Tourist paradise Thailand waves red flag on green issues

Thailand fears environmental degradation due to a surge in industrial units which has prompted the authorities in the Southeast Asian nation to introduce environmental education as part of curriculum.

Sensing the need to educate the young minds on green issues, the country has made environment education compulsory right from primary to university students, advisor to a Thailand government agency has said.

"We have also roped in NGOs who encourage students and work in tandem with them to know nature and learn how to preserve it for posterity," Pramuan Siripunkaew, advisor, Institute for Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPTS), Bangkok, told PTI.

The scene in the country's industrial hubs is grim on the environmental front, though authorities maintain they have been able to control water and air pollution in the tourist paradise, he said.

"The situation in the industrial areas is very bad. Government is planning various ways to improvement the situation."

Thailand, with an estimated population is 64 million, has been growing as a manufacturing hub due to the strong manpower and other factors fundamentally required for the growth of this sector.