Environment News
Discover the latest Environment News in Thailand, providing comprehensive coverage on environmental issues, climate change solutions, and natural disasters in Thailand and the world. We bring compelling stories, investigate eco-friendly initiatives, and bring you closer to the rapidly evolving green landscape. Stay informed about Thailand’s efforts towards sustainable living, biodiversity conversation, and renewable energy promotion to better understand the world’s ecological challenges.
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Sponsored What is the 5 year visa for the digital nomad in Thailand?
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...
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Beached sperm whale covered in oil rescued in Phuket
Animal rescue and care facilities often are tasked with coming out and taking a wild, sick, or injured animal into care, but it’s not often that it takes more than 50 people working together to take that animal in. That was the case yesterday, however, as rescue workers managed to collect a beached sperm whale with scratches on its body…
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Tar balls wash ashore on several Phuket beaches
An oil spill that hit the north end of Phuket on Sunday has now stretched the entire length of the island as tar balls have washed up on the southernmost beach in Phuket as well. No source of the oil has been identified yet. Tar balls first washed up a few days ago on Mai Khao Beach, a stretch of…
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Covid-19, food delivery brings rise in plastic and infectious waste
Often, evolving lifestyles, and the technology it brings, are first regarded for their revolutionary game-changing effect before facing down the road the negative unintended consequences of the change. It was decades between when we celebrated the way air travel allowed you to see the world and when we started talking about “carbon footprints”. Many years went by between seeing the…
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Blacktip reef sharks get protected status as Environment Minister blasts video cruelty
Thailand’s Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment has blasted a TikTok video that shows Krabi boatmen shooting at blacktip reef sharks. Varawut Silpa-archa has slammed what he describes as an act of gratuitous violence and says the sharks will be added to the list of protected marine species. According to the Bangkok Post, the video surfaced on Monday and…
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Southern Thailand: Wet weather forecast from tropical cyclone Yaas
Heavy rain to very heavy rain is forecast for Southern Thailand from today until the end of the week. The rain, and the bad weather, is coming from the north-moving Tropical Cyclone “Yaas”, which is currently situated over the Bay of Bengal, south of Bangladesh and heading for landfall on the Indian coast. “Yaas” is heading in a North/Northwesterly direction…
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Thai industry body lobbies for better disposal system for used face masks
The Federation of Thai Industries is pushing for an improved disposal system for discarded face masks, pointing out that they are the new threat to the environment. Since the arrival of the pandemic in early 2020, the number of discarded face masks has shot up, with reports of masks in waterways already affecting animals. Apiphop Phungchaikul from the FTI says…
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Asia holds 99 of the 100 most environmentally at-risk cities
If you live in 1 of the 100 most environmentally vulnerable cities in the world, then unless you live in Lima, Peru, we can guess what continent you’re on. According to a recent risk assessment study, 99 out of the top 100 most environmentally vulnerable cities are located in Asia with 80% of them in India or China alone. 1.5…
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It’s cicada season and America is preparing for billions to emerge after 17 years of hiding
Americans are preparing for billions of cicadas to emerge after spending 17 years underground. Some are thinking it’s their worst nightmare to see and hear the insects as they will undoubtedly swarm their yards and porches. Their semi-hard skin, that is shed, will also be a sight to see, if there are, indeed, billions coming out. In Thailand, and most…
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Mekong unseasonal water levels endanger nesting birds in Thailand
The following story was written by Tyler Roney for Third Pole, a “multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there.” Just 50 metres from the Mekong, in the shadow of a discarded plastic cup, a lone chick sits camouflaged on the sand. It is a newly hatched small pratincole in…
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Biochar could solve smoke pollution problem in Chiang Mai
The emerging technology of biochar may be at the forefront of dealing with Chiang Mai and its globally infamous smoke and air pollution. After another terrible burn season where the air quality was rated among the worst in the world, Chiang Mai is often rated the most polluted city in the world. As scientists worldwide tackle climate change, Chiang Mai…
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Hydro-solar hybrid electric dam project nears completion
One of the biggest hydro-solar hybrid floating electricity projects in the world is nearing completion at Sirindhorn dam in Ubon Ratchathani. This installation will move Thailand away from its often criticised fossil fuel dependence by increasing renewable energy production in the country. 7 solar farms have been built over 300 acres using 144,417 solar panels. The platforms are expected to…
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Environmentalists criticise Netflix fishing doco for inaccuracies and misinformation
As Thailand accuses a Netflix documentary of using outdated and inaccurate information about the country’s fishing industry, a number of global environmental experts are echoing similar criticisms. According to a report in Coconuts, Seaspiracy has been slammed for being full of inaccuracies and twisting the science behind the damage to the world’s oceans, minimising the role of climate change and…
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TAT says Phuket beaches have been “revitalised” during the pandemic
Phuket’s beaches are perhaps one of the only silver linings from the Covid pandemic, with marine life visibly rebounding after a long break from tourism, at least that’s what the Tourism Authority of Thailand says. The tourism officials say the huge reduction in tourist traffic has contributed to the Andaman Sea and coastlines becoming clearer than it has been in…
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“James Bond Island” to be assessed for stability after the collapse of similar rock formations
The iconic limestone karst tower and popular tourist site known as “James Bond Island” will be checked for stability following the collapse of similar rock formations. The rock formation in Phang Nga Bay appeared in the 1974 James Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun.” It’s now known as James Bond Island. It has become a major tourist destination…
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Northern Thailand sees dangerous levels of pollution
Northern Thailand is seeing dangerous levels of pollution with PM2.5 dust particle levels exceeding the safety standard. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are the worst as they are both seeing over 50-micron PM2.5 dust particle levels. Wiang Pang Kham, a sub-district in Chiang Rai has recorded 247 microns, signaling extremely poor air quality. The Pollution Control Department said on its…
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Earth Hour on Saturday, Bangkok to join global “lights off” hour
The city of Bangkok will go dark for an hour on Saturday, joining thousands of cities across the globe for Earth Hour, an annual initiative where lights are turned off to raise awareness about protecting the planet. The deputy governor of Bangkok, Sopon Pisuttiwong, says lights be off from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on Saturday, joining 7,000 other cities in darkness.…
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2 more Bryde’s whales seen off Koh Samui in marine park
2 more Bryde’s whales are gracing the waters off Koh Samui, after tourists spotted the marine mammals in Ang Thong National Marine Park. Wichwut Jinto, the provincial governor says park officials heard about the sightings and went out to confirm them. The whales were swimming near the islands of Hanuman, Thai Plao, Hin Dap, Wua Kantang and Sam Sao. Wichawut…
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Watch your step, hundreds of red sea urchins wash up on Patong Beach
Hundreds of red sea urchins washed up on Phuket’s Patong Beach yesterday, prompting marine life experts to investigate and lifeguards to warn beachgoers to watch out their steps to avoid the sharp spines. Marine experts say the sea urchins are the same species that washed up on Patong beach earlier this month. On March 2, hundreds of the red sea…
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Phuket officials warn public of crocodile spotted near Chalong pier
Officials in Phuket are warning residents near Chalong Pier of a crocodile sighting in the area over the weekend. Nation Thailand reports that Natchaphong Pranit from the Phuket Port Authority Office says the reptile was spotted in the water around 3pm on Saturday. “We advise operators of boat services and general public to exercise extra caution when entering the pier…
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Brush fires rage on in Chiang Mai while air pollution soars
Brush fires are raging on in Thailand’s northern Chiang Mai Province as air pollution soars. Firefighters say they are struggling to put out the fires which line the Suthep-Pui National Park. A KA-32 helicopter has been brought in to help contain the fires after they spread fastly through the bamboo forest. The helicopters have already put out about half of…
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Work on Maya Bay jetty nearly complete, but officials say, “not yet” to re-opening
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has responded to pleas for Maya Bay to re-open by telling local officials to wait. Krabi authorities are anxious for the famed beauty spot to re-open as they desperately try to revive tourism in the province. The bay has been closed since 2018 after conservationists determined that a break from visitors…
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Factories in Thailand required to have Green Industry certification by 2025
Factories in Thailand are ordered to “go green.” By 2025, all factories across the country need to have a Green Industry certification which means they are in line with standards set by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation to help developing countries move to more environmentally-friendly technologies and initiatives. All 71,130 industrial plants in Thailand will need to abide by…
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Chiang Mai’s air pollution sends over 30,000 to hospital, ranked worst in world today
Air pollution in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, is allegedly responsible for over 30,000 people visiting the hospital seeking treatment for respiratory illnesses. The city, known for its burning season, that blankets the air with smoke, has recently taken the top spot of having the worst air quality in the world. The IQ AirVisual air monitoring website listed Chiang Mai…
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Thai tiger park faces permanent closure amid wildlife smuggling allegations
The threat of permanent closure hangs over a tiger park in the north-eastern province of Mukdahan, due to the alleged illegal smuggling of tiger cubs. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has brought charges against Mukda Tiger Park & Farm, also known as Mukda Suan Sua, and ordered the facility to close for 30 days. The DNP…
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WildAid launches ad campaign in Thailand to raise awareness about illegal wildlife trade
The following is a press release submitted by WildAid, a non-profit organisation pushing to end illegal wildlife trade. In honor of World Wildlife Day, WildAid is launching a series of advertisements highlighting the plight of endangered species, a result of poaching to meet consumer demand for wildlife products such as elephant ivory, rhino horns, shark fin, tiger parts and helmeted…
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Bryde’s whale in Gulf of Thailand gives birth to third baby
A Bryde’s whale living in the Gulf of Thailand has given birth to her third baby whale. Nation Thailand reports that Mae Thong Dee was photographed by wildlife photographer Jirayu Ekkul, whose team has been monitoring the whale. It’s understood she has a number of injuries, including a ripped dorsal fin and serious eye injuries. “We found Mae Thong Dee…
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Did the Covid-19 virus actually originate in Thailand? | VIDEO
South East Asia was the source of Covid-19, not China. Even more specifically, it came from Thailand… from the famous Chatuchak market, or, as quoted correctly “a market LIKE Chatuchak”. That’s the claims of a Danish epidemiologist Thea Kolsen Fischer, who was on a recent World Health Organisation fact-finding mission to Wuhan to examine the origins of the latest coronavirus…
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Thailand Post teams up with AIS to offer disposal service for used electronics
Got an old smartphone or tablet lying around and unsure what to do with it? You can now get rid of your used electronic devices by boxing them up and handing them to your postman, as part of a new campaign by Thailand Post and mobile operator AIS. Nation Thailand reports that the move comes amid a surge in “e-waste”…
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Pattaya Beach, fly over the pristine but horrifyingly empty beaches | VIDEO
The Thailand Discovery YouTube channel has captured an empty Pattaya beach front for the first month of 2021. The first month of any year would usually be one of the busiest months of the year and the beaches should be heaving with tourists in the post Christmas/New Year break and the lead up to the Chinese New Year travel burst.…
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600 factories ordered to monitor emissions to help reduce air pollution
To reduce air pollution, hundreds of factories across Thailand are ordered to monitor their emissions. Air quality in Bangkok has reached unhealthy to even hazardous levels in recent weeks due to the excessive levels of the ultra-fine dust PM2.5, according to IQ Air. Under the new regulations set by the Industry Ministry, factories that are most likely to emit PM2.5…
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