Waste more, pay more: BMA to up garbage fees

The current rate, which starts at 20 baht per month for collection and another 20 baht for disposal for households with less than 20 litres of garbage per day, was originally scheduled to expire in October 2019 but was postponed in a bid to reduce people’s financial suffering.

The BMA has proposed a new rate that reflects its current operational costs, which would raise the collection fee to 30 baht per month for households with less than 20 litres of garbage per day and another 30 baht per month for disposal.

However, households in this group who comply with the city’s waste separation rules will be charged only 10 baht per month for collection and another 10 baht for disposal.

Households with more than 20 litres of garbage but less than 1 cubic metre per day will be charged 60 baht per unit of 20 litres for collection and another 60 baht per unit for disposal each month.

Those who have more than 1 cubic metre of garbage per day will be charged 3,250 baht per cubic metre for collection and another 4,750 baht per cubic metre for disposal each month.

For one-time collection of large garbage items, the BMA will charge 125 baht for collection of less than 500 litres and another 130 baht for disposal. For garbage from 500 litres to less than 1 cubic metre, the collection fee is 180 baht and the disposal fee is 190 baht. For garbage bigger than 1 cubic metre, the collection fee is 245 baht per cubic metre and disposal fee is 250 baht per cubic metre.

Jakkapan said the city hoped that the new rate would promote waste separation practices.

He added that he expected no opposition during the public hearing session, and estimated that the new rate will be approved by the Bangkok Metropolitan Council by November and implemented in early 2024.