That's Nice to Print"
NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand — Business owners and major polluters across Thailand’s lower Isan region are voicing mounting frustration as a sweeping new environmental law approaches. The regulation, which mandates the permanent presence of a certified wastewater treatment system operator at designated facilities, has exposed a severe shortage of locally registered professionals, forcing companies to look across provincial lines and saddle themselves with skyrocketing wages and travel fees.
In response, the Regional Environmental and Pollution Control Office 11 (EPO 11) is moving to head off an economic crisis. Agency officials are accelerating the rollout of three urgent relief measures, hoping to strike a delicate balance between preserving the region's ecosystems and ensuring the financial survival of local businesses.
The mandate stems from a 2024 Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment regulation governing wastewater operators and treatment contractors. The first phase of the law takes effect in October 2025, casting a wide net that encompasses large commercial buildings, hotels, hospitals, commercial pig farms, and community wastewater facilities.
Reports have recently emerged that business operators across four lower northeastern provinces — Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram, and Surin — are facing severe practical hurdles. They are simply unable to find properly certified operators within their jurisdictions. Although the law permits the hiring of out-of-province experts, the reality is a burdensome surge in travel and professional costs. Critics warn that this financial strain is disproportionate and could ultimately drive desperate businesses to illegally discharge wastewater or evade the law entirely.
A source at EPO 11 in Nakhon Ratchasima stated that the agency is acutely aware of these concerns. An executive team — led by Paweena, director of the Environmental Plan Division, and Bancha, director of the Water, Air, and Noise Management Division — is drafting a proactive strategy to assist businesses. The initial framework hinges on three primary initiatives:
First, authorities plan to cultivate local talent by partnering with regional universities and educational institutions to launch intensive training programs. By encouraging environmental science and engineering graduates, as well as local workers, to obtain their licenses, officials hope to address the manpower shortage at its root.
Second, the office is promoting a joint-hiring model. Similar businesses, or those in close proximity — such as pig farms in Chaiyaphum or hospitality venues in Khao Yai — are being encouraged to pool their resources and hire a single corporate wastewater management firm. This shared approach aims to significantly reduce the travel costs of specialized operators.
Finally, during the initial rollout of the law, authorities will adopt a mentorship approach with flexible enforcement, focusing on guidance rather than strict penalization. If a business can demonstrate a genuine effort to hire an operator but is hindered by the regional shortage, officials may grant administrative extensions, applying the law with flexibility that reflects on-the-ground realities.
"The environmental law has the noble intention of protecting our rivers and canals, but its enforcement must account for economic realities," the EPO11 source said. "We are trying to plug this gap so that businesses can continue operating without bearing an unreasonable burden, while simultaneously preserving the ecosystem of the lower Isan region in a sustainable way."
Facilities subject to the new mandate are encouraged to contact EPO11 and their local administrative organizations to prepare for the regulations taking effect late this year.