Bangkok faces hazardous air pollution levels

Bangkok stood as the only city blanketed by red-coded (seriously hazardous) levels of fine dust pollution among 63 provinces battling thick smog late Tuesday morning, according to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda).

At 10 a.m. on the same day, PM2.5 levels in Bangkok averaged 88.6 µg/cu.m over 24 hours—more than double the government’s safety limit of 37.5 µg/cu.m. The worst-affected district, Bang Kho Laem, recorded levels of 96.7 µg/cu.m.

The surrounding provinces of Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, and Pathum Thani also reported hazardous "red" levels of PM2.5, with concentrations ranging from 79.1 to 83.6 µg/cu.m.

In contrast, 16 provinces, including Chiang Mai in the north and several southern provinces like Krabi, Phuket, and Songkhla, reported safe PM2.5 levels between 24 and 37.3 µg/cu.m. Krabi recorded the country’s best air quality.

Several other provinces recorded PM2.5 levels in the "orange" range, between 37.7 and 74.8 µg/cu.m, where air quality starts to pose health risks.

Authorities continue to monitor and address the pollution, which poses serious health concerns for residents and visitors.