CHIANG MAI (AFP) – Thailand’s prime minister promised yesterday to tackle air pollution as he visited tourism hotspot Chiang Mai, which had among the world’s worst air quality for the second day in a row.
The picturesque historic city is hugely popular with visitors but annually suffers dire air quality in the early months of the year when farmers burn crops. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who is on a four-day northern tour, acknowledged his government needs to tackle the smog.
“Even if the pollution level is lower than last year at this time, we are still concerned and will find solutions to improve the livelihood of the people,” he told reporters. His visit came as Chiang Mai topped air monitoring website IQAir’s list of the world’s most-polluted cities for the second consecutive day.
Levels of PM 2.5 pollutants – small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs – were at 224 yesterday afternoon, 20 times higher than the World Health Organization’s guidelines.
Earlier, Srettha visited the Command Centre for Wildfires and PM2.5 Prevention in the city’s Mae Taeng district.
After meeting with workers, he told reporters he was working with local authorities to study the impact of transnational haze. He added that he would impose regulations on farmers who burnt stubble, without giving further details.
