Khao Tao Lake

[HHTel]

I could post garbage left on beaches and other sites in the UK. Often cleared up by volunteers.

Dumping and laziness isn't exclusive to Thailand.

[buksida]

There's absolutely no comparison between the UK and Thailand in terms of trash - it is everywhere here.

I put it down to being "trash blind" - they simply don't view it as something that doesn't belong there. That and laziness.

[bigston]

And i think its the attitude of a lot of people, pretty much all over, especially the change where i came from, in Aust.
so many times there would be a rubbish bin less than 10 metres away, but no, they just leave their rubbish, or drop it out of the open car door
Lazy, yes, attitude, they dont give a xxxx
it comes from the top and with more and more "adults " ??? being the culprits, great models....

[Big Boy]

There's absolutely no comparison between the UK and Thailand in terms of trash - it is everywhere here.

I put it down to being "trash blind" - they simply don't view it as something that doesn't belong there. That and laziness.

My best example was travelling to Kuala Lumpur by train. As soon as we crossed the Thai/Malaysian border, the difference was like night and day. Malaysia was spotless in comparison.

[Big Boy]

Well, after yesterday's clean up team had done their thing around the lake, things were a lot better this morning, but still plenty of rubbish to be seen. It is my personal opinion that with the right reaching tool, it would be possible to remove 98% of the debris by one person in less than a day.

Some of the rubbish has been there for weeks (see the slime, etc.), and some of it is so large, it is incomprehensible how the clean-up team missed it.

I had to take a photo of the terrapin which had found a rubbish free oasis to sunbathe in. We saw 5 monitor lizards today, but none where I could get a decent photo. However, I did manage to video a baby one running up the mountainside.

Of course, the following is only part of the rubbish scattered around Hua Hin's Jewel in the Crown. Such a shame, as it could be easily resolved/maintained.

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Video of lizard to be added soon.

Added:

[buksida]

Sounds like a job for the Hua Hin Trash Heroes!

When we ran a TH chapter down here, we'd clean the same stretch of beach every couple of weeks because the trash kept returning (eventually we gave up as it seemed that we were cleaning up after the same people). Until they're educated not to, people will keep throwing their shit in the lake. Its such a shame because it looks like an oasis for wildlife there also.

[PeteC]

Send the photos to the controlling Gov office, and to the local newspaper. Keep sending them daily until their loss of face gets so extreme they'll have to do something.

Forget the blah, blah, blah about teaching people. It's not possible with this current generation(s).

[Big Boy]

They seem to ignore Khao Tao, although the Tessebahn often send cleaning team down there, and I've seen the army NCO school doing a turn. Unfortunately, nobody does it properly. All they'd need is a small net on a long pole, an elongated pair of grabbers and a big wheelie bin. One person could probably do it in half a day, However some stuff, such as this

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has been floating in the same place for months. It is so big, I don't understand how it is always missed by the various teams.

Seeing where a lot of the rubbish lays, I'd guess a lot of it is thanks to the many fishermen.

Give me a long poled net and/or an elongated pair of grabbers, and I'd gladly do a clean-up once a week. I walk the walk most days, it wouldn't take long.

[HHTel]

Send the photos to the controlling Gov office, and to the local newspaper. Keep sending them daily until their loss of face gets so extreme they'll have to do something.

Forget the blah, blah, blah about teaching people. It's not possible with this current generation(s).

I was about to say the same thing. Pictures like those should be put under everyone's noses.

[Big Boy]

Thinking about it, in the last few months we've also seen 2 double decker buses on different days offload a load of school kids, who have also participated in a clean. So the thought is there (probably the most cleaned public place in Thailand), but nobody seems to have the right tools. Most of this rubbish is out of reach unless you get into the water. The necessary tools are basic, and even a technical ignoramus like me could design them. There must be somebody in the Tessebahn with an equivalent half a technical brain cell who could design something suitable.

It will be interesting to see what tools they use on 9th November to remove the Krathongs, many of which will also be out of normal reach. I will post a photo if I see one.

[PeteC]

They're going to have to use a boat I would think for that volume of material.

[Big Boy]

That works for the items in the lake, but the footpath going around 3/4 of the lake creates about an 8' channel between the path and the shore. Whilst you could get a boat into places, it would be unsuitable for much of that channel i.e. a lot is overgrown with trees and shrubs (nature ). It is in this channel where the rubbish congregates, and it will also trap many krathongs. You will see, 80% of the thousands of krathongs will be gone within a week.

It is also in this channel where we see most of the nature that we love to see each day.

[HHTel]

There's incentive to clear up the kratongs as they usually have coins in them.

[Big Boy]

Not from my family

The kids have usually got there first, taken the coins and left the krathongs. I remember a kiddie coming up to Mrs BB last year with a big bag of coins. He was delighted that he was finding coins on the krathongs, and was inviting wheelchair bound Mrs BB to join him

[Big Boy]

As promised, I returned to Khao Tao about 10am this morning, and the clean-up operation was well underway along the main drag of the lake. The Tessebahn truly deserve 10/10 for their efforts (not something you hear very often) along this stretch.

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I had to take a photo of this baby. Yes, he truly was a baby at about 9" long - they grow to about twice this size.

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The rest of the lake still had to be addressed, but it was still in quite good shape. The North East corner had a bit of a collection, and the South bank had a bit of debris, but it is all easily clearable.

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Good news for the lake. It looks as though this half finished resort/eyesore is being demolished after several years.

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