In Thailand in rural areas sewerage is connected either to septic tanks or runs directly into the ground in poorer areas. In the city there are some mains sewers and in recent years there have been steps taken to improve the sewerage system with treatment plants being built. Those who are connected to a mains system will pay a charge to the local authorities towards the treatment and disposal of this waste. In many parts of the country there are very poor sanitary conditions although this is also being addressed in several areas with the implementation of treatment plants and other measures.

In Thailand there is a very basic system of refuse collection. For many people it is simply a case of putting the rubbish out onto the street in a plastic bag and occasionally an operative from the local council will come to collect it. There are currently no charges for this service. Those who live in apartment buildings have bins and the standard charge for this varies but many will pay around 50 THB per month. The bins are usually emptied several times a week although in market areas they are emptied on a daily basis.

However, if you are leaving rubbish out on the street for the collectors it must be in a plastic bag. Many people will not use bins even if they have them as leaving them out in the street simply encourages passers-by to put rubbish into them.

This system has led to an issue with rats in many parts of the country as these bag collections are not regular. People will not use a bin because it is inconvenient and will cost them money, but it is one way in which the rat problem can be tackled and in some areas there are initiatives in place to tackle this problem. There are some areas in which the streets are cleared regularly and the problem is kept to a minimum.

Recycling facilities are available in some places although they are not the same as they are in other countries. There are some people who can make money from recycling the rubbish put out by other people and will separate cardboard, paper, glass and plastic, even paying the original owner a small sum to take it away. They can then reuse this or sell it on for a little profit. Some people even separate the recyclables into different bags so that they can be collected. If they are left out in the street they will soon be collected by the recyclers. The collectors often ride about on tricycles so are easily recognized.