The disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) has become an important issue in all countries.
However, it is usually hard for governments of developing nations to deal with MSW management
issues because of lack of information and adequate data collection. Since Thailand is currently
experiencing MSW problems due to its fast economic development and population growth, it is
necessary to understand the status quo of MSW generation and disposal in Thailand. This was the
objective of this study. The study collected data of MSW generation volume in Thailand and
compared them with the analysis of other key indicators, such as Gross Domestic Production (GDP)
and population, of Thailand and neighboring countries. The results showed that MSW generation
tends to increase with GDP and population increases.
The MSW data was also broken down in terms of MSW composition and rate of generation by
geographic area and waste type. The study found that the MSW generation is concentrated in
Bangkok and the urban areas of Thailand. Also, the study compiled data on the means for disposing
MSW from interviews and site visits. It was found that 68% of the Thai MSW was not treated
properly