Phuket beach officials plan to charge for trash management
Kongleaphy Keam



PHUKET: -- Exasperated officials at Mai Khao Beach are urging the public to help maintain cleanliness in the area, barring which, they say they would be forced to implement a visitors’ fee to contribute toward trash management.

“We are chalking out a plan to collect a fee from the public and use that money to hire staff to collect trash,” Sarawut Sisakukam, Mai Khao Administration Organization (OrBorTor) president, told the Phuket Gazette.

Visitors often come to Mai Khao Beach to take pictures with low airplanes taking off or landing at nearby Phuket International Airport. Pictures of trash at Mai Khao Beach were shared on social media, and passed on to Mai Khao OrBorTor officials by the Phuket Gazette.

Full Story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-beach-officials-plan-charge-trash-management/63381?desktopversion#ad-image-0


-- Phuket Gazette 2016-03-10

The Schott family went there a few years ago, and we don't plan on going back anytime soon. The place was full of trash, and also a lot of young hooligans on motorbikes racing around. We parked and made our way to sit on the beach and watch the low aircraft. After stepping over mountains of broken bottles and food containers, we finally made it to the beach.

Never again.

Supply proper rubbish bins (closed lids ) and collection. Problem solved. Not rocket science

My #1 complaint about Thailand. I've seen trash around street food carts with rats in it.

Cheers.

Would trash bins just be stolen? It may be best to charge each foreigner who sets foot on the beach 500 baht then hire a bunch of trash pickers at 10 baht per hour. The official in charge could make a lot of money!

Thais just dump thier rubbish wherever they please, charging tourists is like blaming them for what the locals do. Next immigration will cash in on this and charge everyone a maintenance fee on arrival to clean up the country.

From my observations the Chinese are very similar to the Thai's when it comes to rubbish. As the TOT keep announcing ever increasing numbers the situation is bound to get worse.

Even placing bins everywhere wouldn't solve the problem, I'm always shocked at how many find it easier to put the rubbish next to the bin instead of in it . The government needs a "Keep Thailand Tidy" campaign aimed at it's citizens or maybe they can take them in one by one for some readjustment thinking .

I just make sure I do my bit, what else can we do?!

Dear Mai Khao Beach Officials,

Thank you for imposing a usage tax (sorry, 'visitors fee') on your beach, we look forward to benefiting from the result.

Kind regards,

Officials of all the other beaches on Phuket.

Western tourists are good at taking their rubbish with them, can't same the same about locals and other Asian tourists that are now frequenting the island.

Allow beach venders. Umbrella/lounge, and massage concessions. Charge and regulate

them. Use the money to pay for trash pick up/removal. No need to charge anyone to use

the beach.

Allow beach venders. Umbrella/lounge, and massage concessions. Charge and regulate

them. Use the money to pay for trash pick up/removal. No need to charge anyone to use

the beach.

Far too sensible. Plus does not allow an individual official to accumulate wealth. There is no thought at all to the 'public good' ... it's all about me ...

My #1 complaint about Thailand. I've seen trash around street food carts with rats in it.

Cheers.

Fresh meat

Western tourists are good at taking their rubbish with them, can't same the same about locals and other Asian tourists that are now frequenting the island.

It appears, and please correct me if I am wrong, but throughout Thailand there re more and more things that they are trying to pass the cost back to the tourist. Just impose fines for dropping / leaving litter and it will be fine. If they think tourists are going to pay to go on a beach all they will find is that tourists go to another country. The USA I know charges to use beaches but it is minimal to the point that you wouldn't bother to pick it up if it fell out of your pocket. Obviously Thailand wants a lot of thing but feels that the tourists should foot the bill. What are the locals paying for? Obviously nothing. Then problems with tourists coming and returning within a few days. They have to decide if they want tourists or not. The way things are moving Not would appear to be their choice

Allow beach venders. Umbrella/lounge, and massage concessions. Charge and regulate

them. Use the money to pay for trash pick up/removal. No need to charge anyone to use

the beach.

Far too sensible. Plus does not allow an individual official to accumulate wealth. There is no thought at all to the 'public good' ... it's all about me ...

You have hit on a new slogan for Thailand "Come and be amazed in the land of me, me, me"

Maybe they could encourage a middle-aged Farang to do it for them. Then they could praise him for loving Thailand so much....

If they do collect, they need to give some $ to that girl who cleans Nai Harn beach every morning around 7 AM.
She works hard at it and does it because she is ashamed of the litter (she is Thai)

When they added some trash bins at Nai Harn beach,it greatly helped the litter problem.

Allow beach venders. Umbrella/lounge, and massage concessions. Charge and regulate

them. Use the money to pay for trash pick up/removal. No need to charge anyone to use

the beach.

Far too sensible. Plus does not allow an individual official to accumulate wealth. There is no thought at all to the 'public good' ... it's all about me ...

You're assuming that the fees collected from vendors and concessions would be accounted for.

I think the actual implementation would be something like: official collects 1,000/day "off the books" but pays only 500/day for trash removal and pockets the remainder. Problem solved, the beach is now clean. Nobody really cares that someone is skimming because, after all, "Corruption is OK as long as it doesn't personally affect me".

Would trash bins just be stolen? It may be best to charge each foreigner who sets foot on the beach 500 baht then hire a bunch of trash pickers at 10 baht per hour. The official in charge could make a lot of money!

And the trash will still be there.