The air quality in Bangkok and adjacent provinces is expected to worsen over the next seven days (January 4-10) due to stagnant weather conditions, the Pollution Control Department said on Monday.

 

“Also, many people will return to work on January 4, increasing the number of vehicles and dust on city roads compared to the New Year holidays,” said the department’s director-general Atthaphol Charoenchansa.

 

“To avoid making the situation worse, people are advised to use vehicles only when necessary and refrain from burning garbage or weeds in open areas.”

 

PM2.5 air pollution in Greater Bangkok on Monday ranged from 18 to 34 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3), still well below the safe threshold of 50μg/m3.

 

PM2.5 levels in other regions were as follows:

 

• North: 12 to 24μg/m3

• Northeast: 10 to 22μg/m3

• Central region and West: 12 to 28μg/m3

• East: 14 to 25μg/m3

• South: 10 to 20μg/m3

 

The PM2.5 situation can be followed on Air4Thai.com and bangkokairquality.com websites, CAPM Facebook page, or via Air4Thai and AirBKK smartphone applications.

 

14th on the World Air Quality Index

 

Bangkok has recently been listed as having the 14th worst air pollution globally on the World Air Quality Index.

 

Traditional causes of Bangkok's smog are not unusual; as well as open-air burning and industry-related activities, both carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from cars and transport on the roads — and we know all about Bangkok's traffic — are released into the atmosphere, causing the dense, fog-like smog to build up.

 

So, the cars are the cause of the haze? !

 

Not the trucks belching out diesel fumes

Not the farmers burning the fields

Not the old Bangkok buses blowing out black smoke

 

It's the cars.

 

OK. ????