Awesome Australian expat cleans up Pattaya beach after everyone

[tolsti]

I am shocked at how awesome this is!... I am just jumping around screaming OMG! OMG!.... Seriously though, well done to this guy

[tropo]

In Australia he would have got the merit medal of good citizenship from the mayor by now,

here in Thailand, he's viewed as a garbage foregoer and an oddball, I wonder how come

the other garbage collectors of Pattaya didn't have it with him yes for taking their garbage

away from them...

Only one problem with that theory - In Australia they have garbage collectors. Where I used to live (Gold Coast) they hosed down the streets every morning and sifted the beach with large tractors everyday... and the sand dunes were taken care of manually by council employees.

That's what smart councils need to do with their tourism treasures i.e. the beach.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....flagrant kind acts are secretly resented and despised.....

...and don't forget....good=kind=stupid.......

....I was told: "S*m if you appear to be too good, people perceive you as stupid or a show-off".....

..."No good act goes unpunished".....???

[Rocketsurgeon]

Reminds me, many years ago when Pattaya was almost safe, I lived there a few months out of the year. One year, I stayed thru Loy Kratong.

Walking the beach after evening free for all, I was dumbfounded at all the trash on the beach. It was crazy and no one, not even the city was picking it up. It was down right dangerous...bottles, kratong, etc...

I too set to cleaning it up, the Thai actually gave me a hand.

They sat on their asses and clapped.

Never again have I picked up trash on a mainland beach.

Don't bother, not appreciated. No one cares and the shit will be there next day and every day. Between the fishing boats and tourism, the seas don't stand a chance.

Edited November 29, 2015 by Rocketsurgeon

[chiang mai]

Work permit?

There's always one, unbelievable.

As has already been pointed out in this thread, farang volunteers who came to help following the Tsunami in 2004 were threatened by the authorities for not having work permits. Subsequently a whole range of volunteer roles came under scrutiny including teachers who were helping hill tribe families. The Thai position on performing work is set out in the following:

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/2886/34924-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22O%22---Voluntary-Servi.html

http://www.thaiworkpermit.com/prohibited-occupations-in-thailand.html

Of course most longer term expats in Thailand understand these things, those fresh off the boat and/or with attitude, may not!

[toenail]

-Sorry, this fellow is not a hero... I have lived along Wongamat Beach and Pattaya Beach Bay Beach (work/ live in Pattaya over 10 years- not a tourist) and 90% of the ones that leave their litter around the beach or dump the garbage from boats are THAI. Do we teach the locals anything by picking up after them????? And you think they would feel ashamed seeing a farang picking up THEIR litter? (no, they would sit and laugh) All the Western countries were like Thailand where the locals threw beer cans/ bottles out the car windows; our rivers were polluted; and people threw their litter anywhere until our governments ran advertisement campaigns about not polluting the sea, lakes, or roadsides. As a kid I remember watching Saturday TV cartoons talking about Giving a Hoot-Do not Pollute and schools had programs educating the youth about the recycling and placing litter in the bins/ garbage cans. This is what Thailand is missing...educate the youth about not polluting and they will pressure their parents not to be so negligent. AND (something that will not be forced in Thailand) fining people who do not pick up their litter or arresting boat owners who throw their garbage overboard into the sea (which I have personally observed near Krabi). Thais need to be educated about the importance of supporting ones community and keeping it clean.(I thought Buddhism was about taking care of nature? In all fairness, since most Thais that live in Pattaya-Jomtien area are from other provinces, maybe they do not care to pick up their litter. I constantly see them leaving their Styrofoam container or plastic bag that had their tea in it left where they were sitting and get up and walk away.Westerners would feel so guilty to leave a plastic bottle on a light post or their picnic garbage on the beach. We are brought up that it is WRONG. I do not think most Thais would litter in their home-town. I have been to towns in Isaan and north Thailand and these communities are clean and not full of full of litter left everywhere. I just returned from Nan and they are light years ahead of Pattaya in cleanliness and decent sidewalks (they even have a special bike lane for people who wish to peddle their bikes around). No, I will never pick up garbage of Thai slobs.

[Radar501]

How timely this topic is just after the romantic Loy Kratong Festival......where the community pays homage to the Goddess of Water, and seeks forgiveness for having fouled the rivers and seas.

Those pretty little banana boats are held together by styrofoam, wire, pins and staples, but don't look quite as pretty the next morning when they contribute to a stinking kratong soup that gets washed up along the banks of Thailand's waterways.

Sure, local council and volunteers help to clean up the mess the morning after, but how much of the bits and pieces don't make it out of the water?

The gods would not be happy.

[2fishin2]

You people's attitude suck. If I may point that out!

[spidermike007]

Crackers !

When I go to any beach I always take all my rubbish home with me or dump it in a bin.

With wombles like this one knocking-about, the habits of the locals and the council provided facilities will never improve.

Absolute rubbish. The fact is the council should be providing this service, and they do not. And the fact is most locals have little environmental awareness, nor respect for nature. The fact that you take your rubbish home with your is a good thing. Do you also recycle your plastic, and bring bags with you to the market? That can save 1,000 plastic bags a year. Do you refill your water bottles and bring them with you to restaurants, as I do? That saves up to 700 plastic bottles a year. There are countless things we can do to keep the land clean, and to reduce our plastic consumption. Kudos to this guy Mark for doing his part. Criticizing him for doing a good deed is ridiculous, and beyond counter productive.

[balo]

Please end this discussion now , you don't need a WP to clean up a public beach. And I don't need a WP to ride my bicycle or swim in the ocean. Thanks.

[slipperylobster]

I do the same thing myself, I pick up trash from Jomtien beach early in the morning.it's good exercise . So at least once a week you'll find me on the beach , the locals seems to be amused by it.

I had a house on subic bay (baloy beach), and could not stand the garbage that washed in. Buses from Manila would come in on weekends and holidays and further pollute the beach. I spent many hours...at low tide, raking the crap up to the hide tide mark, and making piles every 25 meters. My neighbors (locals) were very angry at my efforts. They did not want the piles..but I had no where to put the stuff...and nobody owned the shoreline. This guy seems to be carrying away tiny bags....whereas my beach would need a dump truck..daily.

Managed to keep a 50 meter stretch pristine...for good view from my patio

Does this guy do this every day at low tide (twice a day?).....whew....? and carry to where?

Edited November 30, 2015 by slipperylobster

[Rimmer]

Off topic post removed

[marquis22]

Crackers !

When I go to any beach I always take all my rubbish home with me or dump it in a bin.

With wombles like this one knocking-about, the habits of the locals and the council provided facilities will never improve.

I agree, it is so easy to take your own rubbish home or put it in a rubbish bin (if available)

I really get annoyed at seeing people throw or leaving their rubbish at beaches or parks etc.

This bloke has to be admired,but would it help make overs follow suit?

He is probably annoying the locals who sift through the rubbish.

[bark]

In Australia he would have got the merit medal of good citizenship from the mayor by now,

here in Thailand, he's viewed as a garbage foregoer and an oddball, I wonder how come

the other garbage collectors of Pattaya didn't have it with him yes for taking their garbage

away from them...

He learned this from his former ancestors as part of the Prison system. Day time release, pick up trash, chain gang road building etc.

Good Job

[tropo]

How about a positive image:

[marquis22]

How about a positive image:

Picking up litter.jpg

I think positively that they are picking up mud crabs in China to eat for dinner

[onemorechang]

So you consider it normal that rescue crews are not allowed to help victims in what is considered the deadliest natural disaster in human history, because they have no work permit?

So what difference would it have made.?

Can you name it exactly (no pussy footing )

[Aussieroaming]

Forget about who else does or doesn't pick up rubbish. This story is about a bloke that just wants to do his bit. Good onya mate

[2fishin2]

Forget about who else does or doesn't pick up rubbish. This story is about a bloke that just wants to do his bit. Good onya mate

My feelings exactly!