Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand and its neighbouring countries must work together to address the problem of PM2.5 haze pollution, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on January 23.
According to Phumtham, who also serves as defence minister, this is a big issue, and it must be addressed at an international level while all parties involved in the country must also work together to solve it.
He said he attended a meeting in Vietnam a few weeks ago and learned more about how the neighbouring country was struggling with the worsening haze pollution.
He noted that several hotspots have been detected in neighbouring countries, and that the Foreign Affairs Ministry must coordinate efforts with Thailand's neighbours to combat transboundary haze pollution.
As defence minister, Phumtham has instructed the armed forces to have equipment, such as drones, ready to support efforts to combat fires caused by slash-and-burn practices.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has allocated a budget of more than 400 million THB (11.8 million USD) to local agencies to deal with man-made forest fires, he added.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the PM2.5 pollution problem in the capital is primarily caused by exhaust fumes, compounded by smoke from waste burning in nearby provinces and poor air circulation in the capital.
In efforts to control fine dust pollution, Bangkok's municipal authorities enforced a ban on non-registered six-wheeled trucks or larger ones from entering low-emission zones in nine of the capital's districts of the capital, effective from January 23.
A total of 259 security cameras equipped with AI technology will be used to watch for trucks flouting the ban, he said. /.
Thailand: over 100 schools close over air pollution
Over 100 schools in Thailand's Bangkok city have suspended in-person classes and shifted to online learning due to severe air pollution affecting the capital and over 60 provinces nationwide.
