<p>Renewed efforts by the United Wa State Army&rsquo;s Hong Pang conglomerate, backed by the SAC regime, to push through construction of two factories on confiscated land near Tachileik, a kilometer from the Thai border, are being strongly opposed by local communities, who want their farmland returned and fear far-reaching polluting impacts.</p>

<p>The explosion and fire at a factory in the middle of a populated area near Suvarnabhumi International Airport proves the lack of vision and law enforcement in town planning and public safety.</p>

<p>Levels of toxic Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) air pollution have rebounded in cities around the world, Bangkok included,&nbsp;one year after initial Covid-19 lockdowns went into effect, a new <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-southeastasia-stateless/2021/06/377a9664-reboundreport.pdf">report</a> from Greenpeace Southeast Asia finds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;48 organizations from more than 15 countries announced a joint statement calling for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to reject financing the Hin Kong gas power project in Thailand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Plastic Atlas report highlights the large and rapidly growing role of Asian economies as plastic producers, consumers, contributors to the plastic refuse deluge, and dumping grounds for the world&rsquo;s plastic waste. The publication also focuses on particular challenges facing the region, along with potential solutions.</p>

<p>In news reports less than 10 years ago, the new problem of PM2.5 dust was added to news items in the Thai media of forest fires and the problem of haze caused by forest fires and crop burning. This has led to a clear concrete policy shift, since it has a direct impact on the lives of the middle class in the country&rsquo;s large cities, especially major centres like Bangkok and tourist spots like Chiang Mai Province. With an unidentifiable origin, smog, forest fires and PM2.5 have by implication become the same thing.</p>

<p>On the banks of the Mun River in northeastern Thailand, communities are still struggling with the impact of a dam that was built almost 30 years ago. After calls for the decommission of the dam were left unheeded, local activists are shifting the focus on the recovery of their livelihoods.</p>

<p>A look at the recycling industry in Thailand from top to bottom. Despite its important role in recycling waste in the country, it still faces various limitations and vulnerabilities that are only understood by those on the inside.</p>

<p>How do the China Lancang-Mekong cooperation and the Mekong-US Partnership operate &ndash; the two international cooperation frameworks that are expanding political influence over Thailand and its neighbours? How much money has Thailand received? And what has been missing in this battle?</p>