TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT OR LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SERVICES:

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Bagless in Phuket

Category: , Posted:08 Oct 2009 | 13:48 pm

This just in from PATA (Pacific Area Travel Association)which seems to be a great solution to Phuket's mounting problem of plastic bags:
Bangkok-based travel agent Khiri Travel is seeking to raise awareness of the disposable plastic bag problem in Thailand and Indochina. As a practical first step, the company has purchased 1,000 machine washable cotton bags for distribution to tourism partners, villagers and staff in destinations it visits.
The 1,000 'Earth Bags' were manufactured by the Special People Foundation (SPF) at Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. The SPF provides meaningful work to Thai people with disabilities. Each bag has a unique design and all are painted individually by physically impaired artists, most of them children from Chiang Mai.

"There are two issues Khiri Travel wants to address," said Frans Betgem, the company's co-founder. "First, the unnecessary and unsightly problem of plastic bags. They take hundreds of years to decompose. They kill river and sea life and they spoil the aesthetic appeal of parks, villages, city streets and canals – many of them tourist attractions. Second, there are 1.2 million people with disabilities in Thailand alone. Giving them viable work at SPF helps their daily survival and their self esteem."
Experts estimate that 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are consumed and discarded annually worldwide – more than a million per minute. Even in developed countries with more advanced recycling facilities, less than three percent of plastic bags are recycled. Plastic bags are typically made of polyethylene. They can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills that emit harmful greenhouse gases. In the process they separate into smaller and smaller toxic particles that contaminate soil and water. Visit www.khiri.com.

Other News

Read more

New C9 Hotelworks Phuket Hotel and Tourism Report Released

Category: Hotels|Tourism, Posted:05 Feb 2025 | 10:44 am C9 Hotelworks has released its new Phuket Hotel and Tourism Market Review 2025. Phuket’s tourism market in 2024 continues its trajectory toward full recovery, underpinned by significant growth in Russian and Indian arrivals, alongside government-led visa-free travel initiatives. Passenger arrivals for the year reached 8.65 million, reflecting a 23% increase compared to 2023 and just […]
Read more

The C9 Sessions – The Growth of Branded Residences in the Philippines

Category: Real estate, Posted:23 Jan 2025 | 11:33 am Branded residences and mixed-use projects are becoming a significant player in Philippines’s hospitality space. As property developers, real estate investors and property buyers are learning, this is a complex space that requires well-structured projects. Join us for a unique 90-minute learning session about all the moving parts in this rising marketplace. The session will feature […]
Read more

Video Sessions From Thailand Tourism Forum 2025

Category: Hotels|Real estate|Tourism, Posted:22 Jan 2025 | 08:18 am In case you missed the Thailand Tourism Forum 2025 in Bangkok last week or did attend, and want to rewatch some sessions please find video links to all below. The event drew over 1,000 attendees and was the 14th year for TTF. We look forward to returning in 2026, but for now please enjoy the […]
SiaJai logo

Thailand's Leading Homecare Marketplace