More than two million people Thais seek medical help after breathing difficulties due to pollution

A woman uses a hand fan as temperatures hit a record 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, April 22, 2023. - Reuters

BANGKOK, April 22 (AFP): An elderly patient hooked up to a tangle of tubes lies struggling for breath in a Bangkok hospital as Thailand battles a "drastic increase" in respiratory problems caused by a spike in air pollution.

His wife holds his hand and strokes his face, with a nurse in blue scrubs listening to his chest through a stethoscope.