Thailand is facing a severe air pollution problem, with over 1.3 million people falling sick since January due to high levels of air pollution. In the past week, nearly 200,000 people have been admitted to hospitals due to respiratory illnesses caused by heavy smog covering large areas of the country. The public health secretary attributes this year’s high pollution levels to increased traffic, less rain, and the post-COVID back-to-normal situation. The country’s pollution control department advised people to reduce outdoor activities and use personal protective equipment when necessary, and the government has imposed a three-month no-burning rule to curb wildfires and haze. Chiang Mai, one of Thailand’s polluted cities, was ranked the second most polluted city in the world due to contributing factors like traffic, crop burning, construction-induced pollution, and factory smoke output. Thailand’s Greenpeace campaigner fears that this could be the worst pollution-related respiratory illness outbreak yet.
Air pollution hospitalized 200K in Thailand.
