Solid waste management in Thailand: an overview and case study (Tha Khon Yang sub-district)

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Public Policy

Background:

• Rapid urbanization in developing countries like Thailand presents significant solid waste management (SWM) challenges.
• National policies have yielded limited success in addressing SWM issues.
• The Tha Khon Yang sub-district exemplifies rapid urban transformation driven by university expansion, overwhelming existing waste management capacities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current municipal waste management plans in Thailand.
• To examine local-level SWM in a rapidly urbanizing area (Tha Khon Yang sub-district).
• To identify opportunities and barriers for improving SWM and community participation.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing municipal waste management plans in Thailand.
• Case study analysis of SWM in the Tha Khon Yang sub-district.
• Assessment of local infrastructure, operational capacity, and community engagement mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Central government policies have shown limited effectiveness in managing SWM.
• The rapid influx of students and businesses has outpaced the capacity for municipal solid waste (MSW) management.
• Community-based projects (e.g., recycling banks, 3Rs, waste-to-biogas) have largely been abandoned.
• Inadequate waste disposal, including unsanitary landfills, dumping, and burning, contributes to pollution.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for improved local SWM infrastructure and operational capacity.
• Effective community participation is hindered by a lack of information dissemination mechanisms.
• Addressing SWM requires integrated strategies that combine infrastructure development with enhanced community engagement and policy support.