Bangkok Faces Worsening Air Quality with Unsafe PM2.5 Levels

[snoop1130]

File photo for reference only

 

Bangkok and 66 of Thailand's 76 provinces experienced hazardous air quality on Monday morning, as ultrafine dust levels reached unsafe highs. According to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), particulate matter 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter (PM2.5) reached harmful red levels in several provinces, with Sing Buri reporting the highest concentration at 85.6 microgrammes per cubic metre. This figure far exceeds the government’s safe limit of 37.5µg/m³.

 

In Bangkok, all 50 districts reported unsafe PM2.5 levels, with Bangkok Yai suffering the most at 102.3µg/m³. Across the city, 34 districts saw red levels, while others also experienced elevated concentrations, causing concerns for residents' health.

 

 

The situation highlights Bangkok's ongoing struggle with air pollution, urging authorities to act swiftly to mitigate risks and protect citizens' health. The dramatic spike serves as a reminder of the importance of sustainable measures to improve air quality.

 

-- 2025-01-06

 

 

[Karma80]

And yet, every year, nothing is done except have more meetings.

[DonniePeverley]

Nothing done. 

 

Yet the pen pushers have kicked off street food vendors from my area because it's not nice. 

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

It's 'cause of the mushroom pickers in the north burning millions of acres of forest to grow mushrooms for Chinese customers.

 

And because Thai farmers burn their fields.

 

Also China running its factories at full cap now. You'd see the same air pollution in Hanoi.

 

Was once excited to retire to Chiang Mai. Now I'll only visit in rainy season.

 

Too bad BKK suffers the bad air too. And it's only January. Another 4-5 months of it.

 

Every year same old same old, no action...

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Bangkok and 66 of Thailand's 76 provinces experienced hazardous air quality on Monday morning, as ultrafine dust levels reached unsafe highs. According to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), particulate matter 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter (PM2.5) reached harmful red levels in several provinces, with Sing Buri reporting the highest concentration at 85.6 microgrammes per cubic metre. This figure far exceeds the government’s safe limit of 37.5µg/m³.

Nothing new and nothing done... 

[UWEB]

Use military Forces to stop the criminals in the north,

 

[dinsdale]

Reality is air quality in Bangkok is for the majority of the year very bad. Burn offs just makes it worse. 

[Celsius]

Don't forget to file your tax returns. 

[KireB]

Even Phuket has bad air at the moment. Thank you sugar companies, and farmers, and neighbours who burn leaves and plastic every single day. 

[pchansmorn]

15 hours ago, Karma80 said:

And yet, every year, nothing is done except have more meetings.

Am staying in Cha Am now days because Bangkok’s air is so bad. But they burn the fields at night and the air quality suffers at night and mornings. No eating outdoors any longer. There is always a steady breeze or wind and that helps. And it’s better than Bangkok but still not like San Francisco with its cool fog that would come in and chase the smog away. It could be so much better if trucks and Autos had smog control and they got rid of the diesel guzzlers on the road. And stopped burning the fields at night. Is that to much to ask?

[Yagoda]

5 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

It's 'cause of the mushroom pickers in the north burning millions of acres of forest to grow mushrooms for Chinese customers.

 

And because Thai farmers burn their fields.

 

Also China running its factories at full cap now. You'd see the same air pollution in Hanoi.

 

Was once excited to retire to Chiang Mai. Now I'll only visit in rainy season.

 

Too bad BKK suffers the bad air too. And it's only January. Another 4-5 months of it.

 

Every year same old same old, no action...

I just saw the highway crews burning in SaKeo, they wont ever fix the problem.

[MikeandDow]

Nothing will happen cost toooooo much money and anyhow " Who cares " (thai attitude)

[SiSePuede419]

7 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

It's 'cause of the mushroom pickers in the north burning millions of acres of forest to grow mushrooms for Chinese customers.

 

And because Thai farmers burn their fields.

That doesn't start until later this month in earnest.  

That's not what's causing this blanket of dust over the whole country.

 

Hua Hin isn't close to the mountains in Chiang Mai where the mushroom burning is done.

 

There's more air pollution down south than up north now.

 

My guess is "temperature inversion" same reason why Phoenix,Salt Lake City, LA,etc have more air pollution in winter months because of temperature inversion and the bowl effect of being surrounded by mountains.

 

The South isn't surrounded by mountains it is surrounded by ocean and some hills and lots of jungle.

Jungles emit pollutants and other gases that cause air pollution conditions depends on the seasonal cycles.

There's traffic in Bangkok all year long.  There's construction all year long.

There's not air pollution like this all year long down South so something different is causing it...?

 

Thailand is currently experiencing elevated air pollution levels due to several factors:

 

1. Agricultural Burning: Between January and March, farmers often burn crop residues to prepare fields for the next planting season. This practice releases significant amounts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) into the atmosphere, contributing to smog and haze. 

 

2. Industrial Emissions and Vehicle Exhaust: Emissions from factories and vehicles further exacerbate air quality, especially in urban areas like Bangkok. The combination of industrial pollutants and heavy traffic emissions leads to increased concentrations of airborne particles. 

 

3. Temperature Inversion: Meteorological conditions, such as temperature inversions, can trap pollutants near the ground. During an inversion, a layer of warmer air sits above cooler air at the surface, preventing the dispersion of pollutants and leading to deteriorated air quality. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Will B Good]

 

Apart from usual village morons burning anything on the floor they can scrape up to burn ........we now have an arsonist setting fire to huge tracts of vacant government land near us. MIL has lost half a yam field and a dozen banana trees.

 

The mountains near us are only just visible now and the sugarcane burning hasn't even started in earnest.

[realfunster]

17 hours ago, Karma80 said:

And yet, every year, nothing is done except have more meetings.

 

Not quite, you must have missed the recent PR spin on the Royal Rainmaking Project, which was visited by the Bangkok Governor. It was reported to have miraculously improved air quality over the last week of 2024..

 

7 hours ago, Woke to Sounds of Horking said:

Was once excited to retire to Chiang Mai. Now I'll only visit in rainy season.

 

It is a real shame, I used to enjoy my visits up north and, at one stage, I was also considering retiring up there. That's definitely off the table now due to the insufferable pollution for several months of the year.

 

Unfortunately, addressing air quality issues has been beyond numerous Thai governments over at least a decade, if not longer, and I am losing hope that anyone can find an effective solution.

[oustaristocrats]

18 hours ago, Karma80 said:

And yet, every year, nothing is done except have more meetings.

 

Now there is new Prime Minister. She will take action. Did we already see any signs of her plans to tackle the pollution issue ?

 

I did see plans to legalize online gambling, so I understand this issue has a higher priority than pollution.