Bangkok: The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONREP) has expressed confidence in the transparency of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system, affirming trust in Thailand's environmental impact assessment processes. The Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (OEPP) emphasized transparency in EIAs through survey results on acceptance and confidence in the system for the fiscal year 2026.
According to Thai News Agency, following the policies of Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, and Dr. Raveewan Phuridej, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Mr. Bannarak Sermthong, Secretary-General of ONREP, has been tasked with ensuring transparency and accountability in the EIA process. ONREP has consistently conducted surveys to assess acceptance and confidence in Thailand's EIA system from fiscal year 2020 to 2026. The project's objectives include evaluating overall acceptance and confidence, gathering opinions and suggestions for system improvement, and disseminating survey results.
In fiscal year 2026, OEPP commissioned the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) to conduct the survey, which included responses from 2,812 participants. These respondents comprised experts from the EIA Expert Committee, National Environmental Board, EIA Permitting Working Group, EIA report preparers, approving and licensing agencies, project owners from both public and private sectors, the public, NGOs, and media. The survey revealed high levels of acceptance and confidence among stakeholders and interested parties in the EIA system.
The survey results indicated that 84.56 percent of respondents were aware of EIA information, 84.24 percent were confident in the EIA process, and 85.10 percent trusted the enforcement of laws and measures concerning EIA. Overall acceptance and confidence in the EIA system stood at 85.96 percent. The survey covering 2020 to 2026 showed consistently high levels of acceptance and confidence, confirming the EIA system's effectiveness in managing natural resources and the environment, gaining public and stakeholder trust.