Litterbugs who drop rubbish in Thai national parks may get a surprise when they check their mail - their litter may have been returned to them. Thailand has decided to take a stand on the increasing amount of wrappers, plastic bottles and paper that is thrown away in national parks. It asked park wardens to collect litter and mail it back to tourists. It comes with a letter that says: "We collected your garbage...and sent it to your home. This should be a lesson to you, to never again throw away waste anywhere." There are additional penalties like prison or a $16,000 fine.
The severe penalties are because litter is an eyesore in many of Thailand's beauty spots. It is fairly easy to find offenders because visitors to parks must register their address when they enter. Anyone who leaves litter near their camping spot will get their waste back. The head of a park near Bangkok explained the "return-to-litterbug" policy. He said: "It can be dangerous for animals like deer if they eat the rubbish and try to digest plastic waste that people leave behind." The government said people should only leave footprints behind.