The Gulf of Thailand as communal trash bin

[webfact]

EDITORIAL

The Gulf of Thailand as communal trash bin
By The Nation

 

Merely careless or not caring at all, we toss aside plastic wrappers and create a sea monster that threatens our future

 

The recent sighting of a kilometres-long tangle of floating trash in the Gulf of Thailand was, to say the least, shocking. We know about the massive garbage “island” being carried around the Pacific Ocean on prevailing currents, but to discover a mess like this in our own backyard is worrying indeed – if not at all surprising. 

 

Thailand’s 300-tonne version of the swirling Pacific trash monster is believed comprised mainly of litter swept into the sea by this year’s southern floods. But the source matters little compared to the biting fact it represents: Thais are simply creating too much waste.

 

On a per-capita basis, Thais are among the world’s top users of disposable plastic bags. Thanks to our carelessness, our country has become a major contributor to the garbage that fouls the oceans – one of five nations collectively responsible for 60 per cent of the plastic found at sea, according to a 2015 report by US-based advocacy group Ocean Conservancy. (Sharing in our guilt are China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.)

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/opinion/today_editorial/30306957

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-02-23

[aussieinthailand]

We love Thailand we love Thailand, but we treat Thailand like a rubbish tip. Hypocrites. 

[Brer Fox]

The Gulf of Thailand has become a cesspit and a polluted environment for all sea creatures to try and survive in. But it's not OK to feed the fishes as the Fish Police use it as an excuse to extort money out of unsuspecting tourists.

Edited February 23, 2017 by Brer Fox

[darksidedog]

Reading the full article it seems Thailand is one of five nations collectively responsible for 60% of the flotsam found at sea.

And that the toxins in that rubbish end up being eaten by fish. Most of it washed down from streams and rivers.

Clearly there is a very real problem, that needs to be urgently addressed, though currently the culprits are getting away with it, largely through ignorance and a total lack of Government action.

Now take this in context of the Russian lady thrown in the cells for 2 days and having to pay 100,000 Baht bail, for feeding a few fish some bread crumbs!

Her arrest is totally ridiculous and unwarranted, as her actions were essentially harmless.

Every scrap of rubbish on the island that washes in to the sea is far, far more detrimental, and that is the issue the authorities should be addressing.

Of course, this is not going to happen, as that would require the Government to do something that made sense, and get Thais (and tourists also), to universally respect their environment.

[Black arab]

Wait for the announcement soons ,this is the falangs fault

[aussieinthailand]

14 minutes ago, Black arab said:

Wait for the announcement soons ,this is the falangs fault

You beat me to it, I have yet to see a Thai put their hand up voluntarily and accept responsibility.

[funandsuninbangkok]

Rich Thais are destroying Thailand building hotel after hotel with the sewer going into the sea.   Disgusting. 

[IMA_FARANG]

Human beings are scum who pollute where they live.

And not only in Thailand, but worldwide

When I worked on Crete in Greece my  rented house overlooked the Aegean sea.

It would have been a beautiful view from my house if the Greeks had not used the rocks to dump their garbage.

 

[johng]

Wait for the announcement soons ,this is the falangs fault

of course its the farangs fault !
if they hadn't of invented plastics....the world would still be using the patented Thai invented banana leaf to wrap everything instead.

[CantSpell]

Either blame the tourists or rename this new Island... "CP Island" sounds good...

 

Maybe make it a touristic attraction for K Kobkarn to lure tourists from all over the world.. 

[elgordo38]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand’s 300-tonne version of the swirling Pacific trash monster is believed comprised mainly of litter swept into the sea by this year’s southern floods. But the source matters little compared to the biting fact it represents: Thais are simply creating too much waste.

Newsflash is TAT's numbers are right expect 30% more this year. Again I have been around for more decades than I care to remember but I can still remember all the talk of raping our oceans of their marine wealth, oil, and leaving them will all our garbage and sewage as a show of our thanks and doing nothing. We are so busy spending money on making war on others while this silent garbage war accumulates waste and the seeds of our demise. We are out of "money" for important things besides wars items like honey bees and Monarch butterflies disappearing fish being caught faster than they can reproduce and ones that survive are choking on plastic. We are constantly killing the animals we share the earth with and species are disappearing at an alarming rate. The radiation from Fukashima is spreading around the air and waters of the world. The air is polluted the ground over fertilized to force it to produce more its crazy. We are so filled with greed that we chase an insanely high stock market because that is the only instrument left for us to accumulate wealth. Next stop Dow 31,000 or 41,000 built on greed. The shepherds that control us are constantly morphing into bigger and bigger entities to control us. What does the future hold for us. Send me an email at heaven.com

[SOTIRIOS]

...'We'.....???

[eliotness]

Old news really.  I read the report in November 2015.  It's worth a look.  The scale of the pollution emitted by Thailand should have been addressed years ago.  It (we) releases more litter into the sea than the whole of the EU with a much smaller coastline and a much smaller population.  When talking to Thais, if they can't sell it, e.g. bottles, cardboard, metal etc, then they just shrug their shoulders.  Some might say it's a cultural problem, but plastic bags have only been here for about 50 years, probably much less, so maybe it's just being lazy and not caring about future generations.

[anotheruser]

12 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Reading the full article it seems Thailand is one of five nations collectively responsible for 60% of the flotsam found at sea.

And that the toxins in that rubbish end up being eaten by fish. Most of it washed down from streams and rivers.

Clearly there is a very real problem, that needs to be urgently addressed, though currently the culprits are getting away with it, largely through ignorance and a total lack of Government action.

Now take this in context of the Russian lady thrown in the cells for 2 days and having to pay 100,000 Baht bail, for feeding a few fish some bread crumbs!

Her arrest is totally ridiculous and unwarranted, as her actions were essentially harmless.

Every scrap of rubbish on the island that washes in to the sea is far, far more detrimental, and that is the issue the authorities should be addressing.

Of course, this is not going to happen, as that would require the Government to do something that made sense, and get Thais (and tourists also), to universally respect their environment.

 

they have woken up.... there was a story about a garbage free Thailand drive and another story about recyclable bags. Never mind nobody has seen one in person as far as I know.

[pattayadgw]

Having worked offshore in the gulf of Thailand back in the late 80's this story comes as no surprise.  I've worked offshore in many oceans around the world and have to admit the GOT was the most polluted (plastic trash) i had ever encountered.  The water was thick with plastic bags etc. and had never seen anything like it before anywhere.  What a tragedy!! The government need to start a 'environment education program' country wide to educate people about proper waste disposal and also to impose heavy fines for those not adhering to the law.  When growing up in Australia it was normal to throw rubbish out the car window or into a creek / ocean until the Government had a huge campaign and spent a lot of money on advertising on TV, signs, poster etc. and imposed heavy fines... it worked!!  People soon learnt and became proud of having a nice clean environment.  

[jerojero]

Where's the PM on saving his country from becoming a trash heap.

[trogers]

You all missed the long term picture. This is the Thai way of land reclamation. By the next century, Bangkok can be relocated on to the gulf...

[Happyman58]

Ok Has anybody gone for a walk on the road and looked at the rubbish beside the road Lots and lots of plastic bags So imagine what the Gulf is like An idea for the government and this is killing 2 birds with one stone When i walk i see many many people not working Unemployment must be very high here  Get these people to go around and pick up the rubbish and start fining people who throw out rubbish on the road. But i see 2 problems there The people who are just sitting there and not work hate work ( That is why there are Khmer and Burmese workers here doing thai jobs) and the police are to lazy to write out tickets ( They sooner stand at working traffic lights blowing there whistles controlling traffic) So lost cause i feel

[SoilSpoil]

It will take a couple of nasty stories in foreign media outlets before the people in charge will address this problem. Bill Gates might chip in....

[rodney earl]

But dont feed the fish.!!

[saigonsunset]

The trash that's being swept in the ocean is just one side of the Story. My friend bought an old BMW and we took it for a lengthy test drive around Bangkok. To get a better idea of the car we took mostly side roads. That is where one actually realises How poluted the entire area really us. You see wild trash dumps everywhere you go and nobody seems bothered about it. Anyway, it is much easier to dump your stuff across the road than to dispose it properly and as long as there is already some trash you can always say ... mmmh but I wasn't the first one. This will only be solved if schools start to educate a new Generation but for that to happen a lot more has got to change. Not the best Outlook for the future though.

[ezrider62]

The government needs to push a keep Thailand clean campaign. If they did this It would at least start something good in the minds of the Thai people. There is a culture of accepting pollution as OK among most of the Thais. I see this everywhere and it's a real pity just passes on from generation to generation. Hope things get better.

[MarkusAUST]

On 23/02/2017 at 9:30 AM, Black arab said:

Wait for the announcement soons ,this is the falangs fault

Of course it is the Farangs fault. Much of the reasons why, are documented in another story yesterday about a whale dying in the polluted Gulf.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/970398-corpse-of-wounded-bruda-whale-found-off-prachuap-khiri-khan/

 

[Retiredandhappyhere]

9 hours ago, Happyman58 said:

Ok Has anybody gone for a walk on the road and looked at the rubbish beside the road Lots and lots of plastic bags So imagine what the Gulf is like An idea for the government and this is killing 2 birds with one stone When i walk i see many many people not working Unemployment must be very high here  Get these people to go around and pick up the rubbish and start fining people who throw out rubbish on the road. But i see 2 problems there The people who are just sitting there and not work hate work ( That is why there are Khmer and Burmese workers here doing thai jobs) and the police are to lazy to write out tickets ( They sooner stand at working traffic lights blowing there whistles controlling traffic) So lost cause i feel

Look Hppyman58, you just do not understand.  According to the latest Government statistics, only 1.9% of the people of working age in Thailand are in fact unemployed, so where are all these unemployed workers you speak of coming from?  The other 98.1% are all gainfully employed apparently and, as a result, are presumably deliriously happy.  Still, on second thoughts, if like me you have managed to stop laughing at the so-called unemployment statistics, perhaps you might be able to scour the country for a few people capable and willing to do the job you speak of and at least make a start on reducing the appalling piles of rubbish everywhere.

 

You only have to look at the superb quality of the artwork performed by the country's electricians and plumbers, not to mention the craftmanship of the guys taking care of the footpaths in the cities, to realise the extent of the tremendous pride that Thais take in the appearance (and safety) of their country.