Bangkok: The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONREP) has clarified that the "Environmental Fund" has successfully passed an audit conducted by the Office of the Auditor General.
According to Thai News Agency, the Secretary-General of ONREP confirmed that the 2.2 billion baht project, which was under scrutiny by the House Committee on Environment and Public Policy (WNP), has not only passed the audit of the Environmental Fund, as requested by the committee, but has also been audited by the State Audit Office (SAO). The audit found no instances of corruption. The project is designed to serve as a financial tool to encourage various sectors to participate in conserving, restoring, and managing natural resources. ONREP, acting as the fund's secretariat, plans to release further information through the appropriate channels.
Mr. Bannarak Sermthong, Secretary-General of ONREP, addressed concerns about the use of the "Environmental Fund" for urgent projects aimed at tackling forest encroachment and destruction, with a budget of 2,256 million baht, approved since 2009. He confirmed the project had been audited by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) with no findings of corruption or illegal activities. The audit results were recently presented to the parliamentary committee as part of the standard procedure.
The Secretary-General of the Office of the Permanent Secretary explained that during the committee briefing, the SAO was invited to confirm the audit results. The SAO's review of documents, approval processes, and project implementation revealed no evidence of corruption. They also provided recommendations, which have been implemented by the relevant agencies. The Secretary-General highlighted that the committee's concerns were related to policy-level auditing, whereas the SAO focused on financial and legal compliance, which are separate processes.
ONREP is prepared to offer further information and documents to the committee upon request to ensure a complete, transparent, and verifiable investigation. The Environmental Fund, established under the National Environmental Quality Promotion and Preservation Act B.E. 2535 (1992), aims to incentivize conservation efforts across sectors. ONREP acts as the secretariat, while the Environmental Fund Committee and the National Environmental Board manage fund allocations.
All projects are screened by the secretariat before submission to the Environmental Fund Committee for approval. Projects exceeding budget thresholds require additional approval from the National Environmental Committee. A robust monitoring system is in place, covering plan development, quarterly reporting, ongoing monitoring, final evaluation, and post-project assessment.
Since its inception in 1992, the fund has supported over 1,900 projects with a budget exceeding 100 billion baht, covering resource conservation, urban environmental management, pollution control, and climate change adaptation. All project details are publicly accessible.
Regarding the project's tangible outcomes, ONREP reported the creation of a forest boundary database, aerial photographs, and a Geographic Information System (GIS) used by government agencies for land rights verification, preventing encroachment, and area management.
Previously, on January 27, 2026, Mr. Cheewapap Cheewatham, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, chaired a meeting to review urgent projects addressing forest encroachment, funded by 2,256 million baht from the Environmental Fund. This followed a complaint from Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, former Director of the National Parks Office, requesting an investigation into the project's implementation, activity definitions, overlap with regular duties, clarity of the monitoring and evaluation system, and adherence to the Terms of Reference (TOR).
Mr. Cheewapap emphasized that the use of Environmental Fund resources must follow principles of good governance, transparency, and accountability. The committee plans to gather information from all relevant agencies and summon those involved for further details before summarizing recommendations for further action.