"People's Party" Urges Government to Adopt PRTR Law Stop Hiding Pollution in Backyards to Protect the Public

Today, May 6, 2026, at 9:30 AM at Parliament, ‘Kamontat Kittisuntornkul’, Party-list MP for Rayong, along with Romadon Panjor, Party-list MP, and Narumas Piambandit, Party-list MP for Chonburi from the People’s Party, held a press conference regarding the push for the PRTR law for citizens' rights and environmental transparency. MP Kamontat insisted that Thailand must have this PRTR law and the government must prioritize the rights of the people more than this. The government must stop turning a blind eye to the public and stop secretly planting pollution bombs next to people's homes, as has been done for many years. Pollution and environmental issues in Thailand have been neglected for a long time, and the problems are becoming more severe every day.

A large number of people have to live amidst hazardous factories, dangerous chemicals, industrial waste, air pollution, wastewater, and contaminated soil, facing health risks without ever receiving clear answers as to who the polluters are, what they are releasing, how much they are releasing, and who must be held responsible. People fall ill but cannot find the source. Communities are affected but cannot access information. And many times, when a crisis occurs, the ones who have to bear the most impact... are the people.

MP Romadon Panjor also stated that he wants the government to show sincerity and seriousness, and to confirm that the quality of life of the people is important. This is to prove that development, in your view, goes hand-in-hand with respect for life and access to information, which is a fundamental right of the people.

Furthermore, MP Narumas Piambandit added, “We live in areas where communities and industries coexist. Supporting this bill is therefore important for the quality of life of the people in Chonburi and across Thailand, to ensure the quality of life for our children—to know what chemicals are near our homes. Do not let it be just a matter of ‘cooperation’; we need strict laws to protect the rights of all Thai people."

Even though our country has several laws that seem capable of managing environmental issues, such as the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act, the Public Health Act, or the Hazardous Substances Act, they are merely management at the end of the cause. These laws do not keep up with the environmental context that has changed according to industrial expansion.

And [the party] calls on the Cabinet to reconsider and approve the submission of the Draft Act on the Release and Transfer Register of Pollutants to the Environment, or PRTR, back to Parliament by this coming May 12.

Photo : Weeraphat Ratsameerueangrong