A massive spike in air pollution in Bangkok and neighbouring Thai provinces prompted authorities to urge people to stay indoors and avoid any outdoor activity, Reuters reported. The PM2.5 concentration in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital was at 14 times the level recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
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With this Bangkok’s air quality is currently the sixth-worst in the world, according to Swiss air quality tracking platform IQAir.
Thailand’s pollution control department said “stagnant weather conditions” and vehicle emissions together with seasonal fires on agricultural lands were exacerbating the air quality.
“We have to intensify (efforts to tackle pollution) by encouraging people to work from home. For schools…they might have to avoid outdoor activities in order to prevent impacts on children’s health,” the department’s director general said.
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Meanwhile residents complained of poor visibility and having trouble while breathing. “I feel my eyes burn. I can barely see when I have to ride a motorcycle against the wind,” Kanjanaporn Yampikul told Reuters.
The World health body recommends average annual readings of PM2.5 to not be more than 5 micrograms per cubic metre but the level in Bangkok and the surrounding areas is currently 70.5 micrograms per cubic metre, the report said.
