regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief-9016b25b07a57c23.pdf

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute reviews the regulatory landscape of air quality in Thailand. It identifies a fragmented, siloed approach to policymaking across various ministries as a primary barrier to effective enforcement. While some pollutants have decreased over the last decade, national standards remain weaker than World Health Organization guidelines, and monitoring is insufficient to capture the full extent of the problem. The document advocates for the creation of a single, overarching national regulatory body to coordinate multi-sectoral efforts and better integrate climate commitments with air quality goals.

• Thailand's national air quality standards are less stringent than the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, which impacts public health. For instance, 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 the Pollution Control Department (PCD) operating only 70 monitoring stations nationally, leaving large areas of the country uncovered.
• Policymaking is characterized by a siloed approach where different ministries manage specific pollutant sources with minimal interaction. This fragmentation limits the overall impact and enforcement of policies, as agencies cannot act on sources outside their specific remit.
• Major barriers to the enforcement of air quality policies include a conflict between economic growth goals and environmental protection, a lack of sufficient data, and a reactive rather than proactive approach to air quality issues.
• Specific regional pollution drivers exist, such as high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Rayong's industrial zones year-round, and high levels of particulate matter and VOCs in northern Thailand during the dry season due to agricultural burning and wildfires.
• 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 to strengthen the current ineffective infrastructure.
• There is an opportunity to improve social outcomes by integrating air quality co-benefits into the design and evaluation of climate policies and better aligning international climate commitments with national air pollution reduction objectives.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief-9016b25b07a57c23.pdf. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief-9016b25b07a57c23.pdf. n.d. 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 |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief-9016b25b07a57c23.pdf |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{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendregulatingairqualityinthailandareviewofpoliciesseipolicybrief9016b25b07a57c23pdf, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{regulating-air-quality-in-thailand-a-review-of-policies--sei-policy-brief-9016b25b07a57c23.pdf}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, 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} }