Due to the persistent smog in large parts of Thailand, more and more people need medical treatment. Almost 200,000 new patients were added this week alone.
Health minister Opas Karnkawinpong said more than five million people have been diagnosed with illnesses directly related to massive air pollution since the beginning of the month. Many suffered from breathing problems.
15 provinces, mainly in the north of the country, have been particularly affected. Dangerous particulate matter levels prevailed in the tourist stronghold of Chiang Mai and in the capital Bangkok. Emergency medical services have been set up in all regions.
Slash and burn causes smog
The reason for the thick bubble of extreme smog is fire clearance in Thailand, but also in neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. At the end of the dry season, farmers burn their fields to rid them of undergrowth and weeds. That is why there are often high levels of particulate matter between January and March.
Danger for the elderly and children
Karnkawinpong urged the elderly, children and citizens with health problems to stay at home if possible. Air purifiers for apartments were partly sold out in Bangkok. The actually cloudless sky above the mega metropolis has shimmered milky white for days. The iconic skyscrapers were also shrouded in a thick fog of smog.
Source: Krone
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