A health and environment expert suggested that City Hall declare Bangkok a "problem area" to help mitigate the PM2.5 situation, which has been dragging on since New Year.
Sonthi Kotchawat, an expert in environment and health from the Thai Environmental Scholars Club, posted on his Facebook yesterday, urging the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to designate the capital a "nuisance problem control area" under Section 28/1 of the Public Health Act BE 2560.
According to him, the designation would enable the authority to enforce stricter regulations in controlling pollution sources and imposing penalties, including fines of up to 25,000 baht, three months imprisonment, or both.
The call comes after unsafe levels of PM2.5 were reported across all districts in Bangkok, with several areas falling into the orange and red zones, signalling severe health risks.
Data from the BMA's air quality monitoring centre, or AirBKK, indicated that air quality in 51 areas in Bangkok yesterday morning was harmful, with an average level of PM2.5 level at 43.4 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³), surpassing the safety threshold of 37.5 µg/m³.
The three most affected areas were in Nong Khaem and Thawi Watthana districts, with PM2.5 levels ranging from 54.5 to 58.5 µg/m³.
Meteorological forecasts for Jan 10-17 suggest poor air ventilation and temperature inversion near the surface will likely exacerbate the problem in the coming days, although a brief improvement is expected before PM 2.5 levels spike again.
Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has instructed relevant agencies to accelerate measures to address transport-related emissions.
Initiatives include regular maintenance of public transport vehicles to meet emission standards, promoting electric vehicles (EVs) and switching to cleaner fuels like B10 and B20 biodiesel.
In addition, he ordered that traffic congestion at toll booths on expressways and motorways be urgently addressed with measures such as implementing the M-Flow system and deploying additional traffic personnel.
Mr Suriya also mandated stringent environmental protocols at construction sites, such as regular water spraying, road cleaning, proper storage of materials and waste management, with burning activities strictly prohibited.
Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department, in collaboration with local agencies, including the Traffic Police, Land Transport Department and BMA, has ramped up efforts to detect and ban vehicles that emit black smoke in Bangkok and outskirt areas.