BANGKOK — 13 January 2026, Bangkok’s Metropolitan Administration has partnered with Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture to strengthen staff expertise and raise standards in comprehensive municipal waste management.
The collaboration was highlighted at a training programme that opened on 12 January at the Twin Towers Hotel in Bangkok’s Pathum Wan district. The opening ceremony was presided over by Thotsapol Suparee, deputy director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Environment Department.
Kayako Haraka, deputy director of Fukuoka’s Environment Department and head of its Environmental Policy Division, addressed participants online, outlining the long-standing cooperation between the two cities. Senior officials from Bangkok’s waste management and international affairs offices, along with civil servants, trainers from Fukuoka prefecture, Japanese environmental organisations and trainees, attended the event.
Thotsapol said the programme aims to enhance participants’ knowledge and understanding of efficient waste management practices in line with international standards. It also provides a platform to exchange experience with experts from Fukuoka, enabling Bangkok officials to apply the lessons learned to improve waste management across the capital.
The trainees include 100 Bangkok Metropolitan Administration officials working in cleanliness and waste management roles, ranging from operational to senior professional levels. Each district office nominated two participants. The two-day course, held on 12–13 January, featured expert speakers from Fukuoka prefecture, the Japan Environmental Sanitation Centre and the Fukuoka Environmental Foundation, who shared practical knowledge directly relevant to daily operations.
Waste management is a key issue under Bangkok’s 20-year development plan, which focuses on reducing and controlling waste at source and improving efficiency throughout the entire process, from collection and transport to final disposal, in accordance with academic and environmental principles.
The initiative aligns with the city’s environmental policy, which emphasises creating district-level models for complete and integrated waste separation. Particular focus is placed on separating waste at source and managing organic waste through targeted organisational approaches.
To achieve these goals, Bangkok has prioritised upgrading the skills of frontline waste management personnel and learning from international best practice. This has led to a three-year cooperation programme with Fukuoka prefecture, running from 2024 to 2027, under a sister-city framework.
The partnership reflects Bangkok’s growing urgency to address waste disposal challenges as volumes continue to rise with urban growth. By drawing on Fukuoka’s experience, the city hopes to translate policy into practical improvements on the ground to build a more sustainable system for the long term.
