Farang beach rubbish collectors wowing Thais

[ozyjon]

He can go to the beach at Bang Saen Beach, Chonburi, the tide brings

in rubbish daily, he will never conquer the quest,,,

[Keesters]

Last time I did a bit of beach cleaning a group of Thais said well done. I replied "Thai people put it here, Farang clean it up". Yes they were embarrassed but didn't get of their butts either to help.

https://www.facebook.com/DirtyThailand/

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

if this volunteer act of the Farang does something to creates social awareness that cleaning the beach is a community problem best solved by community action it would have served its purpose.

perhaps collective activities can be organised to clean up not only the beaches but parks as well.

The whole country need a clean up.

[captspectre]

Good on em, I say. Tourists should be doing more, Thais and Chinese especially.

what's wrong with the "locals"? can't they l

when I see the thai's cleaning up their own mess I will appauld, until then,...ean their own beaches? they take the tourist money with a straight face, watch as they get beaten and robbed, and then say goodoh! when the tourist do the jobs that the lazy Thai's should be doing!

[JDGRUEN]

Thai culture and society evolved when everyday waste was biodegradable ... making the jump to consciously be aware that plastic wraps, aluminum foil, plastic bottles, styrofoam and such are not biodegradable seems to be a jump they cannot easily make.

[Barnet]

Sure it's impressive. Now wait for Immigration Police to issue warnings for working without a permit and doing work that Thais could and should do.

T.A.T., take note. "Come to Thailand and clean up an amazing beach"

I often hear folks on TV warning about doing good deeds, without pay in Thailand that they will get in trouble for not having a work permit.

Yet, I have never met a person or even read a post from a person who has had problems because the volunteered to do something good for the sake of doing something good.

The whole thing behind work permits is to prevent non Thai people from taking paying jobs away from Thai people.

Unless someone has been paying Thai people to pick up trash on the beach and have lost their jobs because foreign volunteers have done such a good job that trash no longer exists....I don't see a problem.

I have volunteered to help out at my local school before ( without a work permit ) and worked right along side local police officers and Immigration officers who were also volunteering and were aware of my status and they had no problem with me helping at all.

Thai people are not as stupid and unreasonable as some foreigners would like to believe they are!

Th

Now let me guess....the Thai people who allowed you to "volunteer" to work in a school checked your criminal record first and then double checked from your home country to make sure you weren't a threat to their children. If they did I stand corrected and they aren't as wreckless and lazy as I think. If they didn't and they put kids safety at risk then I'd say that's confirmation of complete and utter stupidity and ignorance.

[malcoml]

Yeah strange they have not been fined as I know of one guy who was fined for painting his fence.

The house was in his wife's name.

[Peterw42]

I can understand the thai governments position on voluntary work. If any voluntary work is permitted, it opens a door to cheat the labor laws WP etc.

I can buy the Thai Girlfriend a Business and Volunteer to work in it. Even repairs to your own house could become a door to cheat WP laws. I am just painting my house, I am just adding a room, I am just building a block of Condos in my back yard.

[goodheart555]

I was sitting in sidewalk cafe in Bangkok some months ago, a traffic snarl was in the street. A BMW-driver threw a bag of garbage out of his window on the sidewalk in front of me. There was a trash bin nearby, so I got up, picked up the bag and threw it in the bin. The BMW-driver put down his window and said something in Thai to me, but I did not understand. A well-dressed fortyish Thai woman at the next table said something to the BMW-driver which made him put-up his window and turn aside. She apologized in near-perfect English to me and explained she was so ashamed that some Thais just don't care for their country and that a foreigner, not farang mind you, a foreigner would have more respect for Thailand. She said it made her happy to see us here. We continued talking, she was not the average Thai, she was a dentist, practicing in the states, and back in Bangkok on vacation.

Makes me wonder if her exposure to the West was the impetus of her reaction.

The sad truth is the very few good Thais there are...do not like Thai people....Mater of fact that is how you know that they might be ok is if they admit that.

I've heard that. However, I know several good Thais. I think a lot has to do with the circumstances in which you meet them and the lifestyles they lead.

Yes of course and the lifestyle in which we lead. To be honest I have met many Thais in the years I have been here and either I like them less and less as I get to know them or I am repulsed at the beginning.

[Mangostin]

First you say the 200,000 Baht had to be shown by individual volunteers, now it's changed to "Some small local NGOs".

A local NGO wouldn't have many problems getting work permits, would they? Last time I checked, the local people in Thailand are Thai, and can do as much volunteering as they like without any paperwork. They didn't need to register for anything.

"Some" volunteers doesn't mean "All" volunteers, i even put a definition of the specific acronym to make sure you could understand of what kind of volunteers we were writing about, but nothing to do, you must have put tin foil on front of your rosy lens glasses....no surprise there, really.

Then you start claiming that all organizations operating locally, must absolutely be "thai", i guess that's a process that stay at the root of all those becoming "thaier-than-thai", ha ha ha, again, no surprise about that twisted reality you are in, so, tell us the truth, you really think to be thai because you are based locally??? ....great!

[Mangostin]

There are countries where local authorities and heads of schools get together at the beginning of every school holiday. Together they arrange for the kids to spend a little time to remove the rubbish in their areas, like streets, beaches and the country side. It costs nothing, is highly useful and the children enjoy doing it (under the supervision of their teachers). I have often wondered why Thailand does not do that.

Well, i had the same curiosity, so i went a bit further by asking local people why don't they do it, without holding any preconceived idea, i really wanted to find out the truth, not making up some excuses to always justify whatever action a thai does, no matter what, it's the farang's fault, so, here are the results: basically all the people i asked to, they replied that people cleaning up are stupids, and by letting them cleaning up the rubbish they throw, they are clearly demonstrating their hi-so status.

Here you are, now you know too, next time try to ask them, so you can find out by yourself, that's the way to really understand what's inside someone else mind, easy peasy.

Look, i am going even further by giving you some hints on where someone get such an attitude, have you ever tried to watch some of that stuff that almost all thais watch every single day as they were hypnotized by it? Yes the "lakorns", where those fictional hi-so characters living in extreme luxury abuse everything and everyone because "they can", those are their role models in life, so it's normal that they try to mimic their actions to show up how rich and great they are, even if they live in total misery, that's it.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Mangostin

[Mangostin]

Last time I did a bit of beach cleaning a group of Thais said well done. I replied "Thai people put it here, Farang clean it up". Yes they were embarrassed but didn't get of their butts either to help.

https://www.facebook.com/DirtyThailand/

Yes, they tell you how good you are, then if you can hear their next conversation it will be how stupid the farang is for cleaning, he must to be a lowlife if he do that, that's the general attitude toward people cleaning up, you can be almost certain that the very same people that tell you how good you are, will be the one throwing some more rubbish for you to clean up while having a laugh, sometime without even being out of sight.....you no like? you go home! you no thai and you cannot undelstand thai people!!!

Classic.

[spidermike007]

This is a demonstration of a strange, bizarre, and very foreign concept known around the world as "environmental awareness, and pride in the land". Not known here. Yet. It will happen. In another 10, 20 or 50 years. It may be too late, at that point, to save the land and the sea. But, it will happen eventually.

It is known as the maturation of a society, and the development of progressive ideas and thought.

Why the locals do not engage in this, in unknown to many of us, especially where there is tourism at stake. When I lived on Samui, some of the local hotels would send out crews to clean up the beaches. But, the local government refused to spend one baht on it, despite collection billions of baht from these hotels and establishments. I calculated once, that for only 75,000 baht per month, they could have put together a three or four man crew, who would work their way around the island, cleaning up beach after beach. But, did they do it? No. Why? No pride, no concept of environmental awareness, and staggering indifference combined with a stunning degree of ignorance.

[Mangostin]

I can understand the thai governments position on voluntary work. If any voluntary work is permitted, it opens a door to cheat the labor laws WP etc.

I can buy the Thai Girlfriend a Business and Volunteer to work in it. Even repairs to your own house could become a door to cheat WP laws. I am just painting my house, I am just adding a room, I am just building a block of Condos in my back yard.

Ye my fiend, you same me, same same.

We know that friedlangs are bad fo Thailand, if they drive or ride around they could steal jobs from our honest motocy or taxi drivers, consuming our roads without paying for them.

Then just seeing them walking around, they are doing pr for the western lifestyle, that's forbidden! No wp! and they could even have a double job on top of that by speaking english or any other foreign languages without being registered as foreign teachers, how dare to speak to a thai and teach them in that way? We need a crackdown here....

[Mangostin]

Now let me guess....the Thai people who allowed you to "volunteer" to work in a school checked your criminal record first and then double checked from your home country to make sure you weren't a threat to their children. If they did I stand corrected and they aren't as wreckless and lazy as I think. If they didn't and they put kids safety at risk then I'd say that's confirmation of complete and utter stupidity and ignorance.

I am not sure if they really understood that someone that applies for a teaching job, goes there for "teaching", as if i recall this correctly, one of the certificates you need to produce to get a job, is that you are free from sexually (yes, sexually, that means that you have to <deleted> up someone to spread your illness if you have one) transmitted diseases, now, i never asked to a thai what they think the main activity of a foreigner around their kiddies in a school should be, but it all looks as they got some very bad ideas.....

[Mook23]

If the locals are doing doing their duties, then someone will have to stand up for this. Feels sad as "locals" are only discussing this on "Social Media" but in reality are doing nothing than clicking photos and commenting.

Jup. A lot of talking in los but so little walking. Its like the "safety first" signs and the moronic slogans on shirts they don't even understand... 555

[gyrosman]

Thai respect for the environment only if money is involved.

[Sean87s]

Thais (some) throws everything out the car window when at the country side. Bags, coke bottles, paper, food scraps, wrappings and all kinds of garbage.

I was CHOCKED first time i saw this since the nature and surrounding was/is so beautiful. Now im used to it. Who am i to say anything.

Nasty habit at moo baan houses is that they throw food scraps just meters away from their houses on right on the dirt. Not only will this look bad but it will also attract all kinds of pest animals like mice, rats and COCKROACHES. It really bothers me deeply thinking the thais that take care of my home will do this when i leave my home for work a couple of months per year. I hate roaches.

[Winniedapu]

I was sitting in sidewalk cafe in Bangkok some months ago, a traffic snarl was in the street. A BMW-driver threw a bag of garbage out of his window on the sidewalk in front of me. There was a trash bin nearby, so I got up, picked up the bag and threw it in the bin. The BMW-driver put down his window and said something in Thai to me, but I did not understand. A well-dressed fortyish Thai woman at the next table said something to the BMW-driver which made him put-up his window and turn aside. She apologized in near-perfect English to me and explained she was so ashamed that some Thais just don't care for their country and that a foreigner, not farang mind you, a foreigner would have more respect for Thailand. She said it made her happy to see us here. We continued talking, she was not the average Thai, she was a dentist, practicing in the states, and back in Bangkok on vacation.

Makes me wonder if her exposure to the West was the impetus of her reaction.

The sad truth is the very few good Thais there are...do not like Thai people....Mater of fact that is how you know that they might be ok is if they admit that.

I've heard that. However, I know several good Thais. I think a lot has to do with the circumstances in which you meet them and the lifestyles they lead.

Yes of course and the lifestyle in which we lead. To be honest I have met many Thais in the years I have been here and either I like them less and less as I get to know them or I am repulsed at the beginning.

Me too friend. Exactly. I stopped trying to like them a while back. Take everything, give nothing - the Thai way.

Winnie

[djjamie]

The sad truth is the very few good Thais there are...do not like Thai people....Mater of fact that is how you know that they might be ok is if they admit that.

I've heard that. However, I know several good Thais. I think a lot has to do with the circumstances in which you meet them and the lifestyles they lead.

Yes of course and the lifestyle in which we lead. To be honest I have met many Thais in the years I have been here and either I like them less and less as I get to know them or I am repulsed at the beginning.

Me too friend. Exactly. I stopped trying to like them a while back. Take everything, give nothing - the Thai way.

Winnie

I had to read this twice as I cannot believe what you both wrote. You both continue to live there (I assume)? I could not think of anything worse than living in a country where I hate the people AND I assume your not Thai so you voluntarily moved there? Speechless.

Hang on...No I'm not. I left Thailand with my family as I had nothing but contempt and dislike for the people as it seems you do. I did it because I value happiness and to ensure a positive upbringing of my young family.

If you don't like it try to change it. Try anything because complaining about your hatred of all things Thai will do nothing, but send you to an early grave.

Amazing Thailand.

[Tomtomtom69]

Sure it's impressive. Now wait for Immigration Police to issue warnings for working without a permit and doing work that Thais could and should do.

T.A.T., take note. "Come to Thailand and clean up an amazing beach"

I often hear folks on TV warning about doing good deeds, without pay in Thailand that they will get in trouble for not having a work permit.

Yet, I have never met a person or even read a post from a person who has had problems because the volunteered to do something good for the sake of doing something good.

The whole thing behind work permits is to prevent non Thai people from taking paying jobs away from Thai people.

Unless someone has been paying Thai people to pick up trash on the beach and have lost their jobs because foreign volunteers have done such a good job that trash no longer exists....I don't see a problem.

I have volunteered to help out at my local school before ( without a work permit ) and worked right along side local police officers and Immigration officers who were also volunteering and were aware of my status and they had no problem with me helping at all.

Thai people are not as stupid and unreasonable as some foreigners would like to believe they are!

Th

Agreed. I wouldn't listen to some of the nonsense spouted out here. I don't know why every time there is a heart-warming story like this some TV posters get all self-righteous and start talking about the labour laws.

Besides, menial labour jobs are NOT done by Thais anymore. Haven't been for years. Foreigners, namely from Myanmar and Cambodia (as well as smaller numbers from Laos) would be taking these jobs not Thais. Even semi-skilled jobs are now mostly performed by these foreigners. The Skytrain was built by them, most buildings in Bangkok were built by them. While most have work permits, some don't and the authorites don't seem to be taking much action, neither do ordinary Thai citizens seem to care.

Why then the narrow-minded focus on what is an extremely tiny number of westerners who are only volunteering? There are 3 million labourers from neighboring countries working in Thailand, by contrast, there may only be 100,000 westerners with work permits living here. Quite a difference in numbers.

No one cares about volunteers - it's real jobs that require some skills being taken away that may cause the authorities to act.

[Tomtomtom69]

The sad truth is the very few good Thais there are...do not like Thai people....Mater of fact that is how you know that they might be ok is if they admit that.

I've heard that. However, I know several good Thais. I think a lot has to do with the circumstances in which you meet them and the lifestyles they lead.

Yes of course and the lifestyle in which we lead. To be honest I have met many Thais in the years I have been here and either I like them less and less as I get to know them or I am repulsed at the beginning.

I don't think I would have done what smortherb did. Kudos on him for throwing that arrogant driver's garbage in the bin, but no way I would have done so with him still nearby.

While that US resident Bangkok dentist said nice things to him, I think becoming the center of attention like that was unnecessary. I speak Thai and am more likely to be offended by a stranger coming up to me and speaking in perfect English, assuming I'm just a clueless tourist who knows nothing about Thailand and apologizing for the behavior of her "fellow Thais" when she herself isn't even a Thai resident anymore.

What would her reaction have been if the aforementioned situation had unfolded in America? So a white American BMW driver throws garbage out his window. She throws it in the garbage. Smotherb then apologizes to her on behalf of his "fellow Americans"? To make it even more interesting, he lives in Thailand.

To be honest, she should have been the one who threw the garbage in the bin rather than smotherb, but instead, she got on her high horse looking down on her fellow Thais rather than honestly trying to tackle a problem.

I agree with you goodheart - although, I think it should become clear to you when you first meet a Thai, as to what they're like and whether you can accept their lifestyle and attitudes, it's not usually something that takes a long time to figure out. Social class alone is a defining characteristic.

I find I have a lot in common with middle and upper middle class educated Thais and very little common ground with your average rural dweller, for whom my relationships are of a transactional nature only. I can easily joke around with them for a minute or two when I'm buying something at a shop but I get uncomfortable getting too close - because rather than engage in an educated conversation many of them would rather make offensive, snickering comments about our noses or something. To me that is insulting, immature and not funny at all. If you're 30 or 40 and can't find something more interesting to talk about than a farang's nose, then you're boring. And you won't get any respect from me.

I point this out because I've been in these situations. One time I was in Laos and this older British guy, mid 70s married to a Lao women who's like 30 was talking to me and we initially talked about my job but it became clear to me that went over her head even though she appeared to be impressed by what I do. Turns out she never had a job, was some rural woman from the sticks who got married to the guy at 18 when he was already like 60 and despite being married to him for the past 12 or 13 years started going around the room making fun of all the westerner's noses nearby, about half an hour into our conversation. Rural Thai folk, especially those from Isarn and the north can be quite similar.

I knew then that this woman was just not of the social class I am used to and will make sure I don't associate with her or her friends again.

[Mangostin]

it's real jobs that require some skills being taken away that may cause the authorities to act.

Yes as sleeping on a sofa or browsing the web for fun, those are the "real jobs" you might be writing about as there are plenty of similar events where the authorities have taken serious action, not even when someone killed someone else they have been so stubborn into apply the law (yes it's the law), those activities should be reserved to thai and thai only.......

[2fishin2]

The sad truth is the very few good Thais there are...do not like Thai people....Mater of fact that is how you know that they might be ok is if they admit that.

I've heard that. However, I know several good Thais. I think a lot has to do with the circumstances in which you meet them and the lifestyles they lead.

Yes of course and the lifestyle in which we lead. To be honest I have met many Thais in the years I have been here and either I like them less and less as I get to know them or I am repulsed at the beginning.

I don't think I would have done what smortherb did. Kudos on him for throwing that arrogant driver's garbage in the bin, but no way I would have done so with him still nearby.

While that US resident Bangkok dentist said nice things to him, I think becoming the center of attention like that was unnecessary. I speak Thai and am more likely to be offended by a stranger coming up to me and speaking in perfect English, assuming I'm just a clueless tourist who knows nothing about Thailand and apologizing for the behavior of her "fellow Thais" when she herself isn't even a Thai resident anymore.

What would her reaction have been if the aforementioned situation had unfolded in America? So a white American BMW driver throws garbage out his window. She throws it in the garbage. Smotherb then apologizes to her on behalf of his "fellow Americans"? To make it even more interesting, he lives in Thailand.

To be honest, she should have been the one who threw the garbage in the bin rather than smotherb, but instead, she got on her high horse looking down on her fellow Thais rather than honestly trying to tackle a problem.

I agree with you goodheart - although, I think it should become clear to you when you first meet a Thai, as to what they're like and whether you can accept their lifestyle and attitudes, it's not usually something that takes a long time to figure out. Social class alone is a defining characteristic.

I find I have a lot in common with middle and upper middle class educated Thais and very little common ground with your average rural dweller, for whom my relationships are of a transactional nature only. I can easily joke around with them for a minute or two when I'm buying something at a shop but I get uncomfortable getting too close - because rather than engage in an educated conversation many of them would rather make offensive, snickering comments about our noses or something. To me that is insulting, immature and not funny at all. If you're 30 or 40 and can't find something more interesting to talk about than a farang's nose, then you're boring. And you won't get any respect from me.

I point this out because I've been in these situations. One time I was in Laos and this older British guy, mid 70s married to a Lao women who's like 30 was talking to me and we initially talked about my job but it became clear to me that went over her head even though she appeared to be impressed by what I do. Turns out she never had a job, was some rural woman from the sticks who got married to the guy at 18 when he was already like 60 and despite being married to him for the past 12 or 13 years started going around the room making fun of all the westerner's noses nearby, about half an hour into our conversation. Rural Thai folk, especially those from Isarn and the north can be quite similar.

I knew then that this woman was just not of the social class I am used to and will make sure I don't associate with her or her friends again.

But you arent a judgmental kind of person are you?

[metisdead]

Posts and replies not related to "Farang beach rubbish collectors wowing Thais" have been removed.

[elephant45]

Fine line beyween helping out and getting on someones nerves. I never put shopping carts away. I put them out of the way, its some elses job.

[jak2002003]

I have 2 very close friends.. neighbours. One woman raised money for the elephant camp near us... and she used to help them at the camp... one day the police came and fined her and told her she was not allowed to help there unless she got a work permit.. So she had to stop helping care for the elephants...(she had nothing to do with money or tourists or the shows.. all behind the scenes). Eventually she got a work permit (the elephant camp owners helped her).

The second instance is farang married to a Thai. They have a very small coffee shop. Some other Farnag called the immigration so report he was working illegally. In fact he never worked.. he just spent time there and talked to the mostly farang customers. The immigration police arrived... and took him and his wife away in their truck.. and the customers had to leave. As there was no evidence of him working they had to drive him back and nothing more was done.

I know of 2 more instances similar to this. These stories would not be reported in newspapers or put on the internet... why, they are too petty and small and no one would be interested.

[Winniedapu]

Taking jobs away from the Burmese.

Littering here, whether on a massive scale where people dump trash by the tuck-load in vacant lots, or the folks in the back of the pick-up throwing some trash from the moving vehicle, or just the Thai chap at 7/11, throwing a wrapper on the ground millimeters away from the trash can, is definitely a pet peeve.

The lack of respect, or complete unawareness, is always surprising.

It doesn't surprise me. It is 'Thainess' not to take responsibility for anything "mai bpen rai" is their creed

I dont believe it is that simple. I reckon no Thai wants to see him / her self as being low enough to collect rubbish. Consequently they leave it to someone else....who never comes.

I'm sure you're right. Thais would probably think it's the responsibility of the government to hire enough Burmese people to keep the streets clean and the drainage channels clear.

Sukhumband failed again.

W

[Tomtomtom69]

I stayed in BKK during the 2011 flood. I wanted to help but when I arrived at the help center they just told me that I could not help as I only had a tourist visa (between jobs) and no WP.

Even if you had a work permit you could not work. A work permit is not an open license to work doing anything, anywhere. Your work permit says what your job is and location and that is the only place you are allowed to work.

Yet, a group of us from my company spent several evenings around the Erawan Temple loading trucks full of food and water and supplies to be driven north for flood victims. Some of them even went with the trucks to ride the inflatables further than the road could take them. Old fart that I am, I let the young pups take the road duty- with the pretty girls.

Never once approached by anyone who wanted to do anything but thank us and offer us coffee, tea and water to drink- and tried to buy us food from the McDonalds right there.

That's the reaction I would expect. Personally though, even in a crisis I probably would only help those closest to me to alleviate the immediate situation I'm in. For example, I could see myself helping my immediate neighbors in my moo baan, if they weren't able to help themselves in a crisis situation, though it would take a pretty serious disaster for that to happen. The only one I can think of that could occur would be massive flooding similar to 2011.

Apart from a work sponsored photo opportunity help drive, I wouldn't go out of my way to assist people in need, in general. Although I don't fear getting taken in by the authorities for such charity work, I can see where they are coming from, in some cases. One would think there are charities and organizations around that can assist people in need, without the need to rely on altruistic members of the public. I think that's where the idea of busting foreigners in the aftermath of major disasters comes from - it's a face thing. While we appreciate the help, it's embarrassing to see foreigners do what we should be doing, so let's bring up the law books and see if we can fine them for doing something illegal. Ah, there we go. "Working without a work permit, even if it's voluntary work". This concept however does not/should not apply to minor, everyday situations.

However, as noted above, imagine the following theoretical scenario. Let's say you are the victim of a plane crash of some sort. Your aircraft overshoots the runway at an airport in Thailand upon landing. Instinctively, you will want to help yourself first, then, if you are in the clear others who face immediate danger. As soon as the authorities make it to the burning wreckage of the aircraft, you let those people take over. However, if you do nothing in the meantime and only assist yourself, let's say 10 people die that could have survived had you helped them. The airline involved could be a foreign airline with almost no Thai passengers aboard (in fact, many flights to/from Thailand have few Thai passengers) although it's kind of irrelevant either way because you would be helping people without regard to nationality - but certainly you wouldn't be arrested for "working without a work permit" in such a situation? If the flight had few to no Thai passengers, there would be no one to call the authorities on you, hence why I made that example.

[Peterw42]

If the plane overshoots the runway on landing, you are not in thailand yet as you have not passed through immigration.