Thailand

Landfill. A lot of plastic garbage. Environmental problems.

Thailand bans imports of plastic waste to curb toxic pollution

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A law banning imports of plastic waste came into force in Thailand, after years of campaigning by activists. Thailand is one of several south-east Asian countries that has historically been paid to receive plastic waste from developed nations. Thai customs officials said more than 1.1 million tons of plastic scraps were imported between 2018 and 2021. Imports of plastic were often mismanaged, with many factories burning the waste rather than recycling it, leading to damage to human health and the environment.

Thai flag

Thailand moves to end statelessness for nearly 500,000 people in “historic development”

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Thailand’s cabinet has approved an accelerated pathway to permanent residency and nationality for nearly half a million stateless people, marking one of the region’s most significant citizenship initiatives. The decision will benefit 335,000 longtime residents and members of officially recognized minority ethnic groups, along with approximately 142,000 of their children born in Thailand. The country recently pledged at the Global Refugee Forum 2023 to resolve statelessness and was among the founding members of UNHCR’s Global Alliance to End Stateless, launched in October 2024.

Virus up close

‘Gamechanger’ HIV prevention drug to be made available cheaply in 120 countries

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Gilead Sciences says it has signed agreements with six manufacturers to make and sell generic lenacapavir in 120 “high-incidence, resource-limited” countries. Lenacapavir, given as a twice-yearly injection, has shown strong results for HIV prevention. It stopped infection in a trial involving girls and women in South Africa and Uganda, and offered almost complete protection in a second trial that mainly involved men across Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Thailand, and the U.S.

Good news for LGBTQ rights

Thailand becomes first Southeast Asian country to legalize marriage equality

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The bill legalizing same-sex marriage was passed by Parliament earlier this year, and King Maha Vajiralongkorn has now made it law by providing Royal Assent. It will take effect in 120 days, with the first weddings being expected to take place in January. The move means that marriage laws will no longer use terms like “husband” and “wife” and such terms have been replaced with inclusive, gender-neutral language such as “partner.” Same-sex couples now have the same legal rights as their heterosexual counterparts, such as adoption and inheritance rights.

Tiger lying down

Thai tiger numbers swell as prey populations stabilize in western forests

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The tiger population density in a series of protected areas in western Thailand has more than doubled over the past two decades, according to new survey data. Thailand is the final stronghold of the Indochinese tiger, the subspecies having been extirpated from neighboring Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam over the past decade due to poaching, habitat loss, and indiscriminate snaring.

Waving a pride flag

Thailand to legalize same-sex marriage

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The Southeast Asian country will become the third Asian nation, after Taiwan and Nepal, to legalize same-sex marriage. A new amendment to its Civil and Commercial Code will change the words “men and women” and “husband and wife” to “individuals” and “marriage partners.” The next step will be an amendment to the country’s pension fund law to recognize same-sex couples.

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