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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Bangkok seeks air pollution control status amid rising PM2.5 levels
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to request the government’s declaration of Bangkok as an air pollution control area due to anticipated rises in PM2.5 levels over the coming week. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced yesterday, January 29, that he will present the proposal to the Cabinet next week. Declaring Bangkok a pollution control area would empower the BMA to…
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3 poachers caught with wildlife carcasses in Kanchanaburi
Three Karen poachers were apprehended in the Thong Pha Phum National Park in Kanchanaburi province following a tip-off from a concerned citizen. The suspects were caught with homemade firearms and numerous wildlife carcasses. Yutthaphong Damsrisuk, the head of Thong Pha Phum National Park, reported that Chalermchai Sri-on, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, along with senior officials, have implemented…
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Elephants wreak havoc on Prachin Buri sugarcane farms
Farmers in Prachin Buri’s Kabin Buri district face significant challenges as wild elephants from the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary in Chachoengsao province have invaded their sugarcane fields. Over 50 sugarcane farmers from the subdistricts of Khao Mai Kaew and Wang Tha Chang gathered at the district office yesterday, January 27 to submit a letter to District Chief Thammarat…
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Phuket’s burning ban: Violators face 20 years amid smog crisis
Phuket has joined the nationwide crackdown on burning as the country battles severe smog and PM2.5 pollution. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul ordered all provinces to implement burning bans, prompting Phuket officials to issue their strict measures last week. Phuket Vice Governor Adul Chuthong announced the ban last Friday, January 24, which prohibits all agricultural burning…
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Critics slam 140m baht quick fix for Bangkok haze crisis
Critics have blasted the government for allocating 140 million baht to fund free public transport in Bangkok for one week, calling it a waste of taxpayers’ money that fails to tackle the root cause of the city’s haze pollution crisis. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra introduced the measure, which began last Saturday, January 25, to combat surging levels of hazardous PM2.5…
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New haze directives to combat deadly pollution in Thailand
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will provide additional directives at a Cabinet meeting today to address the ongoing haze issue, according to government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub. The meeting will prioritise PM2.5 pollution, following the prime minister’s return from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, over the weekend. She emphasised that the worsening pollution crisis extends beyond national boundaries. The 38…
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Bangkok ranks 4th worst for air quality as haze chokes city
Bangkok’s air quality took a nosedive today, earning it the grim title of the fourth worst city in the world for air pollution, according to Swiss-based monitoring platform IQAir. The capital’s air quality index (AQI) hit a hazardous 188 as of 9.40am, with toxic PM2.5 levels far exceeding safe thresholds. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) declared 48 out of 50…
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Phuket’s future: Seminar tackles bold new environmental rules
Phuket’s business leaders and environmental experts gathered yesterday, January 23 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel for a pivotal seminar titled Unlocking the Phuket Environment: Crisis or Opportunity? Organised by the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and presided over by Chamber President Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, the event focused on the sweeping new environmental regulations announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and…
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Thailand’s PM2.5 crisis: Toxic dust turns up the heat
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) forecasts a slight rise in temperatures due to weakening cold air masses, with chilly conditions in the north and light rain in the south. Dust pollution remains a significant issue as of yesterday, January 22. The TMD predicts that over the next 24 hours, the high-pressure system or cold air mass covering upper Thailand and…
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Thap Lan Park burns 600 rai of forest to lure elephants back
The Thap Lan National Park has set fire to 600 rai of forest to encourage new grass growth, aiming to increase food sources for wild elephants and draw them back into their natural habitat. Head of Thap Lan National Park Prawit Chanthatep informed reporters yesterday that Yosawat Thiansawat, Director of the Conservation Area Management Office 1 (Prachin Buri), along with…
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Why you need to wear a mask in Bangkok right now
As anyone who has spent time in Thailand, or other Asian cultures for that matter, I’m sure you have seen people wearing masks while in public in Bangkok. But why? The scare of Covid-19 has now long lost its saliency and fears among the general public have been diminished to a level comparable to a bad cold. Yet we still…
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Toxic air: Thailand considers work from home nationwide
The Ministry of Public Health is set to recommend a nationwide work from home directive next week after PM2.5 ultrafine dust pollution surpassed safe thresholds in nearly every province yesterday, January 21, with Greater Bangkok experiencing the highest levels. Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin announced that a meeting would be held today to formulate strategies to address the escalating pollution…
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Pink dholes with rare colour spotted in Thailand
In a stunning discovery that has wildlife enthusiasts buzzing, rare images of dholes with pinkish fur have emerged from Thailand’s Kaeng Krachan National Park. A dhole (pronounced dole) is also known as the Asiatic wild dog, red dog, and whistling dog. It is about the size of a German shepherd but looks more like a long-legged fox. The unusual find…
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Rising PM2.5 pollution forces Bangkok schools to close
Schools throughout the capital city were compelled to close due to rising PM2.5 pollutant levels reaching unhealthy thresholds yesterday, January 20. Nong Khaem district experienced particularly high concentrations, measuring 77.8 microgrammes per cubic metre at 12.30pm, significantly surpassing the Pollution Control Department’s 24-hour safe exposure limit of 37.5µg/m³. Consequently, two schools in the district were instructed to close, as stated…
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Fire at Phichit biomass plant burns 1,000 tonnes of fuel
A fire broke out at a biomass power plant in Taphan Hin district, Phichit province, engulfing over 1,000 tonnes of compressed fuel. Emergency services, including 15 fire trucks, responded to the incident. The cause of the fire remains unknown, and no injuries have been reported. The facility, operated by Thip Phichit Hybrid Energy Company, started operations on December 24, 2022.…
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15 minor earthquakes shake Pai district in Mae Hong Son
A series of 15 minor earthquakes impacted the Pai district in Mae Hong Son province from Sunday evening, January 19 through yesterday afternoon. The Earthquake Observation Division of the Meteorological Department of Thailand reported these events took place in Wiang Nuea subdistrict, Pai district, between 9.56pm on Sunday and 3.46pm yesterday, January 20. The earthquakes registered magnitudes between 1.7 and…
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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…
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Thaksin’s power tariff cut plan sparks debate on electricity pricing
Thaksin Shinawatra‘s proposal to lower the power tariff from 4.15 to 3.70 baht per kilowatt-hour has ignited a discussion on the future of electricity pricing, which has remained elevated since 2022. The adjustment of tariff rates directly impacts electricity bills, with a reduced tariff leading to lower costs for businesses and households. The former prime minister introduced the tariff reduction…
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Thailand plans five-year strategy to tackle PM2.5 pollution
Last week a workshop was held in Chiang Mai aimed at developing a five-year plan to combat PM2.5 pollution. The Office of the Science Promotion Commission, along with officials in Chiang Mai held the workshop on January 13 and 14, emphasising a change through research and innovation. Governor Nirat Phongsitthaworn of Chiang Mai highlighted the importance of utilising research to…
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Thailand battles hazardous PM2.5 pollution levels in 28 provinces
Bangkok and 64 out of 76 provinces in Thailand experienced unsafe levels of PM2.5 dust pollution this morning, January 20, with 28 provinces reaching hazardous red levels. Samut Sakhon reported the most severe air pollution. According to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), at 9am, PM2.5 levels reached hazardous levels in 28 provinces, with readings between 75.3 and…
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Herd mentality: Thai activists stomp on elephant birth control plan
Conservationists gathered yesterday to oppose the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s proposal to administer birth control injections to wild elephants. The Soo Phua Chang Network, advocating for elephants, convened at the ministry, urging a delay in the plan until comprehensive studies and reviews of the contraceptive injections are completed. They presented their petition to Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, and Naraphat…
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British explorer uncovers shocking truth at abandoned Phuket Zoo (video)
A British explorer got more than he bargained for during a visit to Thailand’s abandoned Phuket Zoo, uncovering a hidden and haunting secret that left him and his viewers stunned. British content creator Sean King, known for exploring deserted attractions on his YouTube channel @SeanKing5150, ventured into the defunct zoo. What he found was both extraordinary and deeply troubling. “I…
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Bangkok cracks down on smoky buses amid pollution crisis
To tackle Bangkok’s escalating air pollution, city officials inspected public buses for black smoke emissions at the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority’s (BMTA) Sathuphradit Depot on Tuesday, January 14. The initiative, led by Phonprom Wikitset, Advisor to the Governor of Bangkok, and Prapat Luangsirinapa, Director of the Environmental Office, aimed to address the city’s fine particulate matter (PM2.5) crisis. The inspections…
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Phuket under siege: Tidal wave of trash threatens tropical paradise
The once-idyllic waters and landscapes of Phuket is in danger of being flooded in a rising tidal wave of trash is threatening to overwhelm this renowned tourist haven. Plastic bottles and empty beer cans now clutter the ocean floor while the island itself groans under the weight of mounting rubbish, casting a shadow over its famed beaches. Behind the scenes,…
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Bangkok chokes on toxic air as PM2.5 levels hit danger zone
Bangkok’s air quality plummeted to hazardous levels, with PM2.5 dust particles soaring to the orange health-threatening category across all 50 districts, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) reported today. The average PM2.5 concentration in the city reached 47.6 µg/m³ this morning, significantly exceeding the safe limit of 37.5 µg/m³. The five worst-affected districts are Nong Khaem (56.7 µg/m³), Khlong Sam Wa…
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Is it too late for Thailand’s dugongs?
Long ago, dugongs were hunted across Southeast Asia for their meat, tusks, and bones. In some regions, their body parts were thought to hold magical powers. Dugong tears, in particular, were said to bring good fortune or even love. But in Thailand, these gentle sea cows often inspired more reverence than harm. Along the Andaman coast, dugongs became symbols of love,…
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Something’s fishy: Farmers demand answers over blackchin tilapia spread
Approximately 150 farmers from 19 provinces assembled outside the Government House yesterday, January 13, to submit a letter to the government. They demanded the identification of those responsible for the spread of blackchin tilapia fish and requested support for the affected farmers. The letter, delivered by the group’s leader Panya Toktong to Pansak Charoen, a specialist at the Prime Minister’s…
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Forest fires in Pak Chong extinguished after eight-day battle
Forest fires on Khao Loi mountain in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima, have been extinguished after burning for eight days. Officials suspect the fires were initiated to facilitate a wildlife hunt. Chaiwat Chuenkosum, governor of Nakhon Ratchasima, stated that multiple agencies, including the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), the Royal Forest Department, and local administration, collaborated…
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Clearing the air: Bangkok takes a breather with work-from-home push
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt today is rolling out a novel work-from-home initiative alongside a push to expand the clean air shelter project in more schools, all in a bid to tackle the city’s relentless PM2.5 pollution problem. The 58 year old city chief noted a breath of fresh air yesterday, January 12, with improved air quality in Bangkok, as PM2.5 levels…
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Why is Bangkok’s air quality so bad?
Imagine waking up early in Bangkok and you see all the beautiful morning fog from your balcony, but as you sip your coffee you realise it’s just Bangkok’s air pollution that’s making the sun rise aesthetic. Ranked as the 36th most air-polluted country in the world, Thailand has been facing challenges with air quality as of late. Many factors translate…
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