Air pollution

  • Environment NewsAir quality in northern Thai city improves after storm, but some areas damaged

    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 NewsOnline app helps monitor health of residents from air pollution

    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…

  • Northern Thailand NewsAir pollution increases in upper northeastern regions of Thailand

    Air pollution increases in upper northeastern regions of Thailand

    According to the Pollution Control Department, 23 locations, primarily in the northern region of Thailand, have been found to contain high levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres or smaller in diameter (PM2.5). The most severe levels were identified in Chiang Mai. These concentrations are considered detrimental to human health. As of 11am yesterday, PM2.5 dust levels in the north ranged…

  • Environment NewsWork from home measure in Chiang Mai continues today and tomorrow

    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…

  • Northern Thailand NewsChiang Mai ranks as most polluted city in the world for 9 days running

    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…

  • Northern Thailand NewsThailand’s air pollution leads to 200,000 hospital admissions in past week

    Thailand’s air pollution leads to 200,000 hospital admissions in past week

    Thailand’s current air pollution levels have led to 200,000 hospital admissions over the past week. As heavy find dust blankets the north, northeast and greater Bangkok, the Health Ministry says dust levels are at an unsafe level. The Ministry says those who were admitted to the hospital are suffering from pollution-related respiratory problems. Since the start of 2023, more than…

  • Environment NewsOriental dollarbird falls from the sky in Bangkok due to suspected PM2.5 poisoning

    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 NewsThais on Lao border bear the brunt of haze crisis

    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 NewsNorthern Thailand sees thousands of fire hotspots

    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,…

  • Thailand NewsChiang Mai tackles PM2.5 pollution with giant vacuum cleaner

    Chiang Mai tackles PM2.5 pollution with giant vacuum cleaner

    Thailand‘s Disaster Department is testing out a giant vacuum cleaner as a way to tackle the PM2.5 dust pollution problem that plagues the northern city of Chiang Mai every ‘burning season.’ Every year, farmers around Thailand send their forests and fields up in smoke because it’s the cheapest way to prepare to plant new crops causing PM2.5 levels to shoot…

  • Environment NewsThai officials provide safety guidelines for students, school staff amidst pollution

    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 NewsThailand to adjust air pollution safety level from June 1

    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 NewsBangkok is third most polluted city in the world

    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,…

  • World NewsAir pollution threatens water supply in Tibetan Plateau for two billion people

    Air pollution threatens water supply in Tibetan Plateau for two billion people

    The Tibetan Plateau – also known as “The Roof of The World” and the “Asian Water Tower” – is the world’s largest and highest plateau. As the third largest storage of ice in the world, it is the source of several important Asian rivers and a crucial source of water for up to two billion people. A new study reports that…

  • Environment NewsFor health reasons – Bangkok’s proposed congestion charge

    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 NewsBangkok authorities look to tackle air pollution

    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…

  • World NewsSurvey shows no country in the world met WHO air quality criteria during 2021

    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…

  • Environment NewsIllegal burning in Northern Thailand contributes harmful levels of air pollutant PM2.5

    Illegal burning in Northern Thailand contributes harmful levels of air pollutant PM2.5

    Illegal burning in more than 135 areas in the northern province Mae Hong Son has contributed to the rise of the air pollutant PM2.5 to levels considered to be harmful to human health. Authorities are also concerned that the poor air quality could also worsen the condition of Covid-19 patients in the area. Today, the air quality in Mae Hong…

  • Thailand video newsBangkok officially named “Krung Thep Maha nakhon” I GMT

    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 NewsChon Buri villagers complain of air pollution from burning crops

    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…

  • Environment NewsToll fee waived for Motorways 7 and 9 for 4-day New Year’s weekend

    Toll fee waived for Motorways 7 and 9 for 4-day New Year’s weekend

    As a New Year’s gift for motorists in Bangkok and the surrounding areas, the Cabinet has approved a waiver for every toll fee on the busy number 7 and number 9 Motorways from December 30 to January 3. The move is not just a chance for drivers to save money, but also will half reduce traffic congestion and in turn,…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok officials to pause Skytrain construction, close schools if pollution levels rise

    Bangkok officials to pause Skytrain construction, close schools if pollution levels rise

    With levels of the air pollutant PM2.5 rising in Bangkok, city officials are considering pausing construction on the BTS Skytrain and closing schools in an effort to improve the air quality if the levels rise to unhealthy levels. Officials plan to also be more strict when it comes to enforcing laws on vehicle emissions and advising the public to carpool…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Omicron to dominate, Soapy massage parlor for sale! | Dec 8

    Thailand News Today | Omicron to dominate, Soapy massage parlor for sale! | Dec 8

    Prayut Chan-o-cha was responding to fears from business owners that another lockdown could be imposed during peak season. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reiterated the importance of vaccination in order to boost immunity against the variant. Authorities have warned that particulate matter in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand will reach an unhealthy stage this week. The Bangkok Municipal…

  • Environment NewsAuthorities warn of “unhealthy” levels of air pollution in Bangkok, elsewhere this week

    Authorities warn of “unhealthy” levels of air pollution in Bangkok, elsewhere this week

    Authorities have warned that particulate matter 2.5 levels in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand will reach an unhealthy stage this week. According to a Pattaya News report, the Centre for Air Pollution Mitigation says PM2.5 pollution levels are exceeding safe standards in many central parts of the country, including the capital. The CAPM operates under the authority of the…

  • Environment NewsNorthern Thailand sees dangerous levels of pollution

    Northern Thailand sees dangerous levels of pollution

    Northern Thailand is seeing dangerous levels of pollution with PM2.5 dust particle levels exceeding the safety standard. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are the worst as they are both seeing over 50-micron PM2.5 dust particle levels. Wiang Pang Kham, a sub-district in Chiang Rai has recorded 247 microns, signaling extremely poor air quality. The Pollution Control Department said on its…

  • Environment NewsBrush fires rage on in Chiang Mai while air pollution soars

    Brush fires rage on in Chiang Mai while air pollution soars

    Brush fires are raging on in Thailand’s northern Chiang Mai Province as air pollution soars. Firefighters say they are struggling to put out the fires which line the Suthep-Pui National Park. A KA-32 helicopter has been brought in to help contain the fires after they spread fastly through the bamboo forest. The helicopters have already put out about half of…

  • Environment NewsOver 250,000 receive eye and nose medical treatment due to pollution in northern provinces

    Over 250,000 receive eye and nose medical treatment due to pollution in northern provinces

    Over 250,000 people are feeling the burn after receiving treatment for eye and nose problems due to pollution in Thailand’s northern provinces. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Health, says the medical issues are due to excessive PM2.5 dust particles in the atmosphere as a result of local wildfires that have produced heavy smog. He says that the seasonal…

  • Transport NewsThailand aims for 30% electric vehicle production by 2030

    Thailand aims for 30% electric vehicle production by 2030

    By 2030, Thailand aims to have 30% of car production to be electric vehicles in an effort to minimise air pollution as the air quality in a number of provinces in Thailand, especially Bangkok and Chiang Mai, has been at levels classified as unhealthy and even hazardous in reports by IQAir. Electric vehicles would include cars, motorbikes and buses. Industry…

  • Environment NewsAir pollution hits unsafe levels in 19 provinces

    Air pollution hits unsafe levels in 19 provinces

    Air pollution hit “unsafe” levels in 19 provinces across Thailand this morning with levels of the ultra-fine dust PM 2.5 exceeding the official safety limit 50 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the Pollution Control Department. Those areas include: Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Lampang, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Pichit, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphan Buri,…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | Restrictions on Bangkok and Pattaya to be lifted? | January 27

    Thailand News Today | Restrictions on Bangkok and Pattaya to be lifted? | January 27

    A trailer truck has driven into an accident scene, crashing into 9 vehicles and critically injuring a police officer who was directing traffic in Surat Thani’s main city district. Luckily rescue workers and another police officer were able to jump out of the way before the truck ploughed through the accident scene and into a roadside tyre shop. 2 people…