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 A healthy tomorrow starts today: Celebrate the great American Smokeout day
The Great American Smokeout, held this year on November 17, is a nationwide event that encourages smokers to take their first steps towards a smoke-free life. If you’re an expat in Thailand, this day could be a timely reminder to...
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More than half of the tigers moved from the Tiger Temple have died
“The tigers became weak from stress from living in captivity and their conditions steadily deteriorated until they succumbed to their death.” 86 out of a total of 147 tigers kept at two wildlife breeding stations in Ratchaburi province, after they were confiscated from the infamous Tiger Temple in Thailand’s western province of Kanchanaburi about three years ago, have died from…
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Phuket’s Surin Beach’s anti-erosion walls fails causing another environmental disaster
PHOTOS: ขยะมรสุม ขยะมรสุม has posted on their Facebook page about the ugly and failed attempt at an erosion wall at Phuket’s Surin Beach (photos below). He said in his post… “Found this big pile of trouble at Surin Beach. What are these sacks for? Are they becoming trash? You won’t conquer nature with sand sacks. If you want to make…
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Indonesian forest fires surge, intense smoke floats over neighbours Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia
by Dessy Sagita “The number of “hotspots” has jumped sharply in Indonesia on Wednesday, according to the Singapore-based ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre.” Intense forest fires continue to rage across the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan in recent weeks. More than 930,000 hectares of land have been burned, hundreds of residents evacuated, and more than 9,000 personnel have been deployed…
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Can we defeat dengue? Mosquito trials raise hopes.
“We have seen a remarkable reduction of dengue cases after the release.” by Jenny Vaughan If you’ve ever experienced a bout of Dengue Fever, this will be welcome news. And if you live and work in the tropics in south east Asia, Dengue looms as a constant threat. Hundreds dead in the Philippines; a threefold increase of cases in Vietnam;…
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Thailand’s southern provinces suffering Sumatran burn-off smoke haze
Smoke drifting across the Malacca Strait from Sumatran forest fires in Indonesia is affecting the health of locals and tourists in the southern province of Songkhla. According to the Pollution Control Department, the volume of dust measured in the Thai tourist district of Hat Yai during the past 24 hours was 51 micrograms per cubic metre. The world-standard upper level…
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Old Thai habits die hard: Businesses are trying but shoppers remain stubborn
GRAPHICS: The Nation Thailand is now abuzz over the issue of plastic pollution. This topic is now being widely discussed among Thai netizens, who have been suggesting many measures, including controlling the use of plastic bags at supermarkets and convenience stores. But so much of daily Thai life still revolves around single-use plastics it is taking radical changes in behaviour and…
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Dengue fever in Thailand: 3 dead in Bangkok since January 2019
PHOTO: Tripsavvy.com Bangkok Metropolitan Administration governor Aswin Kwanmuang says 4,903 residents have been infected with the dengue virus so far this year, with 3 deaths. In 2011, there were 10 deaths, with 8,699 having contracted the virus, so while there has been noticeable improvement, the current rate of infection is still worrying. Governor Aswin says that the areas which have…
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Thailand’s big retailers will stop handing out plastic bags in January 2020
“These partners have vowed to stop giving out single-use plastic bags to customers starting January.” The Thai environment minister has announced a major agreement from large retailers, plastic manufacturers and department stores to stop handing out single-use plastic bags to customers. The new program will start from next year. Over the past year several large retailers have come up with…
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Energy Minister pushing for investment in electric vehicle production in Thailand
PHOTO: Wikipedia Energy Minister, Sontirat Sontijirawong, has announced a package to allow for the production of electric vehicles in Thailand. The package includes incentives on investment, as well as on the production of components and batteries. It’s understood that the package also has measures to promote the wider use of electric vehicles among the public, following environmental and emissions concerns…
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Autopsy on dead 15 year old Hawksbill sea turtle held today
PHOTO: Thai PBS World Veterinarians from the sea turtle hospital at Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri, south of Pattaya on the Gulf of Thailand, are doing an autopsy on a dead endangered Hawksbill sea turtle. The one metre long and 40 kilogram dead sea turtle, believed to be about 15 years old, was found floating near Koh Juang in…
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Leonardo’s Instagram post draws attention to Thailand’s dugongs
Hollywood star, environmentalist and Instagrammer, Leonardo DiCaprio, has posted the story of Marium the baby dugong in Thailand who died after ingesting plastic. “A beloved baby marine mammal in Thailand has died after consuming plastic and experiencing shock,” he wrote in his instagram post, referring to Thai officials’ announcement on Saturday of the death of the dugong. “The young dugong,…
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Phuket’s water bosses claim there will be enough water
PHOTO: Bang Neow Dam in Thalang, just a few muddy ponds Well into the second half of the Phuket wet season and the three main dams are well below capacity, Bang Wad Dam just over 13% capacity and the Bang Neow Dam in Thalang district around 5%, mostly unusable muddy ponds. The newer Khlong Katha in Chalong is at a…
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Another baby dugong dies in Thailand
PHOTO: Thai PBS World The Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) revealed on Thursday that Yamil, the dugong being cared for in Phuket after being found stranded on a Krabi beach, has died. It was brought to Vachira Hospital at 5.00pm for a planned endoscopy to remove a large amount of seagrass stuck in its stomach. The medical team used water…
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Biologist calls on Thailand to list all sharks as endangered
PHOTO: Wikipedia Marine biologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat, insists Thailand must place all shark species on its list of endangered animals. His warning is accompanied by Facebook photos showing chopped up blacktip reef sharks being sold on Koh Lanta, in Krabi province. As black tip reef sharks are not listed as endangered, no law is currently being broken. And while the waters…
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Dead deer found in Thai national park with 3 kilos of plastic bags in its stomach
PHOTO: Coconuts Bangkok Plastic bags continue to take their toll, and not just on marine life. A dead deer has been found in Khao Yai National Park, central Thailand, with 3 kilos of plastic bags inside it. The deer died after eating plastic bags and plastic cutlery left behind by visitors to the national park. The heart-breaking photos were posted…
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The second baby dugong ‘Yamil’ dies in Phuket
The second young dugong, being cared for by vets at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, has died. Yamil, the baby dugong stranded on a Krabi beach on July 1, died of “shock and cardiac arrest” last night (Thursday) after suffering indigestion and gastroparesis. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources report that Yamil was sent from the Phuket Marine Biological…
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Thai government to consider bringing forward plastics ban
That’s a ban on of single-use plastic bags, styrofoam (polystyrene) boxes, plastic straws and single-use plastic cups In a surprise announcement, the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment says they’re considering bringing forward, by 1-2 years, a complete ban on the use of the key plastic polluters. Varawut Silpa-archa, the Natural Resources and Environment Minister, says the department’s proposal,…
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What did this Bangkok homeowner find on their couch?
PHOTOS: Kapook The owner of a Bangkok house has returned home to find this on their couch… a) a piece of left-over pizza? b) a thousand baht note behind one of the pillows” c) a 2 metre monitor lizard sleeping peacefully? The correct answer is ‘c’. The home-owner of a house in Suksawat 26 walked inside, turned on the light,…
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Lamphun monks ahead of the trend to eliminate single-use plastic bags
Phra Samutnatthee Suvathato, the deputy Abbot of the Wat Pa Book, in the Pa Sang district of Thailand’s northern province of Lamphun, says their temple has been ahead of the trend to reduce the use of plastics for two decades. Lamphun is just south of Chiang Mai. They’ve already been using a portable kitchen cabinet to receive alms from Buddhist…
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Thailand Prime Minister rejects calls to ban plastic bags
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times In what some may see as a baffling contradiction, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha promised to protect marine life, while simultaneously rejecting an increasing number of calls for a ban on single-use plastic bags. Following the death of Marium, a young dugong who had ingested plastic waste, the PM says he has ordered the agencies concerned to…
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Calls for total ban on use of single-use plastic bags
PHOTO: World Wildlife Fund The death of baby dugong Mariam, which was found to be caused from problems associated with plastic bags blocking her digestive system, has brought about renewed calls for stricter control, or a complete ban, on the use of single-use plastic bags. Marine scientist, and vice dean of the Faculty of Fisheries of Kasetsart University, Dr. Thon…
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25 year old dugong washes ashore in Krabi
PHOTO: Sitthichai Sikhawat A 240 kilogram, 2.6 metre long adult male dugong has been found dead after being washed up on Rai Lay Bay in Krabi yesterday afternoon. The announcement was made by Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park head Worapot Limlom. The dugong, thought to be around 25 years old, was swept ashore at Ton Sai Beach…
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Thai farmers reluctant to scale down use of ‘toxic’ herbicides
Thai farmers say they oppose the proposed bans on herbicides paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos. The Thai government plans to phase out three chemical weed killers, widely used by Thai farmers, by the end of this year. Farmers say they oppose the restrictions of use because the chemicals provide higher crop yields, according to Thai PBS who headed out into the…
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Phuket villager braves the surf to rescue tangled turtle
A local villager in Phuket’s north has risked his own life to retrieve a young sea turtle caught up in fishermen’s netting. The turtle was spotted, caught up in the branches of a fallen tree along the shores of Mai Khao beach. The monsoon was kicking up big waves and it’s unlikely the locals knew how to swim, especially in…
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Mariam the young Krabi dugong dies
PHOTO: กรมทรัพยากรทางทะเลและชายฝั่ง The Phuket Marine Biological Centre has announced the sad news about the special young dugong ‘Mariam’, who was found in Krabi back on April 26. Young Mariam died earlier today. The centre posted on its official Facebook page that the vet team found that she’d stopped breathing and her pulse had stopped as well, so they brought her…
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Turtle rescued on Nai Harn Beach, Phuket
PHOTO: Aroon Solos Today (August 15) at about 1pm, the lifeguard team at Nai Harn Beach rescued a small turtle, which had become stuck in a fertiliser sack. They found the turtle washed up ashore with the sack wrapped up around its neck. They tried to carefully remove the sack from the turtle’s neck but found that the turtle had…
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7 year old elephant dies after being hit by truck
PHOTO: Twitter/@fm91trafficpro A 7 year old wild elephant has died whilst it was being taken to an animal hospital in Nakhon Pathom after being hit by a truck in Chon Buri early this morning. The female elephant weighed about 3 tonne and was following her mother at the time, according to a message on social media. The elephant was hit…
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Three herbicides will be banned in Thailand this year
“When we eat fish from a river or stream contaminated with chemicals, we will ingest the chemicals. It is a food chain.” Three hazardous herbicides, widely used in Thailand, will be banned before the end of this year. Deputy Agriculture Minister Manunya Thaiseth says the three herbicides are strongly opposed by consumer, civic groups and environmentalists. Yesterday she ordered a suspension of…
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Young elephant injured by trap in Rayong
PHOTO: Nation TV Wildlife officials are tracking a young wild elephant whose front left leg has become infected after being caught in a snare. They want to capture it and treat its injury. The assistant chief of Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tantikorn Puangsakul, says officials of the Khao Noi wildlife protection unit spotted the small elephant staggering in…
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Injured sea turtle rescued by tour boat operator in Phuket – VIDEO
PHOTO: Nikorn Marine An injured sea turtle has been rescued by a tour boat operator in Phuket today. The boat crew of Nikorn Marine found a sea turtle while sailing the ‘Nichakorn 2’ near Coral Island, off Chalong. The turtle was found injured, trapped in a fishing net, with its rear left flipper missing, though the wound seemed old and…
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