Advertisement
Bangkok smog prompts Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha to warn people to wear masks
- Levels of tiny dust particles in the air have reached unsafe levels, the prime minister said, adding that anti-pollution measures were now in place
- The head of the country’s Pollution Control Department said the visibly dirty air was not caused by smoke originating from forest fires in Indonesia
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Thailand’s prime minister urged residents of Bangkok to wear face masks on Monday after smog covered parts of the capital in what some fear is a harbinger of more pollution to come.
Advertisement
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha warned in a statement on his Facebook page that the concentration of tiny dust particles called PM2.5 in the air had reached unsafe levels and said he has ordered government agencies to expedite anti-pollution measures. He also asked the construction and manufacturing sectors to reduce activities that release pollutants.
Smog levels are expected to stay high for the next two or three days.
The head of the country’s Pollution Control Department, Pralong Damrongthai, said the visibly dirty air was not caused by smoke originating from forest fires in Indonesia. Since last month, haze blown by monsoon winds from fires in Indonesia has affected nearby countries including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and parts of southern Thailand, raising concerns about aviation safety and health.
Advertisement
Indonesian officials say they have made progress in containing the fires, including successful efforts at rain-making, which they say reduced the number of fire “hotspots” from more than 5,000 about two weeks ago to 491 on Sunday.
Thailand’s Pralong told Thai PBS television that the problem in Bangkok is caused by still air and high humidity becoming loaded with ultrafine dust from vehicle emissions, construction sites and other pollutants. He said it was then trapped close to the ground by a blanket of warm air in what meteorologists call an inversion.
Advertisement