LONG BEACH, CA/BANGKOK — Ship & Shore Environmental Inc. (S&SE), an environmental pollution abatement and energy solutions firm, has expanded its manufacturing operations in Bangkok, Thailand. The new Ship & Shore Thailand effort offers the same solution planning and fulfillment capabilities as its U.S. and Chinese counterpart locations. The move into Thailand arose from both customer demand and an urgent need in the region for immediate improvement in pollution conditions, a situation that S&SE finds pervasive throughout developed Southeast Asia. 

Critical: Closing Up, Moving Out

According to the World Health Organization, 4.2 million people die annually due to outdoor air pollution exposure. The air quality index (AQI) offers a convenient way to gauge air quality and smog levels at a glance, with a score of 0 being perfectly clear, 101 to 150 affecting sensitive groups, and 151 or more being unhealthy for everyone. Nearly one-quarter of Thailand's days last year were at least "unhealthy for sensitive groups," with smog-laden centers like Bangkok faring much worse.

The impact of pollution on Thailand is mounting. Bangkok has endured hundreds of school closures as air turned toxic. The government flew transport planes to promote cloud seeding and ground spraying (to settle dust). Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha recently noted that the country might follow the thinking of Indonesia and other countries by moving the capitol out of Bangkok to help relieve congestion and pollution. As awareness of Thailand's environmental conditions spread, the impact on tourism could be severe, with a report by Kasikorn Research indicating a potential loss of 1% to 2% of foreign tourists per month, with a lost opportunity cost of up to $109 million.

Help Arrives

With demand and general need rapidly rising in Thailand, S&SE has moved to open its first regional presence in Bangkok. S&SE is a worldwide manufacturer and supplier specializing in regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) and air pollution abatement systems. RTOs are particularly effective in combating VOC emissions.

With the opening of its Thailand presence, S&SE received a significant order almost immediately for its first project within the country: a 3-Bed RTO to be installed at a large chemical plant, complete with custom engineering for an end-to-end air pollution control system. According to S&SE, this project is the first of many queued for the Thailand area.

"S&SE's goal is to be the sole supplier of all pollution control equipment in Thailand and nearby regions," said Anoosheh Oskouian, Ship & Shore Environmental's CEO. "We have aggressive and ambitious goals for the industry and this new market. S&SE has the unique ability to look at and process extremely challenging pollution problems, especially from the chemical and petrochemical sectors that are prevalent in Thailand, and offer innovative systems that will reduce their emissions while promoting safe operations."

S&SE intends for Ship & Shore Thailand endeavors to become a leading resource for Thailand's pollution abatement efforts as well as for similar efforts in surrounding countries.