On April 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., Mr. Jatuporn Buruspat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), assigned Mr. Prasert Sirinapaporn, Deputy Permanent Secretary of MNRE, to preside over the opening of the conference entitled “One Year of Plastic Waste Interception in the Chao Phraya River and Future Cooperation.” His Excellency Mr. Remco van Wijngaarden, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Thailand, delivered the welcoming remarks. The conference was also attended by representatives from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Pollution Control Department, the Department of Climate Change and Environment, as well as representatives from relevant government and private agencies, including the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Marine Department, the Royal Thai Navy, the Port Authority of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, EcoMarine Company, and The Ocean Cleanup. The event took place at the residence of the Dutch Ambassador.

On this occasion, the Deputy Permanent Secretary congratulated all parties on the success of the Chao Phraya River Plastic Interceptor Project, which employs Interceptor 019, a plastic waste collection boat technology. The project was officially launched on March 26, 2024, as part of a collaborative effort among various stakeholders. Its primary aim is to reduce marine pollution and protect the ecosystem, aligning with Phase II (2023–2027) of the Plastic Waste Management Action Plan. This plan emphasizes managing plastic waste from its source to its endpoint, promoting environmentally friendly product design, encouraging sustainable consumption, and ensuring efficient waste separation at the source to reduce plastic pollution. It is hoped that current and future collaborative efforts will contribute to the development of sustainable plastic waste management practices.

This Thai–Dutch cooperation is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and The Ocean Cleanup, focusing on research and collection of plastic waste in the Chao Phraya River. Chulalongkorn University serves as the primary research institution, conducting studies on the movement of large plastic debris through the suburban areas of the river. The findings will be instrumental in advancing plastic waste research in Thailand.