Environment and natural resources

The Royal Forest Department plans to revoke the land use licences of stone-crushing plants that have caused forest fires.Cheewapap Cheewatham, director of the Forest Protection and Fire Control Bureau, said on Monday the move followed a fire at a crushing plant that spread and destroyed ...

A recent bushfire that destroyed vast forest area in Phu Kradueng National Park in the northeastern province of Loei is a wake-up call for better forest management in the park, one of the country’s best known destinations.Park officials and firefighters deserve praise for putting out ...

Academics in Thailand have held a forum to share their ideas and knowledge on ways to address the toxic dust problem in Thailand. The outcomes from the discussions will be presented to the government to aid in policy development.The President of the Council of Engineering, ...

Several retail chains have taken the initiative to cut down on plastic waste by not giving out plastic bags, and people find themselves carrying their own tote bags when they shop at malls and convenience stores.The adjustment seems to be going well. But while the ...

Environmental activists have submitted more evidence to the Supreme Administrative Court that the Xayaburi dam is cutting Mekong River levels, threatening fish ecology and reducing catch sizes downstream in Thailand.“Today we can clearly see the impacts we’ve been worrying about,” said Ombun Thipsuna, a member ...

The cabinet has approved a draft ministerial law on construction as it steps up efforts to reduce harmful levels of ultra-fine particles of dust.The current law, enforced since 1983, is too old to be applied to modern building methods in line with safety and environmental ...

Rights groups and researchers have welcomed Thailand’s decision to cancel a Beijing-backed project to dredge and blow open a shallow and rocky stretch of the Mekong River along the Thai-Lao border.The move is a rare victory for groups and communities fighting to save Southeast Asia’s ...

Bangkok’s seaside neighbour Samut Sakhon is known for many things — as a fishing hub, a thriving seafood market, and also as the largest location of Myanmar’s migrant community in Thailand.The province has boasted a port for at least two centuries which allowed it to ...

The Transport Ministry will install air purifiers on the roofs of Bangkok buses this month, starting with 387 Bangkok Mass Transit Authority vehicles and fitting trucks as well if the results are good.Minister Saksayam Chidchob said plans were being finalised with the Ministry of Higher ...

The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is launching a campaign to tackle the air pollution problem and high levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter.The campaign is in cooperation with the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and ...