Thailand has long had laws to protect the environment. This wide-ranging survey outlines the legal and institutional framework that has been estab- lished since the 1970s, to protect Thailand’s environment. The authors go further to explain why, despite having such an elaborate legal framework of protection, parts of Thailand, including its capital Bangkok, are some of the world’s most heavily polluted areas. Problems of implementation and enforcement have contributed significantly to the impotence of much of Thai legislation.