THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Visitors to the island resort of Phuket should enjoy the regions beaches even more now following a massive clean-up of Nai Yang beach last week.

More than 200 residents and resort staff armed with rakes, gardening gloves and more than 300 garbage bags descended on picturesque Nai Yang beach and collected over three tonnes of garbage and driftwood.

The Nai Yang beach clean-up comprised staff and volunteers from Nai Yang resorts, Indigo Pearl, Dewa Resort, Nai Yang Beach Resort and Nautica Divers, along with restaurant workers and Siam Guardian Service (SGS).

Jean Yves, managing director of Nautica Divers, said, “before the clean-up, rubbish, including plastic bags, cigarette lighters, cans and water bottles littered the shoreline. There is also a lot of plastic wire, and rope getting washed up”

Barrie Buck, general manager of SGS, said the exercise was aimed at spreading the educational message to residents, tourists and fishermen that littering is not acceptable.

“People won’t come back to a beach that looks like a warzone, and our hotels will be empty,” he said.

According to Mr Buck, the Nai Yang community prided itself on the unspoiled environment, which set the area apart from busier areas of the island.

Indigo Pearl general manager, Arnaud Girodon, described the day as a huge success and said he hopes the combined clean-up efforts will become a regular monthly event.

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News May 27, 2009