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Thai PM requests air pollution be alleviated in seven days

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited some northern areas of this country on April 2 to examine local air pollution.
Thai PM requests air pollution be alleviated in seven days ảnh 1Chiang Mai city in northern Thailand is covered in smog (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-chavisited some northern areas of this country on April 2 to examine local airpollution.

He visited the city of Chiang Mai, a renownedtourist destination that has been hit by prolonged smog recently, and the cityof Chiang Rai, the venue of the ASEAN Finance Ministers’ and Central BankGovernors’ Meeting this week.

The PM said he had ordered relevant agencies toalleviate the problem within seven days, starting with 1,900 targeted areasacross nine provinces.

He added that the government has given outnearly 2 million masks to residents in the area.

Government data shows that the air quality indexin Chiang Rai reached levels considered unhealthy at 240 to 250.

The Climate Change Data Centre at Chiang MaiUniversity said the smog problem in the nine northern provinces is due todrought and more illegal burning in forests.

About 300 officials are expected to attend theASEAN meeting in Chiang Rai this week. A senior official of the Thai Ministryof Finance said the country has prepared face masks for the participants, butit does not have any current plans to change the meeting venue or schedules.–VNA 
VNA
#Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha #air pollution in Thailand #Chiang Mai city #Chiang Rai city #ASEAN Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in Chiang Rai #smog in northern Thailand #air quality index #updated Vietnam news #Vietnamplus #Vietnam News Agency Thailand
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