CHONBURI, Thailand – Social media users are expressing their anger after a video surfaced showing a woman in her 40s or 50s, driving a luxury car, carelessly dumping a bag of trash into the sea from the Cholamarkwithi Bridge, a key tourist landmark in Chonburi Province on August 28.
The incident, captured by a dashboard camera and shared on the Facebook page “Chonburi News,” shows the woman parking her black Mercedes on the red and white-lined section of the bridge. She then casually exits the vehicle and throws a ball-sized garbage bag into the water, despite a trash can being only 20 meters away.
The post was captioned: “Is this too careless? Just 20 meters away is a trash bin. Drives a car worth millions but does this. She loves her car but not the environment.”
The video quickly went viral, sparking widespread criticism of the woman’s actions. Netizens condemned her and the driver for their disregard for the environment, despite their apparent wealth. Many have called for legal action against the woman to set a precedent, especially since the car’s license plate was clearly visible in the footage.
Following the incident, reporters visited the scene and confirmed that the location where the woman discarded the trash is near a dim sum restaurant on the bridge. Notably, a trash can was located within 100 meters of the spot.
A local vendor, referred to as Mr. Ek (pseudonym), who sells drinks along the seaside bridge, mentioned that this kind of careless behavior is common. He often witnesses both tourists and locals dumping trash into the sea, particularly after gatherings where people drink and socialize on the bridge.
“I would like to urge tourists and locals who frequently dump trash into the sea to use the trash bins provided. Such actions reflect carelessness and a disregard for the environment, harming the marine ecosystem. It not only causes the seawater to stink but also affects marine life,” Mr. Ek stated.
Wittaya Khunpluem, the President of the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO), expressed his concern, emphasizing that Cholamarkwithi Bridge is a significant tourist landmark and plays a crucial role in easing traffic on the main roads. He called for cooperation from both locals and tourists to follow societal rules and dispose of trash properly.
“I urge those who drive or engage in activities on the bridge to use the trash bins, not the sea.”
Moving forward, the PAO will coordinate with Chonburi Municipality to increase the number of trash disposal points. Regarding this incident, the Chonburi PAO will refer the matter to the Bang Sai Subdistrict Municipality, which oversees the area, to take legal action under the Public Cleanliness Act,” said the Chonburi PAO President.
