BANGKOK, THAILAND – A dense smog cloud pushed air pollution in the capital and surrounding regions to the highest alert level, making breathing a health hazard.
PM2.5 readings more than double legal limit
The Thai space agency Gistda measured a PM2.5 concentration of 92.3 µg/m³ on Tuesday morning in Samut Prakan province. Bangkok recorded 89.6 µg/m³ and Chachoengsao 88.4 µg/m³, far above Thailand’s legal limit of 37.5 µg/m³. Levels were thus more than twice the permitted threshold, and all 50 districts of Bangkok reported the dangerous red alert stage.
Central and eastern provinces hit hardest
Alongside Bangkok and Samut Prakan, central and eastern provinces were among the worst affected. The red list included Chachoengsao, Rayong, Samut Sakhon, Chon Buri, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Prachin Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Chanthaburi, Trat and Phetchaburi. Another 30 provinces, including Ayutthaya and Kanchanaburi, reached the orange warning level, which was already harmful to health.
South enjoys clean air as north sees mixed conditions
While the central region choked under smog, the south reported good to very good air quality. Provinces such as Phuket, Krabi, Songkhla and Surat Thani showed PM2.5 values between 9.2 and 25 µg/m³, a notable exception in the country. In the north, conditions were mixed: Chiang Mai experienced poor air, whereas Chiang Rai reported only moderate pollution.
Stagnant air traps smog until expected rain
The problem was not expected to ease immediately, as the weather service warned of stagnant air from Tuesday to Wednesday. This inversion layer was holding the smog in place like a bell jar, with rain forecast from Thursday to Saturday that could wash fine particles from the air. Until then, millions of residents were urged to stay outdoors as little as possible, wear masks and avoid physical exertion.
Recurring environmental crisis with no lasting fix
Thailand’s annual smog crisis was mainly attributed to exhaust fumes, industrial emissions, dust from construction sites and traditional field burning. Despite repeated government announcements, the authorities had not managed to resolve the issue sustainably, leaving children, older people and those with respiratory illnesses facing a life-threatening situation. People in the affected regions were expected to endure several more days of pollution before the hoped-for rain improved the air.
Public frustration over reliance on weather
Public debate focused on how much toxic air could still be tolerated as millions were affected by red alert levels and burning lungs. One recurring sentiment was summed up in the question of how long Thailand would continue to “wait for rain” instead of forcing real solutions to the smog crisis.
“Who is to blame for the smog – industry, traffic, politics or all of us?”
said Bangkok Post, source of the report.