TCEB and THA go musical with new 'Say No' to plastic call on MICE industry

BANGKOK,June 27,2019 -- The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Thai Hotels Association (THA) have turned to the power of music to send a friendly yet serious message to the MICE industry in Thailand to 'Say No' to plastic.

And a popular song it is they've chosen to carry their message far and wide. The classic 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' has been given the Sound of Sustainability #SOS treatment,with cleverly rewritten lyrics and reworked music.

Lending their lyrical voices to the initiative in a stirring duet are 'recording artists',Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayutthaya,TCEB President,and Ms. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi,THA Chairperson - Environmental Committee.

"You're just too good to be true… Refillable bottle,I thank you…" and "Plastic bottles are to go… Single use plastic just say NO" they sing,in between which a chorus line chimes in with "Say no,say no,no to plastic… We're drowning in the sea of plastic… Say no,no to plastic… We can't go on this way". To view the music video and listen to the song,visit: https://youtu.be/YHNpR2IIddk

"The song is a light-hearted recording with the lyrics adapted for a serious shout-out to hotel owners,general managers,business event professionals and all in the MICE industry to switch from single-use plastics to other,sustainable choices," said Mr. Chiruit.

More and more initiatives to combat the use of plastic in Thailand's MICE sector and the broader tourism industry have been implemented in the past couple of years,as Thailand itself gets serious about tackling the potentially disastrous environmental scourge.

This includes a smoking ban that has been in place at many Thai beaches since November 2017,while national parks and zoos nationwide now ban plastic bags and other single-use plastics. The Pollution Control Department and Thai bottled water producers have begun to stop using bottle cap seals,with the aim of eliminating them altogether within 2019.

In April of this year,the Thai cabinet approved a 2018-2030 roadmap to tackle plastic waste,which includes the goals of ridding Thailand of three types of plastic - microbeads,cap seals and oxo-degradable plastics - within 2019 and of four other types of plastics - plastic bags,foam boxes,single-use plastic cups and plastic straws - within 2022.