Draft Effluent Standards for Solid Waste Disposal Sites and Designation of Pollution Sources

Public Hearing Period: October 27 – November 25, 2026

Background:

1. Solid Waste Situation and Issues (2025)

  • Thailand has 2,045 solid waste disposal sites. However, only 119 sites operate in compliance with engineering and sanitary standards, while the remaining 1,926 sites operate improperly.

  • Most sites operate as open dumps or landfills without low-permeability liner materials (such as compacted clay or HDPE liners) and lack leachate collection systems or wastewater treatment facilities.

  • This results in wastewater discharging off-site and infiltrating into groundwater aquifers, causing health hazards, disputes, and chronic public complaints from surrounding communities.

2. Past Limitations in Problem Resolution

  • The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has conducted site inspections, provided guidance, and pushed for budget allocations since 2018 (covering no less than 712 sites), along with proposing upgrades for individual Local Administrative Organizations (LAOs) since 2022 (558 sites).

  • Although some LAOs have made partial upgrades, implementation remains incomplete due to budgetary constraints.

  • The original 2022 Ministerial Notification applied strictly to sanitary landfills. It could not be legally enforced against open dumps or non-compliant sites because these sites lacked leachate collection systems, and the previous regulations contained no mandatory provisions requiring the installation of wastewater treatment systems.

3. Remedial Approaches and New Regulations

  • It is essential to designate solid waste disposal sites as “pollution sources” subject to wastewater discharge controls under Section 69 of the Enhancement and Conservation of the National Environmental Quality Act, B.E. 2535 (1992).

  • The PCD has resolved to repeal the 2022 Ministerial Notification and draft a new Ministerial Notification to regulate effluent discharge across all types of waste sites (including open dumps, sanitary landfills, and unsanitary landfills).

  • The new draft notification will standardize effluent standards, sampling locations/methods, and analytical procedures. It will also establish phased enforcement timelines aligned with each facility’s scale and operational readiness to improve regulatory oversight and minimize impacts on the public and the environment.

Key Substance:

1. Legal Authority

  • The Draft Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Prescribing Effluent Standards for Solid Waste Disposal Sites, B.E. …. is issued by virtue of Section 55 of the Enhancement and Conservation of the National Environmental Quality Act, B.E. 2535, upon the recommendation of the Pollution Control Committee and with the approval of the National Environment Board.

  • The Draft Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Designating Solid Waste Disposal Sites as Pollution Sources Subject to Wastewater Discharge Control, B.E. …. is issued by virtue of Section 69 of the Enhancement and Conservation of the National Environmental Quality Act, B.E. 2535, upon the recommendation of the Pollution Control Committee.

2. Definitions

  • “Solid Waste Disposal Site” means an area or facility used for solid waste disposal through open dumping or landfilling, whether sanitary or unsanitary, according to the categories of solid waste disposal sites specified under this Notification.

  • “Effluent” means wastewater or any other liquid generated from the operation, undertaking, or activities conducted within a solid waste disposal site.

3. Categorization of Solid Waste Disposal Sites

4. Designation of Pollution Sources and Control of Wastewater Discharge

5. Specification of Effluent Standards

6. Mandated Effluent Sampling at Discharge Points into Public Water Bodies, into the Environment, or at Other Representative Sampling Points

7. Prescribed Analytical Methods for Each Parameter

8. Repeal of Existing Regulations and Effective Enforcement Dates

  • The Draft Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Prescribing Effluent Standards for Solid Waste Disposal Sites, B.E. …. repeals the Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Prescribing Effluent Standards for Sanitary Landfills, B.E. 2565 (2022), dated April 28, 2022, and shall take effect from the day following the date of its publication in the Royal Gazette.

  • The Draft Notification of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Designating Solid Waste Disposal Sites as Pollution Sources Subject to Wastewater Discharge Control, B.E. …. shall enter into force for the respective categories of solid waste disposal sites as follows:

    • (1) Category A Solid Waste Disposal Sites: Effective 360 days after publication in the Royal Gazette.

    • (2) Category B and Category C Solid Waste Disposal Sites: Effective 5 years after publication in the Royal Gazette.

Comments and full details can be accessed at [Link]. For further inquiries, contact the Pollution Control Department at +66 2 298 2086.