Air pollution

  • Thailand News

    Thailand warned of escalating PM2.5 dust levels: GISTDA

    The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) issued an urgent warning about PM2.5 dust particles exceeding safe levels in various parts of Thailand. Samut Sakhon saw the worst conditions with PM2.5 levels reaching 76.7 micrograms per cubic meter, more than double the standard limit of 37.5 micrograms. In Bangkok, 22 districts experienced PM2.5 levels exceeding the standard limit, with…

  • Environment News

    Successful rainmaking operations drastically reduce Bangkok’s pollution levels

    Pollution levels across Bangkok and neighbouring areas nosedived yesterday as a result of successful rainmaking operations carried out east of the capital. The operations saw a significant reduction in the concentration of ultra-fine pollutants in the air, bringing it back within the safety threshold. Supis Pitakham, the director-general of the Department of Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation, confirmed that the cloud-seeding…

  • Business News

    Thai firm energy absolute predicts 20% revenue growth by 2024 driven by EV demand

    Energy Absolute (EA), a developer and operator of renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, anticipates a minimum of 20% revenue growth by 2024. This increase, it suggests, will be primarily driven by the escalating demand for EVs in Thailand. The tourism sector’s recuperation and corporate demand for employee shuttle services are likely to…

  • Business News

    Thailand smog sparks outcry, public anticipation for clean air act grows

    The recurring smog season in Thailand’s northern provinces has sparked increasing public dissatisfaction. Notably, a 28 year old doctor in Chiang Mai, Krittai Tanasombatkul, who was diagnosed with lung cancer despite being a non-smoker, used his social media platform to question why the persistent PM2.5 pollution issue has not been resolved by the authorities. The Clean Air Act, seen as…

  • Thailand News

    Bangkok air pollution rises as PM2.5 level exceeds standards

    Air pollution in Bangkok and its adjacent provinces is escalating, with 49 areas exceeding the standard PM2.5 dust value, according to the Air Pollution Abatement Department (APAD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE). The average PM2.5 value over 24 hours was found to range from 21-57 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) in these areas, exceeding the acceptable…

  • Thailand News

    PM2.5 dust particles return due to season change in Bangkok

    Bangkok is currently grappling with the return of PM2.5 dust particles, predominantly due to the transition from the rainy season to the colder months. Rising atmospheric pressure and stagnant air contribute to the accumulation of these particles. The Pollution Control Department (PCD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment reported today, that the PM2.5 situation in Bangkok and surrounding…

  • Environment News

    Thai research probes herbal solutions to PM2.5 dust-related chronic diseases

    In promising scientific research, experts are exploring the potential of three herbal plants in combatting chronic diseases connected to PM2.5 dust. The focal point of this collaborative project is to address the health challenges arising from prolonged exposure to harmful PM2.5 dust particles, a pressing concern in regions affected by air pollution. The collaborative efforts have seen researchers from Chaophraya…

  • Thailand News

    MFP leader vows to tackle Bangkok’s traffic, flooding, and air pollution

    In a meeting yesterday with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, Move Forward Party (MFP) leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat pledged to address 21 major issues plaguing the capital city. These problems include traffic congestion, flooding, and PM 2.5 air pollution. The meeting was also attended by several MFP MPs-elect for Bangkok and Bangkok councillors, signalling a strong collaboration between…

  • World News

    Pollution linked to 1,200 child deaths, chronic illness in Europe

    Over 1,200 youngsters under 18 are losing their lives prematurely because of air pollution across Europe every year. That’s not all – it’s also raising the risk of chronic illnesses later in life. These saddening stats were revealed by none other than the EU environmental agency itself. Even though there have been some improvements, the levels of crucial air pollutants…

  • Environment News

    Chiang Mai breathes easier: Summer storms bring air quality relief

    The air quality in Chiang Mai has significantly improved due to a series of summer storms, causing hazardous haze pollution and ultra-fine particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels to drop after months of concern. This is welcome news for residents and tourists alike, as the region has been grappling with poor air quality and the impact it has had on both…

  • Environment News

    Air quality in northern Thai city improves after storm, but some areas damaged

    The air quality in one northern Thai city has improved after a recent storm, although some areas of the city are damaged. Locals in the city of Lampang were able to see Doi Farang peak this morning (Sunday). Doi Farang is a high peak within the Doi Phra Bat mountain range towering nearly 900 metres above sea level. The area,…

  • Environment News

    Online app helps monitor health of residents from air pollution

    The Ministry of Public Health is launching an application to track the health of citizens in the Na Phra Lan tambon, located in the Chalerm Prakiat district of Saraburi, in response to rising concerns about air pollution and contamination caused by nearby limestone mines and cement manufacturing plants. Rungruang Kitpati, the chairman of the ministry’s Intelligence Unit, acknowledged the impact…

  • Environment News

    Work from home measure in Chiang Mai continues today and tomorrow

    Chiang Mai’s air pollution problem is continuing to wreak havoc on the province. Chiang Mai‘s work from home measure, introduced by the provincial administration yesterday will continue until tomorrow (Sunday), Thai PBS reported. This is due to the PM2.5 pollution problem in the province, which has not improved. Governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn announced that the public will be informed if there…

  • Environment News

    Breathe easier: 7 tips to combat Thailand’s poor air quality

    Thailand’s air quality has become a critical concern as the country faces recurring episodes of harmful air pollution. Air pollution has become a significant environmental and public health issue in Thailand, particularly in urban areas where traffic congestion, industrial activities, and agricultural burning are prevalent. Poor air quality in Thailand poses a significant risk to the health of its residents,…

  • Thailand video news

    Thai city ranked most polluted city in the world | GMT

    https://youtu.be/wMOu8ZZoFO4 In today’s GMT episode, a range of current events in Thailand were discussed. One of the major highlights was the announcement that Thailand’s lottery office has stopped paying out prizes with cash due to concerns over illegal gambling activities. Winners will now receive their prizes through electronic transfers, a move that is aimed at curbing the rampant illegal lottery…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Chiang Mai ranks as most polluted city in the world for 9 days running

    Northern Thailand continues to battle a thick layer of smog with Chiang Mai being ranked as the world’s most polluted city by PM2.5 rating for nine days in a row, according to the IQAir website, reports ThaiRath. The highest air quality index (AQI) value was found at the Health Hospital in Ban Khai Hospital in Mae Na Wang subdistrict, Mae…

  • Environment News

    Oriental dollarbird falls from the sky in Bangkok due to suspected PM2.5 poisoning

    A sick Oriental dollarbird fell from Bangkok‘s polluted sky near Lumpini Park on Wednesday. Veterinarians examined the bird to find that it was suffering from severe pneumonia in both lungs. They suspected it was caused by PM2.5 dust pollution poisoning. Kaset Sudecha, a veterinarian from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Kasetsart University, posted a photo of the bird on…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Thais on Lao border bear the brunt of haze crisis

    Residents living along the border of Laos in Thailand’s northeast Nakhon Phanom province are facing the brunt of the country’s haze crisis. PM2.5 levels reached 167 micrograms (MCG) per cubic metre in four districts yesterday, according to the city’s Office of Natural Resource and Environment. These districts include Muang, Bang Phaeng, Tha Uthen, and That Phanom. Any level above 50…

  • Environment News

    Officials say 90% of northern Thailand’s hotspots caused by human activity

    The director-general of Thailand’s Pollution Control Department says around 90% of the hotspots in northern Thailand are caused by human activities. Director-General Pinsak Suraswadi said the PM2.5 atmospheric pollution in the region is expected to increase before it improves. Pinsak said that 90% of the hotspots were detected in conserved forests and that the problem would be worse between Saturday, March…

  • Environment News

    Northern Thailand sees thousands of fire hotspots

    Northern Thailand is seeing thousands of fire hotspots, with some 2,201 detected yesterday. The majority of these hotspots are located in conservation forests, according to the Region 3 centre for prevention and mitigation of air pollution. The upper part of the region had 1,388 hotspots, while the lower north had 813. Provinces with the highest number of hotspots included Tak,…

  • Environment News

    Thai officials provide safety guidelines for students, school staff amidst pollution

    As Thailand continues to grapple with the ongoing air pollution crisis, officials provided guidelines for students and school staff. Yesterday, the Ministry of Education provided school safety guidelines for students and staff to protect themselves from PM2.5. The guidelines include: avoiding outdoor activities for extended periods, wearing face masks when outdoors, wearing long-sleeved shirts, taking showers or washing skin after…

  • Environment News

    Thailand to adjust air pollution safety level from June 1

    Thailand is set to adjust its standard safety level of air pollution from June 1, 2023. The adjustment will see the safety level change from 50 microns to 37.5 microns as part of a move to help the Pollution Control Department manage air pollution more efficiently. Pollution Control Department Director-General, Pinsak Suraswadi, says currently the PCD has implemented its Level…

  • Environment News

    Uncontrollable landfill site fire in Samut Prakan worsens air quality

    Bangkok, Thailand, has seen the worst air pollution levels of the year so far today. An uncontrollable fire raging for two days straight at a rubbish dump in Samut Prakan province, just south of the capital, has pumped more PM2.5 dust into the air. A fire has plagued a landfill site in the Phraeksa district since Tuesday night in an…

  • Environment News

    Bangkok is third most polluted city in the world

    Bangkok was ranked the third worst city in the world for air pollution after PM2.5 dust reached unhealthy levels. A heavy blanket of smog encased the capital’s skyscrapers as nationwide agricultural burning and forest fires pumped tiny dust particulates into the air, exacerbated by the city’s chockablock traffic and stone-dry weather. At 10am, Bangkok’s air quality index (AQI) measured 198,…

  • Environment News

    For health reasons – Bangkok’s proposed congestion charge

    It’s a widely quoted truism that residents of Bangkok lost eight days of their lives last year, stuck in traffic. So it comes as no surprise that a congestion charge is being suggested. Unbelievably, this would make Bangkok only the second major city in Asia with such a charge. Proposed fees range from 50 baht (US$1.30) to 120 baht across…

  • Environment News

    Bangkok authorities look to tackle air pollution

    After unsafe levels of smog and smoke blanketed Bangkok last month, the city’s authorities are now looking to tackle Bangkok’s notorious air pollution. The deputy permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has said that this year, the BMA aims to work with other government agencies to deal with the air problem. He said that the BMA’s pollution control operations…

  • Thailand video news

    Pollution haze across Thailand | GMT

    Unsafe levels of PM2.5 ‘particulate’ cloud Bangkok and surrounding areas today. The kingdom is expected to record about 100,000 new Covid-19 cases per day following the Songkran holiday. April will see THAI Cargo operate 58 flights to Guangzhou, 12 to Chengdu, eight to Kunming, and another nine from Kunming to New Delhi. With traditional Songkran water fights banned in Thailand…

  • World News

    Survey shows no country in the world met WHO air quality criteria during 2021

    A survey of air pollution data in 6,475 cities shows that not a single country met the World Health Organisation’s air quality standards in 2021. According to a Reuters report, smog even returned to pre-pandemic levels in some regions, after a brief respite during Covid-19. The data was collated by Swiss firm, IQAir, a pollution technology company that monitors air…

  • Thailand video news

    Bangkok officially named “Krung Thep Maha nakhon” I GMT

    The official for Thailand’s capital is in the process of being changed to its more formal name “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”. Almost 8,000 have signed up for compensation from owner of the underwater pipeline that leaked crude oil into the sea in Rayong province. Interpol has issued Red Notices for both suspects wanted in the targeted killing of an Indian…

  • Pattaya News

    Chon Buri villagers complain of air pollution from burning crops

    Residents of a Chon Buri housing estate complained to local authorities that crop burning at nearby plantations has been causing not only air pollution, but ash has been falling on their cars, houses, and clothes. They say sugar cane plantations in particular were creating the ash in the air through illegal burning, causing poor air quality for the people living…