FOR THE EXPAT IN ALL OF US! ISSUE 451 3rd November 2017
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P A N AMA BAR
Good Times Every Night A DJ To Save Your Life
good and bad
the best and worst of thailand in one week
•In•the week following the magnificent and majestic ceremonies Thailand organised to say farewell to thailand
their greatest ever monarch, which displayed the very best of what Thais are capable of, there has once again been stark evidence of the very opposite as well. We take absolutely no pleasure in pointing out or highlighting problems that exist here, but this week the lifeblood of tourism in Hua Hin, the beaches, have once again been in national and international headlines, as a huge pile of trash was deposited along the coast by the winds and high seas generated by the storm raging a little way south of the town. Following the cigarette ban and the dead fish, pictures of garbage strewn beaches are the last thing the town or it’s tourists want to see. The good in this story is that the deputy governor of Prajuab Khiri Khan and local municipal chiefs commandeered army personnel and tourist police to quickly deal with the problem, and cleared a 5 kilometer stretch of sand from the Centara Grand Resort and Villa south to Khao Takiap. with more than a little help from the local Trash Hero group, who are out almost every weekend tclearing the trash. As we reported only a few weeks ago when smoking was banned on the beach due to the proliferation of cigarette butts left behind, this is part of a wider problem in the world, but also a particular issue in Thailand. Most visitors to Thailand are appalled at many people’s approach to litter, and it is a common site to see rubbish on the side of the roads, on the beach and being thrown carelessly from moving vehicles. This is not a question of the authorities or even individuals clearing this up, but one of a general bad attitude to the issue of litter; it really is a question of educating people to look after the place we live in, and AWOL will be the first to applaud any official initiative to do so. As a footnote, please pass on or dispose of this copy responsibly - we are told it makes an excellent window cleaner!