WASTE MANAGEMENT AND WASTE DISPOSAL IN THAILAND
Siril~tornthep Totvprayoon
Division of En vironmental Technology, School of Energy and Materia Is,
King Mongkut's Institute of Techllology Thonburi 101 40 Thaila~rd
ABSTRACT
In Thailand the waste generation of 0.9 kg/capita/day is the index that the
proper waste management should be implied. Most of the waste management problems
occurred in the big city like Chiang Mai and Bangkok. In Chiang Mai, incinerator
with recovery system is proposed while in Bangkok, where two old disposal plants are
located, ~nunicipal solid waste (MsW) transfered to landfill at the vicinity area is
continuous implemented for two years by private company. There is one MSW transfer
station at the northern part and one hazardous waste treatment plant at the southern part
of Bangkok. However, the government and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
(BMA) plan to attack the problem both in policy and in practical. As for medical
waste, BMA has served more than 80 percent of the hospitals and private clinic in
specified collection and proper disposal of medical waste. The twenty ton per day of
high temperature incinerator is completely constructed this year in order to destroy
medical waste as well as hazardous waste. Most of the treatment technology applied
for medical waste in rural area are dumping and burning. Only 32 percent of the
hospitals in rural area treated their own medical waste by incineration.