On 14 January 2026, a policy forum hosted by Chiang Mai University (CMU) at Suan Anya in Chiang Mai challenged the traditional "top-down" approach to environmental conservation in Thailand. The event, titled "Transforming Research into Policy: Ethnic Environmental Heritage and Survival from the Climate Crisis," served as a platform for academics, activists, and politicians to demand a seat at the table for the country’s ethnic "forest guardians."

The forum centred on the concept of Everyday Environmental Heritage. Building on three years of research, including a recent project funded by the British Academy, scholars from Chiang Mai University working in an international consortium have argued that, for ethnic communities, protecting the environment is not a state-assigned responsibility but an intrinsic part of their daily existence. From natural dyeing processes that avoid harsh chemicals to "sacred forest" rituals that preserve biodiversity, these practices are key to maintaining healthy ecosystems. Pilot projects supporting communities’ EEH have demonstrated a clear ability to support community resilience while fostering their engagement with their local forests – potentially outperforming state-led initiatives at low costs and with high social inclusion.

Laofang Bundidterdsakul, a People’s Party party-list MP candidate, addressed the structural failures of the current system. He highlighted that forest management is currently fractured across multiple departments that often conflict with one another. His proposal includes:

● Merging Forest Departments: Consolidating power into a single entity to end bureaucratic infighting.

● Technological Monitoring: Using real-time satellite data to distinguish between sustainable traditional farming and illegal large-scale deforestation.

● Decentralisation: Moving the power to manage "Community Forests" away from Bangkok and into the hands of Local Administrative Organizations (LAOs) and the villagers themselves.

Dr Ashijya Otwong, an expert involved in drafting the Clean Air Act, brought a socioeconomic lens to the pollution crisis. She argued that environmental inequality often mirrors racial and economic inequality. Under her proposed legal framework, the "Polluter Pays Principle" would be expanded. No longer would the blame fall solely on small-scale farmers; instead, the law would hold large agri-business conglomerates and the banks that fund them accountable for the smoke produced in their supply chains.

Banphot, a local leader from Mae Sa Noi, shared the sting of being called an "encroacher" on land his family had farmed since the mid-1800s—decades before the state declared it a National Park in 1982. The forum raised three critical issues that remain unresolved:

● Land Rights Insecurity: Communities living in forest zones lack permanent titles, making them ineligible for state support and infrastructure, which in turn hinders their ability to engage in "green" businesses.

● Shifting Cultivation vs. Industrial Farming: The need to distinguish between traditional shifting cultivation (which can be sustainable) and the industrial expansion of monocrops like maize, which are the primary drivers of the smog crisis.

● Human-Centric Conservation: The consensus at the meeting was clear: conservation cannot happen without people. If the state continues to prioritize "forests without people," it risks losing the communities that have the will to protect them.

As Thailand approaches its next general election and a significant referendum on 8 February 2026 the forum’s message was a call to action for voters. The speakers urged the public to support policies that integrate the Ethnic Protection Act, Clean Air Act, and Climate Change Act into a singular, cohesive strategy that respects both the planet and the people who guard its vital resources.

30 participants in attendance were joined by 400 live stream viewers to create a lively event with considerable public interest. The event was organised by Dr Navaporn Sunanlikanon and part of the ongoing research project “Towards Heritage-Sensitive Climate Change Mitigation Policy: Impulses from Indigenous Practice in Thailand,” led by Chiang Mai University and supported by the British Academy. Aside from the policy handover discussion, the half-day event featured a small craft market from Indigenous producers and the screening of submissions to two youth media competitions on everyday environmental heritage and hungry spirits in four Indigenous communities in Chiang Mai Province.