash collection team at one of the major festival events in the area of my home in Thailand.

Leading by example is important - The daft Farang cleaning up rubbish outside my home was at first something of a spectacle, but it wasn't long before I was joined by my neighbours.

Its all about social attitudes, we can all take part in changing them - the first step is to recognise there is a problem and speak up about it.

Its the next step, taken personal action that is not so easy for most.

[96tehtarp]

Seeing people toss their trash on the ground and in the canals is heartbreaking.

It's just what low-educated and low class folks do.... there are lots of Thais with the sense not throw trash everywhere, but unfortunately they aren't the majority...

Trashy low class folks in Japan chuck trash everywhere too. I have seen that decline in the last 20 years, but it's still a problem.

Lots of trashy folks in the U.S. just chuck their trash into the wind or out their cars as they drive down the road. Again, awareness of this being a bad thing has started to grow.... the world is waking up to this. It's not a Thai thing, it's an awareness thing.

I disagree re the low class or low educated folks being the main offenders. Some of the worse offenders I have seen was when I taught at one of a chain of private bilngual schools on the outskirts of Bangkok. These students and parents are the so called hi-so. On many occasions I was astounded to witness these hi-so parents spoon feed their kids in the back of their flash new cars and then finish up by sweeping/throwing all the left over garbage, even used plastic nappies, out of the cars into the car park in full view of passing students, parents and teachers without any shame.

However, I was surprised the other day, while parked on a busy road in Udon, to see a baker's van (Farm Fresh?) swerve to the side of the road and park next to a bin whereupon the passenger side window opened and a couple of bags of rubbish were tossed in the bin before taking off again. I think things are changing. My wife was a guilty culprit when I first met her, even though she loves nature, but now she actually speaks up before me and teaches the kids in the extended family to put things in the bin and to not burn plastic.

I too disagree re: the low class or poorly educated folks being the main offenders. The biggest offenders are corporate poluters, gold mines, tanneries, shipping companies etc. all owned by the super rich hi class untouchables.

Change will require a new public awareness and new attitude. This can only be achieved once the government makes it a national priority. Of course we can all do our part. I just don't think a lone farang voice in the wilderness will help much.

[Deacon Bell]

In defence of Thai people, there are folks like that all over the world!!

That's right

I remember time in 1980 when travelling from Sydney to New Castle both sides of main state road was packed with rubbish ...even worst i can find in Thailand. There was everything there..mattresses. .fridges..beds..car wrecks just all the way 150km was rubbish.

The Koories been moved on since then?

[AYJAYDEE]

We ought to remember that prior to the 1970s the lack of concern we see in Thailand towards littering was predominant in the west - People who cared about the environment campaigned against littering (I have a collection of old cycle touring magazines from the 1950s containing articles encouraging people to take their litter home - statements like take nothing but photos, leave nothing but memories).

It wasn't until the wide scale government funded ant litter campaigns that things changed - "Keep Britain Tidy" being the one that springs to mind, but of course every western country had similar campaigns.

Those campaigns have changed public attitudes, a recent article I read on the problem of fly tipping in the UK stated that most prosecutions for fly tipping come about because the general public file reports of cases they witness. Fly tipping and throwing trash has become socially unacceptable. It seems to have taken around a generation to achieve this.

Problematic in Thailand is the fact that while a western trash thrower of the 1970s would have been discarding largely organic or non reactive waste, the content of all garbage has become far more toxic to the environment. Plastics, solvents, batteries and the simple increase in quantity of discarded material.

Then we have the usual response to any TVF member making a comment about a negative Thai behaviour - But in this case, yes it is important to understand that trash throwing is something for which social attitudes in the west have changed, something that did occur commonly in the recent past.

But it is also an example of people expressing an opinion about something they care about, because they care about their environment in Thailand and it is an issue that, Thai people themselves would benefit from by learning lessons from the Western experience.

For the record:

I have on a number of occasions organized trash collections at waterfalls in Thailand and I sponsor a trash collection team at one of the major festival events in the area of my home in Thailand.

Leading by example is important - The daft Farang cleaning up rubbish outside my home was at first something of a spectacle, but it wasn't long before I was joined by my neighbours.

Its all about social attitudes, we can all take part in changing them - the first step is to recognise there is a problem and speak up about it.

Its the next step, taken personal action that is not so easy for most.

its not the expressing of an opinion that someone cares about. its the usual complaint that thais have no regard for others

[ultimate weapon]

Do you know that other than the supposed "liberal" white people or the "environmentally friendly farang" almost 99% of the rest of the world dumps their trash like this.

OP would you complain about the indians, middle eastern and your own fellow farangs that do this? I would guess it's big no and you only try to act like you're morally superior here because you have a chance to. Would you tell africans to stop doing this for example? Nope cos they would kill you without a thought while thais would not so you have a chance to display moral superiority over them.

[Thai at Heart]

_{Oh god and al those eminent tv members complaining they had to sort out their garabage and pay councel tax to have it picked up in their home country's.}

Indeed.

Sometimes civilisation costs money....

[cornishcarlos]

Do you know that other than the supposed "liberal" white people or the "environmentally friendly farang" almost 99% of the rest of the world dumps their trash like this.

OP would you complain about the indians, middle eastern and your own fellow farangs that do this? I would guess it's big no and you only try to act like you're morally superior here because you have a chance to. Would you tell africans to stop doing this for example? Nope cos they would kill you without a thought while thais would not so you have a chance to display moral superiority over them.

"Africans would kill you without a thought"

I reckon they might not be the only people not thinking !!

What a ridiculous comment.

[namdocmai]

In our area whole 3seat sofa's, beds, cabinets everything goes into the lakes and canals or just along the road.

But how can you get rid of a big sofa if the garbagetruck won't take it? You pay some guy to take it out of your house and then who cares where he dumps it. Is there an official place where you can bring sofa's or beds to be recycled? We have never heard of it.

If i have something the garbagetruck won't accept then i give them 100 and they take it with a smile. Problem solved.

[bunnydrops]

I think things have changed a lot in my village since I came. First with the family, not so much by telling but by going out and picking up the trash and not letting them burn it "here". Then the neighbors stopped burning it "here". I say "here" because I know all the plastic and batteries gets burnt at the "assigned" dump. Most of the Thais here recycle (Try and find a bent nail at a construction site) for the few baht they get.

Thailand is not the worst. Riding on a train in Mexico, I was on my second day and quite a pile of trash collected. I couldn't find a trash bin on the train so I was waiting for the next stop. I was sitting there reading a book when the conductor came by and saw the pile of trash I had collected. He reached over threw it all out the window.

[GuestHouse]

We ought to remember that prior to the 1970s the lack of concern we see in Thailand towards littering was predominant in the west - People who cared about the environment campaigned against littering (I have a collection of old cycle touring magazines from the 1950s containing articles encouraging people to take their litter home - statements like take nothing but photos, leave nothing but memories).

It wasn't until the wide scale government funded ant litter campaigns that things changed - "Keep Britain Tidy" being the one that springs to mind, but of course every western country had similar campaigns.

Those campaigns have changed public attitudes, a recent article I read on the problem of fly tipping in the UK stated that most prosecutions for fly tipping come about because the general public file reports of cases they witness. Fly tipping and throwing trash has become socially unacceptable. It seems to have taken around a generation to achieve this.

Problematic in Thailand is the fact that while a western trash thrower of the 1970s would have been discarding largely organic or non reactive waste, the content of all garbage has become far more toxic to the environment. Plastics, solvents, batteries and the simple increase in quantity of discarded material.

Then we have the usual response to any TVF member making a comment about a negative Thai behaviour - But in this case, yes it is important to understand that trash throwing is something for which social attitudes in the west have changed, something that did occur commonly in the recent past.

But it is also an example of people expressing an opinion about something they care about, because they care about their environment in Thailand and it is an issue that, Thai people themselves would benefit from by learning lessons from the Western experience.

For the record:

I have on a number of occasions organized trash collections at waterfalls in Thailand and I sponsor a trash collection team at one of the major festival events in the area of my home in Thailand.

Leading by example is important - The daft Farang cleaning up rubbish outside my home was at first something of a spectacle, but it wasn't long before I was joined by my neighbours.

Its all about social attitudes, we can all take part in changing them - the first step is to recognise there is a problem and speak up about it.

Its the next step, taken personal action that is not so easy for most.

its not the expressing of an opinion that someone cares about. its the usual complaint that thais have no regard for others

We discussing littering and dumping rubbish - feel free to open a thread on the problems you have with other people expressing their opinions.

[AYJAYDEE]

We ought to remember that prior to the 1970s the lack of concern we see in Thailand towards littering was predominant in the west - People who cared about the environment campaigned against littering (I have a collection of old cycle touring magazines from the 1950s containing articles encouraging people to take their litter home - statements like take nothing but photos, leave nothing but memories).

It wasn't until the wide scale government funded ant litter campaigns that things changed - "Keep Britain Tidy" being the one that springs to mind, but of course every western country had similar campaigns.

Those campaigns have changed public attitudes, a recent article I read on the problem of fly tipping in the UK stated that most prosecutions for fly tipping come about because the general public file reports of cases they witness. Fly tipping and throwing trash has become socially unacceptable. It seems to have taken around a generation to achieve this.

Problematic in Thailand is the fact that while a western trash thrower of the 1970s would have been discarding largely organic or non reactive waste, the content of all garbage has become far more toxic to the environment. Plastics, solvents, batteries and the simple increase in quantity of discarded material.

Then we have the usual response to any TVF member making a comment about a negative Thai behaviour - But in this case, yes it is important to understand that trash throwing is something for which social attitudes in the west have changed, something that did occur commonly in the recent past.

But it is also an example of people expressing an opinion about something they care about, because they care about their environment in Thailand and it is an issue that, Thai people themselves would benefit from by learning lessons from the Western experience.

For the record:

I have on a number of occasions organized trash collections at waterfalls in Thailand and I sponsor a trash collection team at one of the major festival events in the area of my home in Thailand.

Leading by example is important - The daft Farang cleaning up rubbish outside my home was at first something of a spectacle, but it wasn't long before I was joined by my neighbours.

Its all about social attitudes, we can all take part in changing them - the first step is to recognise there is a problem and speak up about it.

Its the next step, taken personal action that is not so easy for most.

its not the expressing of an opinion that someone cares about. its the usual complaint that thais have no regard for others

We discussing littering and dumping rubbish - feel free to open a thread on the problems you have with other people expressing their opinions.

no need, this one is a perfect example

[GuestHouse]

Well as we see, while it is very clear there are real health and environmental damage issues arising from rubbish dumping in Thailand and equally clear that dealing with this issue would benefit Thailand, the people in Thailand and the environment in Thailand, there remain a few people who simply cannot accept foreigners expressing an opinion on the matter.

I have attempted, in my post #93 to place the litter problem (and the different attitudes of Thai people and westerners in Thailand) in context of the western experience of littering and rubbish dumping - clearly stating that this was a problem in the west and clearly stating that it was only after government sponsored public education problems that attitudes where changed.

I have indicated this took at least a generation to achieve.

I have also pointed out the different challenge Thailand faces arising from the change in the types and quantities of modern rubbish and the toxicity of modern litter and rubbish compared to that of litter and rubbish at the time of the campaigns against littering in the west.

I rounded that off with examples of what I personally have done to remove litter/rubbish in Thailand and set an example in my local Thai community.

And the response - balanced minds comment positively or have discuss specific issues while the usual suspect sets off on his crusade to deny anyone any opinion which he feels is derogatory to Thai people while completely ignoring any content of what i have said.

Well he would have to - because in order to introduce his usual diatribe into the discussion he'd have to ignore the fact that nothing I said was derogatory to Thai people.

[mrtoad]

Littering and rubbish dumping is a serious issue everywhere. On our island it is apparent that Thai's are generally the culprits for littering (always worse at weekends), and leaving dumped rubbish by the sides of the road. Given that the island is a national park, it is a disgrace. A number of ex-pats have set up a "Keep Koh Chang Clean" group which goes out collecting rubbish in varying locations every week. They do a great job, and a few other locals and park rangers have joined in on this - but it is still only a small group. Our organisation have supported this, by providing equipment for cleaning up, food snacks on occasions to the volunteers, and some of our staff have also joined in on the clean ups as well.

However, from the local authorities - absolutely nothing, all though at one point a few local dignitaries started to want to get in on the act to raise "their profile". Occasionally the local authorities have a clean up day (once a year), where the usual suspects turn up, pose for photo's and give one another a pat on the back and a Tshirt.

There is clearly a need for more education on this matter and proper enforcement of laws regarding mass dumping of rubbish, this is in no way bashing Thai's but, places such as Koh Chang need to preserve the environment.

[Showbags]

Pigs...pure and simple.

Take pride inside their home....then through ignorance and stupidity they dump it out of sight...their sight.

[dtaanic]

education, or lack of it, I see people throwing rubbish out of car windows all the time, kids on scooters throwing icecoffee containers and bag onto side of road, ??????

it is lack of education, it is not a matter that thai society and media talk about.

When driving with my GF, she often throws the garbage that is in a plastic bag out of the window. I get angry and try to educate her to keep it till we come home and drop it in the bin.

Her response is always you stupid farlang, this is thailand and i do what i want.

[dtaanic]

Lack of education...

Nothing to do with that.I am educated and havent got a clue where to dump rubbish. The government need to do something about it.

You got a point there, every time i leave my office i don’t know where to dump the waste. I walk to a tree nearby where there is a lot waiting for the Trash truck. When i buy a drink walking in whichever big shopping mall, it is very hard to find a bin to throw the waste. I got fined 2 years ago for throwing a cigaret bud on the street. I did actually walk with it half a kilometer to find a bin.

[jacksam]

I believe things can change if there is determination to change. Starts with government. Saddly thats the problem.when growing up there was no drink driving laws in AU. Certainly not beath testing. Furthermore a culture of couldnt care less. With must effort and education that has changed. Yes it still occurs but is changing.

Im on Koh lan as i type this. The thai take all their rubbish into back blocks and dump it,

Discusting

[joepattaya1961]

Throwing rubbish out in the open, leaving dry laundry for weeks on the laundry-rack, parking cars at impossible places, not holding doors for other people, listening to music with half of the moobaan..........I suppose they've all had just one foreign book on their literature-list at school: Hector Malot's - Alone in the World.

[regfrancis]

Yep, walking along the beachfront in Pattaya I witnessed a young Thai couple throwing there take away food plastic bags into the sea --as if its the normal thing to do.

The Fault lies in Education by Thai Authority's.

In this present culture-- the low income people will quickly do anything they see on there government controlled TV Chanel. Sadly, these media messages are still 60 years behind the times- promoting an image that littering is OK.

Unfortunately a lot of people over 65 are too emotional about environmental degradation to admit its a reality. I hope Thai authority's can quickly dig their way out of that trap.

The ravaged environment will cause the most grief to an over populated world -abused by human polution

Edited March 3, 2015 by regfrancis

[marko kok prong]

My father in law 'the ghoul',tosses rubbish out onto the lovely paved area,outside his room,or in the garden,i have talked to my wife but what can she say,i just sigh and realise he is an uneduecated peasant that does not mind living in filth,of course i clean up,but i console myself with the fact the hopefully he will soon be dead.

[CharlieH]

Seems to me most things described here there are rules and laws against etc, whats is sadly lacking, is the Police and other Officials actually enforcing them, ie: doing there damn job properly !

Its only when the learn there are consequences to actions will there be a difference,

[tartempion]

Sitting behind my computer screen this hot evening just had to close the double door to the terrace, stinking smell of burning plastic, cancer is on his way, they have no clue.

[kannot]

I live in the country, everyday some local retards come by with a plastic bag full of rice to feed the filthy mongrels that live opposite my land, everyday they leave the plastic bag on the ground with the rice in, everyday it blows down the road into my lake, everyday i get the bags out and go tie them to the chain link fence of the neighbours land, After about 10 bags were tied to it he appeared one day, ripped em all out and chucked them on the ground right next to his gate.

Lets be honest THAIS are lazy too lazy to care too lazy to think, they do as little as possible in many respects. Its not lack of education they are just plain bone idle.
NOT ALL but the majority for sure certainly round by me.

[cooked]

I know for sure of Farangs that also burn plastic to get rid of it. We now take away the crap from 11 people including pampers, into town twice a week and dump it in containers that are paid for by other people (฿20 a month I believe), but always on the days before collection when there is an empty bin available. That's the best solution that I have come up with. I notice nocturnal excursions where stuff is just dumped by the road sides or in water. Just do what you can and leave the next generation with the problem of dealing with it.

[marko kok prong]

I know for sure of Farangs that also burn plastic to get rid of it. We now take away the crap from 11 people including pampers, into town twice a week and dump it in containers that are paid for by other people (฿20 a month I believe), but always on the days before collection when there is an empty bin available. That's the best solution that I have come up with. I notice nocturnal excursions where stuff is just dumped by the road sides or in water. Just do what you can and leave the next generation with the problem of dealing with it.

My freinds mother in law refused a bin,when the local village where distributing them,as it would cost her 20b a month,instead they dump everything at the back of their land,it looks like one of those mannila garbage dumps,periodically they burn it.

[LuckyLew]

Thais have no clue about saving the envornment

Think green is not known in Thialand

They prefer to use it until it is gone then wonder where it all went

Kind of like the tourism industry

[Thongkorn]

We have a couple opposite our House, They have a food stall and sell Thai food, They prepare it at home, all the left overs and cooking fat goes in the Drain in the Middle of the road,

The drain never seems to flow, We get rats, then we get Cobras looking for the rats, And we have to deal with the Smell also., nobody says any thing apart from me, They all complain about the

Mosquitoes but you cannot tell them its the stinking drain that's the cause of all these problems,

[djayz]

It actually reminds me a lot of Ireland in the '70s... people didn't KNOW better and simlpy threw their rubbish into ditches, rivers, fields, etc. It wasn't until the late 1970's/early 1980's that the then government introduced educational campaigns, environment awareness programs, harsher fines, etc. that the problem began to be taken seriously by the general public. In the meantime, the problem does seem to be under control and the environment has survived.

I think the biggest problem facing Thailand, and numerous other developing countries, is the lack of concern AND initiative at the government level to seriously tackle this looming catastrophe together as one nation. Until the leaders lead, the general populace won't know what to do or how to do it.