Nereus wrote:It may be a good idea if some of these "greenies" were to start taking care of what they already have, rather than jumping on a bandwagon that they know nothing about.
Of course, it is much easier for the authiorities to fine some hapless tourist 2,000 Baht, than to have and enforce pollution laws!

Well said. These would be the same "greenies" that pour their used cooking oil into klongs and etc.
I was once fined 500 baht for flicking my cigarette butt in the road, and fair enough, I shouldn't have done it, so I suppose I deserved the fine. Then, after handing over the money, I hung around for a while to observe. I can't even say how many people I saw throwing packets down, but yet they were not fined. I did see a Thai get fined for throwing a cigarette butt, so I can only think it's the cigarette butts which are the problem, while plastic carriers and packets are simply part of the country's heritage.
Old buses and other vehicles belching out black smoke contribute far more to the problem of pollution that what drilling rigs do. In fact, a mate of mine often works on the rigs here in Thailand, and he reckons they are far stricter than many other countries he's worked in, including the UK. There's no way oil exploration in the gulf will affect tourism on Samui, and neither will it result in pollution which is any worse than they already have. I think the problem is that the government hasn't done much to educate the residents regarding this matter, and of course most would have been watching the coverage relating to to Gulf of Mexico spill.
Don't try to impress me with your manner of dress cos a monkey himself is a monkey no less - cold fact