Bangkok seeks air pollution control status amid rising PM2.5 levels
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to request the government’s declaration of Bangkok as an air pollution control area due to anticipated rises in PM2.5 levels over the coming week.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced yesterday, January 29, that he will present the proposal to the Cabinet next week. Declaring Bangkok a pollution control area would empower the BMA to better address haze pollution by accessing funds from the environment fund, initiated under the Act on the Promotion and Preservation of the Quality of the Environment.
The BMA is implementing measures to combat PM2.5 haze pollution, including prohibiting non-registered six-wheeled trucks or larger from entering low-emission zones within the city’s Ratchadaphisek ring road. A network of 259 AI-equipped security cameras monitors for violations, with over 40,000 trucks registered to date. Offenders face fines of up to 2,000 baht (US$60).
Last weekend, the number of passengers using electric trains rose by 50% due to the government’s initiative to offer free public transport to counter haze pollution. Consequently, traffic on roads served by electric trains, like Phahon Yothin and Lat Phrao, decreased by 15%. Free public transport on buses and electric trains is available from January 25 until January 1.
The government provided a 140 million baht (US$4.14 million) budget to compensate public transport operators for lost revenue. Chadchart has also requested companies to enable remote working to reduce vehicle emissions, a key source of PM2.5.
BMA spokesperson Aekvarunyoo Amrapala stated yesterday that PM2.5 levels are predicted to rise over the next seven days, beginning tomorrow, January 31. The capital is expected to experience low air ventilation and temperature inversions, which will hinder air pollution dispersion, increasing the concentration of fine dust particles.
Bangkok pollution
“From January 30 to February 5, PM2.5 levels are expected to rise and pose health risks.”
Residents are advised to protect themselves by wearing masks outdoors, refraining from burning waste, and avoiding vehicles that emit excessive black smoke.
The BMA’s Air Quality Information Centre reported that PM2.5 levels across Bangkok’s 43 districts are moderate, averaging 32.8 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), below the safety threshold of 37.5 µg/m³.
Air quality updates are accessible via the AirBKK application, www.airbkk.com, Line Alert, and the BMA’s Environment Department Facebook page, reported Bangkok Post.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met with provincial governors and state agencies yesterday, January 29, to discuss strategies to address forest fires and haze.
A ban on outdoor waste burning is now in effect in 17 northern provinces, with provincial governors tasked with overseeing air pollution control and providing daily updates.
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