air quality

  • Thailand News

    Bangkok enveloped in smog as PM2.5 levels hit new highs

    Bangkok citizens awoke yesterday to a pervasive burning smell as PM2.5 pollution levels soared across the city. Officials have identified three primary causes for the incident, which left many areas shrouded in a smoky haze and sparked widespread concern among residents. The unexpected spike in air pollution was primarily attributed to a shift in wind direction yesterday, March 20, as…

  • Health

    Thailand’s bold steps towards global clean air solutions

    As the global community confronts an escalating air pollution crisis, Thailand emerges as a pivotal player in the quest for environmental purity. The imperative for both environmental and public health considerations draws attention to this critical issue, prompting inquiries into the prospects of clean air in Thailand and worldwide. With pollution levels reaching alarming peaks in areas such as Chiang…

  • Health

    How industries can cut down deadly PM2.5: A clean air blueprint

    When you think about air pollution, industrial activities might not be the first thing that springs to mind. Yet, they play a significant role in the levels of PM2.5, those tiny particulate matters that can deeply penetrate your lungs. Factories, power plants, and various industrial processes release a substantial amount of these particles into the atmosphere, contributing to the air…

  • Health

    Navigate PM2.5 hazards with the ultimate mask guide

    With the rising concerns over air quality, particularly the presence of PM2.5 particles, finding the right mask has become more crucial than ever. These tiny particles, no more than 2.5 microns in size, can penetrate your lungs and even enter your bloodstream, posing significant health risks. They’re not just dust; they’re carriers of harmful substances like heavy metals and carcinogens.…

  • Health

    Beat PM2.5 in Thailand: Your ultimate guide to cleaner air

    Navigating the bustling streets of Thailand, you’re exposed to more than just the vibrant culture and tantalising cuisine. Hidden in the air are PM2.5 pollutants, microscopic adversaries that pose significant health risks. Understanding how to shield yourself from these tiny particles is crucial for both your short-term comfort and long-term health. The effects of PM2.5 can range from minor irritations,…

  • Health

    Thailand battles rising health risks from PM2.5 air pollution levels

    Ever wondered why the air in Thailand often feels thicker and harder to breathe? The culprit behind this is PM2.5, microscopic particles that can wreak havoc on your health. Thailand faces a significant challenge with high levels of PM2.5, particularly during certain times of the year. Understanding the causes behind these elevated levels is crucial for both residents and visitors…

  • Automotive

    How cars fuel PM2.5 pollution & what we can do about it

    When you think about air pollution, vehicles might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, they play a significant role in the amount of PM2.5, those tiny particulate matters that can wreak havoc on your health. Research reveals that both diesel and gasoline-powered cars contribute to PM2.5 levels, but the impact varies depending on the vehicle’s age…

  • Thailand News

    Hua Hin Hospital issues urgent warning as air quality worsens

    Hua Hin Hospital issued a warning over the deteriorating air quality gripping the district. Hua Hin Hospital’s Facebook announcement revealed alarming statistics regarding the current air pollution levels plaguing the area. The Air Quality Index (AQI) skyrocketed to a staggering 196 by 8am, nearly doubling the safety threshold. Health experts stress that AQI values above 100 pose severe health risks.…

  • Thailand News

    Bangkok battles severe air quality dip prompting remote work

    Bangkok’s air quality dipped severely yesterday, February 14, with an escalating level of fine particulate matter, PM2.5, recorded in most districts. This hazardous air quality led the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to urge both state agencies and private entities to facilitate remote working for their personnel today and tomorrow. According to an official statement issued by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt,…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s escalating smog crisis: 48 provinces engulfed by unsafe air quality

    Heavy smog has engulfed 48 out of Thailand’s 77 provinces, rendering the air quality unsafe due to high levels of ultra-fine dust. As of this morning, Tuesday, January 9, 21 provinces reported red-level air pollution, a serious health threat. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) reported that the particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and less in diameter (PM2.5) levels…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket’s air quality under threat as haze season approaches

    Grey skies are looming over Thailand’s popular tourist destination of Phuket despite the air quality remaining at a moderate level during the first week of January. The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has already flagged concerns as predictions suggest the annual haze might arrive earlier than expected this year. According to the World Air Quality Index project (AQICN), the concentration of hazardous PM2.5…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand sees improvement in air quality despite high PM2.5 levels

    A sharp decline in air quality was observed across 33 provinces of Thailand this morning as dangerously high levels of ultrafine dust posed health risks. This, however, was an improvement from yesterday morning, when air pollution blanketed 47 provinces. The peak pollution level also saw a drop. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTADA) revealed this morning that five…

  • 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 surge: Bangkok on alert, schools may halt activities

    Bangkok is bracing for an imminent surge in PM2.5 dust pollution from today until the end of the week, with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) preparing strict measures to mitigate the environmental hazard. The city’s Department of Education, under BMA’s directive, may consider a 15-day halt to school activities if dust pollution reaches a critical red level in two to…

  • 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

    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

    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,…

  • Environment News

    Pattaya’s air suffers unhealthy PM2.5 dust levels

    Pattaya’s air is suffering from unhealthy PM2.5 dust levels. The health-hazardous dust level has risen to 174 microgrammes per cubic meter, far above the safety threshold of 50 microgrammes per cubic meter, The Pattaya News reported yesterday. AQI readings above 100 are considered “unhealthy” (red), above 200 are considered “very unhealthy” (purple) and beyond 300 are considered “hazardous.” The dust…

  • Thailand News

    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 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,…

  • 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…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Agency reports deteriorating air quality in Thailand’s North and Northeast

    Air quality in Thailand’s North and Northeast is deteriorating mostly due to farmers burning waste, and villagers lighting fires in forests. Thai PBS reports that the air quality “may” pose a risk to people’s health. The country’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency said that on Tuesday there were 1,060 ‘hot spots’ across Thailand. 110 of the hotspots were in…

  • 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…

  • Environment News

    PM 2.5 air pollutant at high levels in many parts of Bangkok, surrounding provinces

    This morning, fine dust of dangerous P.M level 2.5 covered many parts of Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The Pollution Control Department reports that particulate air levels range from 28-72 micrograms per cubic centimetre. The safe threshold for air dust is 50 micrograms per cubic centimetre. The PDC states that 41 areas have dust levels above this threshold. Bangkok’s air situation…

  • Environment News

    Prachuap Khiri Khan, Koh Samui beaches have the cleanest water

    The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has just completed their 2021 Environmental Quality Audit of Thailand, and Prachuap Khiri Khan and Koh Samui dominated the list of cleanest sea water beaches. All top 5 beaches with the cleanest sea water were in the Gulf of Thailand. The best seawater was one of 4 categories assessed by the study, which…

  • Environment News

    Bangkok 14th worst air quality globally, more PM2.5 next week

    Not quite as pride-inducing as being ranked the number 1 city for a workation in the world or the 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, but Bangkok has recently been listed as having the 14th worst air pollution globally on the World Air Quality Index. The dubious honour was awarded on Wednesday as Bangkok faces more days where…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand Top Stories | TAT explains entry for travellers outside quarantine exemption list | October 26

    Natty gives us a quick update on the national Covid-19 situation as well as the top headlines in Thailand and around the region: TAT explains entry for travelers outside quarantine exemption list, Bangkok and surrounding provinces warned to prepare for dust pollution, Flights to Mae Hong Son to finally resume next month,Qantas to resume flights from Sydney to Bangkok and…

  • Thailand News

    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…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Air pollution reaches “unhealthy” levels in Thailand’s north and northeast

    18 provinces in Thailand’s north and northeast are being hit by a wave of smoke and air pollution as the burning season kicks in for the country’s agricultural sector. The next 2 months are the peak of the burning off season for agricultural waste as farmers prepare their land for the next crops of corn, rice and sugar and use…

  • Environment News

    Smog across Bangkok can be blamed on a ‘Dust Dome’ of pollutants

    Poor air quality across Bangkok in the past week are not just caused by the PM2.5 dust. We can blame a ‘dust dome’ that is formed with low atmospheric pressure, dust and pollutants from the farmland waste burning, and greenhouse gases. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa says that the pollutants come from “the improper disposal” of farming waste…

  • Environment News

    Bangkok enveloped in bad smog Friday

    Get out the anti-pollution masks and turn on the air purifier, air pollution in Bangkok is at unhealthy levels. 64 locations in Bangkok were reported with high levels of the air pollutant PM2.5, according to the Pollution Control Department. As a cold weather front in China weakens, air circulation is also slowing down, causing dust to accumulate and drop to…

  • Environment News

    Discounts on services for old cars to reduce vehicle emissions, improve air quality

    To help ease air pollution in Bangkok, several car manufacturers are offering discounts on maintenance services for old cars as part of a campaign launched by the Automotive Industry Club Federation of Thai Industries, known as the FTI. Deals on car inspections, oil changes and other services will be going on from now until the end of February. This week,…

  • Environment News

    Police commander suggests people in Bangkok work at home once a week to reduce vehicle emissions

    While air pollution in Bangkok has largely been linked to field crop burning in the North, deputy commander of the Royal Thai Police, Damrongsak Kittipraphat, suggests those in the city work from home once a week to keep pollution levels down. Damrongsak says that if people stay at home like they did during the lockdown, it could help reduce vehicle…

  • Environment News

    The smog returns to Bangkok

    The air pollutant PM2.5 is at unhealthy levels in and around Bangkok. 34 areas in the city and in surrounding provinces have levels of PM2.5 exceeding the safety standard, according to an air quality report by the Department of Pollution Control. The air pollutant PM2.5 is fine particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. At high levels, the pollutant…

  • Environment News

    Urgent plan to reduce PM2.5 – National Environment Board

    With the air pollutant PM2.5 rising to harmful levels in some areas of Bangkok and increasing in other cities, the National Environment Board has approved an urgent plan. Pollution Control Department chief Atthaphon Charoenchansa says the plan has 12 measures to tackle pollution. It will be submitted to the Cabinet for review. A “pollution information centre” will be formed with…

  • Environment News

    Bangkok air pollution predicted to reach “unhealthy” levels

    At least some good news, Bangkok’s air quality has improved during the lockdown period. In January, it was listed as the “third most polluted city in the world.” By April, air pollution levels dropped down to a “safe” and “healthy”, according to the US Air Quality Index, or AQI. Now the bad news, forecasts predict Bangkok’s air pollution will reach…