Environment and natural resources

Unhealthy smog blanketed most of greater Bangkok on Thursday morning, blamed on traffic congestion and stagnant air, the Pollution Control Department reported.Of the 58 air quality stations, 50 reported unsafe levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and less in diameter (PM2.5) in Bangkok and adjacent ...

Dam operations upstream combined with a drought have caused a severe drop in water levels along the Mekong River, on which tens of millions of people rely for their livelihoods through fishing or farming, say Thais who live by the banks of the great waterway.BenarNews ...

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, ...

In 2019, two baby dugongs were found alive after they washed ashore in Krabi and Trang provinces, in Thailand, but sadly died not long after they were rescued. The event even caught the attention of Hollywood star, Leonardo DiCaprio who posted about it on social ...

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 ...

In a momentous win for the Mekong River, this week the Thai Cabinet formally called for cancellation of the Lancang-Mekong Navigation Channel Improvement Project, popularly known as the Mekong “rapids-blasting” project. The cabinet decision is the culmination of decades of campaigning by Thai Mekong communities ...