Thread: Bangkok is 9th most polluted city in the world today

Bangkok is the world’s 9th most polluted city today, with the level of airborne pollutants measured at 165 on the Air Quality Index.


The other eight most polluted cities today are Hanoi, Dhaka, Delhi, Skopje in North Macedonia, Ho Chi Minh City, Yangon, Calcutta and Doha.


Meanwhile, the Air Quality Information Centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration reports that 70 areas of the capital have PM2.5 measured between 40.7 and 65.4 microns (µg/m³), exceeding the safe level of 37.5µg/m³ today.


The five most polluted areas in Bangkok today are Nong Khaem (64.7µg/m³), Phasi Charoen (58.5µg/m³), Khlong Sam Wa (58.3µg/m³), Taling Chan (57.5µg/m³) and Thon Buri (57.0µg/m³).


Members of the public, especially those in vulnerable groups, are advised to wear face masks whenever they are outdoors and to limit the time they exercise or perform other activities outside.

The Air Quality Information Centre predicts that unhealthy air will persist until next Wednesday, due to poor air circulation.

Bangkok is 9th most polluted city in the world today

And we are off and running. Nudder year..

I am looking at my PM2.5 monitor at the pool bar as I type this and we are enjoying a breathable 34.

That being said...When I was up on a ride in the mountains, I came across numerous fields being plowed for crops and big piles of dead shrubs and bushes being burned. Let me just say that where I was riding there is absolutely no way in hell and police or control agency is going to trek to those places to kick out fines. Most the folks where I ride have been living off the grid for a lonnnnnnng time.

Fire up your air purifier service your AC and order a new box of masks

Re: the OP, I'm surprised that Metro Manila isn't on the list. It probably means that the "Clean Air Act/ Law" that we have is doing its job. There are some parts of Metro Manila where the air is relatively clean, like the Makati Business District, BGC, the area of Manila Bay near SM Mall of Asia, etc.

I remember when I was a kid on the rare instances that we went to Manila, there were some factories along the way (along South Superhighway) which were emitting black smoke. I didn't see that smoke in the recent years. Smoke from vehicle emissions is still bad, though probably not as bad as Delhi or Dhaka, based on vids/ pics I've seen.

Is the air really that bad in the Chiang Mai/ Rai area during smokey season? What's the highest AQI readings that you've seen (for the northern TH residents)?

The AQI in the city where I'm in now is 31.

^ Made me look it up.

Most polluted cities in Thailand 2023

World's Most Polluted Cities in 2023 - PM2.5 Ranking | IQAir

Eight on the top ten places are in Chiang Rai. One is Phayao, which is adjacent to Chiang Rai. One is Lampang, which is below Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai’s first entry is #15. The area I live in is #30.

Yes, the air gets bad!


Most polluted cities

World's Most Polluted Cities in 2023 - PM2.5 Ranking | IQAir

Chiang Rai gets an entry at 114. Any city in the Philippines is so far down the list, I can’t even find it.


Most polluted countries.

https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-countries

Thailand at #36. Philippines #79 above Singapore. You’ve breathing clean air there, Katie.

^thanks for the links, Misskit.

Interesting that Chiang Rai is much more polluted than CM. CR is where David 44 lives, I think? Does he usually travel out of the region or country to escape smokey season?

I looked at the most polluted cities in Asia. Most of the cities in rank 1 to 50 were in India. Many were cities that I didn't know. That doesn't give me encouragement to visit India, in the interest of preserving my lungs.

Re: Vietnam, it's higher at #22 than Thailand (#36). That's why some of the vloggers (expats & Viet Kieu) complain about having cough or their asthma is worsened when they live in Saigon or Hanoi.

The Philippines at number 79, just above Singapore, means that at least the PH has been doing something right with regards to air quality. (Still needs a lot of effort for solid & liquid waste mgt, though)

Originally Posted by katie23

^thanks for the links, Misskit.

Interesting that Chiang Rai is much more polluted than CM. CR is where David 44 lives, I think? Does he usually travel out of the region or country to escape smokey season?

I looked at the most polluted cities in Asia. Most of the cities in rank 1 to 50 were in India. Many were cities that I didn't know. That doesn't give me encouragement to visit India, in the interest of preserving my lungs.

Re: Vietnam, it's higher at #22 than Thailand (#36). That's why some of the vloggers (expats & Viet Kieu) complain about having cough or their asthma is worsened when they live in Saigon or Hanoi.

The Philippines at number 79, just above Singapore, means that at least the PH has been doing something right with regards to air quality. (Still needs a lot of effort for solid & liquid waste mgt, though)

David44 is smokey season.

Surprised Jakarta’s not up there.

Originally Posted by katie23

Re: Vietnam, it's higher at #22 than Thailand (#36). That's why some of the vloggers (expats & Viet Kieu) complain about having cough or their asthma is worsened when they live in Saigon or Hanoi.

I was just reading something about this today, and Hanoi saying they want to get more electric scooters as the amount of traffic is causing pollution and they don't use as many electric scooters.

I still have a bad lung from the horrific air pollution in Beijing when I was there. My lungs are scarred it seems as I get lung/asthma issues quite often over the last five years since leaving. Sad to see the pollution so bad in Bangkok.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

Surprised Jakarta’s not up there.

According to the IQ Air World link above, Indonesia is the 14th most polluted country in the world from 2018-2023. That's not so good.

The link between air pollution and adverse mental health outcomes is well established.



Psychiatry.org - Air Pollution’s Impact on Mental Health


Poor air quality found to affect mental health in many ways | University of Oxford


Pollution exposure linked to mental health hospital admissions, says study | Air pollution | The Guardian


Urbanites mental health undermined by air pollution | Nature Sustainability

Air Pollution Levels Dangerous to Health in 58 Provinces Across Thailand

In 58 of Thailand’s provinces, moderate to hazardous air pollution exists. Pollution levels are orange in 38 provinces, whereas in 19 provinces,, the PM2.5 levels are safe, meaning the air is breathable. Stay updated on the air quality and health safety situation in Thailand.


On Thursday morning, air pollution in 58 of Thailand’s 77 provinces was found to be hazardous or moderately hazardous to human health.


On its website, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda) announced at 9 a.m. that ultrafine dust had reached levels of red, which indicates that it is hazardous, in twenty provinces and orange, which indicates that it is beginning to harm health, in thirty-eight provinces.


Twenty different provinces, the majority of which are located on the Central Plains, were found to have red levels of particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or below (PM2.5).


Over twenty-four hours, they varied from 73.5 to 117.1 micrograms per cubic meter of air. The cutoff point safety cutoff point


Samut Sakhon had the highest red level, 117.1, followed by Samut Songkhram (109.1) and Rayong (103.9). Samut Sakhon was the highest on the list.


Red levels in the two-digit range affected Seventeen other provinces, which ranged from 75.3 to 99.4.

The following cities were listed in decreasing order: Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Samut Prakan, Phetchaburi, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Phitsanulok, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, Chon Buri, Suphan Buri, Kamphaeng Phet, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Uthai Thani, Kanchanaburi, and Phichit.


Thirty-eight provinces of Thailand were classed as orange, with pollution levels ranging from 37.8 to 74.2µg/m3.


The levels of Air Pollution PM2.5 were good and moderate, ranging from 18.8 to 37.4 in 19 provinces, indicating that it was safe to breathe.


The levels of PM2.5 in fifteen provinces were considered moderate (yellow). The following names were listed in descending order: Maha Sarakham, Ranong, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon, Surin, Roi Et, Phatthalung, Amnat Charoen, Si Sa Ket, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Chumphon, and Songkhla.


Krabi, Phuket, Mae Hong Son, and Satun were the four provinces with high ratings due to their lush greenery.


Tourism, agriculture, biodiversity, and climate change are also impacted by air pollution. For instance, many tourists may be discouraged from visiting scenic attractions due to Very poor visibility caused by Air pollution, crop yields may be compromised by reduced sunlight caused by smog, plants and soil may be damaged by acid rain caused by SO2, and greenhouse gases may contribute to global warming as a result of CO2).

Air Pollution Levels Dangerous To Health In 58 Provinces Across Thailand

Pool bar area this morning 58.

I don't really pay it no never mind until it gets near 100 or when I can actually smell it. The Mooban leader did make a big announcement over the PA and said there is to be no burning until May 15th. I laughed. Nobody burns around our area anyway. They need to go up into the mountain areas where I ride and cuff a few of them up and see how that impacts the farmers living off the grid. of course....that isn't going to happen.

You’re right. It just doesn’t happen. There is an area on Doi Suthep that has fire every year. Anyone can see clearly on the NE side where it is. Seems an easy place to stop since it is consistent and not moving around the mountain. Nothing is done about it.

Bottomline MK, the BIB or any agency for that matter is not going to trek up into the mountain areas where probably 90% of these big burnings happen because there is no money in it. They are far more comfy sitting at road side stops pilfering money from people on the 15th and 30th.

To really address the issue all those hot spots they see, they need to send people to lock some people up. As I ride my ATV towards Thoen over the mountain, there are so many Thai folks living off the grid farming hundreds of rai that is likely on govt land. Its these folks that burn monster piles of debris or light the fields on fire.

The people in the suburbs don't light fires so focusing on that is simply a waste of time but it does give all those "Netizen" people a fuzzy warm feeling their government is taking action....

Well I'm guessing Cambo is probably delivering most of it.

We haven't started properly oop north yet.


NASA | LANCE | FIRMS

Originally Posted by Stumpy

To really address the issue all those hot spots they see, they need to send people to lock some people up. As I ride my ATV towards Thoen over the mountain, there are so many Thai folks living off the grid farming hundreds of rai that is likely on govt land. Its these folks that burn monster piles of debris or light the fields on fire.

The alternative is they can just look at satellite images that show every fire, they have no interest in stopping burning, as long as they are generating money/taxes, they tax land on what is grown - or not grown, they use satellite, they have the means...

Originally Posted by Stumpy

there are so many Thai folks living off the grid farming hundreds of rai that is likely on govt land....

For CP.

Ranked 3rd for human pollution (tourism). Far worse than a bit of smoke in the air.

I wonder where the statistics are for Lao? Small landlocked country, small population but mountains make farming a bit tricky
Hence a bit of slash n burn farming which definately puts a bit of smoke in the air. Not gonna change that farming method anytime soon..unlike the Philippines and a lot of Asia lao doesn't seem to have all these Ancient old buses and trucks belching black smoke unregulated? In lao though the smoke / smog definately wafts it's way down from china. In the Philippines I believe this method of farming is called ka Ing Ing? It's a pretty populous country with big city's so it can't all be blamed on the ka ing Ing ero,s surely? There's plenty of smoke belching buses and trucks that in my humble opinion shouldn't be allowed to belch that shit. Hard to regulate? Corruption? Nobody give a fuck?

The kok is horrendous as was most of the way to Surin. After we went south of Burishit, it totally cleared with blue sky, cloud and sun.