Montri Kiatphaophan, director of the Regional Environment and Pollution Control Office 11, detailed a new legal strategy to streamline civil and administrative lawsuits against environmental polluters in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand — In a bid to untangle the bureaucratic knot that has long complicated environmental enforcement, Thai authorities are rolling out a new legal strategy to hold polluters accountable.

Montri Kiatphaophan, director of the Regional Environment and Pollution Control Office 11, recently detailed a sweeping reorganization of how civil and administrative lawsuits are handled. The overhaul clearly delineates the legal boundaries between the Pollution Control Department (PCD) and other state agencies, an effort to close loopholes and maximize the recovery of damages for environmental restoration.

Under the new framework, the PCD will spearhead efforts to recoup the costs of pollution cleanup and broad environmental rehabilitation. Relying on the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act of 1992, the department’s legal arm will work alongside the Office of the Attorney General. Their focus is twofold: reclaiming actual government expenses incurred during field investigations, forensic testing, and chemical treatments, and demanding compensation for the comprehensive restoration of degraded ecosystems, surface water, and groundwater.

Meanwhile, state agencies managing public lands and infrastructure—such as the Department of Land Development, the Department of Groundwater Resources, local municipalities, and the Nakhon Ratchasima provincial government—will pursue separate legal action for direct physical damage. If a public road is corroded or a community well is contaminated by saline runoff, the legal teams of these specific agencies will file suits to recover the value of those physical assets, easing the central bottleneck and ensuring more precise damage assessments.

Specialized regulatory bodies are also being mobilized to enforce specific laws. The Department of Primary Industries and Mines, along with provincial industry offices, will wield their authority under the Minerals Act of 2017 to pursue criminal charges and administrative orders. This includes prosecuting illegal well-drilling or unauthorized explosives use, halting non-compliant activities, and compelling operators to pay remedies through mandated risk insurance funds.