Phichit Waste Plant Built for 17M Baht Sits Idle, Expansion Sought
A 17-million-baht waste management center in Phichit's Ban Na Subdistrict sits completed but unusable, having become an open dump that creates odor and environmental concerns. Inspectors found the facility fails to meet design standards, with key infrastructure like leachate treatment idle due to missing electricity connections. Despite this, the local administration seeks 48.4 million baht for a Phase 2 expansion, prompting officials to issue a two-week deadline for a corrective action plan.
On November 12, 2026, Warida Tanbun-ek, Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Interior Region 6, along with Sermsri Boonkhong, Director of the Phichit Provincial Office of the Permanent Secretary, and their team conducted a meeting and site inspection to follow up on the Ban Na Subdistrict Administrative Organization's waste pond issues in Wichian Buri District, Phichit Province.
This follows resolutions from the Phichit Provincial Development Committee and the Provincial Pollution and Waste Management Committee regarding the Ban Na SAO's Phase 1 waste separation and landfill project, which has already disbursed over 17 million baht. The project was designed for comprehensive waste disposal, from sorting facilities and Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) production to a semi-aerobic landfill, targeting monthly revenue of 300,000–400,000 baht from recyclable and fuel waste sales.
However, implementation failed due to insufficient waste volume for buyers, incomplete sorting and management systems, and shortages of both budget and personnel. The site has effectively become an open dump emitting foul odors that disturb nearby communities.
The joint inspection uncovered four major problems: the system does not meet semi-aerobic landfill standards; the completed leachate treatment plant and truck weighbridge cannot operate because no electricity extension has been requested for the site, raising concerns about procurement integrity and wasteful abandonment; residents fear leachate leakage, especially during rainy season since the area is flood-prone; and despite Phase 1 failing to meet its goals, Ban Na SAO plans a Phase 2 Zero Waste expansion of 10 projects costing up to 48.4 million baht, with a Public-Private Partnership model currently under feasibility study.
Ban Na SAO proposed immediate measures including spraying Effective Microorganisms (EM) every Monday and Thursday to limit odor radius to 10 meters, and accelerating installation of groundwater monitoring wells.
The Office of the Permanent Secretary has set a firm deadline for Ban Na SAO to prepare an Action Plan for proper sanitary landfill management and submit it to the Phichit Provincial Office within two weeks. The Region 6 and Phichit offices confirmed they will closely monitor the project's environmental impact mitigation, budget efficiency, and transparency in future private partnership plans to prevent loopholes or preferential conditions for certain private entities.
Ultimately, the 17-million-baht budget that was disbursed...
