Thailand locks in on crop burning with strict new measures
Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives announced strict new measures on January 17 to combat the growing PM2.5 air pollution crisis, with a particular focus on penalising farmers for crop burning.
Deputy Minister Itthi Sirilatthayakorn signed the announcement, highlighting how agricultural burning has become a major contributor to the country’s deteriorating air quality. The practice generates smoke and fine particulate matter that spreads across wide areas, posing serious risks to public health, quality of life, and the environment.
The new policy, building on a Cabinet resolution from April 9, 2024, will exclude farmers who burn their fields from receiving government support. The Department of Agricultural Extension will be responsible for identifying farmers who engage in field burning and reporting them to the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary office.
Starting June 1, 2025, any farmer found to have burned their agricultural land between January 17 and May 31, 2025, will face a two-year ban from all government farming support and capacity-building programmes. This suspension will remain in effect until May 31, 2027.
The initiative requires all agencies running farmer support projects to screen participants and exclude those with a history of agricultural burning. This represents one of the government’s strongest measures yet to discourage the harmful practice and address Thailand’s worsening air pollution problem, reported The Nation.
In related news, Thai agricultural officials have launched a scheme offering farmers 1,000 baht per rai, with strict criteria for eligibility. The Department of Agricultural Extension warns against scams, emphasising that no fees or direct communication via SMS or LINE will be involved.
In other news, police launched Operation STOP POLLUTION THE SERIES 3, targeting 14 scrap shops in On Nut’s waste alley for releasing foul odours and causing environmental pollution. Police acted on complaints from locals in Phra Khanong, Bangkok, about improper waste management and air pollution issues.
The operation, led by police officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NREC), resulted in the arrest of 10 shop owners, both men and women, for operating businesses harmful to health without permission.
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