Toilet-train food firms: Mechai
For the better hygiene of all, a master of the think-out-of-the-box concept yesterday launched three new proposals for improving public toilets, including a tax on food and drink companies.
Mechai Viravaidya, chairman of the Population and Community Development Association, won huge applause for the proposal during his closing speech at the second World Toilet Expo & Forum, which ended in Bangkok yesterday. "The government has to take care of public toilets, but these companies do not, though they should be held responsible for whatever people put into their mouths," he told the audience. He also proposed that all retailers should be obliged to build a public toilet for every 10 square metres of retail space and that all the toilets would don the retailer's logo to indicate to the public who was in charge of cleanliness. "If the toilets are dirty, then consumers will know how irresponsible these retailers can be. If they are that irresponsible, will they be responsible to their clients?" he asked. Mechai also suggested the government allocate funds to a non-government foundation which would take care of the cleanliness and condition of all public toilets and of personnel training. After Thailand hosted the expo, the Public Health Ministry announced plans to improve toilet standards. Next year the event will move to China.
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