The shocking truth behind Samui’s garbage disposal crisis

[Lupatria]

[chilli42]

We can all joke about the crackdowns and admittedly many have had minimal effect. I do have a good deal of sympathy for the current government. Think we can all agree that little to nothing has been done for years so all the same old problems fester. It would take any government decades to sort out the mess and see it moving forward sensibly. The current government does not have decades at their disposal. The current government at least wants to take action on some of the issues and get them fixed. The problem is that they are trying to fix everything (OK many things) at once. This is leading to a lack of focus which results in things not getting resolved. The morons running the government in my home country would never be able to cope with even 10% of the problems Thailand has. They only appear competent because they are blessed by the fact that they inherited the governance of a country where things were built step by step for the the good of the people over hundreds of years. Maybe we should cut the current government some slack. Applaud them for trying to take action. While praying they take the long view and address the source of the issues we see today.

[kiniyow]

Great for Rats..All day buffet

[DaveinAsia]

This is what happens when the greedy locals only rake in the money but don't want to re-invest in maintenance, sustainability, R&D, etc.

The only thing they invest in is in themselves but they seem to forget that this wont last forever.

Opportunistic mentality. Only care today. Mai pen rai

[delgarcon]

It's the same old story all over Thailand. They love to talk about what's wrong, point the finger of blame at other authorities, but nothing ever gets done. Samui, like Phuket which has turned into a toxic cesspit, will continue down this road as long as the good old MONEY keeps rolling in from tourism.

I've traveled the world but few places compare to Thailand as being nothing short of a garbage dump. Look at the mentality ... I've seen Thais stand not a foot from a trash can and yet the prefer to throw their garbage on the ground.

In my days on Phuket it was nothing unusual to see rats crawling all over the place, especially in restaurants in the Town.

I would say that they ought to be ashamed of themselves but you can't shame the ignorant and uneducated. Take a walk anywhere in Thailand and there are dogs shitting, people throwing garbage on the floor, rats running around restaurant tables ... any they have the audacity to call Thailand a high class tourist destination ... it's cleaner in my toilet and by a remarkably long way.

It's a shame and another reason I left ... I just didn't consider living in a shit hole as a nice place to live but I guess there are some that like it that way.

You forgot to mention that they would rather piss up against a coconut tree than to walk 10 meters to a toilet !

[delgarcon]

Sounds just like the south of France!

[cracker1]

I think proper investigation will reveal that this incinerator has been out of action for more than 5 years and the Mayor has done nothing to facilitate repairs in his tenure.

Sadly the story headlined by Samui News reads like it was written by Nation reporters and very difficult to understand 100%

[Johpa]

You forgot to mention that they would rather piss up against a coconut tree than to walk 10 meters to a toilet !

From what pathetic cultural test tube did you arise where men would think to walk 10 meters to some smelly loo rather than stand behind a convenient tree for a piss?

[sambum]

I think proper investigation will reveal that this incinerator has been out of action for more than 5 years and the Mayor has done nothing to facilitate repairs in his tenure.

Sadly the story headlined by Samui News reads like it was written by Nation reporters and very difficult to understand 100%

I thought it was quite easy to understand! Samui is almost drowning in its own garbage, and the accompanying picture says everything you need to know, apart from what you have already quite astutely noticed - nobody is doing anything about it!

[kannot]

I bet the good and honest Mayor had a budget allotted for that particular aspect of his governance....and now it is long gone.....over the hills and far away ...and never to be found.

Cheers

Could look in his pockets?

..

..No, No...look in his brand new Mercedes Benz SL 600 as they never think to hide the wealth, rather they display it as a means to let everyone know they are amongst the unaccountable and not to be reckoned with.

Cheers

Ah yes....but which one?

[lostmebike]

All the while cash is being counted and the fingers are getting even deeper in pies, no Somchai is gonna take the responsibility and deal with the problem.

[kannot]

There are some countries that burn their garbage to generate electricity, seems Thailand would have no proble doing the same since they generate much more than average country.

It is amazing how things go left unresolved. There are problems with the roads around where I live that have been that way for seven years.

They have plenty of money for all those fancy uniforms the politicians and bureaucrats wear.

Enough before I get a knock on the Door.

Dear General/PM keep flushing the device, the water is not pure yet !! But quit interrupting the Franag TV Programs, Thanks !!

Theres a road near my Wifes old village in Loei it has more holes than road, you cannot drive faster than 15kph even in a pick up, my Wife told me that she used to go down it on her push bike to school and it was the same then...........that was 25 years ago.

recently she asked the head of village why it was never fixed..............ah well, they were "going " to fix it but then the flooding came ( 2-3 years ago in BKK) and the money got used for that.

Utter BS as usual.......the village proudly proclaims " glad to be a Red village" on a banner on the way in!!

[Acharn]

Why it is shocking? there is no money in disposing of the garbage, only costs, so let's us not do today

what we can do next year...

That's funny. In Bangkok I've seen many shophouses filled to the brim with trash, some of it smelling fairly badly. They have it because they sell it. They make a decent living off it. Granted, it takes a lot of specialized knowledge, but I'll bet there are a dozen operators in Bangkok who would love to get their hands on that dump. Most people never notice, but in Bangkok the garbage truck crews are sorting the stuff as they go. Their salaries are miniscule, but they manage to make a decent living. What we see as garbage and worthless trash they see as useful stuff that dumb people are throwing out that could be sold at a profit.

Of course they do need an incinerator, too.

[kannot]

You forgot to mention that they would rather piss up against a coconut tree than to walk 10 meters to a toilet !

From what pathetic cultural test tube did you arise where men would think to walk 10 meters to some smelly loo rather than stand behind a convenient tree for a piss?

The tree isnt necessary from what I see by me, just whip it out and anyplace will do even seen it at gas stations right next to the bog..............funny never see the women do it though?

[rodknock]

another dog and pony show.

a lot of talk for a long time and a lot of garbage!!!!

since all the brown bags were handed out there is no money to fix what is broken!

this has the BS, MS, PHD syndrome, bull s--t, more s--t, piled higher and deeper!

[xtrnuno41]

as it is all in good following of the american way.

GET the MONEY, status , nice suits, big cars and houses

get get get and do as less as you can

otherwise you get tired and sweaty.

So it s all about get, what you care about waiste,as long as it doesnt come to you?

It;s the way we took once and many dont care shit

To less garbage? Then the installation is too big, too expensive, just think to do better.

Make big installation on main land and ship it over there.

Seperate, urban mining. You can win metal back, all kinds. Pet, glass bottles can be reused

Stimulate people, coz many Thai arent that rich,so give them some income on collecting garbage like the bottles

In electronice devices are gold and other metals, so give some return money for it.

Start education in schools about waiste, i was well raised by my parents not to throw away on the street and i did so

with my kids. i even had to raise some partners i had, coz they thought it was normal just to throw it away where ever you were.

Not long ago i saw the farang guy in Pattaya cleaning the beach !! A true courageous guy ! Coz its work in thailand and you can loose your permit

Never the less he was on his own, lots of compliments, but no Thai think of helping him.

Why they dont care, guess its all about managing Thailand by corrupt asholes.

But its not only Thailand, Bali has same problem, Philipines, America, almost every country.

And in the ocean there is an island of plastic, as big as the state california, floating around.

No its not only Thailand, its a world wide ignored problem

Do you know how many places there are where they dumped toxic chemical waiste? I dont, but there will be a lot.

People dont care.

Coz get get get and nothing else matters

[user786895]

Napalm the island? That will incinerate everything very quickly!

Oh, have the people leave first.

Witticism, or just a cock?

[Happy Grumpy]

Nothing but lip service since 2008.

My favorite type of service.

[Stargeezr]

Maybe they can do like Eastern America and other countries seem to do.

Use Barges, ha ha ha, that will move the problem out to sea!

Not like that fixes anything though!

[26vinny]

Nothing shocking here for Thailand, just run of the mill stuff. they simply dont have the expertise to deal with it, and there`s no point employing Farang (who`s expertise goes hundreds of years back)Farang too stupid, remember because the thai`s are expert at scams and a fool and his money are easily parted, ie drunken Tourists and unwise old men thinking with their groin and not head,Then stereotype all Farang, that was the mentality, now they know Farang not stupid, brother in laws own words,becoming harder by the year to get by on the tourists money

[colinneil]

There are some countries that burn their garbage to generate electricity, seems Thailand would have no proble doing the same since they generate much more than average country.

It is amazing how things go left unresolved. There are problems with the roads around where I live that have been that way for seven years.

They have plenty of money for all those fancy uniforms the politicians and bureaucrats wear.

Enough before I get a knock on the Door.

Dear General/PM keep flushing the device, the water is not pure yet !! But quit interrupting the Franag TV Programs, Thanks !!

They have plenty of money for those fancy uniforms !!

You are misinformed my friend, these people have to buy the uniforms themselves.

My wife has those fancy uniforms paid for by me and her.

[off road pat]

It's the same old story all over Thailand. They love to talk about what's wrong, point the finger of blame at other authorities, but nothing ever gets done. Samui, like Phuket which has turned into a toxic cesspit, will continue down this road as long as the good old MONEY keeps rolling in from tourism.

I've traveled the world but few places compare to Thailand as being nothing short of a garbage dump. Look at the mentality ... I've seen Thais stand not a foot from a trash can and yet the prefer to throw their garbage on the ground.

In my days on Phuket it was nothing unusual to see rats crawling all over the place, especially in restaurants in the Town.

I would say that they ought to be ashamed of themselves but you can't shame the ignorant and uneducated. Take a walk anywhere in Thailand and there are dogs shitting, people throwing garbage on the floor, rats running around restaurant tables ... any they have the audacity to call Thailand a high class tourist destination ... it's cleaner in my toilet and by a remarkably long way.

It's a shame and another reason I left ... I just didn't consider living in a shit hole as a nice place to live but I guess there are some that like it that way.

" I've seen Thais stand not a foot from a trash can and yet the prefer to throw their garbage on the ground."

True ! I have seen it several times myself.

A guy at Don Sak, standing at the seafront, just next to a garage can and he true his plastic bag that had contained his meal into the sea...!

[bornredi]

same mentality when it comes to their airlines maintenance, "we will fix it later"

[fareastguy]

Not a problem.....
wait until the garbage reaches the beaches, or the stench filters into the hotels, when tourism is affected it'll all get solved in the standard 3 months !!!

[ksamuiguy]

When we work we can repair almost anything, the right way or the fast, cheap or easy way.

We employ a "what if" mentality when we repair, analyze the consequences and or long term effects of what we do and what it may effect either down the line or in the future.

It's called thinking and being responsible for the consequences of your actions.

It is Professionalism and taking Pride in your work.

[FangFerang]

No one is to blame for this shocking truth..it is quintessential...Thainess.

[Beng]

Mai Ben Rai......give it some more years......decades.....till the whole of samui is covered by rubbish and then may be something will be done.

Nothing is urgent in Thailand......only the eating of som tam....................

What the heck are you talking about Costas ? A rubbish reply.

[daiwill60]

You forgot to mention that they would rather piss up against a coconut tree than to walk 10 meters to a toilet !

From what pathetic cultural test tube did you arise where men would think to walk 10 meters to some smelly loo rather than stand behind a convenient tree for a piss?

The tree isnt necessary from what I see by me, just whip it out and anyplace will do even seen it at gas stations right next to the bog..............funny never see the women do it though?

Well actually , I saw a woman recently walking along a main road , who just stopped, pulled up her dress ( no Knickers) and just squatted there and then , luckily I did not see if she did number 1 or 2 , as I was driving by. I think she was actually a bit Maow or Simple looking at her manner etc

[godden]

It's no laughing matter, but i can't stop,

[louse1953]

Napalm the island? That will incinerate everything very quickly!

Oh, have the people leave first.

Naw the people don't get to leave first... That way you get rid of all the garbage.

Maybe you should sober up and re visit what you said.