Pattaya may have been spared the wrath of Pabuk, but its beaches became the tropical storm’s dumping ground.
Waves of garbage washed up on shorelines from Jomtien to Bali Hai Pier to Naklua as five-meter swells across the Gulf of Thailand churned up the ring of plastic encircling Thailand.
Boonma Korsem, chairman of the Naklua artisanal fisherman’s group, led members in collecting garbage floating in the bay Jan. 6.
Storm surge also played a role in the pollution, as it reached inland 50 meters during high tide in Pattaya. The flooding swept local garbage into the sea, adding to what was already washing ashore from Pabuk.
The fishermen arranged for Pattaya garbage collectors to haul away the rubbish they brought ashore. Boonma said they weren’t able to get all the trash, it was better than doing nothing.
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