Bangkok is not only shrouded by fine dust pollution but also layers of incompetence that have left it powerless to fight any major challenges, whether they are toxic haze, recurring floods or perennial traffic snarls.
For most people, the microdust problem which has persisted since December has become a crisis. At one point, Bangkok ranked the ninth worst city in the world for air pollution, worse than Beijing in China, according to the AirVisual application which provides a real-time air quality index.
Four hashtags on the microdust problem topped Twitter trending Monday, with information from users that the pollution is not only concentrated in Bangkok but covering many areas around the country including Khon Kaen, Pattaya and Rayong.
Atiya Achakulwisut is a columnist, Bangkok Post.
Some netizens said the dust has been visibly thick for three weeks but nothing seems to have been done about it. Others said they have suffered from respiratory problems and N95 masks that can filter out fine or ultrafine dust are not cheap.
One gave a sarcastic remark that every day in Bangkok is good.... Good that you haven't died yet. Another said living in the city is like being in a survival game where you have to fend for yourself to stay alive.
As the choking haze continues to envelop Bangkok and other parts of the country, the city's administrators and government remain tongue-tied.
Except for updating the population that bad air days are here to stay, or that the fine dust pollution will get worse, the authorities have come up with no tangible countermeasures. They told the public that the haze has reached a toxic level but seem to leave people to decide for themselves what to do.
Of course, they did tell people to wear masks when venturing outside, to curb activities that exacerbate the air quality problem such as rubbish and grass burning and to alert authorities if they come across cars belching black smoke.
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha issued a mundane order for agencies to cooperate to tackle the problem, with measures including washing streets every day, spraying water, monitoring emissions and initiating artificial rain operations where possible.
Spraying water to get rid of hazardous dust particles that have reached a crisis level? If this advice does not sound clueless enough, the PM concluded that he believes the situation will become better shortly.
His wishful thinking was met with ridicule from netizens who asked the PM which prayer they should recite as they mocked his earlier comment that Thailand was spared from tropical storm Pabuk because he prayed for it to go away.
The government's responses are pathetic, even for a temporary smog problem. In the face of the fine dust crisis, the delayed, meagre and incoherent responses reveal how unprepared and unprofessional the authorities are when it comes to environmental challenges or any complicated problems for that matter.
Online users and ordinary citizens sound much more reasonable as they come up with suggestions on what City Hall and government can do.
An immediate response could be for health or city authorities to announce more specific guidelines to help citizens avoid the toxic dust. For example, at what levels of air pollution should public events be cancelled? In Seoul where so-called yellow dust pollution was a number-one concern, the city authorities introduced an ordinance compelling kindergarten and elementary schools to either shut down or reduce class hours and cancel field trips when the weather bureau issues the highest alert. Outdoor public facilities are also off limits.
City Hall or the government could give away appropriate masks to vulnerable groups as an immediate relief measure. For a long-term solution, they have to tackle the pollution at its sources. Construction sites, cars, factories. These are major sources of the fine dust problem and they need to be curbed.
Since the Pollution Control Department has admitted that the toxic haze problem will continue for at least a month, mandatory measures are necessary. It's time for everyone to make a sacrifice to ensure that we do not need to wear gas masks before going out. Pull half the number of private cars off Bangkok's streets by alternating between odd and even licence plate numbers if necessary. Enforce a special toll or traffic congestion charge in heavily polluted areas. Suspend work at construction sites for a period of time if they emit more pollutants than allowed.
No doubt these long-term measures will be extremely unpopular as they will restrict people's lifestyles and behaviour. But this is what the military regime's absolute power should be good for.
Or PM Gen Prayut can release a new song to soothe us. He must do something soon because we are almost out of breath.