Thailand to cooperate with neighbors in solving PM2.5 haze pollution

Speaking on Thursday, Phumtham, who also serves as defense minister, said 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 neighboring country was struggling with the worsening haze pollution.

He noted that several hotspots have been detected in neighboring countries and that the Foreign Affairs Ministry must coordinate efforts with Thailand's neighbors to combat transboundary haze pollution.

As defense 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 THB400 million (US$11.8 million) 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 Jan. 23.

A total of 259 security cameras equipped with AI technology will be used to watch for trucks flouting the ban, he said.