The haze from forest fires in Indonesia. (Photo: PA) Thailand’s Foreign Ministry on October 8 invited Indonesian Ambassador Lufty Raud to discuss measures to solve the haze problem.
The haze, caused by forest fires in Indonesia, has seriously affected seven provinces in the south of Thailand with airborne particulate measured at 201 microgrammes per cubic metre, 1.7 times higher than safety level.
The Thai ministry said that the country is willing to work out short and long-term solutions with other ASEAN countries to the annual haze problem, caused by slash-and-burn agriculture on Sumatra island and part of Borneo island.
Thai officials also raised the issue for discussion in an ASEAN senior officials’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur and will do the same again in the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment in Hanoi on October 27-29.
Thailand’s government has provided free face masks and set up a channel to guide people to protect themselves when facing haze.-VNA
