Dangerous Air Quality Affects 58 Provinces Across Thailand

Hazardous Dust Levels Plague 20 Regions

Air quality monitoring detected unhealthy pollution levels in 58 of Thailand’s 77 provinces on Thursday morning, posing serious health risks in several areas.

The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda) reported at 9 a.m. that ultrafine PM2.5 dust particles reached hazardous (red) levels in 20 provinces and health-affecting (orange) levels in 38 provinces.

In  20 provinces,red-level PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 73.5 to 117.1 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) over the past 24 hours. The safe limit is 37.5 µg/m³. The highest level of 117.1 µg/m³ was recorded in Samut Sakhon, followed by Samut Songkhram at 109.1 µg/m³ and Rayong at 103.9 µg/m³.

Seventeen other provinces experienced two-digit red levels, including Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Bangkok, and Pathum Thani, with readings ranging from 75.3 to 99.4 µg/m³.

In 38 provinces, PM2.5 levels classified as orange ranged from 37.8 to 74.2 µg/m³. This category indicates a risk to health, especially for vulnerable groups.

Meanwhile, 19 provinces reported PM2.5 concentrations considered safe for breathing, falling into good (green) or moderate (yellow) categories. Four provinces, including Krabi and Phuket, recorded green-level air quality, ranging from 18.8 to 37.4 µg/m³.

Yellow-level provinces included Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Surat Thani, and Maha Sarakham, with PM2.5 concentrations between 37.5 and 37.4 µg/m³.

Smog has visibly impacted areas such as Bangkok, where thick haze blanketed high-rise buildings Thursday morning.