First comes Loy Krathong. Then comes the cleanup.
An army of sanitation workers spread out along Pattaya and Jomtien beaches early Nov. 20 to retrieve krathongs people sent to sea, only to have them come back hours later.
Ironically, Loy Krathong revelers send tons of waste to sea to apologize to the Hindu water god for polluting seas, rivers and lakes.
By the time the cleanup was done, hundreds of black plastic bags lined the shoreline, destined for a landfill where they will never degrade.
Joining the effort were volunteers including local fishermen cognizant of how much Loy Krathong damages the marine environment year after year. They scoured the bay plucking the last seaworthy krathongs from the water before they are eaten by animals.
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