Laws and Regulations

National Laws and Regulation

Although Thailand has conducted several efforts to manage plastic waste, most are voluntary actions with limited legal measures (Wichai-utcha and Chavalparit, 2019). However, several legal frameworks support the effort:

1. Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act B.E. 2535 (1992) is the fundamental environmental law that governs the planning for environmental management, monitoring environmental quality, and establishing the system for environmental impact assessment (Siriratpiriya, 2014). Section 23(1) of the Act cites grants to a government agency or local administration for investment in and operation of a central waste disposal facility, including the acquisition and procurement of land, materials, equipment, instruments, tools, and appliances necessary for the operation and maintenance of such facility. Section 80 requires waste disposal facility owners or possessors to submit a report summarising the functioning results of the facility.

2. Public Health Act B.E. 2535 (1992) provides local governments with the power and duty to prescribe rules, procedures, and measures to manage and maintain the collection, transportation, and disposal of sewage and solid waste with provisions of the ministerial regulation (Section 20). Section 7 states that local government may issue or amend local provisions and prescribe details of operation in their localities.

3. Act on the Maintenance of the Cleanliness and Orderliness of the Country B.E. 2535 (1992) regulates the prohibition on waste littering, including cars littering on roads (Section 13), places where grass or trees grow (Section 26), and littering on waterways and other public spaces (Section 31–33). As amended on 16 January 2017, the Act outlines the authority of local administration organisations to collect and manage waste under supervision of the provinces and the Ministry of Interior (Funatsu, 2019).

4. National Health Act B.E. 2550 (2007), especially Section 5, cites the right of every individual to live in a healthy environment and the duty to cooperate with state agencies (including national, provincial, and local governments) to create such an environment.

5. Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand B.E. 2560 (2017), especially Section 58 declares that the State shall undertake a study and assess the impact on environmental quality and health of the people or community and shall arrange a public hearing of relevant stakeholders, people and communities in advance in order to let them consider before the actual implementation or granting of permission as provided by the law.

6. Notification of the Ministry of Public Health No. 435 (2022) on prescribing quality or standard of and label for plastic packaging under the Food Act, B.E. 2522 sets the quality and standards in plastic food packaging by increasing the efficiency of consumer safety protection and promoting the sustainable use of plastics according to the concept of circular economy.

7. Notification of the Pollution Control Department B.E. 2565 (2022) on the characteristics of plastic scrap suitable for recycling defines the characteristics of plastic scrap suitable for recycling. This promotes circular economy and may be used as a guideline for plastic waste segregation by individuals, households, junkshops, and local government organizations.