A general view of buildings amid pollution in Bangkok, Thailand, January 8, 2025. - Reuters
BANGKOK: Heavy smog has reached dangerous levels in large parts of Thailand, especially the capital Bangkok, reported the German news agency (dpa).
The population has been advised to stay indoors, keep windows closed and wear masks outside.
Bangkok's city administration plans to distribute dry ice by aircraft to combat the smog.
The ice, kept at -70 degrees Celsius, should penetrate the heat film, creating ventilation channels and a better distribution of the pollutants, according to the newspaper Khaosod.
Following test flights, the levels of pollution fell significantly, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said, according to Khaosod.
The Bangkok Industrial Gas Company donated around 300 tonnes of dry ice for test flights.
But the city administration said larger investments in aircraft and dry ice production facilities are now needed to reduce smog in the long term.
Exhaust fumes from cars and the widespread use of fossil fuels are the main causes of Bangkok's severe smog. There are also tens of thousands of factories around the city.
Vehicle owners have been urged to replace their air filters and change their engine oil.
The authorities are also encouraging some 80,000 people who can work remotely to stay at home so that they do not use their vehicles.
It is nonetheless expected that the dangerous levels could increase and persist until at least February. - BERNAMA-dpa
