The Thai Ministry of Public Health said on Wednesday evening that more than one million and three hundred thousand people have been exposed to health problems in the Kingdom since the beginning of the year due to air pollution.
About two hundred thousand people were hospitalized in Thailand this week due to health problems related to air pollution, according to health authorities, while pollution levels in Bangkok on Thursday were still above the permissible level.
And the Thai Ministry of Public Health stated, on Wednesday evening, that more than one million and three hundred thousand people have been exposed to health problems in the Kingdom, since the beginning of the year, due to air pollution.
The capital, Bangkok, a major city with a population of nearly 11 million, has been attracting visitors from all over the world since the beginning of this week, under a thick cloud of pollution that forces residents to wear masks when moving outdoors.
The toxic cloud of pollution covering the horizon is associated with vehicle and factory emissions, as well as smoke from burning seasonal crops, a common practice at this time of the year.
A doctor at the Ministry of Public Health asked Bangkok residents to wear an “N95” (what is known as “FFB2”) mask when they went outdoors.
Children, pregnant women and people with respiratory or heart problems should also stay home, Kriangkrai Namthaesong said.
On Wednesday, the 50 districts in Bangkok recorded rates of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), which carries great danger because it penetrates the lungs deeply, much higher than the permissible levels.
On Thursday noon, in the downtown area of Pathumwan, a local air pollution monitoring agency recorded a level of 70 micrograms per cubic meter for the last 24 hours. This greatly exceeds WHO recommendations (15 micrograms per cubic metre).
During a previous pollution wave at the end of January, the Bangkok authorities recommended that residents work from home, in a measure that is “still on the table,” according to Ekvaronio Amrapala, spokesman for the “Bangkok Metropolitan Administration” (BMA).
