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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Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Agriculture ministry to give one million farms in Thailand solar panels
Thailand’s agriculture ministry plans to install solar panels on at least one million of Thailand’s farms in a new pilot project aiming to reduce farms’ electricity bills by 20-30% in 15-20 years. The ministry plans to issue a non-fungible token named “Solar Panels NFT for Thai Farmers” worth around 697 billion baht to legally trade with international investors in Singapore.…
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Phuket deputy governor appoints committee to fight dust pollution
Phuket deputy governor Anupap appointed a committee on Monday to fight the severe dust pollution gripping the island province. In a meeting at city hall that he lead that day, Anupap stressed that forest fires are common during Thailand’s dry season, and they create fine particulate dust matter, PM2.5, in dust, soot, smoke, and liquid. He said with bad ventilation…
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Thai government pushes use of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions
The Thai government has approved a budget of 3 billion baht to subsidise the price of electric vehicles and has installed free-to-use EV charging stations at Benjakitti Park in Bangkok to promote the shift to a low carbon society. The spokesperson for the prime minister, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchan, announced today that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha aims to promote electric vehicles and make…
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Chiang Mai forest used as illegal landfill
A forest in Chiang Mai has been illegally used a a landfill. Information about the suspects have not yet been reported, but they will be charged with violating the National Reserved Forest Act. A police chief said police flew a drone over the protected area in Wiang Haeng district after they got reports of possible illegal burning there. He said…
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Bleaching damages Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, corals drained of colour
Bleaching has damaged Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, including in its marine park. Bleaching occurs when rising ocean temperatures drain corals of their colours. Marine park authorities say the bleaching is “widespread” across multiple regions, ranging from minor to severe. High sea temperatures have caused bleaching in the reef since 1997, and many corals struggle to survive. Meanwhile, starfish also eat…
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Illegal burning in Northern Thailand contributes harmful levels of air pollutant PM2.5
Illegal burning in more than 135 areas in the northern province Mae Hong Son has contributed to the rise of the air pollutant PM2.5 to levels considered to be harmful to human health. Authorities are also concerned that the poor air quality could also worsen the condition of Covid-19 patients in the area. Today, the air quality in Mae Hong…
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112 endangered green sea turtle eggs found at Koh Surin National Park
A nest containing 112 eggs from an endangered green sea turtle was found by park rangers at Koh Surin National Park in the southern province of Phang Nga on Sunday. Since the nest was in a potential flood zone, and the eggs were at risk of being eaten by animals, park rangers decided to relocate the eggs to a safe…
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Much of Australian state under water as 200,000 people ordered to flee flood
A devastating storm that started last week has killed 13 people so far in the Australian state of New South Wales. Emergency services have ordered 200,000 people to flee, warning of dangerous wind and rain across 400 kilometres of the coast. A meteorologist predicts there will be 50-150 milimetres of rain in and around Sydney, which he warned will cause…
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Southern houses damaged by rainstorms and sea waves
Rainstorms and big sea waves damaged about 200 homes in the Southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat between Thursday and this morning. The storms hit the Gulf of Thailand, and drastically eroded about 500 metres of the beach at Na Saton village. The deputy provincial governor inspected the damage this morning, and the Na Satorn Municipality gave people tiles and…
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Swimmers, beach-goers advised to avoid 3 areas of beach affected by Rayong oil spill
Red flags have been placed at Rayong’s Mae Ram Phueng beach, following a recent oil spill in the eastern province, with officials advising swimmers to stay away, again. According to a Thai PBS World report, the Pollution Control Department says high levels of total petroleum hydrocarbon have been detected in the areas and people should not swim in the water…
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After pipeline spills, Rayong officials say beach is “still unsafe”
After 3 separate oil spills from the same company within a month, Rayong officials say the Mae Ramphueng beach is still unsafe. Health officials tested urine samples of officials who had to collect the oil. Out of 534 officials, 3 showed unsafe levels of volatile compounds. 18 other officials still await their results. The Rayong Pollution Control Centre also said…
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Star Petroleum vows to seal underwater pipeline and “clean up” oil slicks in Rayong
Star Petroleum Refining, the petrochemical company behind 3 separate oil leaks about 20 kilometres off the Rayong coastline, has now been approved by Map Ta Phut Provincial police and Marine Department to seal leaks in their underwater pipeline. The company says that works have begun today, starting with clearing the most recent oil leak of around 12,000 spare metres that…
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3 men arrested after allegedly selling tiger, leopard skins to undercover police
Three men were arrested yesterday after they were allegedly caught selling clouded leopard and tiger hides to an undercover officer. Along with three live leopard kittens, tiger and leopard hides valued at two million baht were seized by national park officers and police at a resort in Kanchanaburi, which borders Myanmar. Officers had received a tip that illegal wildlife traders…
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Koh Phi Phi officials say keep sea clean after pregnant shark trapped in hat dies
The head of Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park is advising people to keep the Andaman Sea clean after divers found a pregnant blacktip reef shark dead, her body stuck in what appears to be part of a woven straw hat that had unravelled and gotten tied up in coral. In a video from the divers, the brim and top…
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Oil still pollutes Rayong beach, Thai tourist says oil on his body after a swim
Following the second oil leak in Rayong, not only was leaked crude oil still on Mae Ramphueng Beach, but a Thai tourist says water reeked of oil and his body was covered in oily stains after a swim. Another local shared a picture of what looks like a coral-covered with a black strain. Locals say they are worried about the…
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Fisheries Department will temporarily halt gulf fishing for marine breeding season
The deputy director-general of the Fisheries Department announced yesterday that in coming months, four areas of the gulf will be closed to fishermen for marine breeding season. From February 15 to May 15, waters near the coasts of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, and Surat Thani will close. From May 16 to June 14, the foot of Khao Ta Mong Lai…
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Second oil leak from undersea pipeline discovered in waters off Rayong
Officials in Rayong are once again dealing with an oil leak from an undersea pipeline belonging to Star Petroleum. According to the Pollution Control Department, the oil slick has been spotted in the Map Ta Phut sea. Department boss Atthaphol Charoenchansa says Star Petroleum has confirmed that around 5,000 litres of oil have created the slick, which extends for about…
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Phuket conservationists butt heads with locals on coral reef
Conservationists are fighting to stop a bay being dredged in Ao Kung in Pa Khlok, on Phuket’s east coast, as they say it will damage nearby coral reefs. A former village headman says the bay needs to be dredged because fishing boats have a hard time getting to the port at low tide. At a meeting with representatives of local…
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Oil-affected Rayong beach will host Valentine’s Day event to celebrate reopening
Love will conquer all, including an oil spill off the Thai coastline. The Rayong beach where oil reached its shores last month will host a Valentine’s Day event called “Rayong in Love” to celebrate the beach’s reopening. The event at Mae Ram Phueng Beach will start on Saturday, February 12, and end on Monday, February 14. The Rayong governor said…
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Petrochemical firm apologises for oil spill in Rayong
The oil firm that is responsible for an oil spill off the coast of Rayong along the eastern Gulf of Thailand e on January 25, has now apologised for the spill. Although the estimated amount of spilled oil was over 50,000 litres, the firm insists it was only 47,000. The firm, Star Petroleum Refining Company Limited, 60% owned by the…
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Rayong officials say no contaminated seafood found following crude oil leak
Officials in the eastern province of Rayong continue to test seafood from the surrounding waters amid contamination concerns but so far, all’s good. So says Rayong’s public health chief, Dr Soonthorn Rianphoomkarnkit. Concerns were raised following a devastating oil spill on January 25 that has affected the surrounding waters. The crude oil leak, from an undersea pipeline owned by Star…
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Rayong officials say clean-up of Mae Ram Phueng beach done, focus on Koh Samet
Following the leaking of thousands of litres of crude oil into the waters around the eastern province of Rayong, the clean-up of Mae Ram Phueng beach has been completed. According to a Thai PBS World report, satellite imagery yesterday showed no traces of oil on the beach and officials are now turning their attention to Koh Samet and in particular,…
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Thailand’s Rayong province declares emergency as oil slick reaches beach
Attempts since last Tuesday morning have failed to avert the oil spill reaching the Gulf of Thailand’s east coast beaches. Yesterday the oil started washing up on the Mae Ramphueng beach in Rayong, an hour’s drive south of Pattaya. Up to 200 people were patrolling the stricken beach using back hoes to try and scoop up the oil. Other volunteers…
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Oil from the Rayong pipeline leak reaches the beach
Despite frantic efforts to contain the leak before it reached the shore, oil from the pipeline leak in the waters about 20 kilometres off the coast of Rayong, south of Pattaya, has begun to hit the shores. The Royal Thai Navy has been leading the efforts to contain the oil that was leaked out into the sea. They warn that…
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Oil spill threatening tourism recovery on Thailand’s Koh Samet
Koh Samet’s fragile tourism sector, already battered by the restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, now faces another threat from an oil spill heading for the island’s, and nearby, beaches. Sarinthip Tupmongkholsup from the Tourism Association of Koh Samet is reminded of a 2013 oil spill at the island’s Ao Phrao and is desperate to avoid a repeat scenario. “We…
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PM 2.5 air pollutant at high levels in many parts of Bangkok, surrounding provinces
This morning, fine dust of dangerous P.M level 2.5 covered many parts of Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The Pollution Control Department reports that particulate air levels range from 28-72 micrograms per cubic centimetre. The safe threshold for air dust is 50 micrograms per cubic centimetre. The PDC states that 41 areas have dust levels above this threshold. Bangkok’s air situation…
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Harmful dust levels reported in Greater Bangkok – Pollution Control Department
Thailand’s Pollution Control Department is warning of harmful amounts of fine particulate dust in Greater Bangkok during today and tomorrow, as well as this coming weekend. The dust has been caused by stagnant air over the city. This morning, the department stated that over the past 24 hours the level of PM 2.5, which is fine particulate matter around 2.5…
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Students suffer minor injuries after apparent wild elephant attack on Doi Mon Jong trail
A popular trail in the Doi Mon Jong ranges has been closed indefinitely after a female student was attacked by at least 2 wild elephants. The trail is about 4 hours out of Chiang Mai and reaches one of the ten highest peaks in Thailand. The chief of the Omkoi wildlife sanctuary, Navee Silsuphakul, says that the trail, opened for…
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Bangkok 14th worst air quality globally, more PM2.5 next week
Not quite as pride-inducing as being ranked the number 1 city for a workation in the world or the 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, but Bangkok has recently been listed as having the 14th worst air pollution globally on the World Air Quality Index. The dubious honour was awarded on Wednesday as Bangkok faces more days where…
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With tourism suffering, sea turtles are thriving in peace in Phuket
One silver lining of the Covid-19 pandemic that devastated tourism and the economy in Thailand and the world is that nature benefitted greatly from a bit of a breather from the throngs of people trampling around the earth. Reports of flora and fauna revitalising have been seen around the world. In Phuket, the absence of tourists has given sea turtles…
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