Please think of the waterways when you buy a krathong!

Thais believe that if they offer thanks to the “Goddess of Water” (our lifeblood) by moonlight, light candles and joss sticks, make a wish, launch their krathongs on canals, lakes, rivers or even small ponds, the krathongs will carry away sins and bad luck, and it is time to start the coming New Year, being joyful and happy, as suffering is floated away. This is a wonderful way to celebrate with love ones.

The only problem is, these past years, we have been polluting our ocean and other waterways by buying krathongs made with a base of styrofoam for flotation, instead of biodegradable banana stalks or bread slices. They all used to be made that way and were not harmful to our waterways.

Now, a few uncaring people take a shortcut and use styrofoam and large nails in order to make it easy – a lazy, uncaring way to turn a profit from unknowing farangs, not realising the damage it does. Then we all go home, after a night polluting the waterways. 

If you care, and we are sure you do, help us take care of our waterways. Please only buy krathongs made from natural biodegradable material such as banana stalks or bread loaves. Pattaya City Hall also asks everyone and makes it a crime to sell the styrofoam kind.

A few people sell us things that pollute our waterways, which was intended to give us, our waterways, and the world, good luck. We know you care about what is happening to our waterways. 

For days after the celebration, banana leaves with large nails in them, instead of bamboo, toothpicks or small staples, float onto our shores. The rusty nails injure many children and adults who step on them, the styrofoam base breaks up, is ingested by much of our sea life, turtles, dolphins, seabirds, clams, crabs. Many die.

Please think and look before you purchase. Thank you. Make it good luck also for Mother Nature. We should all be here to help, not destroy. Now more then ever.

KOTO, Keeper of the Ocean