Cigarettes out but snacks allowed on Phuket beaches if waste-free

[cumgranosalum]

With the relatively low cost of labour in Thailand, clean beaches - with or without machinery - should be easily achievable. However this is Thailand were people get jobs not through merit but through connections nepotism and graft - the result: - people who can't do the job.

Clearing beaches of chairs, cigarettes and vendors seems a laudable objective....but of course all we see here a a fine example of how NOT to do this.

....and the more the foolish lose face the more they dig into a hole.

[Don Aleman]

TAT is probably quite angry that another agency had an original idea on how to rid Thailand of all foreigners/dogs/cigarettes/food/vendors/chairs/gamblers/fDrinkers/" Evening Blossoms " and even more effectively then TAT !

Next ban will be PEOPLE !

[Don Aleman]

TAT is probably quite angry that another agency had an original idea on how to rid Thailand of all foreigners/dogs/cigarettes/food/vendors/chairs/gamblers/fDrinkers/" Evening Blossoms " and even more effectively then TAT !

Next ban will be PEOPLE !

[kiwikeith]

Local govt's would be very rich if they enforced the no rubbish bit with just a 200 baht fine, imagine if it was 1000 baht. Pristine beaches....................Sadly I'm only dreaming of this rubbish enforcement ever happening.

Hexackory, beach be very clean if fines imposed.

I personally take all my rubbish and at least a full plastic bag of others rubbish off the beach every time I visit one.

However, there are some tourists who just dump it and don't give a toss they should have fines imposed on them especially the chain smokers who just toss butts everywhere .

[dotpoom]

A council official back home was once asked why they have stopped supplying litter bins on the beaches, his answer was...."Because people put rubbish in them?" When asked to explain that statement he went on to say. When people see a bin they empty all their rubbish into it, including stuff they brought from their house (bin collection from outside your house is expensive where I come from). When the bins are full that doesn't stop them they keep cramming it in until it is all on the ground around the bin. The point he was making was that bins attract rubbish. With no bins some decent people take their rubbish home with them.....the "louts" will just throw it anywhere.....bib or no bin............On reflection it kinda made sense to me.

[recycled]

"Section 20 of the Public Health Act (2535BE), which stipulates that the environment of public spaces must be kept clean, prohibiting the disposal of waste..."

"...most of the food waste on Phuket beaches comes from vendors, who are forbidden by Section 34 of the Public Health Act to sell food on all public land without a permit."

"Despite this law, and the government’s mandate to enforce it, some business operators have continued to defy the rules."

Kick out the offenders and fine these law breakers.

Place gargage cans near the beaches.

Order Municipal staff to maintain the clean up.

Like the real world.

Problems solved.

I agree, but to do what you are reccommending, you must be human, whereas this mob, well they are some unspecified brainless species

[recycled]

Tourists come to Thailand and get a taxi from the airport. Its not long before they see rubbish strewn everywhere along the road and across vacant blocks. Its easy to see why tourists don't care about Thailand when it is clear Thais do not. Chief garbage manager should sort out the rest of the town and maybe then he has an argument to crack down on litter etc at the beach

Just go to any government run primary school and have a look at the schoolyards, makes the beaches look like a pristine oasis. What did I again read not long ago, start educating from an early age, what a bloody joke.

[timewilltell]

"Section 20 of the Public Health Act (2535BE), which stipulates that the environment of public spaces must be kept clean, prohibiting the disposal of waste..."

"...most of the food waste on Phuket beaches comes from vendors, who are forbidden by Section 34 of the Public Health Act to sell food on all public land without a permit."

"Despite this law, and the governments mandate to enforce it, some business operators have continued to defy the rules."

Kick out the offenders and fine these law breakers.

Place gargage cans near the beaches.

Order Municipal staff to maintain the clean up.

Like the real world.

Problems solved.

So you expect the local police officer or municipal staff to fine and/or kick out his brother who is selling drinks at the beach? Never going to happen. And with the registered population being really small in the beach towns, they are all related.

I'm not in a position to know all of the local police officers/municipal staff. nor the likelihood of them enforcing any law. To ask, when I don't know the facts, is meaningless.

Saying "never" to something I don't control, is guesswork at best. I've learned this from past personal experience when I thought I knew more than others.

I don't have any factual information about the kinship in beach towns. To make such a statement to the contrary would be another great guess.

I'm not in control, am not perfect and certainly don't know anymore than what a third party wrote in a news article.

When you have been here longer you will find out about certain things which will just be a small subset of the corruption which has overrun Phuket. With no rule of law for all except the very poor and then not even those if they have some small business to enable a bribe, anarchy reigns. Everyone just does as they please whilst the foreigners and businesses are targeted to pay the police a very nice wage. Go to the court and see what cars the young lawyers are driving, yesterday I say a young lawyer maybe 25 to 28 years old driving a brand new Ferrari and another f similar age with a brand new Merc 3 series. I know of police with similar vehicles on a basic salary yet nothing is said, the only source is corruption or extortion for they certainly do not all come from super rich families.

[Mr Somtam]

Take a lesson from every other beach in the world…a set of trash cans every 50 yards.

Duh……….!

Thailand is different, they eat rice.

[BigSkip]

Totally crazy ... the beached moved almost overnight from "permissive Thailand" into Nazi territory.

Ahhhhhhhh........ But You forgot, Thais were not taught about the Nazis in school, Hitler Chicken, etc. etc.

Another bullet in Tourism/Thaisness. So sad to see such a great place go down hill so fast.......

[Mr Somtam]

As number 4 said:

Kick out the offenders and fine these law breakers.

Place gargage cans near the beaches.

Order Municipal staff to maintain the clean up.

Why can they never come up with a simple, normal solution to a simple and normal problem here? Braindead idiots.

I go to the beach, I read the signs that say no littering. I still choose to drop garbage in the sand. I get fined and have to leave the beach. At the end of the day a team of beachcleaners picks up the garbage and empties the bins. Maybe they can be paid from the fines collected from litterers. Repeat next day. Problem solved. Aaaaarrggghhhh, common sense again! So difficult not to use it!

Edited February 21, 2015 by Mr Somtam

[The Deerhunter]

May produce 700kg of solid waste per day but they fail to account for the volumes of verbal waste by authorities which probably does more damage.

Installing bins is one thing, having them regularly emptied is another otherwise you just end up with a beach full of bin ladens!

700kgs??? Read again It is 700 tons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That Phuket produces at least, as their incineration capacity is only 700 tons per day.

All of which is irrelevant to the problem under discussion, anyway.

[fester the benevolent]

With all of this risible fuss over something so seemingly simple one can't help wondering how a certain ex-mayor is laughing down at it all....

[toenail]

I applaud Phuket Governor, Nisit Jansomwong's concern about using non-biodegradable food containers and NOT plastic or foam being being used for beverages or food, but has he provided a substitute? And what about enforcing this all over Phuket, not just where the tourists are. ? I know it is the Thai-way to make up rules but not to think them through... "NO plastics or foam"!!!--what is to be used in its place, banana leaves or a hollow coconut shell? "NO beach chairs or umbrellas on the beach!!"-How about those tourists who are not Swedes and do not want skin cancer or sit under the sun for 3 hours straight??? Maybe having umbrellas is good to have since it prevents skin cancer????

I hope the environment friendly, concerned governor becomes a hard arse with the local Thais that throw their trash anywhere along the street and educate the boat owners and workers about the stiff fines for dumping their garbage into the sea and show them where the "bins" are along the beaches or docks where they can correctly place their bags of garbage in and not continue throwing the black plastic bags in the sea which many of use have seen when we go on snorkeling or deep sea fishing.

This whole new group in charge need some young blood for input because so many of their ideas (which means to be good) lack young minds.

Edited February 21, 2015 by toenail

[Johnny S]

And the BIG issue still remains ... Jet Skis. Of course they won't tackle this because someone is paying a lot of money under the table for the authorities to continue skirting the issue.

I spoke with a friend of mine yesterday who is still trying to sell his villa and get out. He's closed his two restaurants and a bar due to the lack of customers; the Chinese just don't use them and that's all that's really left.

The death of tourism should not be unexpected by the Thais; after all they are the ones who killed it due to their unrelenting greed and stupidity. They know what the problems are but greed and corruption prevents action. They deserve everything they get and I'm sure other tourist destinations around the region are delighted at how greedy and stupid the Thais are.

Thailand tourism: The fat lady is Warming up ...

[Sydebolle]

Well, we rebooked from Phuket to Bali - no such shit in sight anywhere. No jet sky scam, everybody talks English and tourists are truly welcome!

[delgarcon]

There are beach vendors all over the world and a nice cold drink on a hot day is always welcome. At least most impoverished Thais try to earn some sort of a living without resorting to begging! My message to the General and his cronies is "think about creating a welfare state instead of laying down the law to people who have little or no chance of ever dragging themselves out of the gutter!"

Sometimes I hate this <deleted> country!

"At least most impoverished Thais try to earn some sort of a living without resorting to begging!" - I see a lot of "impoverished Thai's" driving European sports cars on Phuket.

I think you are talking about Issan.

If they're driving sports cars they're not impoverished are they!

[Oziex1]

"Tourism will be destroyed … tourists here who usually visit my shop every year have changed their destinations like Vietnam, Mexico and Indonesia" - it's already destroyed, and it's you, and your tuk-tuk and jet-ski friends, and the authorities that allowed you all to operate here, that have destroyed it, a long time ago.

You have all become a victim of your own greed.

Try explaining it to your children, and your grand children, what you did with their future.

Simple, the explanation is the Falang did it, they didn't come, there to blame!

Short term thinking, offer a local 100 bt today or 1000 bt at end of week, you know the choice they make.

[Carl64]

Easy really! Just provide public rubbish bins at regular intervals, that goes for the rest of Thailand too.

[sscsamui]

If people don't want to come back to Phuket or Thailand Because they can;t though the trash on the beach and put their cigarette butts in the sand... Then don't let the door hit your Butt on the way out...

[connda]

This is how it would work. Fine tourist 200 baht for lttering because there are no litter barrels to deposit litter into.

[SiSePuede419]

"If they're driving sports cars they're not impoverished are they!"

You're confusing conspicuous consumption with wealth.

I took a Get Rich Quick Seminar back in the 80's. I read last year, the guy who gave the seminar died recently. He lived in a mansion in Coral Gables, Floriduh and drove a ROLLS ROYCE. According to your logic, he's rich. Nope. His assets were just $2 Million but his debt was $81 Million.

He was broke. His wife and kids had to sell their house and car and won't be able to live the (phoney ) lifestyle to which they've become accustomed.

Same with these so-called Hi-so Thais:

Once global liquidity dries up, game over.

Edited February 22, 2015 by SiSePuede419

[spidermike007]

I for one, love the idea of no smoking on the beaches. It keeps disrespectful people from throwing their cigarette butts into the sand, and it keeps the air free from noxious, carcinogenic chemicals, that the rest of us non-smokers have to endure.

But, I would like to see enforcement of the trash laws. Is that ever going to happen? The thai people are the very definition of litterbugs. They throw trash everywhere, and appear to have little respect for nature or the environment. In the US, in the early 60's the problem was the same. When they introduced $1,000 fines for littering that changed overnight. It is rare to see someone littering there now. Thankfully. Littering is for the obnoxious, the weak, the mindless, the ignorant, the disrespectful, and the careless amongst us.

[fakser]

Its about time for the Thai officials to deal with the chronic absence of trash bins in the streets of Thailand, on the beaches and in public places.

[thaibeachlovers]

And the BIG issue still remains ... Jet Skis. Of course they won't tackle this because someone is paying a lot of money under the table for the authorities to continue skirting the issue.

I spoke with a friend of mine yesterday who is still trying to sell his villa and get out. He's closed his two restaurants and a bar due to the lack of customers; the Chinese just don't use them and that's all that's really left.

The death of tourism should not be unexpected by the Thais; after all they are the ones who killed it due to their unrelenting greed and stupidity. They know what the problems are but greed and corruption prevents action. They deserve everything they get and I'm sure other tourist destinations around the region are delighted at how greedy and stupid the Thais are.

The death of tourism should not be unexpected

Yes, hopefully, in Phuket, the place I will not visit any more as it is OTT corrupt, overbuilt and expensive. This &%^%% couldn't happen to a more deserving place, IMO. If it does result in the collapse of mass tourism in Phuket, it might just mean I can afford to go back again. It happened before, after the tsunami, when hotels were a much more realistic price. That happened as the result of a catastrophic act of nature, but this crisis is entirely man made.

I hope they bring the same to Pattaya. That might get rid of those family groups that are littering the place and driving up the prices.

Edited February 22, 2015 by thaibeachlovers

[fester the benevolent]

and it keeps the air free from noxious, carcinogenic chemicals, that the rest of us non-smokers have to endure.

If you are so concerned about air-borne carcinogens and other noxious chemicals then the hapless smoker nearby during your few hours of sojourn to a beach in the open air should be the least of your concerns.

How much damage do you realistically think you will suffer from the smoker and his cigarette as opposed to the fithy and poorly-maintained belching truck rumbling along the road nearby or the piles of plastic and rubber burned nightly across the island?

[thaibeachlovers]

and it keeps the air free from noxious, carcinogenic chemicals, that the rest of us non-smokers have to endure.

If you are so concerned about air-borne carcinogens and other noxious chemicals then the hapless smoker nearby during your few hours of sojourn to a beach in the open air should be the least of your concerns.

How much damage do you realistically think you will suffer from the smoker and his cigarette as opposed to the fithy and poorly-maintained belching truck rumbling along the road nearby or the piles of plastic and rubber burned nightly across the island?

Unfortunately there is zero we can do about poorly maintained trucks, but at least we don't have to have some ignorant twerp puffing smoke in our faces. Since Thailand banned smoking inside public places, it is more pleasant going to a Gogo or sitting in an hotel lobby.

[fester the benevolent]

Unfortunately there is zero we can do about poorly maintained trucks, but at least we don't have to have some ignorant twerp puffing smoke in our faces. Since Thailand banned smoking inside public places, it is more pleasant going to a Gogo or sitting in an hotel lobby.

Punters in gogo bars should probably have slightly more immediate health concerns than the threat posed by second hand tobacco smoke.

However when Thailand has indoor beaches your comparison with gogo bars and hotel lobbies might become relevant.

[rijit]

and it keeps the air free from noxious, carcinogenic chemicals, that the rest of us non-smokers have to endure.

If you are so concerned about air-borne carcinogens and other noxious chemicals then the hapless smoker nearby during your few hours of sojourn to a beach in the open air should be the least of your concerns.

How much damage do you realistically think you will suffer from the smoker and his cigarette as opposed to the fithy and poorly-maintained belching truck rumbling along the road nearby or the piles of plastic and rubber burned nightly across the island?

the conversation aint about trucks though is it. its about stopping ignorant &lt;deleted&gt; smokers blowing their nasty poisoned smoke all over people.

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[Shot]