According to The Guardian and the Bangkok Post, Bangkok officials urged people to use public transport instead of private cars to get around, and said the government would find ways to reduce pollution sources such as air pollution. outdoor burning or construction activities. The Bangkok government also said it would distribute masks to vulnerable people.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said pollution has increased but has not ordered schools to close. “I suggest everyone check the pollution level before planning a trip. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the pollution management department will control the source of the dust and ask for it. cooperation from dust-causing places such as construction sites or trucking”.
The official added that if the situation worsens, traffic restrictions will be reviewed.
The burning of straw and forest fires are the main causes of air pollution in Thailand in the months from December this year to April next year, especially in the northwest region. Pollution from fires also affects Bangkok as the city already grapples with air pollution caused by factories, traffic and construction.
According to Swiss air quality company IQAIr, this morning (January 26), the PM2.5 level in Bangkok reached 63.2 micrograms/m³, much higher than the annual air quality guideline of the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) is 5 micrograms/m³. The Samut Songkhram area, southwest of Bangkok, and Lampang, in the north, have the worst air quality in Thailand.
Thailand’s Ministry of Health said that 24 provinces in the country, including Bangkok, have high levels of fine dust in the air. The number of patients experiencing pollution-related health problems has more than doubled, to almost 213,000 this week from regarding 96,000, said permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Health, Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong. people last week. Most of these people experience respiratory problems as well as symptoms such as dermatitis or eye inflammation.
Thailand’s air pollution crisis has gotten so bad that the authorities are trying strange measures to reduce smog.
