The development of Thailand in the past 20 years has been
officially directed towards sustainable development, especially after
the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Social and environmental
considerations have been increasingly incorporated into the National
Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) as the focal areas of
development (NESDB, 2005). While these considerations are indeed
explicit in the policy discourses of the government, economic growth
in recent decades however tend to cause natural resource depletion
and degradation (ONEP, 2006). Moreover, accumulated impacts of
industries, affecting environment and people's health, have become a
focus of public debate and contention, involving conflicts between
civil society organizations, private business sector and government.
One example is the pollution in Map Ta Phut,1 one of the most
important industrial areas in Thailand, which finally has become the
national public agenda and has triggered change in relevant
legislations.