More than 10 million Thais needed medical treatment in 2023 due to health problems linked to air pollution, a government agency said, calling for more action from authorities.
“According to the Ministry of Health, the number of patients with air pollution-related diseases will be 10.5 million in 2023,” the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) said in a report released on Monday.
“Priority must be given to the public health impact of PM2.5 fine particles,” the authors noted.
The Southeast Asian kingdom is suffocating due to stubble burning, industrial air emissions and vehicle emissions that cause air pollution to peak in the early months of the year.
In mid-February, the capital Bangkok experienced a new severe air pollution episode, prompting the city hall to ask its employees to work from home for two days. The city, which is popular with tourists and has around six million inhabitants, was considered one of the most polluted in the world at the time.
According to the Ministry of Health, around 1.6 million people have required medical treatment for health problems related to air pollution since the beginning of 2024.
Affected populations include people who previously suffered from chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, asthma and heart disease.
Fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) are considered very harmful because they penetrate deep into the lungs.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, in power since last summer, has promised to take action to combat air pollution.