Why do Thais hate trees so much?

[tomyumchai]

the hill tribe people are much more clever than the townies.....why sweat away at hacking down a tree when with the click of a lighter you can burn down 600.......

the mountains look so much better with barren charred hillsides than they did with those stupid trees......

[KMartinHandyman]

I would bet a lot of the tree limbs and trunks are used in construction for the main poles you see on all types of Thai structures. I know my fil will use them green or seasoned from around his properties. If there's a structure to be built and wood needed we go cut a tree chosen for the project.

[rhythmworx]

Large built structures including houses which are sited on clay soils can be affected by a tree's removal of moisture.

Clay soil shrinks as water is extracted from it and this can lead to subsidence.

If a building has been built on clay soil near an existing tree, and that tree is then removed, the soil may expand which can cause heave.

The risk of such damage may be greater with older properties. Modern building standards mean that the risk to newer buildings is less.

[Trujillo]

If there is a tree you love near you, have a local monk ordain it. Seriously!

That might put some jingle in the pocket of a monk, but it does nothing to protect a tree. Look carefully again at the OP first post and notice that one of the .... large stumps has the ribbons around its trunk. Someone blessed the tree at some stage, but it was still destroyed.

[dcnx]

As if there is a reason for anything they do. We may as well be on Mars. Nothing makes sense, and the longer I'm here, the less sense anything makes. So, I just stay out of the way and let Thais do Thai stuff while I shake my head or laugh in disbelief.

It is a shame though that they slaughter the trees how they do.

[Dante99]

As if there is a reason for anything they do. We may as well be on Mars. Nothing makes sense, and the longer I'm here, the less sense anything makes. So, I just stay out of the way and ......... I shake my head or laugh in disbelief.

Just like in the USA, England, Japan, France, China, Germany, Italy, Laos, Greece and most of the rest of the world.

[curtklay]

Just like in the USA, England, Japan, France, China, Germany, Italy, Laos, Greece and most of the rest of the world.

Not even remotely true.

[Fookhaht]

Yesterday, found about 30-40 of these sad-looking things in Khon Kaen's main exercise park-lake, Bueng Kaen Nakorn. Deprives the jogging trails of much-needed shade. Defies logic.

[xen]

Yesterday, found about 30-40 of these sad-looking things in Khon Kaen's main exercise park-lake, Bueng Kaen Nakorn. Deprives the jogging trails of much-needed shade. Defies logic.

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1456465039.345113.jpg

Probably doesn't defy Thai Logic. Maybe they think perverts won't be able to hide behind the trees and jump out on unsuspecting joggers. Who really knows.

Terrible job though - they really need to be removed and replaced with good trees.

[MadMac]

There is no such thing as "logic" in Thailand.

[uptheos]

I sent this to my "Tree Hugging" friends and they were very mad!!!! Trees are the bedrock of Heaven.....oh wait, Buddhism......OK< trees are people who were once kings!!!! Good thing there aren't many trees in Thailand....maybe move to the desert.

Note: I work for a paper company and we cut down 1 billion trees a day.....soon Global Warming will make temps 50C all day. don't worry, we replant 9 trees a month for those environmentalists.

1 billion a day, 1,000,000,000.........Yeah right.

[Sparkles]

Yesterday, found about 30-40 of these sad-looking things in Khon Kaen's main exercise park-lake, Bueng Kaen Nakorn. Deprives the jogging trails of much-needed shade. Defies logic.

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1456465039.345113.jpg

I would think that the mind set is the further we cut them back the longer it extends the time we have to "prune" them again.

Like so many things in this country its about lack of education.No direction from someone who knows how to prune correctly.

Chain saw massacre, happens all over, even in Bangkok.

[jobin]

I too noticed the recently chopped down trees at the MaeJo corner. I sincerely hope removing those large trees was in preparation for total reconstruction of the entire damn corner which now is littered with numerous small bomb craters. Wrecking my car!!

Yeah, the lousy tree trimming is due to ignorance, lots of it and uncaring. I see very poorly trimmed trees on the various golf courses where the grounds crew could be educated to do the job properly but the management can't see any problems at all.

[Rhys]

Back in the early 2000s...there was the large beautiful tree by the BTS /Bangkok nursing college stop.. they cut it down and and replaced the area with a statue..

Edited February 28, 2016 by Rhys

[anto]

Saw a Thai guy today up a tree in my Village hacking /pruning with a hatchet .Every cut was left with jagged edges .

[SooKee]

Yesterday, found about 30-40 of these sad-looking things in Khon Kaen's main exercise park-lake, Bueng Kaen Nakorn. Deprives the jogging trails of much-needed shade. Defies logic.

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1456465039.345113.jpg

I would think that the mind set is the further we cut them back the longer it extends the time we have to "prune" them again.

Like so many things in this country its about lack of education.No direction from someone who knows how to prune correctly.

Chain saw massacre, happens all over, even in Bangkok.

...and the less effort we have to waste picking up the leaves. No branches, no leaves. No leaves, no work. Result

Edited February 28, 2016 by SooKee

[sunnyjim5]

Pollarding is an accepted tree management technique associated with controlling the height and spread of trees.

This technique has nothing to do with "hate" and is not a practice which is exclusive to Thailand.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=156#section-4

Those with any patience will note the trees they complain about being "butchered" will recover !

[anto]

>>Those with any patience will note the trees they complain about being "butchered" will recover ! <<

Not if the cut is all messy ,like i saw the guy doing with a hatchet today .There is a high risk of disease infection.

[Happy Grumpy]

Actually the Thais have a saying.... 'To cut down the trees'.

When a new man comes into power, he has the trees cut down so everyone knows.'.

[sunnyjim5]

>>Those with any patience will note the trees they complain about being "butchered" will recover ! <<

Not if the cut is all messy ,like i saw the guy doing with a hatchet today .There is a high risk of disease infection.

Keep a check on the messed up tree !

If it shows no sign of regeneration within the next year you will be able to claim you were Right !

[drtreelove]

Lack of education and practice of good tree care principles is profound, around the world. But there are people in Thailand and in Chiang Mai who are trying to change this. It takes time.

Don't just complain, get with Ricky Ward of International Citizens of Chiang Mai: http://ourchiangmai.com/2016/02/01/chiang-mai-heritage-trees-axed/ and his awesome ongoing efforts to make a difference.

There are training programs in the works at Mae Jo University, Chula U, and through the Royal Forestry Dept to educate and train a new breed of tree workers in Thailand.

[sunnyjim5]

Lack of education and practice of good tree care principles is profound, around the world. But there are people in Thailand and in Chiang Mai who are trying to change this. It takes time.

Don't just complain, get with Ricky Ward of International Citizens of Chiang Mai: http://ourchiangmai.com/2016/02/01/chiang-mai-heritage-trees-axed/ and his awesome ongoing efforts to make a difference.

There are training programs in the works at Mae Jo University, Chula U, and through the Royal Forestry Dept to educate and train a new breed of tree workers in Thailand.

Is that a campaign related to the destruction (felling) of trees ?

If so your comment seems to be off topic.

[canuckamuck]

Lack of education and practice of good tree care principles is profound, around the world. But there are people in Thailand and in Chiang Mai who are trying to change this. It takes time.

Don't just complain, get with Ricky Ward of International Citizens of Chiang Mai: http://ourchiangmai.com/2016/02/01/chiang-mai-heritage-trees-axed/ and his awesome ongoing efforts to make a difference.

There are training programs in the works at Mae Jo University, Chula U, and through the Royal Forestry Dept to educate and train a new breed of tree workers in Thailand.

Is that a campaign related to the destruction (felling) of trees ?

If so your comment seems to be off topic.

This is a thread about poor tree pruning technique, and he is talking about training new, better qualified pruners. I am not sure how much more on topic he could be.

[HooHaa]

I'm pretty sure I've seen examples of this in almost every country I've been to. But you don't like it, so it must be a Thai thing.

Hate to say it, but it is more brutal here and the OP is correct

[SoiBiker]

I'm pretty sure I've seen examples of this in almost every country I've been to. But you don't like it, so it must be a Thai thing.

Hate to say it, but it is more brutal here and the OP is correct

I'm not educated enough in tree care to know the difference - I don't imagine many in this thread are either, but an opportunity for a generalised attack on Thailand is never short of followers here.

[nottocus]

Trees are over rated

[Inyourendo]

Love it when they raise the dirt level a metre around the trees......

[anto]

>>I'm not educated enough in tree care to know the difference - I don't imagine many in this thread are either, but an opportunity for a generalised attack on Thailand is never short of followers here. <<. .Its like if a surgeon cut off your leg with a hatchet rather than a saw .Now do you understand ?Its not about Thai bashing on this occasion .

[Trujillo]

"...but an opportunity for a generalised attack on Thailand is never short of followers here."

More so when the "attack" has the benefit of being true.

[Fookhaht]

A sad case on my school campus.

God only knows how old this venerable tree was before it was "pollarded." Last year it grew out struggling twigs and then gave up the ghost this year.