Monsoon blows waste onto Hua Hin beach

[buksida]

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Tourists planning to swim at Hua Hin beach are thinking twice after the entire 10-kilometre stretch of sand was littered with garbage blown ashore by monsoon winds.

The waste, which included plastic bags and water bottles as well as organic matter, was also seen floating in the sea off the popular beach on Saturday.

The incident is a natural phenomenon that occurs every year between October and the beginning of November, when monsoon winds blow southwestward from Chon Buri toward Prachuap Khiri Khan on the opposite side of the Gulf of Thailand.

Local people call it the lom wao, or "kite wind", said Hua Hin Mayor Nopporn Wutthikul.

As a result, the winds sweep a huge amount of waste under the sea at the mouth of the Gulf of Thailand from Chon Buri, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram to the province’s shoreline.

This phenomenon usually lasts about one or two weeks and is well known among local people, he said.

Mr Nopporn said more than 100 municipal officials were busy clearing up the trash along the shoreline, especially at a spot beside the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin, where many people like to go swimming.

He also said tourists should be aware that the seawater quality would be poor during this period and they may encounter waste that could be harmful floating in the sea.

Source: Bangkok Post

[lomuamart]

I walked the beach a couple of times last week and there was no sign of the above but I note that the article mentions yesterday and I was there Wednesday and Thursday.
Looking at the photo, I see those lengths of bamboo and remember last year when the rubbish was washed up. You wouldn't want to be swimming in the sea at that time as there'd be a good chance of getting speared or slashed open.

[sateeb]

I walked that stretch on Friday. The tide was higher than usual and lots of rubbish washed up.

[blue05]

yup, all day Friday the whole beach was covered, looking out to sea you could see loads of debris sweeping in, hope they get it cleared soon

[HHKS]

During the weekend it have increased. Tourists think it's disgusting and ask why people from the municipality do anything about it when it's holiday time.
Hua Hin is tourist destination and it's not look nice with this pictures in different social medias on the net.

[BaaBaa.]

Poor old tourists.

They were my first concern.

[Ginjaninja]

http://travel.kapook.com/view49398.html

No idea what it says but some pics and a video. Courtesy from Mrs. GN.
Mr. GN.

[tonymaroni]

Yes and it truly a disgusting site.

Debris everywhere.

I did see the Thetsakit out on Sat. taking pictures of all the crap that washed up.

As to 100 people cleaning it up. BS!

Select hotels had their own staff pick up in front of their venue only.

What would it take 3000 baht to have 15 workers clean up a miles of this junk.

Nah better take photos of it and pass it on.

[lomuamart]

I'm not usually a great supporter of any town councils but after having walked the beach for 14 years I can pretty much guarantee that around this time of year the wash down from northern Thailand will pass through BKK and enter the Gulf.
OK, the local authorities have a good idea of when this will happen and maybe they should be ready but it's a losing battle. Might as well wait for the run-off to finish and then clean.
It's nature and anyone who thinks HH beach is some kind of nivarna should think again. It's got sand, a 7km stretch, it's good for walking for about 8 months of the year and that's about it.
Yes the hotels should do more but they're only interested in their little 200 yards.
And in the past I have seen armies of workers cleaning up and I reckon they do a half decent job.
I'd be more inclined to have a go at the pony riders who just don't give a damn in the low season, which this is, and just leave the crap lying around.
Oh well, I'll walk it again later this week and see how it is.

[tuppence]

agree about the pony folk - they used ot be disciplined about teh horsecrap - but now you see bags of shite (literally) sitting all along the beach - when everyone claims times are hard, this is not a good impression to would be tourists.

[Big Boy]

Went down to Khao Takiab yesterday morning to have a look for myself. It was bad, but nowhere as bad as 2 years ago when I saw the same phenomenon strike. There was evidence that somebody had been clearing it up. Looked out to sea from the Chinese Temples, and there was still plenty of debris floating about.

Visited some friends at Sofitel in the afternoon, and there was hardly a trace on the beach there.

[Big Boy]

This report is specifically for the Hua Hin area. We've got friends over from the UK at the moment, and would like to do a beach BBQ for them. Hua Hin is obviously out, but can anybody report on other beaches around the area please e.g. Cha-Am, Ao Manao or anywhere in between please?

[Scotian2012]

It was really bad this weekend, I could not do my regular weekend jog along the beach as the rubbish was everywhere and included everything! I saw doctors prescription plastic bags, bottles, tins, packets of mama noodles, bamboo, coconuts, dead fish, even one of those scary looking crab things.

I didn't see much cleaning going on unfortunately. There were still people playing in the sea though.