environment

  • Environment NewsThai government scraps Mekong blasting project

    Thai government scraps Mekong blasting project

    The government has officially abandoned a controversial plan to blast rapids on the Mekong river in Chiang Mai province. The Chinese-led dredging and blasting plan, initiated in 2001, met with fierce opposition from locals and environmental groups, and the Cabinet agreed to scrap it at a weekly meeting on Tuesday. The plan was to enable ships to carry goods from…

  • Environment NewsGovernment confirms 2020 ban on single-use plastic bags

    Government confirms 2020 ban on single-use plastic bags

    In a move that some would say has been a long time coming, the Thai government has announced that single-use plastic bags will be banned at shopping malls, convenience stores, and supermarkets from January 1, 2020. Thai Residents says the ban was confirmed by government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul, who says the move is part of Thailand’s plans to eliminate plastic…

  • Economy NewsSugar industry expert says banning of 3 agri-chemicals will severely damage business

    Sugar industry expert says banning of 3 agri-chemicals will severely damage business

    The president of the Thailand Society of Sugarcane Technologists has criticised the recently- implemented ban on three agri-chemicals that were commonly used in the industry. The Nation reports that Dr Kitti Chunhawong insists the ban on Paraquat, Chlorpyrifos and Glyphosate will cripple business. “Currently Thailand is the world’s fifth sugar producer and second biggest exporter with more than 11 million…

  • Environment NewsIncrease in use of biodegradable krathongs pleases Bangkok governor

    Increase in use of biodegradable krathongs pleases Bangkok governor

    The eco-friendly message seems to be getting through as Bangkok Governor, Asawin Kwanmuang, reports an increase in the use of krathongs made from biodegradable materials. The Nation reports that following yesteday’s celebration of the Loy Krathong festival in the city, the governor praised residents for their use of environmentally-friendly krathongs, a marked departure from the use of Styrofoam and other…

  • HealthWater shortage warnings in 22 provinces

    Water shortage warnings in 22 provinces

    People living in 22 Thai provinces are being warned to prepare for shortages of drinking water during the upcoming dry season, due to start on November 1. The warning was issued by the National Water Resources Office, citing low levels in reservoirs, which are the main sources for tap water production waterworks in 22 provinces. Areas at risk identified by the…

  • World NewsTransformers-inspired robot rolls out green message in Vietnam

    Transformers-inspired robot rolls out green message in Vietnam

    PHOTOS: AFP There is more to this towering robot resembling a character from the “Transformers” movies than the auto-parts it’s made from – it speaks Vietnamese and is made from unused motorbike parts. “Hello everyone … I am from Vietnam,” Robot One announces as it swivels side to side in a Hanoi workshop. A team of IT programmers and students…

  • Environment NewsThai PM issues warning to drivers of polluting vehicles

    Thai PM issues warning to drivers of polluting vehicles

    PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha says those who drive polluting vehicles face arrest, warning owners of transport businesses that they will be held responsible for toxic emissions. Speaking at a ceremony presenting government policy to the National Farmers Council, the PM adds that Thai farmers can play their part by reducing outdoor burning, which contributes to pollution.…

  • Environment News“Vulnerable” deer species rescued six kilometres off shore in southern Thailand

    “Vulnerable” deer species rescued six kilometres off shore in southern Thailand

    PHOTO: www.zoothailand.org A species of deer, classified as “vulnerable” since 2008, has been rescued after being seen struggling six kilometres off shore in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Fishermen spotted the female Sambar deer frantically swimming in Khanom Bay and alerted the Siam Ruamjai Foundation. The Nation reports that rescuers went out on jet skis in order to save the deer, which…

  • Environment NewsThai PM addresses UN Climate Action Summit, pledges ASEAN support

    Thai PM addresses UN Climate Action Summit, pledges ASEAN support

    PHOTO: www.mfa.go.th Thai PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha says the ASEAN region is committed to working with the international community to tackle the issue of climate change. Addressing the UN’s Climate Action Summit in New York, the PM was speaking in his capacity as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Expressing his admiration for the UN secretary general’s efforts…

  • Environment NewsHaze from Indonesia’s forest fires affecting Thailand’s south

    Haze from Indonesia’s forest fires affecting Thailand’s south

    The ongoing forest fires in Indonesia are affecting Thailand’s south, bringing smog and a lingering haze to many provinces. Thai PBS World reports that school children at two municipal schools in Trang have received 3,000 face masks from Provincial Governor Luechai Charoensap and city mayor Apichit Wenothai. Distribution of the masks comes as local authorities warn residents to wear masks…

  • World NewsLast five years “Hottest on record” – UN Climate Summit

    Last five years “Hottest on record” – UN Climate Summit

    PHOTO: Greenpeace USA “Average global temperature between 2015-2019 is on track to be the hottest of any five-year period on record, according to the report compiled by the World Meteorological Organisation.” A damning new UN report published yesterday says the world is falling badly behind in the race to avert “climate disaster” because of runaway warming, with the five-year period…

  • Thai LifeLilly wages war on Thailand’s plastic

    Lilly wages war on Thailand’s plastic

    PHOTOS” AFP “Mindsets have started to shift this year with the deaths of several marine mammals whose stomachs were lined with plastic, stirring emotions.” by Sophie Deviller Skipping school to glide through a dirty Bangkok ‘klong’ on a paddleboard, Lilly fishes out rubbish in her mission to clean up Thailand, where the average person uses eight plastic bags every single…

  • Politics NewsGovernment spokeswoman says sorry after posting photo of PM eating from plastic container

    Government spokeswoman says sorry after posting photo of PM eating from plastic container

    PHOTO: Scmp.com Thai PBS World reports that a government spokeswoman has had to apologise to the PM after posting a photo on social medial that showed him eating from a plastic container. Narumon Pinysinwat says she shouldn’t have posted the image and that she has apologised for her negligence. The PM was served the food after boarding a plane for…

  • Environment NewsMaya Bay: saving the most famous beach in Thailand

    Maya Bay: saving the most famous beach in Thailand

    PHOTO: Sarah Buthmann For years, Maya Bay on the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh in Krabi province, has been overrun with visitors. Every day, thousands of tourists competed for space on Thailand’s most famous beach. Having been made famous by the 2000 Leonardo di Caprio movie, The Beach, tourists arrived by the boatload every hour, every day of the…

  • Environment NewsAutopsy on dead 15 year old Hawksbill sea turtle held today

    Autopsy on dead 15 year old Hawksbill sea turtle held today

    PHOTO: Thai PBS World Veterinarians from the sea turtle hospital at Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri, south of Pattaya on the Gulf of Thailand, are doing an autopsy on a dead endangered Hawksbill sea turtle. The one metre long and 40 kilogram dead sea turtle, believed to be about 15 years old, was found floating near Koh Juang in…

  • Environment NewsLeonardo’s Instagram post draws attention to Thailand’s dugongs

    Leonardo’s Instagram post draws attention to Thailand’s dugongs

    Hollywood star, environmentalist and Instagrammer, Leonardo DiCaprio, has posted the story of Marium the baby dugong in Thailand who died after ingesting plastic. “A beloved baby marine mammal in Thailand has died after consuming plastic and experiencing shock,” he wrote in his instagram post, referring to Thai officials’ announcement on Saturday of the death of the dugong. “The young dugong,…

  • Environment NewsDead deer found in Thai national park with 3 kilos of plastic bags in its stomach

    Dead deer found in Thai national park with 3 kilos of plastic bags in its stomach

    PHOTO: Coconuts Bangkok Plastic bags continue to take their toll, and not just on marine life. A dead deer has been found in Khao Yai National Park, central Thailand, with 3 kilos of plastic bags inside it. The deer died after eating plastic bags and plastic cutlery left behind by visitors to the national park. The heart-breaking photos were posted…

  • Environment NewsThailand Prime Minister rejects calls to ban plastic bags

    Thailand Prime Minister rejects calls to ban plastic bags

    PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times In what some may see as a baffling contradiction, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha promised to protect marine life, while simultaneously rejecting an increasing number of calls for a ban on single-use plastic bags. Following the death of Marium, a young dugong who had ingested plastic waste, the PM says he has ordered the agencies concerned to…

  • Environment NewsEnvironment Ministry wants to increase dugong populations by 50% over a decade

    Environment Ministry wants to increase dugong populations by 50% over a decade

    “Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat says that trash in the seas was the main cause of the death of many endangered marine species.” Pinsak Suraswadi, deputy director-general of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, says the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment wants to increase the population of dugong in Thailand’s waters by 50% in the next ten years. The effort will…

  • Environment NewsMariam the young Krabi dugong dies

    Mariam the young Krabi dugong dies

    PHOTO: กรมทรัพยากรทางทะเลและชายฝั่ง The Phuket Marine Biological Centre has announced the sad news about the special young dugong ‘Mariam’, who was found in Krabi back on April 26. Young Mariam died earlier today. The centre posted on its official Facebook page that the vet team found that she’d stopped breathing and her pulse had stopped as well, so they brought her…

  • Environment NewsWWF Thailand pushes for sustainable tourism and preservation

    WWF Thailand pushes for sustainable tourism and preservation

    An animal lover, nature lover and a Thai national, CEO of World Wide Fund-Thailand, Natalie Phaholyothin is particularly proud of Thailand’s national environment and wildlife heritage. “We have 127 national parks, which is quite a high number, and that in itself should be an indication of the potential for Thailand to become more of a sustainable tourism destination. “All Thais…

  • Environment NewsMall Group shopping centres to charge customers 1 baht for a plastic bag

    Mall Group shopping centres to charge customers 1 baht for a plastic bag

    PHOTO: Mall Group The Mall Group, that runs some of Bangkok’s leading shopping centres, including Bluport in Hua Hin, will charge customers for plastic bags from July 3. The initiative is to mark International Plastic Bag Free Day which falls on July 3. They are the first Thai retail company to take the bold step. Customers will be encouraged not to…

  • Phuket NewsWhale shark sighted off Koh Racha – VIDEO

    Whale shark sighted off Koh Racha – VIDEO

    VIDEO/PHOTO: บังดำ นายสุวัฒน์ บาเร็ม/Saranyu Hassanai A whale shark was sighted off Koh Racha, south of Phuket, yesterday. A Facebook user ‘Saranyu Hassanai’ has posted the video clip with a message saying “A whale shark has showed up near the boat while we were travelling near Koh Racha.” “Tourists on the boat were very happy to see the whale shark.” https://www.facebook.com/100017729653298/videos/391081111492874/?id=100017729653298…

  • Phuket NewsCourt rules that National Park can limit numbers to Similan Islands

    Court rules that National Park can limit numbers to Similan Islands

    The Similan Islands national park will now be able to limit the number of visitors as a means to prevent ongoing environmental damage. This decision from the Supreme Administrative Court this week, overturning an earlier ruling from the Phuket Administrative Court. The Similan Islands are a popular diving spot in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Khao Lak. The…

  • South Thailand NewsMarine scientist fears impact to marine life from Pabuk

    Marine scientist fears impact to marine life from Pabuk

    Marine scientist and vice dean of the Faculty of Fisheries of Kasetsaart University Thon Thamrongnawasawat has posted his concerns about the massive amount of fresh water pouring into the Gulf from rivers in the wake of the Pabuk storm. “Besides damages inflicted on properties, live stocks and farmlands by tropical storm Pabuk, the storm is likely to have caused extensive…

  • HealthThailand urged to shun single-use plastic

    Thailand urged to shun single-use plastic

    by Pratch Rujuvanarom Thailand’s environmental experts are urging people to make small changes in their lifestyle to help tackle the huge plastic waste menace. They say it’s important for people to make small changes in their daily lives in order to cut down on the huge amount of plastic waste being generated. Thailand faces critical problems caused by plastic pollution.…

  • Krabi NewsKoh Phi Phi has to address critical water problems

    Koh Phi Phi has to address critical water problems

    Special Report by Pratch Rujivanarom – PHOTOS: Sitang Pilailar “The groundwater is currently unsafe for consumption and a threat to health. Harmful pathogens and heavy metals originating from water pollution offshore have contaminated it.” The administrative authority of the Phi Phi Islands has once again called for help from the central government and state agencies to help address the chronic house…

  • Krabi NewsPhi Phi Island Village Beach Resort kick off education program with local schools

    Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort kick off education program with local schools

    Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort has launched a new educational program that will teach local school children about the critical importance of environmental preservation and sustainability. Under this new initiative, a group of 14 children, six parents and four teachers from Koh Phi Phi’s LaemTong School visited the resort’s new Marine Discovery Centre to learn about the island’s underwater…