Thailand News

Izzy · #1 03-08-2005, 23:08

An article not painting a pretty Phuket picture.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4738745.stm

"The experts say Phuket has witnessed the destruction of coral and marine life, waste dumping by restaurants and hotels, and "the slavery of young children and women in the prostitution industry that has led to the rampant spread of Aids".

LivinLOS · #2 03-08-2005, 23:16

'Development' destroys the natural habitat.. Sad but true..

Izzy · #3 03-08-2005, 23:40

Yep, bitter twist, the more wonderful the setting the more people that go there and fcuk it all up.

stevem · #4 04-08-2005, 00:22

Unfortunately the article does speak the truth. Whilst the Thai government says the environment is on its priority list, there is VERY little done to show this.

Dumping of rubbish anywhere is a traditional Thai way, and until this is taken under control and attitudes changed, then the beautiful environments that we come to visit here, wont last for too much longer.

The part about women and children being sold into prostitution is unfounded. Let them produce evidence of this. I bet that they cant.

Coolhand · #5 04-08-2005, 00:35

Something I noticed in Indonesia, and its probably the same for Thailand:- traditionally food was sold from street stalls or carried from home wrapped in banana leaves, when the food had been eaten the leaf was thrown to the ground where nature took its course. In recent years, modern society has taught people that serving food in banana leaves isn't hygenic and instead, sterile plastic bags should be used. So food is now served in plastic bags, and after the food is eaten, the plastic bag is discarded in exactly the same way as the banana leaf used to be, only this time nature can not take care of the plastic bag, it being non-biodegradable.

Dodger · #6 04-08-2005, 00:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolhand

Something I noticed in Indonesia, and its probably the same for Thailand:- traditionally food was sold from street stalls or carried from home wrapped in banana leaves, when the food had been eaten the leaf was thrown to the ground where nature took its course. In recent years, modern society has taught people that serving food in banana leaves isn't hygenic and instead, sterile plastic bags should be used. So food is now served in plastic bags, and after the food is eaten, the plastic bag is discarded in exactly the same way as the banana leaf used to be, only this time nature can not take care of the plastic bag, it being non-biodegradable.

I am disgusted at this, plastic bags don't grow on trees you know.555555

Tyfon · #7 06-08-2005, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodger

I am disgusted at this, plastic bags don't grow on trees you know.555555

Errr.. I beg to differ...

LivinLOS · #8 06-08-2005, 15:38

Yeah we have kinda been toaught that garbage is not to be just chucked out of car windows etc but that doesnt seem to be the case here..

I remember with wifey1 riding around samui on a scooter.. stopping at beautiful spots really lapping the island up.. Bought a bottle of gatorade or similar and was drinking it as I rode.. Finished the bottle and had no where to put it.. Give it to me she says.. Then over lobbs it straight off the bike and onto the beach..

No thought for the implication of it not being bio degradeable.. Couple of lectures later she got it but it is just one of thier traits..

Burg · #9 06-08-2005, 16:32

The tourists are like grasshoppers, a plague of locusts (NL: sprinkhanenplaag). They enter a new field, eat it completely and when it's empty, they will move on to the next field.

Butterfly12 · #10 07-08-2005, 16:52

Hmm maybe they need to import something to eat the tourists, or maybe make something locally like a Thai Curry Monster.

I lived on a beach growing up that looked like Koh Samui. Now it's 20 miles of SOLID high rise condos and infrastructure 20 miles inland. I think it's what attracts me to Thailand, somewhat unspolied still with a nice tourist life. Went from a 20 mile free stretch of beach to about 1/2 mile of "public" beach. Sad to see nature get spoiled.

Mr Floatplane · #11 08-08-2005, 12:46

...The universal delights of 'progress'

For my whole year in Phuket I had The Eagles song, 'The Last Resort' running through my mind...

Down in the crowded bars,
out for a good time,
Can't wait to tell you all,
what it's like up there
And they called it paradise
I don't know why
Somebody laid the mountains low
while the town got high

Some rich men came and raped the land,
Nobody caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and Jesus,
people bought 'em
And they called it paradise
The place to be
They watched the hazy sun, sinking in the sea

You can leave it all behind
and sail to Lahaina
just like the missionaries did, so many years ago
They even brought a neon sign: "Jesus is coming"
Brought the white man's burden down
Brought the white man's reign

Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here

We satisfy our endless needs and
justify our bloody deeds,
in the name of destiny and the name
of God

And you can see them there,
On Sunday morning
They stand up and sing about
what it's like up there
They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise,
kiss it goodbye

wakeboycam · #12 08-08-2005, 15:46

On Lombok is the second highest mountan of Indonesia, the Rinjany. It takes 3 days to climb to the top. We rented a guide to show us the way but it turned out we could also have just followed the rubish trown away to the top.

Its said but as long as the people are more conserned about getting food they don't think about the environment.