Environment in a sorry state

EDITORIAL

Published: 5 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

While mass tourism will never be environmentally friendly, it can be educational. That is why it is encouraging to see that the number of Thai visitors to national parks over the New Year holiday season was double that of the same period last year. It is no secret that the best way to create environmental awareness is for people to spend time in places of great natural beauty and the prime destinations of Khao Yai, the Erawan Falls and Doi Inthanon showcase the best the country has to offer.

Many will treasure the experience and develop a lifelong commitment to protecting the environment. They will no longer be quite so susceptible to the eco-friendly buzzwords deceptively spouted by politicians and state and industrial polluters.

Whether from deforestation, climate change or excessive exploitation of resources, the environment is coming under severe threat because of irresponsible human activity. Those who have had a first-hand look for themselves will have seen instances of the environment being sacrificed to greed and selfishness. Apart from tree-felling, these include illegal building and random poaching of wildlife.

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ricardofel
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Discussion 9 : 05 Jan 2013 at 22.209
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Thailand has become a garbage dump and certainly no government official cares! In Chiang Mai riding my roadbike on primary roads garbage is discarded for mile after mile - sometimes there are large garbage dumps where people throw construction debris and other debris. It will never change just like all the garbage burning that goes on every day.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 8 : 05 Jan 2013 at 21.388
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I have seen school children throw their trash on the ground when a waste bin is right next to them. Thais are personally very clean, but there seems to be almost no concept of extending that cleanliness to areas outside of their home. On my first visit to Chiang Mai nearly 40 years ago, I was shocked to see every vacant lots turned into a rubbish heap. At least back then it was mostly paper and banana leaves. Today it is plastic that does not disintegrate.
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dao
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Discussion 7 : 05 Jan 2013 at 21.037
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Until people finish their love affair with everything plastic it will continue to litter the entire country .Banning of plastic bags and styrofoam would solve the problem over night .
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Largo
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Discussion 6 : 05 Jan 2013 at 16.056
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I could not agree more with these comments. It despairs me when I go out snorkeling and get to see few fish and lots of rubbish. There simply is no inclination to dispose of rubbish properly either by individuals or local administrations. Just dump it somewhere that is immediately out of sight and walk away. Also what compounds the problem is that nobody notices this rubbish. Baffling.
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lungstib
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Discussion 5 : 05 Jan 2013 at 14.005
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Sadly the big percentage of Thai visitors to national parks treat them as playgrounds and picnic areas. Few actually do long walks in the forest and partake in birdwatching or animal spotting. If they could they would drive their 3 litre SUV right down the trail. If we hope to see rare animals thrive in Thailand it will be in parks without people.
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jck
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Discussion 4 : 05 Jan 2013 at 12.504
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The mere fact that is felt necessary to post signs asking people to clean up and not drop garbage is a sad reflection on the respect Thais have for their environment. I cannot go 50 meters from my house without seeing discarded plastic and other miscellaneous trash. The root cause? Parents incapable of instilling in their children the need to treat the environment with respect and who will soon grow in adults with the same lack of respect. And teachers who have clearly have failed to teach the basics how easily the environment is destroyed by unthinking people.
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tamsin
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Discussion 3 : 05 Jan 2013 at 12.413
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Public Awareness films such as those shown in the UK many years ago, would be a start.
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Eggmeng
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Discussion 2 : 05 Jan 2013 at 08.232
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"Let us not forget that the environment - our air, water, lands, forests and all the other natural gifts of our country - belongs to all Thais."

Some would take a broader view, in recognition that the world's ecosystem is connected, and that we have a responsibility not just to our own citizens, but to protect what remains of the planet that makes it worth living on.

If we don't learn to get beyond our parochial thinking relatively soon, we are doomed as a species.
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EODGhost
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Discussion 1 : 05 Jan 2013 at 07.571
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Look at the state of Thailand outside its parks and other tourist attractions. It is absolutely filthy.

I have not seen such a more pride-less group of people other than the Indonesians.

Eating with your mouth open like a cow is common place among celebrities and common Thais.
Cutting in line, pushing your way past people instead of politely excusing yourself; throwing your trash out the car window, bags of garbage in the woods and even their own back yards...all this goes back to lack of respect, lack manners and lack of pride in themselves and their country.
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Environment in a sorry state | Bangkok Post: opinion