Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday said how hard it is to enforce laws to reduce PM2.5, and blamed the public for the poor air quality.
"The public is responsible and a culprit in the PM2.5 problem. Yet we cannot simply put the blame on people and penalise all the polluters because the outcome of penalty measures will create other serious problems for society. We need to rely on asking for cooperation," Gen Prayut told the media during a mobile cabinet event in Narathiwat.
The government is being attacked for failing to tackle air pollution, in particular PM2.5.
On Monday, smog levels remained at unhealthy levels in Bangkok with high pollution readings in 34 out of Bangkok's 50 districts. The amount of PM2.5 in the air ranged from 50 to 89 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³) in the 24 hours to 7am. The government-set "safe" limit is 50 µg/m³.
Meanwhile, the cabinet today will be asked to approve short-term measures to improve air quality proposed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The measures include a ban on lorries entering inner-city areas on odd-number dates, cutting the sulphur content of premium-grade petrol, promoting carpooling and public transportation, and a crackdown on open burning.
They will take effect immediately after cabinet approval and last until the end of February.
However, experts on air pollution and environmental campaigners complained that these measures do not go far enough.
