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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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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Phuket vice governor says water shortage not a concern
Phuket’s vice governor announced yesterday in a meeting that even though the island’s rainfall was below average in 2021, there was still lots of water from the three main reservoirs, and water shortage is “not a concern.” He said plans still need to be made to prevent water shortages in Phuket, though. Phuket had severe water shortages in 2019 and…
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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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Race against time to prevent Rayong oil spill reaching the shore, 3 kilometres away
Officials in Rayong are pulling out all the stops to protect the eastern province’s beaches from an oil spill 3 kilometres off-shore. According to a Nation Thailand report, provincial governor Channa Iamsaeng says the crude oil is currently headed for the beaches of Mae Rampueng and Khao Laemya. Workers have placed a “beach boom”, or barrier line, in the sea,…
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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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Prachuap Khiri Khan, Koh Samui beaches have the cleanest water
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has just completed their 2021 Environmental Quality Audit of Thailand, and Prachuap Khiri Khan and Koh Samui dominated the list of cleanest sea water beaches. All top 5 beaches with the cleanest sea water were in the Gulf of Thailand. The best seawater was one of 4 categories assessed by the study, which…
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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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Toll fee waived for Motorways 7 and 9 for 4-day New Year’s weekend
As a New Year’s gift for motorists in Bangkok and the surrounding areas, the Cabinet has approved a waiver for every toll fee on the busy number 7 and number 9 Motorways from December 30 to January 3. The move is not just a chance for drivers to save money, but also will half reduce traffic congestion and in turn,…
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No confirmation on whether January 1 re-opening of Maya Bay can go ahead
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation says it’s still waiting to hear from the Natural Resources and Environment Minister if the re-opening of Maya Bay can go ahead. The hugely popular tourist draw was expected to re-open from January 1 and Damras Phoprasit from the DNP says he’s already reassured Minister Varawut Silpa-archa that the newly-constructed pier…
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Authorities warn of “unhealthy” levels of air pollution in Bangkok, elsewhere this week
Authorities have warned that particulate matter 2.5 levels in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand will reach an unhealthy stage this week. According to a Pattaya News report, the Centre for Air Pollution Mitigation says PM2.5 pollution levels are exceeding safe standards in many central parts of the country, including the capital. The CAPM operates under the authority of the…
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Pollution Control Department sets checkpoints for black exhaust
Not only has the Pollution Control Department set up 20 checkpoints to find vehicles with black exhaust emissions on the roads going in and out of Bangkok, but they announced tighter regulations for next year as the country attempts to reduce the PM2.5 air pollution issue. Cars older than 7 years, along with trucks and diesel cars were being stopped…
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Thailand coast along the Andaman Sea eyed to be UNESCO World Heritage site
A large swath of coastline in Southern Thailand has been approved by the Cabinet to be a potential new UNESCO World Heritage site. This area runs along the Andaman sea from Phuket up through Phang nga and Ranong, and much of it is already approved nature reserves and national park land. The total site comprises around 1,160 square kilometres. A…
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Thailand now generating electricity at world’s biggest hydro-solar farm
As part of Thailand’s push to become a carbon-neutral country by 2050, the world’s largest hydro-solar hybrid energy farm has officially gone online and is now generating electricity. The solar farm floats atop the Sirindhorn Dam in Ubon Ratchathani and is as big as 70 football fields. The massive installation floats on Sirindhorn Reservoir along Lam Dom Noi River, about…
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4.4 billion baht Supreme Court corruption case about futsal courts
The Supreme Court of Thailand has accepted a major corruption case to go to trial regarding low-quality futsal courts nearly 10 years ago worth 4.4 billion baht. The wide-reaching case regarding poorly built playing areas for futsal, a game similar to football that is popular in Thailand, will require Thailand’s chief whip, Wirat Rattanaseth, to cease his MP role while…
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PM says Thailand will step up fight against climate change
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has vowed to step up Thailand’s focus on tackling climate change. He made this announcement yesterday in Glasgow at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, also known as the COP26. This convention is a forum in which world leaders can meet and make plans to address relevant climate issues. Prayut…
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Thai PM expected to embark on first overseas trip since start of pandemic
The Thai PM is expected to attend the COP26 climate summit in Scotland, his first overseas trip since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a Pattaya News report, there are reports Prayut Chan-o-cha will travel to Glasgow for the conference, which kicks off at the end of this month. Over 120 world leaders are expected to attend the…
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Control measures set to reduce pollution in Bangkok from vehicle emissions
To tackle the seasonal haze in Bangkok, Thai officials are coming up with ways to reduce pollution from car and truck exhaust. Road checkpoints will be set up to look out for vehicles emitting clouds of black smoke and drivers of vehicles emitting exhaust that exceeds legal limits will face a 5,000 baht fine. According to the National News Bureau…
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Bangkok and surrounding provinces warned to prepare for dust pollution
Now’s a good time to shore up your collection of PM2.5 masks and make sure your air purifier is running smoothly, with dust pollution forecast to hit Bangkok and its surrounding provinces from the end of October. According to a Thai PBS World report, weather conditions – namely the arrival of high atmospheric pressure – will be ripe for the…
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Global Covid-19 recovery efforts will have lasting impact on climate
A comprehensive environmental assessment has warned that the global Covid-19 recovery efforts will have a long lasting impact on the climate. The assessment highlighted countries’ heightened use of fossil fuels as a part of their recoveries, and explained the risk that this poses to the environment and human health. The Lancet Countdown is the largest annual assessment on what impacts…
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UK government calls on Thailand to accelerate its net-zero target
As the UK prepares to host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, the British government is urging Thailand to sign a key pact. The UK is hosting the climate talks, known as COP26, in partnership with Italy. The event takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, between October 31 and November 12. The Bangkok Post reports that a press briefing was held…
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Phuket’s Khai Islands overwhelmed by rubbish
Phuket’s UWC Thailand and 5 Star Marine have collaborated with government departments to help clean up the rubbish stricken Khai Islands off the coast of Phuket. Yesterday, staff and students from UWC Thailand International School and 5 Star Marine collaborated as part of the tourism restart plan and program. The popular islands needed a major clean up before they were…
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Return of the tar balls on Phuket’s northern beaches
The tar balls are back. During a scheduled beach clean yesterday along Phuket’s north-coast Nai Yang Beach, volunteers noticed the return of the mysterious tar balls that were washing up along the coast in the weeks before Phuket’s Sandbox started on July 1. Michelle from Sustainable Mai Khao Foundation contacted The Thaiger this morning with the news of the return…
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6 warrants out for death of 1 million swiftlets, theft of bird’s nest
Six arrests have been made in connection with the shocking story last month of caves raided in Phatthalung where 1 million swiftlets were killed and their valuable birds’ nest plundered. Swiftlets, unlike other birds, make their nests entirely out of their own saliva which has been prized, especially in Asian culture, as a healing delicacy. Authorities estimated a 5 billion…
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Sri Panwa resort face punishment for illegally acquired land
Just as the National Anti-Corruption Commission probed Trisara resort, the luxury resort Sri Panwa in Southeast Phuket is facing legal action for land the Department of Special Investigation says was acquired illegally. The resort is accused of acquiring one plot over 3 rai in area with a Nor Sor 3 Gor land document – papers with ownership privileged just short…
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