Bangkok: Abhisit Vejjajiva, leading the Democrat Party team, announced policies on waste management, upgrading the garbage truck system, promoting a green economy, and decentralizing power to address environmental problems in Bangkok.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Abhisit, along with Mr. Ongart Klamphaiboon, Mr. Sakoltee Phatthiyakul, and Dr. Kitpol Cherdchukitkul, emphasized the importance of these policies in improving the quality of life for Bangkok residents.

Mr. Abhisit highlighted the party's initiative to gather information from constituents about their challenges, focusing on economic and environmental issues, particularly waste management and pollution. He stressed that addressing waste disposal and pollution is crucial for aligning the country's economic development with environmental protection, promoting a green economy alongside environmental laws.

The Democrat Party's approach includes systemic economic restructuring to support environmentally friendly activities and clean energy, aiming for national sustainability. The party advocates for serious decentralization, allowing local authorities more power and resources to solve local issues effectively.

Mr. Sakoltee pointed out Bangkok's heavy reliance on landfilling, which is unsustainable and costly. With over 5 billion baht spent annually on waste management, he proposed modernizing waste disposal systems and empowering local authorities with greater administrative authority to tackle environmental issues and PM2.5 pollution.

Dr. Kitpol focused on managing waste at its source, encouraging waste separation and the development of non-polluting waste-to-energy plants. He noted the significant gap between Bangkok's revenue from garbage collection fees and the management budget, advocating for a structural overhaul and national agenda support.

The Democrat Party's policies aim to improve citizens' quality of life, reduce environmental impact, and create a sustainable city for Bangkok's future, as emphasized by Dr. Kitpol.