BANGKOK, 7 October 2013 – Not far from Bangkok, Bang Saen Beach in Chon Buri, a well-known tourist destination, is experiencing a bombardment of up to 10 tons of trash being washed up on its shores daily.
The 4.5 kilometer beach, also known as “Bang Saen the Utopia”, is currently dealing with its chronic problem of trash and sediment polluting the area. Mayor of Saen Suk, Narongchai Khunplome elaborated on the issue that each annual monsoon will bring in trash collected from various “rivers’ mouths” or deltas, as the beach is geographically located in a point that particularly receives a lot of the ocean’s incoming waves.
Up to 10 tons of waste and garbage are washed up on the shores of Bang Saen beach each year – making it necessary for officials to start the clean up from as early as 5 am each morning in order to prepare the beach for tourists.
Trash-catching buoys have also been installed to help alleviate the problem, but with limited results. According to the Pollution Control Department (PCD), the trash buildup amounted to 16 million tons for the whole year of 2012, or approximately 43,000 tons per day.
