Scandinavian tourists cancel trips to Krabi

[webfact]

Scandinavian tourists cancel trips to Krabi

KRABI: -- Many Scandinavians have cancelled their trips to Krabi after their friends who have visited the southern seaside province have encountered polluted sea and garbage stench, Wiyada Srirangkul, chief of the Krabi office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said Tuesday.

She said the Scandinavian tourists have complained about polluted sea and garbage problem at the TAT office in Stockholm.

The tourists complained that wasted waters polluted the sea and they were too scared to swim in Krabi sea.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Scandinavian-tourists-cancel-trips-to-Krabi-30259891.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-12

[Blackfox]

A lack of transparency and diligence in handling funds for Thailand's waterways to education is seeing this country go south.

I love Krabi buy go infrequently these days due to polluted waters that are now festering the beaches.

Will people in power take some real affirmative action or shall they just keep lining pockets?

It seems it'll only be the beaches and waterways within military compounds that will be secure for the future.

It's a shame...but then we, the worlds people are all to blame.

[lovelomsak]

Will people in power take some real affirmative action or shall they just keep lining pockets?

Is it not obvious. They will do nothing drain as money as they can and move on to the next position of power that they will they buy with the money they make now and steal everything again in their new position. That's the way it works.

[Blackfox]

Yep, little to no accountability.

I'll go soon for waves off Phuket but not in the tourist heart land. Much of these beaches and waterways are going south also, worse by the year.

Another reason why I won't spend one foreign dollar here in Thailand.

[clockman]

Have no sympathy with T.A.T. Greed and corrotion have nearly killed the tourist golden goose. Lets see how they get on, with mass tourism from China

[janpharma]

It' not only in Krabi, llots of garbage every day at Laem Mae Phim (Rayong)...

[JDGRUEN]

Not all beaches here are bad... I live in Ao Nang. One problem they are likely complaining about is at the main Ao Nang beach on the very far east end of it. An open sewer runs there and has for many years. It empties into the sea near a rock formation ... There are plans to build a new hotel resort on that very spot - but no plans I know of to do anything to the sewer but create a channel .. A channel is already there - but they are just clearing it a little. Nothing being done as it joins the beach/sea. To the best of my knowledge there is no plans to treat the sewage or put it in large concrete pipe and take it far out to sea to be absorbed better. Basically nothing is going to be done... Maybe now but I doubt it. In the Ao Nang part of Krabi Province I do not know of one sewage treatment plant. Maybe there is one in Krabi town but I doubt that too. There does not seem to be any requirements for the many large Hotel Resorts - old and new to have a Sewage Treatment facility . I cannot imagine how they do not see this as mandatory. But there is no visual evidence of it - other than a series of septic tanks .... which seem to be totally inadequate.

*************

I am a member of Trash Heros of Ao Nang. We have had about 12 or more outings - ever Sunday and Earth Day to bring together a group of Farangs and Thai. We have collected thousands of kilograms of trash from Nopparat Thara Beach and Ao Nang Beach covering many hundreds of meters. The Nopparat Thara park service has been helpful to us. Since this February there has been a significant improvement in the trash and plastics removed from the beach. Most important though is that areas hotels have been sponsoring this activity with volunteer workers to help out on each gathering. There has also been a good reaction from the local Thais who go have picnics with their family -- they thank us and often join in. Plus I see them getting their children to use plastic bags to pick up litter and gather all waste items from the picnics and take them to a bin. We have been educating the Long Tailed Boat operators too and they have been cooperating to a degree. There are more trash bins in the area now. We have not made a breakthrough but we can see progress and learning going on. This Trash Heroes organization is also working in some of the islands with group leaders there.

[shirtless]

Thais need to put something back to maintain water quality and general appearance sadly all they think about is what they can take the tourism industry is sadly coming to an end and thais have no one to blame but themselves so for many it will be back to poverty .

[Just1Voice]

Word of mouth. The best, or worst, advertising in the world. And when others see that the Scandinavians are cancelling, they'll wonder why, check things out, and then THEY won't go either.

[mancub]

Word of mouth. The best, or worst, advertising in the world. And when others see that the Scandinavians are cancelling, they'll wonder why, check things out, and then THEY won't go either.

Replaced by Chinese hordes, who only contribute to the trash problems, sadly.

[TSF]

I was there the beginning of the month, it was 4-day weekend, so the place was at it worst, it was terrible. Been going to Krabi & Ao Nang for over 25 years, but don't care if I never go there again. The beach at Ao Nang looked bad, no way would I want to swim there, or ever sit there. Roads were crowded, traffic jams. The place once was a real tropical paradise but those days are gone for good.

After Ao Nang we drove up to Khao Lak. My first time there and it's beautiful, we swam in the sea and sat on the clean beach, trees and shrubs everywhere. The Scandinavians should go to Khao Lak instead. But give it another 10 years and the Thais will have ruined the place...chop down all the trees, pour the concrete, fill the roads with filthy diesel-belching vehicles.

[emilymat]

I sense a TAT 'road show' in Scandinavia soon.

[Alwyn]

I was there the beginning of the month, it was 4-day weekend, so the place was at it worst, it was terrible. Been going to Krabi & Ao Nang for over 25 years, but don't care if I never go there again. The beach at Ao Nang looked bad, no way would I want to swim there, or ever sit there. Roads were crowded, traffic jams. The place once was a real tropical paradise but those days are gone for good.

After Ao Nang we drove up to Khao Lak. My first time there and it's beautiful, we swam in the sea and sat on the clean beach, trees and shrubs everywhere. The Scandinavians should go to Khao Lak instead. But give it another 10 years and the Thais will have ruined the place...chop down all the trees, pour the concrete, fill the roads with filthy diesel-belching vehicles.

Khao Lak has been a firm favourite with Scandis (and Germans) for 20 or more years already. And with good reason! If you haul yourself 20 minutes north there are the most incredible and quiet beaches. Little bit pricey but what the heck!!

[thailandforumaddict]

Anyway isn't it just stupid to swim in the sea? Do they think that they don't see it, it means that it's not polluted ?

[Johnny S]

and Krabi is just the beginning to the end ....

[SpokaneAl]

When planning an expensive, often once in a lifetime vacation, there are many, many terrific choices. Why go to a place filled with garbage and pollution?

[taninthai]

been around ao nang/krabi for 10 years now,in my opinion the thing that has ruined the ao nang area and surrounding islands is just the amount of hotels that has been built ,the place is just to overcrowded now ,you go out to the islands and there is nothing but hundreds of long tails and thousands of people,you can try and get round this by taking a private boat and getting out to the islands early but then you have the problem of having to pay to step foot on the some of the islands,the usual greed and corruption appears and ruins the place.

i still love krabi and surrounding beaches i just don't bother going to the ao nang strip.

[webfact]

Krabi's dream destination threatened

Krabi:- Garbage and wastewater problems are threatening Krabi’s status as a dream destination among Scandinavians.

A major tour agency based in Scandinavia has already complained about the problems directly with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

“Our office in Stockholm has received the complaint about how tourists are afraid of splashing in the sea because of wastewater,” Wiyada Srirangkul, who heads TAT Krabi Office, said on Tuesday.

She added that Scandinavian tourists, who have visited Krabi lately, were also unhappy with foul smell from garbage piles around tourist sites.

According to the agency, the problems have existed both in Ao Nang area and on Phi Phi Island.

“There are many cancellations of bookings. This has significantly affected Krabi's tourism,” Wiyada said, “Scandinavians have high purchasing power and they usually make a long stay”.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/824790-krabis-dream-destination-threatened/

[JDGRUEN]

More thoughts on Ao Nang, Krabi... The Nopparat Thara Beach and Park makes for a much better outing than the over commercialized Ao Nang Beach. A rock promontory separates the beaches and the central and western part of Nopparat Thara beach is more than 3 kilometers from the sewage affected Ao Nang beach near the old Last Cafe which is still standing.

I have walked every meter of both beaches working with Trash Heroes. And never noticed any problems with sewage odors - and not much food odor from trash bins on Nopparat Thara Beach/Park. The Park Management people there are doing much more than on Ao Nang beach -- but it is not perfect especially around the boar pier. However, I would go there for a picnic any day ... A very pleasant and wooded area back from the beach a few meters.

Also -- there are other beach areas yet . Klong Muang beach is more isolated and far away from Ao Nang Beach and the problem there. Klong Muang Beach area is also sometimes quite rocky and as one rounds the bend to the extremely exclusive resorts there are industrial conveyor piers for loading of limestone rock onto ships. The Ritz-Carlton is just above those piers - totally enclosed and no one seems to mind paying the Hi So Prices. I have never been in there to see their 'private' beach because they do not let commoners in there.

The little village of Klong Muang is quite pleasant and not too overdone. Civilization is a fair bit away but that means Tesco Lotus is too. Quite a few Farang live there full time. In that general area there are at least two nice and large beaches that are sparsely used ... I have been to two that I know of and practically no one was there - a lovely place in sight of one of the King's Holiday palaces.

I do not know much about Krabi Town itself when it comes to beaches as most of that area is surrounded by estuarian rivers.

Koh Lanta --- a large island is known for being fairly isolated -- but easy enough to get to. It is actually more like a large detached peninsula - the separation from the mainland is crossed by a bridge. I do not know of any beach complaints there. They are however facing the prospects of a coal pier in the area in the future.

The problem with Europeans coming from far away is that they get booked into a hotel/resort and if it is in the wrong place - then they are stuck. What they do not know is that even in High Season one can do a lot of shopping around. But marketing hype is what it is and it is much of the problem.

Bottom line -- while there are some bad problems ... there are many good options for staying in the area of Ao Nang / Krabi / Koh Lanta / Klong Muang, etc. But unless a person knows what to ask and where to go - then a vacation can be ruined.

[wileycoyote]

Disappointing

Cleaning of waterways & beaches required

[femi fan]

I love krabi province and have started visiting regularly since flights take us directly from chiang mai down to krabi now.

Ao nang is a terrible place, and the thought of spending a holiday there is a nasty idea to me! I smelled garbage and sewage when i was in krabk in march. We were on a motorbike hired in krabi town exploring around all the beaches to find a nice one to stay at. Found a brilliant and quiet beach, amazing to find the contrast between it and ao nang.

I went to phi phi about six years ago and it's not for me. Far too busy and crowded, and full-on tourist focussed.

Where you get tourism without government regulation, you get devastation. It creeps up on you and then bam, it's too late. Ao nang seems to be like that.

Krabi town is a great place to spend some time too.

As for the good spots, those who live in krabi will know them, i'm not advertising them! Problems always arrive with mass tourism.

I used to spend most of my beach time on the other side in samui and phangan. I saw desecration in north samui.

A big shame. Greed always devours itself.

[impulse]

The plot thickens. Along with the smell....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/828755-muslim-community-in-krabi-protests-against-bt20-million-pig-farm/#entry9455961