Environment News
Thailand environment news, climate change, sustainability, and natural disasters—stay updated on eco-initiatives, biodiversity conservation, and renewable energy efforts. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for environmental news in Thailand.
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Nine garbage trucks caught illegally using Bangkok’s public incinerator
Go find your own garbage incinerator! Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang is leading the charge to stop garbage trucks from outside the city using the municipal incinerator, joining city officials in seizing nine garbage trucks from the central province of Samut Sakhon province found illegally dumping trash. “Today we seized nine trucks that carried garbage from Suan Luang and Thamai subdistricts…
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Second death in China from virus concerns officials with the CNY holidays looming
“At least 41 people have now been diagnosed as being infected this latest flu-like strain.” Medical officials in China’s Wuhan city have announced that another man had died after being infected by the new coronavirus strain. Thailand and Japan have now reported new cases of a the Chinese Coronavirus that has already killed two and infected at least 40 in…
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Salty tap water and dirty air – Bangkok’s environmental woes continue today
Brackish tap water, with increased salinity caused by seawater back-flowing into the Chao Phraya River, is threatening the gardens in and around the Government House compound. Government House officials are seeking assistance from the Agriculture Department. Several small tree species – Lamduan, Chor Sumalee, Rachavadi, Nom Maew and Hom Muenlee – are more vulnerable to brackish tap water. The gardens…
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50% of Thai trucks checked in Don Mueang belching black smoke
Last April Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that those driving polluting vehicles would face arrest and fines, warning owners of transport businesses they’ll be held responsible for toxic emissions. Now the Department of Land Transport announced it was stepping up measures to bring emission levels from trucks and public transport vehicles within safe limits. The measures are designed to alleviate pollution…
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Central Thailand farmers ignore orders to stop burning off their sugar cane
Stick your burning ban up your 2.5 micron particulate! Local sugarcane growers in Nakhon Sawan, central Thailand, are burning their fields at night despite authorities’ ban on the practice. It appears little to nothing is being done to curb the practice which is one of the main causes, if not the main cause, of the smoke and haze problems in…
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Drought prompts Tesco Lotus to increase bottled water production
Tesco Lotus, the Thai division of Britain’s biggest retailer, is boosting bottled water production to help customers cope with drought. The chain says it will increase production of its own branded bottled water and also increase orders of other brands to sell at its branches nationwide, in response to this year’s drought and water shortages, which is predicted to be the…
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Bangkok haze and smog continues over the weekend
There is unlikely to be much respite of the air pollution shrouding Greater Bangkok this weekend. And the PM is urging people to inform a hotline of any vehicles belching smoke and fumes into the Bangkok sky. The Pollution Control Department says the smog, which saw just about all of the 50 air quality stations hitting levels of PM2.5 over…
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Bangkok’s ranks world’s third worst air quality. Forecast to be bad for the rest of the week.
Bangkok ended up recording the world’s third worst air quality on Air Visual, the air quality monitoring app, yesterday. Not a chart you want to be on top of. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority remains on high alert for a predicted rise in PM2.5 levels for the rest of the week. High temperatures and light winds are compounding the problem…
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PM tells Thais to take shorter showers
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is asking the public to turn off their taps, shower less and conserve water to cope with the drought affecting Thailand’s northern and central areas. Thais LOVE their multiple showers every day. “Please all help save water. Turn off all the taps. Use less water. Reduce tooth-brushing and shower time by one minute.” With river levels…
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Bangkok authorities roll out the water trucks for free drinking water
As water authorities around Bangkok start rolling out a long-term solution to the increasing salinity of the water further up the Chao Phraya river, locals are being treated to free drinking water. The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority has is transporting tap water from the Mahasawat water factory, in a small district west of the main city unaffected by the saltwater problem,…
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Anti-Prayut running event organiser hopes to avoid confrontation
A key organiser of the proposed anti-government running event, the “Run Against Dictatorship”, is urging its pro-government ‘spoiler event’ to ensure there’s no confrontation when the rival events are held on Sunday. “Run Against Dictatorship” is “Wing Lai Lung” (วิ่งไล่ลุง) in Thai, which literally means “Run to Oust the Uncle,” a reference to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s nickname, “Uncle Tu.” Tanawat…
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Thai PM will head new drought command centre
Cabinet is expected to approve the establishment of a special command centre along with associated budget to tackle Thailand’s looming drought; expected to be the worst in four decades. The hot season is now well underway and is expected to continue until mid April. Narumon Pinyosinwat, a government spokesperson, says the “command centre” will be headed by Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha…
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Seawater v Freshwater in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. The seawater is winning.
The Office of National Water Resources is holding an urgent meeting today, with other Bangkok water agencies, including the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority to discuss the worsening salination problem in the Chao Phraya river. They note that that the back flow of seawater into the river is now threatening the city’s tap water supply. High tides, rising sea levels, a worsening…
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Not all Thais are happy with plastic bag ban
“There are also thousands of street side vendors of drinks, including the most popular Thai iced coffee and Thai tea, which come in a plastic cup, with a plastic lid, with a plastic straw, in a plastic bag.” After many positive reports, including from The Thaiger, it now seems that many Thai customers and vendors pushing back against the January…
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Thai shoppers get resourceful to deal with the plastic bag ban
Shoppers across Thailand are showing typical Thai ingenuity in coping with big retailers’ recent ban on single-use plastic bags, bringing buckets, baskets and even a wheelbarrow to take their purchases home, many posting images on social media (below). The ban, introduced on January 1 by all 75 members of the Thai Retailers Association, including malls, supermarkets and the ubiquitous convenience…
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Online app will enable volunteers to monitor Thailand’s ‘hazardous’ farm chemicals
Thailand’s Department of Disease Control and mobile phone service providers AIS are launching an online application to enable health volunteers and officials to monitor farmers’ use of the hazardous herbicide paraquat, and pesticides glyphosate and chlorpyrifos. In November, the National Hazardous Substances Committee cancelled a December 1 ban on glyphosate and delayed the enforcement of the ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos…
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Starbucks Thailand introduces paper straws from next Monday
The Thai operators of Starbucks Coffee says it will provide paper straws to customers at all stores across Thailand starting next Monday, January 6. The announcement is most likely in response to the national mood to reduce usage of single-use plastic items although the local Starbucks franchise say the announcement has been in the pipeline for the past year. Starbucks…
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First meteor shower of the year to be visible January 4th
PHOTO: Artists impression. In truth there could be up to two meteors per minute at the peak, but you’ll need to be in a very dark location to get the best from the experience. Set the alarm and boil the kettle for a wake-up coffee. The year’s first meteor shower will grace Thailand’s skies on January 4, according to the…
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31 Thai provinces bracing for “severe drought”
The drought situation across nearly half of Thailand is about to get worse. The water levels in the Mekong River is at its lowest level since 1992 and the Provincial Waterworks Authority is warning 31 provinces to prepare for severe drought this year. Thai PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha is expressing concern over the situation and instructed officials to distribute water to…
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Single-use plastic bag ban just the beginning – Thai Minister
“It is a huge New Year’s gift to Thailand and the world.” This proud announcement from the Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varavuth Silpa-archa voicing his strong support of the ban on plastic bags that kicked in yesterday. 75 companies, covering shopping malls, and department and convenience stores, have stopped distributing single-use plastic bags. It’s a positive step as Thailand starts…
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Bangchak petrol stations installing EV charging locations and solar panels
“Currently PEA is surveying the sites of Bangchak’s petrol stations that are suitable for installing EV chargers.” This from Somchai Techavanich, Chief of Marketing and VP of Marketing at Bangchak Corporation. The group recently announced that the company is planning to install EV (electric vehicle) charging stations at its petrol stations under an MoU for clean energy business development signed…
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Bangkok is in the middle of a battle between the Chao Phraya and Gulf of Thailand
The natural ebb and flow, and the eternal battle between waters flowing down the Chao Phraya and up from the sea, may affect Bangkok’s tap water supply. This year the water flowing down the mighty river may not counter the water trying to flow up towards the capital from the Gulf of Thailand. The slow sinking of Bangkok (the capital…
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Turtle release at Maya Bay to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Tsunami
by Robb, Five Star Thailand Tours Koh Phi Phi Leh’s most famous tourist attraction, Maya Bay has been a controversial topic in recent years. The bay remains closed. However, tourists are still able to visit the National Park to swim and snorkel along the outskirts of the bay. A rope strung across the bay prevents visitors from going inside the bay…
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More palms on the way for Phuket’s Promthep Cape
The Phuket governor’s office is working with the Rawai municipality and consultants from Nongnooch Garden Pattaya to improve the landscape and amenity at Promthep Cape, the hugely popular sunset vantage point at the southern end of the island. Phuket’s Governor Phakphong Thaviphat says Promthep Cape is one of the main tourist attractions under the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s campaign to…
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Plastic microbeads to be banned in cosmetic products
Over and above the ban on plastic bags set to begin on January 1, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has also slapped a ban on plastic microbeads used in cosmetics. That kicks in on the same day as the ban on single-use plastic bags. All 75 members The Thai Retailers Association, including giants like Tesco Lotus and Makro, plan to stop…
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Villages fed up with living with dirty water in Phattalung
PHOTOS: INN News Imagine living with dirty tap water for four years. In a country like Thailand, in 2019, that’s not intolerable. But if you live in an unfortunate village in Phattalung, that’s the current situation. Villagers in Tamot District, Phatthalung, southern Thailand, have expressed their complaints after living with dirty tap water for years. The villagers have approached the…
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Some big retailers will stop giving out plastic bags on January 1
The Thaiger reminds readers that many major Thai retailers will stop providing plastic bags from January 1 in a campaign to reduce the whopping 13.5 billion plastic bags used in Thailand annually. At least the ban will make a dent in the plastic problem as the government progressively rolls out other bans and programs throughout next year. Seventy-five members of…
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“Green heart passports” to promote eco-tourism around Thailand
Visitors to Thailand’s 155 national parks over the New Year holidays have a special surprise in store: the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will distribute one million “green heart passports” to promote environmentally friendly tourism. The passports will be valid until December 31, 2020. Visitors to national parks can show their “passport” at the entrance, along with their…
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Thailand’s Maya Bay to remain closed for another two years
So that’s going to be almost the end of 2021. The Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation has announced that Maya Bay is going to be closed for another two years to provide a better opportunity for the ecological system to recover, whilst also completing and implementing plans for management of tourists at the famous tourist attraction. Maya…
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Pollution Control Department officials roll out car-free day on Wednesdays
PHOTO: kenlwrites.com “She says the drive normally takes her an hour and a half but by using the bus and train on Wednesday, her journey time was reduced to 50 minutes.” Thailand’s Pollution Control Department in Bangkok is rolling out a “No Car Wednesday” initiative, with staff being encouraged to choose public transport over their cars for one day a…
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