Government expenses on environmental protection Thailand 2012-2023

In 2023, government expenditure on environmental protection in Thailand amounted to approximately 9.42 billion Thai baht. This was a slight decrease in expenditure compared to the previous year, which amounted to approximately ten billion Thai baht. 

State of environmental pollution in BMR

Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) is one of the most polluted cities in Southeast Asia due to the low volume of waste treatment facilities, heavy traffic, and industrial activities. In 2023, Bangkok ranked twelfth in the pollution index score for the Asia-Pacific Region. Air pollution is one of the main environmental issues in Bangkok. The average level of particulate matters (PM 2.5) in Bangkok was 52 mg/m3 in 2020. This was mainly caused by congested traffic and industrial sectors. Fine particles of PM 2.5 are damaging to human health, such as negatively affecting the lungs and causing asthma.

Thai citizens’ perspectives on environmental pollution

Since 2016, the number of complaints regarding environmental pollution in Thailand has been constantly increasing, with almost 15 thousand cases filed in 2022. This implies that pollution in the country has not improved over the years. In addition, air pollution was one of the biggest pollution issues for Thai citizens, together with noise and odor pollution.