During the recent Bangkok Biz Sustainability Forum 2026: Shift Forward, Pirun Sayasitpanich, Director-General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment, emphasised the urgent need for Thailand to push forward with the Climate Change Act. He noted that this legislation is not just about environmental protection, but also about creating a “new economy” that will make Thailand more competitive on the global stage. Pirun also highlighted the growing climate risks in Thailand, particularly concerning floods and extreme weather events.
“The increasing frequency of extreme weather worldwide is no longer an anomaly. Global temperatures have already risen 1.5°C, and we are seeing more frequent and intense rainfall events that would have once been rare, such as once-in-300, 500, or even 1,000 years,” he said. “If the global temperature rises by 2.5°C, research from WMO and the IPCC suggests that sea levels could rise by as much as 2.5 metres, which would lead to severe flooding in Bangkok.”
The report from German Watch in 2026, an international NGO, revealed that Thailand’s climate risk has worsened significantly, with the country now ranked 17th globally, up from 72nd in 2022.