News Forum - Hongkongers to pay 4.5 baht for plastic bags

[Thaiger]

Hongkongers are to pay HK$1 (4.5 baht, US$0.13) for each plastic bag at supermarkets from next week, according to the South China Morning Post. It’s the first increase in 13 years. Hongkongers will pay for plastic bags for chilled or frozen items, but not for takeaway food or loose fresh goods. All operators, including major chains such as ParknShop and Wellcome have been given a one-month grace period to fully comply with the new rule, said Bruno Luk Kar-kin, the deputy director of Hong Kong’s environmental protection department. Government workers posing as shoppers will carry out spot checks after December […]

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[Ramanathan.P]

Yes, Thailand also can follow this. Just implement in all the major tourists destinations and big cities. Let them carry their own bag. The money collected can be used for environmental developments in the local council. May be Thailand can start with 10baht. That would be a good number to start

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Ramanathan.P said:

Yes, Thailand also can follow this. Just implement in all the major tourists destinations and big cities. Let them carry their own bag. The money collected can be used for environmental developments in the local council. May be Thailand can start with 10baht. That would be a good number to start

Thailand introduced a charge for plastic bags some years ago. However, adherence to this seems to only apply only in the bigger stores. Even then, it’s implemented in the usual half baked way. If you go in to Tops supermarket for example, you will still see reels of free plastic bags around the loose fruit and veg area. I see people taking handfuls and pack their other groceries in those free bags regularly. 7/11 also banned them and then slowly backed off. They now give you a free polluting plastic bag when you spend more than 150 baht. 
 

Of course non of this matters to the Thai authorities. When some UN or NGO survey takes place and asks the limited question -  “which countries have a progressive policy of limiting plastic bag use?”  Thailand gets a tick in the box and moves up the rankings. Asian grin fu*king at its best