Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Monday held an urgent video-conference with 16 provincial governors and related ministries after PM2.5 air pollution exceeded the so-called safe level in Bangkok and surrounding provinces.
Gen Prayut said the conference dealt with preparations, cooperation and measures to combat the air pollution problem.
The urgent meeting was called after fine PM 2.5 dust haze returned to cover the capital and surrounding areas.
Dr Sukhum Kanchanapimai, Public Health permanent secretary, yesterday urged people who worked outdoors to wear face masks and drink 6-8 glasses of water a day as PM2.5 levels rose above the so-called safe threshold of 50 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³).
Water-spraying operations began yesterday in Laksi district and other parts of Bangkok in a bid to reduce PM2.5 levels around schools and major routes such as Chaeng Watthana Road and Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.
Pralong Damrongthai, director-general of the Pollution Control Department (PCD), blamed the pollution on air stagnation and lower rainfall during the seasonal transition.
Bangkok residents can expect a brief respite today as drizzle, forecast to douse the capital, should reduce PM2.5 levels.
Most PCD air-monitoring stations yesterday showed PM2.5 levels exceeding the 50 µg/m³ reference point deemed a health hazard for vulnerable groups. As of 5pm, the highest PM2.5 level was recorded on Kanchanaphisek Road in Bang Khunthian district, with 80µg/m³.
Central Bangkok also suffered worrying levels of air pollution on Monday. The PCD air-monitoring station next to Lumpini Park, a green oasis in the heart of the city, recorded a PM2.5 level of 67 µg/m³.
