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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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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As Thailand accuses a Netflix documentary of using outdated and inaccurate information about the country’s fishing industry, a number of global environmental experts are echoing similar criticisms.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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Report attributes 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand to air pollution
According to the State of Global Air 2020 Report, around 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand, back in 2019, have been attributed to air pollution. The report cites the PM2.5 pollution particles as the main culprit as particles in that size range are the most likely to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure to these fine particles…
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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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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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Spotted dolphin found cut open on Phuket beach, park officers investigate
National park officers in Phuket have launched an investigation after a spotted dolphin was found slashed open on the rocks on the shore of Sirinat National Park’s Ao Sai Khu bay. Its body had a deep gash across its head and another from its head to its tail. The spotted dolphins are classified as protected animals under Thailand’s Wildlife Conservation…
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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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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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Over 250,000 receive eye and nose medical treatment due to pollution in northern provinces
Over 250,000 people are feeling the burn after receiving treatment for eye and nose problems due to pollution in Thailand’s northern provinces. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Health, says the medical issues are due to excessive PM2.5 dust particles in the atmosphere as a result of local wildfires that have produced heavy smog. He says that the seasonal…
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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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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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Chiang Mai 3rd most polluted city in world in yesterday’s air quality ratings
Chiang Mai ranked as the 3rd most polluted city in the world yesterday, according to AirVisual, following Lahor in Pakistan and New Delhi in India. The northern Thai city’s was recorded to have an average PM2.5 dust level higher than 200. All 4 air quality monitoring stations in the municipal area reported the PM as exceeding the safe level, with…
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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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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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Air pollution hits unsafe levels in 19 provinces
Air pollution hit “unsafe” levels in 19 provinces across Thailand this morning with levels of the ultra-fine dust PM 2.5 exceeding the official safety limit 50 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the Pollution Control Department. Those areas include: Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Lampang, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Pichit, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphan Buri,…
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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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Stop the burn – Thai Governors told to stop farmers burning off agricultural waste
Provincial governors in Thailand’s farming areas are being told to mitigate the burning off of agri-business waste by farmers in their provinces. The annual burn-offs are the biggest cause of the December to April air pollution in Bangkok and Central Thailand which lie in the wake of the light north-easterly breezes this time of the year. The burn-offs partly co-incide with the lighter…
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Smog across Bangkok can be blamed on a ‘Dust Dome’ of pollutants
Poor air quality across Bangkok in the past week are not just caused by the PM2.5 dust. We can blame a ‘dust dome’ that is formed with low atmospheric pressure, dust and pollutants from the farmland waste burning, and greenhouse gases. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa says that the pollutants come from “the improper disposal” of farming waste…
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Air pollution in Bangkok expected to get worse due to “cold spell”
Air pollution in Bangkok is expected to get worse over the next few days as pollutants are getting trapped in the atmosphere thanks to a recent cold spell and a lack of wind to blow the haze away from the city. In response to the unhealthy air pollution, The PM’s Office permanent secretary says he has asked several ministries to…
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59 areas see excessive PM 2.5 dust in Bangkok today
59 areas in Bangkok are seeing excessive PM 2.5 dust ratings today as air quality is being described as moderate to poor. Din Daeng Road is being identified as the most polluted, according to the air4thai website of the Pollution Control Department. The amount of PM 2.5 dust is being measured at between 39 and 113 microns. Din Daeng is…
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Bangkok’s air quality is ‘unhealthy’ today | VIDEO
Air quality around Bangkok this morning is awful. Partly due to the lack of wind to blow the smog out of the area. To the south of Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, the air quality is even worse with visibility on the ground cut to less than a kilometre. You would be well advised to reduce you activities outside…
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Bangkok enveloped in bad smog Friday
Get out the anti-pollution masks and turn on the air purifier, air pollution in Bangkok is at unhealthy levels. 64 locations in Bangkok were reported with high levels of the air pollutant PM2.5, according to the Pollution Control Department. As a cold weather front in China weakens, air circulation is also slowing down, causing dust to accumulate and drop to…
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Wildfires hit Mae Hong Son’s Pai district
Several wildfires have broken out in Mae Hong Son’s Pai district in Northern Thailand. The governor says he believes that several blazes happening in the area are a result of the dry season arriving earlier than usual. Using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer system, the local forest fire control centre detected 155 so-called “heat points” in the Pai district from…
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Air pollution at “unhealthy levels” in 64 areas in Bangkok
Get out the anti-pollution masks and turn on the air purifier, air pollution in Bangkok is at unhealthy levels. 64 locations in Bangkok have reported high levels of the air pollutant PM2.5, according to the Pollution Control Department. People are advised to avoid outdoor activities. As a cold weather front in China weakens, air circulation is also slowing down, causing…
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PM2.5 over the limit in 21 areas of Bangkok
The pollution control department reports PM2.5 dust particles exceed the standard in 21 areas of Bangkok this morning and reaching unhealthy levels. People in the affected areas are being told to monitor their health. People who have any symptoms of coughing, shortness of breath, or eye irritation, “please stay inside the premises and refrain from outdoor activities”. Children and elderly…
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Bangkok officials launch “big cleaning” attack on air pollution | VIDEO
If all else fails, spray water at it … That seems to be the motto of officials in Bangkok, who have resorted to spraying large plumes of water into the air, in an effort to rid the capital of the smog that has plagued it for months now. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang has launched the “Bangkok Big Cleaning Day”, in…
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