Farang beach rubbish collectors wowing Thais

[toenail]

After living in Thailand over 11 years I now refuse to pick up litter along the seashore or elsewhere ( I had done a couple community clean-ups. Why? What I observe is it is the Thai that is dumping the bags of trash into the sea or leaving their plastic bag of soup or foam container laying around. You think seeing trash laying around or seeing a farang pick up after them would embarrass them- but they just sit around & smile. This country needs to educate their citizens to not pollute- but this kind of negligence proves Thailand is still a developing country.

[Mangostin]

"There can be no exceptions. Work is work, even if it is for charity"

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Tsunami-volunteers-warned-work-permits/4057

Apparently some volunteers were even asked to have at least 200.000B in their bank accounts, on top of all the other paperworks before they could help......can you imagine the discussion at the labour dept? "i no care 5000 people dead, you must pay money or you go away, money money money and no try to help if you no pay me because we put you in jail for 3 years and fine you too"

[2fishin2]

After living in Thailand over 11 years I now refuse to pick up litter along the seashore or elsewhere ( I had done a couple community clean-ups. Why? What I observe is it is the Thai that is dumping the bags of trash into the sea or leaving their plastic bag of soup or foam container laying around. You think seeing trash laying around or seeing a farang pick up after them would embarrass them- but they just sit around & smile. This country needs to educate their citizens to not pollute- but this kind of negligence proves Thailand is still a developing country.

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

It happens everywhere and is NOT LIMITED to Thailand only. Quit with blame of all Thais for the bad acts of a few. Thailand DOES NOT hold the solo license on this subject.

[2fishin2]

"There can be no exceptions. Work is work, even if it is for charity"

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Tsunami-volunteers-warned-work-permits/4057

Apparently some volunteers were even asked to have at least 200.000B in their bank accounts, on top of all the other paperworks before they could help......can you imagine the discussion at the labour dept? "i no care 5000 people dead, you must pay money or you go away, money money money and no try to help if you no pay me because we put you in jail for 3 years and fine you too"

Can you read between the lines? This is not the same thing as a farang picking up trash on a local beach.

[sugarcane24]

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

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

Well, after hundreds if not thousands of years of having to deal with virtually only biodegradable rubbish, many Thai people still don't seem to have figured out that throwing away modern packaging in the form of plastic bags and glass and plastic bottles or aluminium cans in the streets or wherever is not a smart thing to do.

In New Zealand, the government has been running a seemingly reasonably effective "Be a tidy Kiwi" campaign for years. Maybe a "Be a tidy Thai" campaign might make a difference? .

[impulse]

Apparently some volunteers were even asked to have at least 200.000B in their bank accounts, on top of all the other paperworks before they could help......can you imagine the discussion at the labour dept? "i no care 5000 people dead, you must pay money or you go away, money money money and no try to help if you no pay me because we put you in jail for 3 years and fine you too"

So far, you've said they threatened to arrest some German volunteers if they didn't stop helping victims immediately, and that some volunteers needed 200K in their account in order to help.

And you've posted a link to an article dated 1-1/2 months after the tsunami, warning that there may be a crackdown as early as the following month. No Germans, and no 200K mentioned in your link.

Where did the info about the Germans and the 200K come from?

Edited June 20, 2016 by impulse

[MissAndry]

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

England ...........

Almost totally litter free, none on the roads, none in the parks, clean beaches.

Spain .............

Seems to be no trash anywhere in Spain.

Thailand ..........

Dirtiest country I have ever seen, rubbish on the beaches, countryside, roads, monuments, it's everywhere.

[Roomuck]

I pick up rubbish twice a week on Jomtien beach . It's really good exercise, In 1 hour I fill up 2 big trash bags.

I pick up all the rubbish in my village once a week. The Thais thank me for it, often give me drinks, but only one has ever helped me.

I have also cleaned an entire beach in KO sichang.

There used to be a farang who cleaned the beach everyday in Jomtien, his nickname was Koto ( keeper of the ocean).

There is also a group called Green Pattaya who clean up areas.

Koto and green Pattaya often are in the press.

No one gets arrested for picking up rubbish. Another Thaivisa myth.

It is just an excuse by lazy farangs. As Koto told me "you can be part of the problem, or part of the solution"

[Roomuck]

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

England ...........

Almost totally litter free, none on the roads, none in the parks, clean beaches.

Spain .............

Seems to be no trash anywhere in Spain.

Thailand ..........

Dirtiest country I have ever seen, rubbish on the beaches, countryside, roads, monuments, it's everywhere.

The Thais shower three times a day.

And the English?

Very clean people these Thais.

[2fishin2]

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

England ...........

Almost totally litter free, none on the roads, none in the parks, clean beaches.

Spain .............

Seems to be no trash anywhere in Spain.

Thailand ..........

Dirtiest country I have ever seen, rubbish on the beaches, countryside, roads, monuments, it's everywhere.

England and spain isnt the rest of the world.... Edited June 20, 2016 by 2fishin2

[Mangostin]

"There can be no exceptions. Work is work, even if it is for charity"

http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Tsunami-volunteers-warned-work-permits/4057

Apparently some volunteers were even asked to have at least 200.000B in their bank accounts, on top of all the other paperworks before they could help......can you imagine the discussion at the labour dept? "i no care 5000 people dead, you must pay money or you go away, money money money and no try to help if you no pay me because we put you in jail for 3 years and fine you too"

Can you read between the lines? This is not the same thing as a farang picking up trash on a local beach.

I bet some people will go to extreme lengths to pretend some well knows laws do not exists......mate you can't do it!!! How difficult is to understand that? As soon as someone will thinks they can make some money out of him, it doesn't matter if everyone else in the country knew about him, as he and only he will be liable, as usual

[Mangostin]

Apparently some volunteers were even asked to have at least 200.000B in their bank accounts, on top of all the other paperworks before they could help......can you imagine the discussion at the labour dept? "i no care 5000 people dead, you must pay money or you go away, money money money and no try to help if you no pay me because we put you in jail for 3 years and fine you too"

So far, you've said they threatened to arrest some German volunteers if they didn't stop helping victims immediately, and that some volunteers needed 200K in their account in order to help.

And you've posted a link to an article dated 1-1/2 months after the tsunami, warning that there may be a crackdown as early as the following month. No Germans, and no 200K mentioned in your link.

Where did the info about the Germans and the 200K come from?

Yes i am sure if Mr Impulse was there, he would have cleaned up and identified 5000 dead bodies in maybe 20 minutes or so, no need for help, just as the authorities....ohh well

And Google is your friend too, don't look at the informations as your enemies, they are there to help you understand, ohh but maybe you don't want to understand?

"NGOs wishing to register must have at least 200,000 Baht in cash or assets, which was not generally the case" http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/93720/report-thailand.pdf

[ratcatcher]

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

England ...........

Almost totally litter free, none on the roads, none in the parks, clean beaches.

Spain .............

Seems to be no trash anywhere in Spain.

Thailand ..........

Dirtiest country I have ever seen, rubbish on the beaches, countryside, roads, monuments, it's everywhere.

Brighton, Benidorm, Patong? Maybe get out of the tourist cities to some of the nice rural areas.

You've obviously never been to Indonesia if you say Thailand is the dirtiest country you've ever seen.

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=indonesia+garbage+images&rlz=1C1GNAM_enTH684TH684&espv=2&biw=1360&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOhdXV57bNAhVKqI8KHYnEAiYQ_AUIBigB

[fullcave]

What Thailand needs is a no litter campaign to bring up awareness.

Something like "repect king and country and don't litter"

As it is the Thais are not one bit shy about littering... It's sad really.

[ratcatcher]

Yes, if the tourist don't do it. who will?

The Thai's say they love their country? I say BS, as they toss their plastic garbage all along the beach... They are all like little children, with no sense of responsibility.

They are obsessed with not having been colonised....just look at the National anthem. That's all that matters to most and it doesn't matter it's a dirty s*it hole.

That's the first time i've heard a foreigner say that. And I have to say that, now you mention it, I think you're right. It is.

I think I see my time here gradually drawing to a close.

W

"I think I see my time here gradually drawing to a close."

So, back to the hundred acre wood and Wol it is then? No rubbish there.

[Mangostin]

The Thais shower three times a day.

And the English?

Very clean people these Thais.

Sort of OT, but England hasn't exactly got an usual temperature of 35*-40*C which makes you just a bit sweaty even if you stand still having a nap, you know?

You just reminded me of some people i came across here, refusing to get a shower as soon as the temperature drop under 28* C

[impulse]

Apparently some volunteers were even asked to have at least 200.000B in their bank accounts, on top of all the other paperworks before they could help......can you imagine the discussion at the labour dept? "i no care 5000 people dead, you must pay money or you go away, money money money and no try to help if you no pay me because we put you in jail for 3 years and fine you too"

So far, you've said they threatened to arrest some German volunteers if they didn't stop helping victims immediately, and that some volunteers needed 200K in their account in order to help.

And you've posted a link to an article dated 1-1/2 months after the tsunami, warning that there may be a crackdown as early as the following month. No Germans, and no 200K mentioned in your link.

Where did the info about the Germans and the 200K come from?

Yes i am sure if Mr Impulse was there, he would have cleaned up and identified 5000 dead bodies in maybe 20 minutes or so, no need for help, just as the authorities....ohh well

And Google is your friend too, don't look at the informations as your enemies, they are there to help you understand, ohh but maybe you don't want to understand?

"NGOs wishing to register must have at least 200,000 Baht in cash or assets, which was not generally the case" http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/93720/report-thailand.pdf

If an NGO doesn't have $6,000, in cash or assets (200K baht), it has no business mobilizing people in Thailand because they bring nothing to the table that offsets the costs of hosting them in a ravaged area with limited facilities.

Nowhere does your linked report say that individual volunteers had to have 200K,

[nikster]

What i never get is with all the money that is made from tourism that they can't hire some people to clean beaches. I must say in most smaller Islands they do clean the beaches. (at least the ones I went to in the South of Thailand)

They didn't think of it.

But some foreigners taking matters in their own hands is exactly the right way to get Thailand to change in this way - and then the locals will also enjoy the clean beaches much more.

I saw a guy in Hua Hin doing the same - he was just going along the beach picking up garbage - every morning around 6:00 am. Not asking questions, not complaining - just picking up garbage and putting it in the bins. This, folks, is the way to effect change here. Really happy social media caught on to it.

[wobblyjohn]

manual cleanup is nice, but a small tractor with the right rake equipment can drag the beach daily at low tide and do so in a fairly small amount of time.

An elephant is cheaper and also a tourist attraction, maybe people won't throw litter if it causes the elephant too much work

[Mangostin]

If an NGO doesn't have $6,000, in cash or assets (200K baht), it has no business mobilizing people in Thailand because they bring nothing to the table that offsets the costs of hosting them in a ravaged area with limited facilities.

Nowhere does your linked report say that individual volunteers had to have 200K,

So wait a minute, are you trying to tell me that anyone which either can't or doesn't want to pay 200.000 Baht just to help without asking anything else in exchange, shouldn't be allowed to help in a tragedy as this??? Are you for real??

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level.

DEFINITION OF NGOS

www.ngo.org/ngoinfo/define.html

[Mangostin]

maybe people won't throw litter if it causes the elephant too much work

An elephant will be very likely seen just as they do see their own kids....an asset to make some cash out of it

[smotherb]

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.

[elgordo38]

Thai's must think their from Mars or should be housed in a rubber room. So sad. Polluting and garbage should be the number 1 item on the Thai's schools hit parade with weekly or monthly trash cleanups complete with garbage dissection to see which is the most plentiful. A law should be passed that if you are caught polluting they brand a "P" on your forehead for the world to see. Shaming seems to be in the cultural hymn book here.

Edited June 20, 2016 by elgordo38

[robblok]

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

England ...........

Almost totally litter free, none on the roads, none in the parks, clean beaches.

Spain .............

Seems to be no trash anywhere in Spain.

Thailand ..........

Dirtiest country I have ever seen, rubbish on the beaches, countryside, roads, monuments, it's everywhere.

England and spain isnt the rest of the world....

Ad the Netherlands and Germany to the list. I think in general in Europe its pretty clean.

[nkg]

Apparently some volunteers were even asked to have at least 200.000B in their bank accounts, on top of all the other paperworks before they could help......can you imagine the discussion at the labour dept? "i no care 5000 people dead, you must pay money or you go away, money money money and no try to help if you no pay me because we put you in jail for 3 years and fine you too"

So far, you've said they threatened to arrest some German volunteers if they didn't stop helping victims immediately, and that some volunteers needed 200K in their account in order to help.

And you've posted a link to an article dated 1-1/2 months after the tsunami, warning that there may be a crackdown as early as the following month. No Germans, and no 200K mentioned in your link.

Where did the info about the Germans and the 200K come from?

Yes i am sure if Mr Impulse was there, he would have cleaned up and identified 5000 dead bodies in maybe 20 minutes or so, no need for help, just as the authorities....ohh well

And Google is your friend too, don't look at the informations as your enemies, they are there to help you understand, ohh but maybe you don't want to understand?

"NGOs wishing to register must have at least 200,000 Baht in cash or assets, which was not generally the case" http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/93720/report-thailand.pdf

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.

Here is your quote in its original context.

Some organisations decided not to attempt registration . The director of a well know n INGO felt that the national registration process was too difficult and i nstead the organisation obtained a letter of sanction from the Nai Amphoe (chief official of the District, or Amphoe ). They felt this letter granted enough legitimacy to operate effectively in that district. However, they questioned the capacity of the Nai Amphoe to truly legitimize them, and were concerned that in the eyes of the national government , they were technically "illegal."

Some small local NGOs also chose not to register, partly to avoid what was perceived as increased monitoring by government but also because NGOs wishing to register must have at least 200,000 Baht in cash or assets , which was not generally the case.

Most organisations interviewed did not feel that the government was actively encouraging or requiring registration of NGOs and that the maintenance of operational transparency and discourse wit h local officials was sufficient to establish an informal legitimacy. At least two unregistered agencies have been invited to government planning meetings despite their technically ‘illegal’ status, which has provided some reassurance.

Edited June 20, 2016 by nkg

[peergin]

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.

Edited June 20, 2016 by peergin

[burgdawg]

Gentlemen and ladies...thank you for my laugh of the day with:

"...Local administration chief Sompong Damrongorntrakun said that about ten tourists were helping to clear up and that this was most impressive. He said that his department was not sitting idly by - there are regular weekly collections of rubbish by his men too helping to keep the beach as clean as possible."

I call baloney. I have never seen a Tai clean up crew in the Kingdom---ever!

The guy's crew were sitting idly by!

Anyone have photos to refute?

[nausea]

I woukdn't sweat it. You get used to it after a while, the trash I mean.

[sambum]

Go to any country in the world and you will see citizens throw trash away outside trash cans. And same country will have other citizens picking up trash under the name of some "clean the world" campaign of cleaning said country.

England ...........

Almost totally litter free, none on the roads, none in the parks, clean beaches.

Spain .............

Seems to be no trash anywhere in Spain.

Thailand ..........

Dirtiest country I have ever seen, rubbish on the beaches, countryside, roads, monuments, it's everywhere.

Brighton, Benidorm, Patong? Maybe get out of the tourist cities to some of the nice rural areas.

You've obviously never been to Indonesia if you say Thailand is the dirtiest country you've ever seen.

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=indonesia+garbage+images&rlz=1C1GNAM_enTH684TH684&espv=2&biw=1360&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOhdXV57bNAhVKqI8KHYnEAiYQ_AUIBigB

It doesn't really matter to this thread which is the dirtiest country in the world, just that Thailand must be well up there. I know that in (parts of) England, there are "Litter Police" who actually do their job, that there are bins to put rubbish in, and the Local Government Authority (LGA) are even putting pressure on chewing gum manufacturers to contribute "substantially" to the 60 MILLION POUNDS bill for cleaning chewing gum from the pavements of the cities!

Edited June 20, 2016 by sambum

[MyFriend You]

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.

Then you never researched the aftermath of the tsunami in Patong and Phi Phi.

What aftermath? How many tsunami volunteers went to jail? It's strange that there are no newspaper articles online about tsunami volunteers who went to jail.

Find me ONE newspaper article documenting the trial of a farang tsunami volunteer. I bet you can't. You've been fooled by anecdotes and bar talk, and the rubbish that gets spouted on this forum.

There are lots of places on the web which deal with work permits and the consequences of not having one. Foreigners being deported or extorted in order to get another chance do not generally make the news, but there's no shortage of anecdotal evidence.

Google is your friend.

Winnie

I've done a search, nothing, nada, no have - please someone post a link, and noit the one thast starts with "A friend of a friend of a friend of mine was arrested, fined & deported beause he taught English for free in his house" lets put the nay sayers to sleep. But I doubt anyone can post a documented, published, working for free or volunteerism that caused any of the bad things above to happen............I say it's all Urban Legend. If it happened to you, post a receipt of that 30,000 baht fine that has been bantered around. Doesn't exist?? Then stop saying it happened.

any takers??? I thought not.