News Forum - Phuket’s Khai Islands overwhelmed by rubbish

[HiuMak]

11 hours ago, Stonker said:

Agreed, @JamesR. The rubbish is there and many places could do with a clean but it's nothing like what's described by a few here apart from in a very few places.

Nothing wrong with "living in a third world area in the middle of nowhere up-country", though, although it's not for everyone. There's nowhere else I'd rather be.

clean up walking street first 

[AussieBob]

Unfortunately the truth is that Thais have a very much 'farmland mentality' when it comes to keeping things clean and tidy.  Like most 'farmers' they just put things aside for later and over time the whole farm becomes very untidy and messy.  Not a problem on a farm really, and if/when things get too much they just set it all on fire. 

Transpose that same mentality to urban environments and that is why Thailand is so messy and untidy. But things were not always so good in the west either - we used to dump a lot of rubbish until it was decided to 're-educate' the people and impose fines for littering and start clean-up campaigns.  We never got as bad as Thailand because there was always the 'tip' where people could take their rubbish and have it disposed of. But then the pollies and bureaucrats decided to cut costs and they started charging people to leave rubbish at the tip (renamed 'environmental waste facilities and management department), so they started dumping it anywhere.  Thailand has never really had proper waste management - because (read first paragraph).

Until things change at the grass roots level, both in terms of services for rubbish disposal and education of people not to dump rubbish (and associated policing) Thailand will always be very messy and untidy.  Perhaps someone could tell the Junta that this will affect tourism and maybe TAT could be instructed to get off their fat backsides and do something useful for tourism by getting out and start cleaning it all up 

[RobMuir]

9 hours ago, Stardust said:

Omg you are really stupid like hell

Calm down mate, your are starting to sound like a dill 

[Marc26]

37 minutes ago, AussieBob said:

Unfortunately the truth is that Thais have a very much 'farmland mentality' when it comes to keeping things clean and tidy.  Like most 'farmers' they just put things aside for later and over time the whole farm becomes very untidy and messy.  Not a problem on a farm really, and if/when things get too much they just set it all on fire. 

Transpose that same mentality to urban environments and that is why Thailand is so messy and untidy. But things were not always so good in the west either - we used to dump a lot of rubbish until it was decided to 're-educate' the people and impose fines for littering and start clean-up campaigns.  We never got as bad as Thailand because there was always the 'tip' where people could take their rubbish and have it disposed of. But then the pollies and bureaucrats decided to cut costs and they started charging people to leave rubbish at the tip (renamed 'environmental waste facilities and management department), so they started dumping it anywhere.  Thailand has never really had proper waste management - because (read first paragraph).

Until things change at the grass roots level, both in terms of services for rubbish disposal and education of people not to dump rubbish (and associated policing) Thailand will always be very messy and untidy.  Perhaps someone could tell the Junta that this will affect tourism and maybe TAT could be instructed to get off their fat backsides and do something useful for tourism by getting out and start cleaning it all up 

I guess this is sort of a version of "my wife is different "  5555

 

But her village is immaculate. I can't think of one house that is messy in the whole village 

 

And I think Thais, well the ones I've known, are very tidy

I've been in wooden shacks that were more tidy than a million dollar house 

[AussieBob]

10 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I guess this is sort of a version of "my wife is different "  5555

But her village is immaculate. I can't think of one house that is messy in the whole village 

And I think Thais, well the ones I've known, are very tidy

I've been in wooden shacks that were more tidy than a million dollar house 

True - but overall in Thailand - and I have been to a lot of Thailand villages - most are very messy. There are a lot of Aussies that live with their Thai wives in/near their village - not all are in Phuket or Pattaya or Chiang Mai.  But yes there are the occasional village and town that is very clean - just like there are some places where the local police enforce the laws about wearing helmets - but the majority dont unfortunately.   Glad your wife is from one the clean and tidy ones - do they have animals anywhere near their houses?

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, HiuMak said:

clean up walking street first 

There are "Walking Streets" and then there are "Walking Streets"!

The ones up here, like in Chiang Khan, are pleasant, scenic, well maintained walks along the river-side.

Others have a different appeal and different attractions .....

[Marc26]

4 minutes ago, AussieBob said:

True - but overall in Thailand - and I have been to a lot of Thailand villages - most are very messy. There are a lot of Aussies that live with their Thai wives in/near their village - not all are in Phuket or Pattaya or Chiang Mai.  But yes there are the occasional village and town that is very clean - just like there are some places where the local police enforce the laws about wearing helmets - but the majority dont unfortunately.   Glad your wife is from one the clean and tidy ones - do they have animals anywhere near their houses?

There are the odd cows and plenty of chicken and some pigs

 

But I wouldn't say there are many though....

 

Plus it is a relatively well off rice farming village 

So I guess that would be a factor in it being tidy.....

 

Her mom's village is not well off at all

I guess I would call that more messy, but didn't see much trash there. Only been to that village a few times though 

 

But overall I would say I've been pretty impressed with how tidy most of the houses I have been in Thailand that we wouldn't consider that "nice "

[AussieBob]

11 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

There are the odd cows and plenty of chicken and some pigs

But I wouldn't say there are many though....

Plus it is a relatively well off rice farming village 

So I guess that would be a factor in it being tidy.....

Her mom's village is not well off at all

I guess I would call that more messy, but didn't see much trash there. Only been to that village a few times though 

But overall I would say I've been pretty impressed with how tidy most of the houses I have been in Thailand that we wouldn't consider that "nice "

I guess that maybe one influencing factor is ownership of the land.  As we know many Thais have actually lost their farms and are either leasing their own land back after bad debts, or are renting land from others.  One thing I noticed in the wife's village, and brother's and all the sisters', is that those who own their house like the Mother, really look after it so much better than those that are 'rented'.   I wonder if that is the key issue involved.   

[Stonker]

1 hour ago, AussieBob said:

Unfortunately the truth is that Thais have a very much 'farmland mentality' when it comes to keeping things clean and tidy.  Like most 'farmers' they just put things aside for later and over time the whole farm becomes very untidy and messy.  Not a problem on a farm really, and if/when things get too much they just set it all on fire. 

Transpose that same mentality to urban environments and that is why Thailand is so messy and untidy. 

Fair comment, and perceptive - I've never thought of it like that, but it's very true.

1 hour ago, AussieBob said:

Transpose that same mentality to urban environments and that is why Thailand is so messy and untidy. But things were not always so good in the west either - we used to dump a lot of rubbish until it was decided to 're-educate' the people and impose fines for littering and start clean-up campaigns.  We never got as bad as Thailand because there was always the 'tip' where people could take their rubbish and have it disposed of. But then the pollies and bureaucrats decided to cut costs and they started charging people to leave rubbish at the tip (renamed 'environmental waste facilities and management department), so they started dumping it anywhere.  Thailand has never really had proper waste management - because (read first paragraph).

Until things change at the grass roots level, both in terms of services for rubbish disposal and education of people not to dump rubbish (and associated policing) Thailand will always be very messy and untidy.  Perhaps someone could tell the Junta that this will affect tourism and maybe TAT could be instructed to get off their fat backsides and do something useful for tourism by getting out and start cleaning it all up 

Agreed 100% on all counts.  One of the district tips around 20 kms away, up a laterite track off the main road, decided to 'control' access for some reason and put a gate on the track. I only realised it led to a tip when I saw a growing pile of fly tipping in front of the gate. After a few weeks the gate was gone, the rubbish was gone, and everything was back to normal.

[harry1]

still awaiting beach management  in phuket as promised 20 years ago,mostly foreigners are clearing up the beaches,l shudder to think what becomes of the rubbish on these smaller island ?

[mickkotlarski]

On 10/16/2021 at 7:23 AM, AussieBob said:

Unfortunately the truth is that Thais have a very much 'farmland mentality' when it comes to keeping things clean and tidy.  Like most 'farmers' they just put things aside for later and over time the whole farm becomes very untidy and messy.  Not a problem on a farm really, and if/when things get too much they just set it all on fire. 

Transpose that same mentality to urban environments and that is why Thailand is so messy and untidy. But things were not always so good in the west either - we used to dump a lot of rubbish until it was decided to 're-educate' the people and impose fines for littering and start clean-up campaigns.  We never got as bad as Thailand because there was always the 'tip' where people could take their rubbish and have it disposed of. But then the pollies and bureaucrats decided to cut costs and they started charging people to leave rubbish at the tip (renamed 'environmental waste facilities and management department), so they started dumping it anywhere.  Thailand has never really had proper waste management - because (read first paragraph).

Until things change at the grass roots level, both in terms of services for rubbish disposal and education of people not to dump rubbish (and associated policing) Thailand will always be very messy and untidy.  Perhaps someone could tell the Junta that this will affect tourism and maybe TAT could be instructed to get off their fat backsides and do something useful for tourism by getting out and start cleaning it all up 

Forty years ago. The old country came up with KESAB. (Keep South Australia Beautiful).  During this time littering fines were increased. Similar acts were done all around the homeland. Thailand follows the West in nearly all aspects of life/society. But when it comes to things like population control, waste management and even promoting people to read more your comments hit home Bob.

How do you educate someone that can sit in a paddy and watch rice grow?

Totally agree that changes must be made at grass roots level. But it is only the educated folk that have their heads above ground that understand this. I also agree that TAT and the Junta need to get vertical and make changes but having an intelligent society may not be desirable for them in some cases.

In closing this will take ages because a whole generation must die first for a new one to enter the 21st century.