Patthapong criticized Suchart for dragging his feet in declaring the Prachinburi pollution control zone and urged strong measures with the Prime Minister ordering emergency action. He revealed that over the past year, the National Environment Committee has met three times, but the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment has not attended a single meeting.
6 Nov 2026 GMT+7 Patthapong Leelaphat, Member of Parliament for Chiang Mai from the People's Party, commented on the Pollution Control Department's report to the media that Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, recognized that the issue of water pollution from industrial waste in Prachinburi Province is urgent and plans to propose the matter to the National Environment Committee as soon as possible by the end of November or early December to consider declaring a pollution control zone.
Patthapong continued, such statements reveal the government's distorted sense of urgency and highlight a highly ineffective working approach. Last week, I raised a live question to Minister Suchart regarding the water pollution crisis caused by the leaching of industrial waste and hazardous chemicals from factories, which worsens flooding in Prachinburi. I also submitted clear proactive recommendations to urgently map affected areas and high-risk zones in case pollution spread cannot be controlled. I called for expediting budget allocations, including central funds or environmental funds, to enable timely management and environmental restoration.
Furthermore, I proposed that the government take strong action under Section 9 of the National Environmental Quality Promotion and Preservation Act B.E. 2535 (1992), which clearly states that when an emergency affecting public safety arises from natural disasters or pollution that could seriously harm people's lives, bodies, or health, the Prime Minister has full authority to direct all government agencies to control, halt, or mitigate the impact decisively. The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment should prepare an emergency action plan under Section 10 in advance to ensure state mechanisms can respond promptly.
The ministry’s recent statement that the issue will be brought to the National Environment Committee meeting at the earliest by the end of November reflects a reactive, not proactive, work attitude. Government agencies have known about the pollution leakage before the floods, and the damage has since become evident, yet the minister continues to respond passively, not seriously addressing the crisis, as with previous pollution issues.
Patthapong also revealed that over the past year, the National Environment Committee met three times, but the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment never attended any meeting nor brought major national pollution problems for consideration. The latest meeting on 24 September focused only on approving Environmental Impact Assessments for seven projects. Meanwhile, over 30,000 local residents signed a petition demanding government action within 15 days, but the ministry told them to wait until the late November meeting.
"These toxins won't wait for the minister to act. Urgent movement is needed. An emergency response plan under Section 10 must be quickly established, and the Prime Minister should invoke Section 9 to treat this as a truly urgent matter. Delays like this are no different from declaring a PM2.5 pollution control zone without any plan or budget to address the pollution."