Welcome to paradise - sorry about the rubbish!

[Destiny1990]

I not that negative about Thailand beaches in general.weather always nice here.there are chairs and food options at a fraction of the price in Europe.several beach avenues are great especially Jomtien boulevard excellent for walking its just as nice as the boulevard in Marlbella.people who litter on streets and especially in the ocean need receive hefty fines.Horses at Hua Hin beach should be banned.

[lvr181]

"The deputy local district chief blamed people who threw litter in the neighborhood klongs on the mainland."

 

That sorted out the blame, now get it cleaned up Mr deputy local district chief!

[Elkski]

How far in the past does one have to go to remember the pristine LOS beaches?   I feel like I missed it.. But this is somewhat true on any beach in the World now.;

[papa al]

1 hour ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Yes of course,Thais visiting on holiday would never leave rubbish. It is clearly the fault of all those pesky tourists. I do with they would just send us their money and not come themselves....

I with i had a fith.

[Grubster]

22 hours ago, Ostseefoto said:

This is the result of Mass tourism. All tourists should help to collect and sort the garbage. For a clean enviroment.

Most of us are willing to pay a little more for everything here if they would do something about this. 

[Grubster]

27 minutes ago, Elkski said:

How far in the past does one have to go to remember the pristine LOS beaches?   I feel like I missed it.. But this is somewhat true on any beach in the World now.;

No its not, most tourist beaches in the US and Mexico are cleaned and groomed every day. There are even trash cans there in case you feel like doing your part.

[Elkski]

I think the "they" must include everyone. 

 

I have seen the beach grooming machines. I cant imagine Thailand getting enough machines like that for all the ocean front.   With BKK being only 1 meter above sea level and all the flooding its hard for me to imagine that the  sewar collection and treatment systems can ever work for so many people.

[KOZMO]

On 12/19/2016 at 7:01 PM, bimmerbob said:

There goes our plan to visit Thailand!

 

 

Go to Destin or Panama City Florida where the beaches are sugar sand and it is beautiful there. One of the reasons i retired there after my

 

Air Force career. Beautiful year round.  

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

4 hours ago, papa al said:

I with i had a fith.

Thanks for the editor's comment. Typos: so you have never made one, or did you really mean to miss the "A" in faith....

Comment on the story, or do you just want to criticize the posters?

No time for any rubbish from you, there is enough to deal with on the beach.....

 

[Blackheart1916]

15 hours ago, louse1953 said:

Rubbish does not choose what beach to go to.It will be on all beaches,if not today,tomorrow.Way back,when you couldn't swim at Pattaya for the shit,we would go to Jomtein which was clean.Now it is just as disgraceful.

True, even the cleanest, most remote beaches will have rubbish on them if the weather and ocean conditions are right. Best to use one's eyes and nose, and if it's a bit iffy, well we can always head to the bar.

[jacko45k]

On 20/12/2016 at 0:36 AM, Ostseefoto said:

This is the result of Mass tourism. All tourists should help to collect and sort the garbage. For a clean enviroment.

I am quite sure the tourists do not travel on the aircraft with suitcases full of garbage, more likely not one single item of it.

All that is required of them is to dispose of whatever they purchased  considerately.

 

It is like inviting friends over and expecting them to clean your house when they arrive.

Effective rubbish disposal, removal and limitation by local authorities is what is required. If the tourists are the problem, which they are not, do not invite them!

[sabaii69]

21 hours ago, jesimps said:

I see you're a newbie and it shows in your post. Tourists are normally excellent at disposing of their rubbish, either binning it or taking it away with them. It's the Thai's themselves that litter the place, they come to the beaches with everything, including the kitchen sink and just leave all their garbage laying around when they leave. Lots are sensible enough to bag it, but then just dump it on the ground when the bins are full, which seems to be most of the time, instead of taking it home with them.

 

Also, as said in the original article, people living up the creeks just throw their rubbish into the water and during rainstorms it all washes down to the beaches.

 

There also seems to be no control on illegal dumping, many scenic areas are ruined by mountains of building and household rubbish.

 

In my opinion, it's caused by lack of deterrent. If there was a 20,000 baht fine for littering, and it was enforced, then there's be a lot less of it. Money's number one in Thailand and if the locals were to be hit in their pocket, then I'm sure there'd be a dramatic improvement.

 

Cue the Thai-bashing policemen who'll say that the farang are as guilty as the locals.

 

 

[sabaii69]

I live in a nice gated community of villas. There are walls around the houses and Thai residents simply throw their trash over the wall. Can't see it so it's gone.

[superal]

Visible rubbish on the beach is only the tip of the iceberg . Unpleasant on the eye for sure and also reflects the lack of care by the local authority . What do you think about the water quality , does it get tested regularly ?  You could be swimming in a sewer . Are there trained life guards / attendants for safety and to ensure vendor compliance ?    

[hoxman]

19 hours ago, FitnessHealthTravel said:

There is landfill stations behind the Court House in the South and at the Airport in the North.  In Australia we call them TIPS. 

You mention the landfill at the airport. This is a private dump that some enterprising folks set up and has become a toxic dump with all of the rains lately. For over 3 weeks there has been a continuous flow of black, stinky water flowing across the road between arrivals and departures. I am surprised that the van and tour drivers still take passengers this way, it smells so bad. And guess where this waste ends up....yep the ocean.

[kannot]

On 12/19/2016 at 10:33 PM, goferman said:

 

 

What about the ecosystem? There's a serious problem with garbage in our oceans or is that not worthy of consideration?

if  u cant see it it doesnt matter...Thai 101

[zaZa9]

https://www.facebook.com/TechInsiderUK/videos/582629068611150/

 

'Plastic' bags made of Cassava !

[Stargeezr]

Trash  is the  curse  of  modern  man.  We  should  all return  to  the

caves.  Problem  solved..

[Sydebolle]

Now that is exactly what those quality tourists have been looking for - the rubbish of the residents. 

The same applies to Pattaya's hinterland. Look around Chark Nok Reservoir; hundreds of tons of garbage while in the Map Tato area garbage is being openly burnt each and every night to the excitement and entertainment of residents.

What a farce; I just hope the tourists stay away for good - maybe that drives the message home into the heads of those responsible for 1) discharging garbage without conscience and 2) those in charge of providing proper garbage handling. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/20/2016 at 2:10 PM, samsensam said:

 

thankfully i did the thai beach thing in the mid 1990s when samui could truly be described as paradise. went back three years ago and couldnt wait to leave. awful place.

 

 

Even back in the mid 90s, when I visited Chaweng I could easily pick up a few bags full of rubbish on my morning beach walk. I built a pile at the north end, which had no buildings back then and burnt it on my last day.

I still remember the dispute I had with a local Thai who was adamant that it was the tourists dumping the rubbish, while I was holding a 4 litre plastic oil container that had washed onto the beach.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/21/2016 at 4:27 AM, Elkski said:

How far in the past does one have to go to remember the pristine LOS beaches?   I feel like I missed it.. But this is somewhat true on any beach in the World now.;

You'd have to go back a loooooooong way. Even in the early 90's the JR Palace ( the resort that was torched ) staff cleaned the beach in front of the resort and buried it early morning. Must have been a lot of garbage buried in that beach.

[thaibeachlovers]

7 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Now that is exactly what those quality tourists have been looking for - the rubbish of the residents. 

The same applies to Pattaya's hinterland. Look around Chark Nok Reservoir; hundreds of tons of garbage while in the Map Tato area garbage is being openly burnt each and every night to the excitement and entertainment of residents.

What a farce; I just hope the tourists stay away for good - maybe that drives the message home into the heads of those responsible for 1) discharging garbage without conscience and 2) those in charge of providing proper garbage handling. 

Tourists will never stay away as long as the travel agents continue to sell package tours to hotels that look nice in the brochures. Most of them never get further than the pool and the bar.

[6thST]

On 12/19/2016 at 8:10 PM, ChrisY1 said:

So.....what's the issue?

All beaches are similar......

Thai's are the culprits....They have no respect for their own country...

[mok199]

thailands jewel now buried under garbage..paradise lost...but we always have a new mall opening....yipeee

[DinoSabanovic]

On 12/20/2016 at 8:02 AM, Loeilad said:

Of course there is money in it! If the beaches are dirty the customers will go elsewhere..

Please don't think like a foreigner and thing like a Thai.

My sister in law lives in a house that has <deleted> old toilet and other cr** sitting next to her window for 5 years now.

They just don't care.

[MaxiMaxi]

16 hours ago, DinoSabanovic said:

Please don't think like a foreigner and thing like a Thai.

My sister in law lives in a house that has f**** old toilet and other cr** sitting next to her window for 5 years now.

They just don't care.

Care comes from teaching and teaching comes from rules made by parliament and ministries.

Fish always stinks from head

[Chongalulu]

On 19/12/2016 at 9:37 PM, Elkski said:

Biggest disappointment of my visit.   I tell everyone about the trash in my first moment or two of my Thailand impression.    Trash everywhere including the beaches, roadsides, yards, just unimaginable and the scuba diving sucks. 

I did about three live aboard trips to the similans which were good but about 12 -15 years ago. Is that spoiled as well now? The beaches seem to have deteriorated and Samui beaches,certainly from a swimming or snorkelling perspective are truly awful. The whole island now seems to be a s***hole from my trips there to see a friend the last two years

[MaxiMaxi]

On Saturday, December 24, 2016 at 4:15 PM, nchuckle said:

in did about three live aboard trips to  Sufthe similans which were good but about 12 -15 years ago. Is that spoiled as well now? The beaches seem to have deteriorated and Samui beaches,certainly from a swimming or snorkelling perspective are truly awful. The whole island now seems to be a s***hole from my trips there to see a friend the last two years

It depends on the season but the whole gulf of thailand Is suffering cause of the big rivers that descharge their waters In It, Including plastics that the villagers trow In the connected canals or klongs.

Instead the Islands of the Andaman sea like Phuket are ok during the high season butv when the rainy season starts then the rivers reopen their way throu the sand of the beatches and all materials goes to the sea and later back to the other beaches....

look this pagurus crab what has used as shell...funny but tragic  I

[3NUMBAS]

Visitors don't realise the beaches have 40 years of waste buried underneath in pits that were dug to hide all the rubbish from tourism ..there was never any organised waste disposal .never ever ..

[PoorSucker]

As rainy season has stopped and beaches are pristine again this topic is also closed, to be re-opened next monsoon season so everyone can complain again.