Here at Wicked Diving, we do all we can to reduce our impact on the environment. As a dive shop, we know the choices we make can have a big impact. We use a lot of cleaning supplies, so using natural products makes a big difference. It takes a lot of fuel to run our trips, so by using bio-fuels, we make a big impact. But you as a tourist can also make an impact. You might not realize how many things you can do as a tourist in Thailand, but heres just a few.
1) Re-use your water bottles. Thailand is a hot country and you should be drinking a lot of water to stay hydrated. But that can mean a lot of used plastic. Try to buy a water bottle holder like the one pictured and re-use the same bottle day to day. Most hotels and shops will have a water cooler to refill it with. The large bottles for those cooler machines only cost the shop about 25 cents, so don't feel shy going in to a shop just to refill your bottle even if you don't intend to shop there.
2) Take busses rather than planes. The bus network in Thailand is very efficient and is much more eco-friendly than taking planes everywhere. There are even VIP style busses with more legroom than a first class flight.
3) Minimize your destinations and maximize your fun. If you only have a week in Thailand, don't try to fit in 4 different destinations. Most people don't know that you can usually find everything you want within a short distance of just one place. For example, if you planned to go trekking in the mountains up north, stay in a bamboo lake hut in Pai, elephant trekking in Chiang Mai, shopping in Bangkoks fancy malls, and diving in the Similans, you can actually do all of those things within a couple hours of Khao Lak. We've got the Khao Sok rainforest for trekking and lake huts to stay in, elephant rides in Phang-Nga, diving from Khao Lak to the Similans and shopping in Phuket, all within an hour and a half of Khao Lak. You could do everything you wanted to do without spending half your vacation traveling.
4) Try to use operators who are committed to the environment. Generally, any shop with the word "Eco-" in their name is using it more for marketing than a core value. Don't be afraid to ask the person behind the desk what they do for the environment and make it a point to book with the shops that do a little more, even if it means charging a little more.5) Recycle. Thailand's recycling program consists of individual collectors who 'rescue' recycleable trash from whats been thrown away and sell it for money. Help make their job easier by putting cans and bottles in a separate bag before throwing it out. You can even put it next to the trash can, or anywhere conspicuous. Don't worry about feeling bad about not having put it IN the trash can, it will get picked up.
So there's just the first 5 of 10 things you can do as a tourist to help make Thailand just that much greener.
-Similan Islands Diving
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