Bangkok On Red Alert as Fine Particles From Haze Could Enter Lungs, People Urged to Wear Masks

If you’re thinking about travelling to Bangkok in the near future, you might want to put the plan on hold, as the city is currently on red alert due to its severe air pollution.

Since the end of December 2018, Bangkok’s air quality has been going downhill and it has reached a hazardous level recently. It was understood that the haze containing fine particles couldn’t disperse at a higher altitude due to Bangkok’s cool season and high pressure from China, according to Bangkok Post.

Source: the straits times

Also, the fine particles discharged from the transportation and manufacturing industry are making the scene worse. As of now, the city of Bangkok and areas around it are engulfed in smog and haze, which has reduced the visibility to just one kilometre in certain areas.

As such, citizens have been urged to wear face masks, particularly the N95 model to filter out fine particles that are tiny enough to enter into the lung passageways and subsequently into our bloodstream.

“Air pollution is really a silent killer and many Thais underestimate the danger to their health, so not many people protect themselves by wearing a face mask or installing air purifiers at home. 

“Thais don’t have lungs of steel, so we need to consider the environment and people’s health before we pursue economic growth,” Professor Dr Witsanu said, adding that the official air pollution warning system is not accurate enough to reflect the true severity of the situation. 

Environmental-health expert Sonthi Kotchawat pointed out that since the fine particles can enter the bloodstream, people who are exposed to it are at risk of developing respiratory diseases, lung cancer, heart disease and possibly stroke. 

The Thai government is doing its best to curb the pollution including deploying high-pressure fire cannons to ‘soak the sky’ and cloud seeding.

Source: bangkok post

Source: bangkok post

Hopefully, the government can come up with long-term measures to significantly reduce this problem. So guys, if you know anyone who’s travelling to Bangkok soon, share this article with them! 

Also read: Matta Urges Govt to Grant Visa-Free Travel to Chinese & Indian Tourists to Boost Tourism