What the law prohibits
Section 31 of the Cleanliness and Orderliness of the Country Act B.E. 2535 (1992) prohibits discarding refuse or waste in public places other than in the containers or places provided by the local authority.
The operative words are "other than in the containers or places provided". This is not only about scattered litter: it covers leaving a bag beside a bin, because the ground beside a bin is not a place provided.
The fines
- Throwing waste, stones, gravel, soil, mud or sand onto grassed or planted ground: a fine of up to 2,000 baht
- For the offence of dumping waste in the wrong place under this act, the reported maximum is up to one month imprisonment, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both, depending on the conduct
Half the fine as a reward
Bangkok pays an informant reward of half the fine to whoever reports someone violating the Cleanliness Act.
Half is very high by international comparison. South Korea pays 20%, and none of the European countries examined in this programme pay anything at all.
The consequence is that evidence matters enormously. You need who, when, where and what was dumped, with supporting proof, because the reward only arises where a fine is actually settled.
Beside the bin counts as an offence
The commonest misunderstanding is assuming that if the bin is full, putting the bag beside it still counts as using the disposal point.
On the wording of the act, disposal must be into the container or place provided by the local authority. The ground beside a bin is not a place provided.
If a bin is regularly full, the thing to do is report it rather than leave a bag beside it, because a bin overflowing every week is a capacity or collection-frequency problem, and that is only fixed with evidence.
Where to report it
- The district office or municipality, which enforces this act
- Municipal enforcement officers
- The local authority hotline, where one exists
- The police, if you saw the person or have a vehicle registration
- If there is fire, smoke or leaking liquid, treat it as an emergency rather than an ordinary report
What a report should contain
- Exact location, ideally with coordinates
- Two photos: one close so the type of waste is visible, one wider so the spot can be found again
- The type: construction debris, furniture, tyres, branches, chemical drums, roofing sheets
- Approximate quantity, with something in frame for scale
- The date, and how long it has been there if you know
- Origin clues visible without disturbing anything: delivery notes, labels, shop names. There is no need to search the pile
What not to do
- Do not clear it before reporting and photographing, or the evidence goes
- Do not handle chemical drums, sealed bags or sheets that might contain asbestos
- Do not follow or confront whoever is dumping. Noting the registration and reporting is enough
- Do not add to it. One spot draws others within days
Why a public record helps
A cleared spot returns to being a dumping point with surprising consistency. These places recur for structural reasons: vehicles can reach them, nobody sees at night, and the proper disposal point is far away.
One report gets one clearance. A history with dates and photographs of the same spot is a different thing: it is the justification for a barrier, a camera, a sign or a nearer disposal point. On CleanSpot each report keeps its photo, date and coordinates on a public map, and reopening the same spot builds that history.
It does not replace reporting to the district office and we do not present it that way. It is the evidence the process usually lacks.
Sources
What is the fine for dumping waste in public in Thailand?
Throwing waste, stones, gravel, soil, mud or sand onto grassed or planted ground carries up to 2,000 baht. The reported maximum under the act is up to one month imprisonment, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.
Is there really a reward for reporting?
Bangkok pays an informant reward of half the fine. It requires supporting evidence and a fine actually being settled.
Can I leave a bag beside a full bin?
On the wording of the act, disposal must be into the container or place provided. The ground beside a bin is not such a place. If the bin is regularly full, report the capacity or frequency problem instead.
Can I clear it myself?
Not before reporting and photographing it, or the evidence is lost. And do not handle chemical drums or sheets that might contain asbestos.