Team of Western & Thai Volunteers Clean Up Wongamat Beach in One Hour
Story by Albert Jack



PATTAYA: After calls from Norwegian national, Ivan Bade, for volunteers to join him in a campaign to clean up Pattaya’s beaches, a team of people gathered at 8am on Sunday 3rd July at Wongamat, Soi 18, North Pattaya.

Volunteers, both Thai and Western, then spread out across the beach and within one-hour the entire 1.5 km stretch of sand and pathways were clear of litter.

One of the group, Doug Richardson, said ‘we walk this beach every morning and the litter piling up is getting worse and worse. Somebody had to do something and so it was great to be involved. A real sense of accomplishing something. And, also, great exercise too. I will definitely make this a weekly contribution to the area I live in.’

Ivan was pleased with the turn out and said, ‘we should make this a weekly event and will try to have as many beaches in Pattaya looked after in this way, every weekend.

Full story: http://pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/226626/team-western-thai-volunteers-clean-wongamat-beach-one-hour/


-- Pattaya One 2016-07-04

Good exercise.

Wonder if you can see a difference a week after the "cleanup".

The farang who started this probably has a home with a beachfront view. The rest are cleaning up his front yard.

The farang who started this probably has a home with a beachfront view. The rest are cleaning up his front yard.

Says Mr. Grumpy

Good that they, both Thai and Western volunteers, are doing it, but pathetic that they have to.

What about the local authority helping by employing people to do it, by providing plenty of rubbish bins and maybe, just maybe by teaching people to either use the bins or to take rubbish home with them.

Oops, sorry, I was daydreaming there.

The farang who started this probably has a home with a beachfront view. The rest are cleaning up his front yard.

Says Mr. Grumpy

I know I am Mr Grumpy. It's true. I wasn't always this way. I used to clean the street like these guys too. It didn't inspire anyone else to action. people just walked by and said something positive. A week or so later it was a horrible mess just like before. Clean is not a part of Thai culture. The only day Thais make an effort to keep the village clean is that one day a year when the local village head gets the people to clean and cut down the plant overgrowth.

The farang who started this probably has a home with a beachfront view. The rest are cleaning up his front yard.

Says Mr. Grumpy

I know I am Mr Grumpy. It's true. I wasn't always this way. I used to clean the street like these guys too. It didn't inspire anyone else to action. people just walked by and said something positive. A week or so later it was a horrible mess just like before. Clean is not a part of Thai culture. The only day Thais make an effort to keep the village clean is that one day a year when the local village head gets the people to clean and cut down the plant overgrowth.

You do things because you want to do them. You dont do them to get praise

The farang who started this probably has a home with a beachfront view. The rest are cleaning up his front yard.

Says Mr. Grumpy

I know I am Mr Grumpy. It's true. I wasn't always this way. I used to clean the street like these guys too. It didn't inspire anyone else to action. people just walked by and said something positive. A week or so later it was a horrible mess just like before. Clean is not a part of Thai culture. The only day Thais make an effort to keep the village clean is that one day a year when the local village head gets the people to clean and cut down the plant overgrowth.

You do things because you want to do them. You dont do them to get praise

And I did it because I wanted to do it. Thailand is filthy. the Thai people like it this way. You've got to get used to it. Thais are forced to clean their schools for years and all that cleaning doesn't change them one bit. It's not in them. Most Thai restaurants are filthy too. You certainly eat rat poop and bugs every week if you eat out a lot. Very few restaurants or even bars could pass the standards found in developed countries. Nothing is changing fast here. Even wealthy Thais don't know what clean is. Their homes are clean only because of maids. I stopped cleaning the street because I just got older and tired. I'm a lazy soul these days. there will always be new foreigners coming here trying to do what is pretty normal back in their nations.

GREAT initaiative .... hope it makes a difference as the beaches were getting filthy, but it is gettiing like that all around us,. why is it that Thais do not see it >>?? ! ! or is it inbred lazzziness

theres an army of able bodied young men in Thailand that make a living by forcing street vendors and other down and out people to give them their hard earned money, they dont have the time or man power to do things like clean the place up

This is great but the municipal government should be having crews do this daily. Paid staff

or work release program. All the beaches should be cleaned daily.

Why clean the beach??? The water

Is so filthy and polluted if you have any

Common sense you wouldn't go near

It. Stay at your pool to be safe!!!

I do the same as my fellow countryman in Jomtien once a week , you can come and join me anytime.

It's good exercise , and the reward is a nice shower when you get back home.

Feel good exercise and publicity

Cause

In 'one hour' it will be back.