Bangkokians advised to stay inside until smog clears

• Bangkokians warned that cheap face masks are useless

• Weather Bureau says the current smog should clear in a few days

PHOTO: Framepool

The hazardous ultra-fine dust that has been sweeping through 20 districts of Bangkok will last for a few days, City Hall’s Environment Department warned on Friday.

The Bangkok Post say that the warning corresponded with dust levels measured by the Pollution Control Department (PCD) which started issuing alerts last Thursday. With a size of up to 2.5 micrometres in diameter, the airborne particulate matter can easily lodge in the lungs.

“Normal face masks do not work effectively, as PM is smaller than the width of a single human hair. Instead, a KN95 mask is required,” according to Pollution Control’s director-general Pralong Damrongthai.

City workers will spray water to clean roads more frequently, the governor said. Other measures include a ban on parking cars on main streets and impounding vehicles which emit black fumes.

Read the rest of The Bangkok Post story HERE.