Apathy over trash threatens Thailand's beauty
I would like to thank The Nation for its continuing persistent coverage of the environmental issues that continue to plague Thailand.
In a part of the world where much care is taken to put a country in the best possible light by sweeping rubbish under the rug, it is indeed refreshing to hear the unmuzzled voice of truth. As a foreigner living in Thailand I have been well advised by friends to refrain from publicly commenting on domestic political affairs and while I take that advice to heart I cannot stay silent about the regrettable rate at which Thailand’s natural environment is being destroyed.
Grabbing headlines for weeks now, the issue of fire-clearing of agricultural or forest land is also related to another simmering problem that is less spoken of but literally grows by the hour: GARBAGE. In the two years since I moved to a moo baan in the Bang Na area I have watched horrified as what started as a small pile of leaves and plastic bags just outside the village gate rapidly grew into a mountain of stinking refuse, which soon lent a distinctive odour to the already smog-laden air. Today, it is a kilometre-plus-long dumpsite on both frontage roads of Kanchanaphisek, stretching from the Bang Na-Trat turnoff towards On Nut Road. While signs have been erected threatening prosecution and fines for dumping, to my knowledge there has been no such action taken against any violator. As a matter of fact on numerous occasions I have seen police slow down to heave the remains of a half-eaten lunch out the window and onto the filth-strewn sidewalk.
When approaching neighbours in the hope of drumming up some support to squeeze some action out of local government I am often met with the condescending smile normally reserved for ignorant children, an almost Gallic shrug, and the inevitable and infuriating “This is Thailand!”
Is this indeed Thailand? Will it then only get worse? Is this all we have to look forward to? At the risk of incurring the wrath of many I will put forward the opinion that this apathy reflects the dismal failure of two of our most important institutions – the family and schools – to teach our children at the earliest age the importance of making a moral choice, to stand up for what is right, and to put a name to the wrong. Any government is ultimately a reflection of the choices its people have been conditioned to make. I am hopeful that a united Thai nation soon makes the collective choice to preserve, protect, and enhance what is still a very beautiful country with limitless promise.
David Gorrez
Bangkok
