Factors influencing greenhouse gas emissions from road transport and energy consumption in the Extended Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand

Sutinee CHOOMANEE; Vilas NITIVATTANANON; Kampanart SILVA; Kunnawee KANITPONG; Jai Govind SINGH

doi:10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100231

2025 , Vol. 6 >Issue 3: 100231

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100231

Research article

Factors influencing greenhouse gas emissions from road transport and energy consumption in the Extended Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand

Sutinee CHOOMANEE ,
Vilas NITIVATTANANON ,
Kampanart SILVA ,
Kunnawee KANITPONG ,
Jai Govind SINGH

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^aUrban Innovation and Sustainability, Department of Development and Sustainability, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
^bNational Energy Technology Center, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
^cTransportation Engineering, Department of Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
^dSustainable Energy Transition, Department of Energy and Climate Change, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand

*E-mail address: vilasn@ait.asia (Vilas NITIVATTANANON).

Received date: 2024-07-27

Accepted date: 2025-06-17

Online published: 2025-07-08

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Abstract

Road transport plays a crucial role in facilitating mobility and the movement of goods, particularly in the Extended Bangkok Metropolitan Region (EBMR), Thailand. This area is undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization, resulting in significant energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study examined the relationships among individual socioeconomic factors, travel characteristics, and energy consumption characteristics and their impacts on GHG emissions from road transport. The path analysis technique was applied to identify the key driving factors and their causal relationships. The data were collected through 1600 questionnaire surveys with road drivers in representative areas of the EBMR from December 2022 to May 2023. The results revealed that individual socioeconomic factors significantly influenced GHG emissions from road transport. Among the drivers, factors such as income, age, education, and driving experience indirectly influenced travel characteristics and energy consumption characteristics, impacting GHG emissions. Similarly, individual socioeconomic factors affected the travel characteristics of tourists and personal travelers. Driving experience was a crucial factor for public road transport and freight vehicle drivers, influencing travel characteristics and contributing to GHG emissions. These findings highlight the importance of key policy recommendations, such as promoting the adoption of electric vehicles, optimizing public transport, incentivizing low-emission tourism, and modernizing freight transport with clean technologies, to enhance efficiency, reduce emissions, and support regional sustainability. This study provides policy-makers with insights into the key factors influencing GHG emissions across different driving factors, revealing how individual socioeconomic factors impact travel characteristics and energy consumption characteristics. The findings will inform the development of targeted emission reduction strategies and sustainable transport policies.

Key words： Road transport; Energy consumption; Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; Travel characteristics; Path analysis; Extended Bangkok; Metropolitan Region (EBMR)

Cite this article

Sutinee CHOOMANEE , Vilas NITIVATTANANON , Kampanart SILVA , Kunnawee KANITPONG , Jai Govind SINGH . Factors influencing greenhouse gas emissions from road transport and energy consumption in the Extended Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand[J]. Regional Sustainability, 2025 , 6(3) : 100231 . DOI: 10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100231

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