About 200,000 people in Thailand were hospitalized this week for health problems linked to air pollution, Thai health authorities announced, while thresholds continued to be exceeded in the country’s capital, Bangkok, on Thursday, AFP reported and Agerpres.

More than 1.3 million people have fallen ill in the Asian kingdom since the start of this year due to air pollution, the health ministry said on Wednesday evening.

The capital Bangkok, a metropolis of about 11 million people that is highly regarded by tourists from around the world, has been grappling with an opaque smog since earlier this week, prompting health authorities to recommend that people wear face masks.

The toxic smog that blankets the horizon is due to emissions from cars and several industries, as well as smoke from the burning of plant residues from seasonal crops, which is common in Thailand at this time of year.

A doctor from the Ministry of Health has asked Bangkok residents to wear hygienic N95 masks (equivalent to FFP2 masks) when going outside.

Children, pregnant women and people with respiratory or heart problems should stay at home, Kriangkrai doctor Namthaesong added.

Pandemic measures in the capital of Thailand

Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) – particles that are dangerous to health because they penetrate deep into the lungs – were reported in 50 districts of Bangkok on Wednesday, well above the threshold values ​​for prevention.

On Thursday afternoon, in the central district of Pathumwan, the local air pollution monitoring agency recorded a level of 70 micrograms per cubic meter in 24 hours. This value significantly exceeds the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) – 15.

The agency in Thailand’s capital, the Bangkok Metropole Administration (BMA), has set up checkpoints to check vehicle exhaust pipes, agency spokesman Aekwarunyo Amrapala said.

He added that state-run kindergartens have “dust-free classrooms” equipped with air purifiers to protect children.

During a previous episode of severe air pollution in late January, the BMA asked Bangkok residents to work from home, a measure an agency spokesman said was “still under review”.

Bangkok’s new governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, was elected in May 2022 after promising to make everyday life more pleasant in the heavily polluted and congested metropolis.