Litterbugs who drop their rubbish national parks in Thailand may be in a surprise the next time they check their mail - the litter they left may have been returned to them. Thailand's Environment Minister has decided to take a stand the increasing amount sweet wrappers, plastic bottles and paper that is strewn national parks. He has asked park wardens to collect the litter and mail it to the offending litterbug. It comes a letter that says: "We collected your garbage a cardboard box and sent it to your home. This should be a lesson to you, to never again throw waste anywhere." Additional penalties could come the form five years imprisonment or a hefty $16,000 fine.
The severe penalties have been initiated because litter becoming an eyesore many of Thailand's beauty spots. Park wardens say it is relatively easy to track down and identify offenders, as all visitors to the parks are required to register their address when they enter a park. Anyone who leaves refuse near their assigned camping spot will be reunited their waste. Narin Pinsakul, chief the Khao Yai National Park near Bangkok, explained why the parks were introducing their return-to-litterbug policy. He said: "It can be dangerous animals deer if they eat the rubbish and try to digest plastic waste that people leave behind." The Environment Minister said people should only leave footprints behind.
