What to do about too many "ignorant" foreign tourists spoiling Thailand's marine life?

[capasso]

we should also train tourist guides and companies, do not put all the blame on the tourists

[wvavin]

There is no best in both worlds. They want money they have to bear all these consequences.

[Odysseus123]

10 minutes ago, wvavin said:

There is no best in both worlds. They want money they have to bear all these consequences.

Spot on.....

 

Very little of which has anything to do with "foreign" tourists.

 

The country is dirty,filthy and polluted.

 

 

 

Perhaps spending a few thou for garbage bins might be a start.

[Cake Monster]

The Foreign Tourists are only ignorant as far as not being able to read or understand Thai.

 

Perhaps the Tour operators and trip providers are more ignorant, because they make their living from these people but are reluctant / unable to provide local advice or signage on their vessels asking the Tourists to respect the Marine Environment.

 

I am sure that most  Foreign Tourists  would show that respect - not so sure about Thai Tourists though, as respect and Environment do not seem to even enter into their thoughts judging by the amount of pollution of all kinds in the Country.

 

Just saying

[YetAnother]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

"ignorant" foreign tourists

not my number 1 problem; that would be about 45 Mill xenophobes within

[wavemanwww]

9 hours ago, JAG said:

Perhaps the first step would be to restrain the ignorant indigenous tour operators from encouraging/selling activities which damage the environment?

Sadly won't happen If bah to be be made they would not give a rats a.s.s

[soalbundy]

grind their nuts to dust and hang them is the obvious answer.

[wavemanwww]

Whatever new THAI laws are introduced and added to thousands of existing laws Nothing and I mean Nothing will change. As the laws are only really created to align some corrupt officials pockets and not solve the issue?

[boomerangutang]

It's indirectly tied to overpopulation - particularly related to folks who have extra amounts of money they can spend on going to (once-) exotic destinations.  Chinese are at the forefront.  Overpopulation affects many things, not least human migrations (over a million migrants arrived in Europe last year).  It wasn't long ago, there were ships packed with desperate people, floating off Thailand's Andaman coast.   

[boomerangutang]

5 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

grind their nuts to dust and hang them is the obvious answer.

Fish and turtle food.

Oh, before impaling farang on pointed poles, be sure to fleece their wallets.  I have an elder American friend.  He says his Thai wife told him, when he dies, she wants to be first on the scene  (with a hammer & chisel ?)- to get the gold out of his teeth.

[soalbundy]

1 minute ago, boomerangutang said:

Fish and turtle food.

Oh, before impaling farang on pointed poles, be sure to fleece their wallets.  I have an elder American friend.  He says his Thai wife told him, when he dies, she wants to be first on the scene  (with a hammer & chisel ?)- to get the gold out of his teeth.

True love makes your heart melt

[seminomadic]

Here's why it won't get better, and the same article will be posted with different words in 6-18 months:

 

Even if you DID legislate a cap on how many tourists a tour operator could see through any given site in one day, you have the issue of ENFORCEMENT.

 

Dollars to donuts, those police or civil servants in charge of overseeing enforcement of the rule get paid off to ignore the rule being bent.

 

Now all you've done is made some corrupt knucklehead working for the govt richer, and the ecosystems aren't the least bit less unhealthy for it. The s!!t show goes on. 

[Surasak]

9 hours ago, JAG said:

Perhaps the first step would be to restrain the ignorant indigenous tour operators from encouraging/selling activities which damage the environment?

How can you possibly suggest taking away the massive amount of money,  these ignorant indigenous tour operators earn from their inflicted damage to the environment?

[GBW]

5 minutes ago, Surasak said:

How can you possibly suggest taking away the massive amount of money,  these ignorant indigenous tour operators earn from their inflicted damage to the environment?

so I guess you agree. ? or was your comment, tongue in cheek ?

[Phil Here]

Perhaps they should look closer to home. Tourists will only go to where they can get to that has a means to get there. What about the Thai's that are constantly polluting the sea with all their waste including human waste. Thai's have to blame someone else so that they don't lose face. 

[masuk]

9 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

Years ago, I found a nice little area to snorkle, NE corner of Ko Pang Gnan.  While I was there, a small small fishing boat came along, dropped anchor on coral, and dropped a wide net.  They were probably looking to catch the few remaining colorful fish - for eating or aquariums?  

 

Also, while strolling along Thai beaches, I've seen lots of trash.  Every meter, there's something.  I've even seen discarded/broken bulbs from squid boats. One beach had a half billion chunks of broken bottles.  

 

Tourist do some dumb stuff, but the lion's share of damage/pollution is done by locals.

 

It's what you don't see which is most insidious.  Chemicals, pathogens and plastic goop are creating havoc in seas.

 

4

Yup.  land-based farmers don't foul up their fields, dump rubbish all over them, yet those on boats sure do.  

A few years ago I saw similar beaches in the south, broken bulbs from squid fishers, barbed lures washed up on the beaches, other human crap.  It was straight-out disgusting.

[Sir Dude]

Best thing to do is regulate and educate the local Thais and turn them from greedy scammers into people that care for their country's environment...if that's possible.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed. 

[GBW]

11 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

eBest thing to do is regulate and educate the local Thais and turn them from greedy scammers into people that care for their country's environment...if that's possible.

I agree, Where do you start? As always here in the LOS, its all about a short term gain and a long term <deleted>, the <deleted>  has begun, so they blame the tourist. What are these tour operators children and grand children going to inherit apart from <deleted> up reefs that their greedy family raped for money! ? 

[Get Real]

8 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Pesky foreigners, next they’ll be hunting endangered species in wildlife sanctuaries and attempting to bribe officials when caught. 

Or just maybe they will try to bribe them to get in. I mean, without a ticket you seem to be alright killing. If you have bought one you can´t carry a rifle, right? 

[Rgreen88]

As long as there's money to be made, NOTHING will be done.

[wazzupnow]

12 hours ago, JAG said:

Perhaps the first step would be to restrain the ignorant indigenous tour operators from encouraging/selling activities which damage the environment?

yes start with giving somchai some rules to obey, do not make them to difficult mai kauwchai mak mak

[flyingdoc]

Of course there is no way tourists could get to any of these sites, if they weren't transported there by locals, keen to make money.  That is where the problem lies, and where curtailment must begin.

[fullcave]

Thai fisherman destroy far more than poorly guided tourist. To them the Andaman is their personal dump site. Oil change no problem, dump it on the beach. Throw the garbage out before returning to shore. Drag the nets over the coral reef when snaged cut it loose. Drag the anchor over the coral reef until it bites then work it free when you are ready to leave. 

[Cabradelmar]

There is plenty of ignorance on both sides. Tourists and Thai. 

[chickenslegs]

10 minutes ago, Cabradelmar said:

There is plenty of ignorance on both sides. Tourists and Thai. 

Agreed. But, the ability to make effective changes is entirely within the power of the Thai authorities.

[Jonah Tenner]

16 hours ago, JAG said:

Perhaps the first step would be to restrain the ignorant indigenous tour operators from encouraging/selling activities which damage the environment?

Now that would require planning and forethought...

Som Tam anyone...

[Number 6]

It's all dead and gone anyway. Let em have at it.

 

It's not just idiot tourists. Dive boat operators and baby divers worst offenders.

 

Even the Marine ecosystem in the most remote parts of Indonesia is on borrowed time.

[Number 6]

3 hours ago, flyingdoc said:

Of course there is no way tourists could get to any of these sites, if they weren't transported there by locals, keen to make money.  That is where the problem lies, and where curtailment must begin.

Yes, the drama and fake news.

 

It could all end tomorrow, couldn't it?

[Thechook]

Dam foreigners again ruining Thailand.  Nothing to do with thais making money by encouraging foreigners and selling trips or the polution caused by thai boats.  Nope its foreigners