Biking in Thailand
Dark Past, New Beginning
By Dan Kaplan
Those who have visited Thailand know that parts of the country can make
Staten Island's Freshkill Dump seem like pristine Denmark. While the train roars through the countryside, porters sweep piles of trash out the door, right onto rice paddies. On Koh Samui, I watched a fisherman untangle a plastic bag from a fish in his net, keep the fish, and toss the bag right back in the water.
Saving the scenery
Such behavior is understandable, though, in a land where most people don't yet understand the consequences of their new industrial lifestyles. Fifteen years ago, throwing away a lunch wrapper meant tossing aside a palm leaf. Today, plastic bags litter much of the countryside.
Outdoor clubs are educating people on a grassroots level about the importance of the environment, which is very refreshing in a country that is rapidly ruining its natural scenery. Beside promoting environmentally conscious roles while on the road, bike groups like the Phitsanulok Bike Club are also promoting bike lanes and bike-friendly traffic rules in Bangkok.
Incidentally, homegrown cyclist activism in Thailand is not limited to environmental causes. The Thai Cycling Club has recently launched a Recycled Bike Project where city Thais donate their used, or unused, bikes to rural schools so kids don't have to walk long distances to class. The club's director, Dr. Thongchai Panswad, is a cycle activist who has been campaigning for over ten years for increased bike use and environmental education. He sees bicycles as a green means of transport.
The idea is starting to catch on, and he now takes junior members on country trips to national parks in the provinces. His hope is that"the children get the chance to appreciate nature's beauty, such as the green rice fields and colorful birds, as well as the peace of rural life."
The average park ranger earns only 75 Bhat a day and must face poachers wielding semiautomatic weapons.
|
I saw proof of this trend on our bike trip. In one of his speeches, Pan
Lop informed the city Thais, many for the first time, about the extinct
species of Thailand: the Kouprey Cattle, Schomiburgk's Deer, the Javan
Rhino, and innumerable smaller species. He spoke also of the illegal logging that continues along the Burma border, and the export in exotic species, particularly the tiger, and the many animals in danger of extinction.
In the typical Thai way, he spoke with reverence for their king, who helped respond to Thailand's environmental problems by creating nearly 80 national parks, reserves and sanctuaries since the 1970s. The hope is to raise forest cover by 40 percent by 2050.
Thailand's protected land now covers 13 percent of the country, one of the highest ratios in the world (the United States has 10.5 percent). But while there are many laws on the books, most are not enforced because of limited resources. The average park ranger earns only 75 Bhat a day and must face poachers wielding semiautomatic weapons. Most national parks, though, are well maintained by the forestry department, easily accessible, and cheap to camp in. In other words, Thailand's national parks make for some good mountain biking.
Return to
Top
Article and photos © Dan Kaplan, 2000.
RELATED GORP LINKS
GORP Thailand
GORP Biking
GORPtravel — Thailand
|
from Away.com
