Bangkok, 6 December, 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) continued its partnership with popular Thai singer and entertainer Mr. Palitchoke Aryanabutr (Peck) by holding another “Thailand Reduce Waste” campaign activity on 4 December, 2019, in Bang Tabun Sub-district, Ban Laem District, Phetchaburi Province.
Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT staff members and about 200 local volunteers participated in garbage collection, waste separation and mangrove planting in order to boost environmental awareness among the new generation of tourists and get them to travel with a greater sense of responsibility and sustainability.
An exhibition and product display to be organised will feature 5,000 souvenir items made from recycled materials. All proceeds, after the deduction of expenses, will be donated to an environmental foundation.
TAT’s goal to reduce tourism-related waste by up to 50% by 2020 fits in with the Thai government’s 20-year National Strategy (2018-2037) and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mr. Yuthasak said, “We are very pleased to have the support of Khun Peck for this very important project, which is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility agenda for 2019-2020. The preservation of our natural resources and assets is absolutely vital to ensuring the good health of our rapidly growing travel and tourism sector. Having star entertainers lend their support goes a long way towards generating public awareness.
“Thailand’s marine environment is an important tourism resource. However, it is witnessing a growing problem of waste. A survey by Ocean Conservancy found that Thailand is ranked fifth on the list of countries that dump the most waste into the sea.”
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, most of the marine waste comprises plastic bags, foam boxes, food wrappers, plastic bottles, and glass bottles. Next is fishing equipment; such as, nets and oil ropes. The monsoon season also brings garbage from other places to Thai beaches. All of this threatens the marine ecosystems and marine animals.
Mr. Yuthasak said, “We must all get involved in alleviating this negative impact to ensure that our marine environment remains pristine. We are already undertaking many campaigns to reduce single-use plastics, eliminate food waste, and enhance use of alternative energies. This will be another important step forward.”
Mr. Peck Palitchoke is helping to inspire responsible tourism through six vlogs under the “Thailand Reduce Waste” campaign. Filming at Thai beaches across the country, Peck and his fans and followers took part in beach clean-up activities while helping to instill a sense of travel responsibly.
The vlogs are to be broadcast online on TAT’s Facebook and Twitter accounts (Amazing Thailand and TAT CG & CSR). In addition, Peck also starred in the TAT’s one-minute online commercial on the “Thailand Reduce Waste” campaign.
Additional activities under this campaign will be held in January and March 2020.
