Regulating air quality in Thailand – a review of policies

The document assesses Thailand's air quality regulatory framework, noting that while some pollutants have decreased, national standards remain weaker than WHO guidelines. It identifies a 'siloed approach' to policymaking across different ministries as a primary barrier to enforcement and recommends the establishment of a single, national regulatory body to coordinate multi-sectoral air pollution mitigation.

• Thailand's national air quality standards are less stringent than World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, which impacts public health. For example, the Thai interim standard for daily PM2.5 is 50 μg/m3, whereas the WHO guideline is 25 μg/m3; for PM10, the Thai interim standard is 120 μg/m3 compared to the WHO guideline of 50 μg/m3.
• Air quality monitoring in Thailand is inadequate and not comprehensive, with only 70 monitoring stations nationwide, leaving large areas of the country uncovered.
• Policymaking is characterized by a 'siloed approach' where different ministries manage specific pollutant sources independently, resulting in minimal interaction and limited enforcement capabilities.
• Major barriers to the enforcement of air quality policies include a conflict between economic growth goals and environmental protection, a lack of accurate data, and a reactive approach to air quality issues.
• There is a lack of integration between Thailand's international climate change commitments and its national air pollution reduction objectives, missing an opportunity to capitalize on co-benefits.
• The document recommends establishing a single national organization, such as a Thai Environmental Protection Agency, mandated by Parliament to coordinate ministries and take concrete national measures.

APA

Nikam, J., Archer, D., & Nopsert, C. (2021). Regulating air quality in Thailand – a review of policies. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief.pdf

Chicago

Nikam, Jaee, Diane Archer, and Chirat Nopsert. Regulating air quality in Thailand – a review of policies. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nikam |first1=Jaee |last2=Archer |first2=Diane |last3=Nopsert |first3=Chirat |title=Regulating air quality in Thailand – a review of policies |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=February 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nikam2021regulating, author = {Nikam, Jaee and Archer, Diane and Nopsert, Chirat}, title = {{Regulating air quality in Thailand – a review of policies}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }