Health Dept to push for 20,000 restaurants with dust-proof rooms in 3 months

The Health Department plans to increase the number of restaurants with dust-proof rooms to 20,000 nationwide within three months, a senior official said on Sunday.

Dr Thiti Sawaengtham, Deputy Director-General of the department, said that currently, 234 restaurants in nine provinces have dust-proof rooms. The department aims to increase this number to provide more options for patrons with health concerns.

Initially, the department will train the owners of over 50 restaurants in Bangkok and nearby provinces on how to set up dust-proof rooms as a service for patrons.

It will then provide training to restaurant operators in Phuket and Chiang Mai, Thiti added.

The campaign to encourage restaurants to set up dust-proof facilities is part of the department’s wider initiative to establish dust-proof spaces in public areas, following recent severe PM2.5 pollution in several provinces.

Thiti stated that the department has already ensured that all provincial and general hospitals provide dust-proof facilities for their patients. The department is now campaigning for all community hospitals to set up dust-proof rooms as well.

Additionally, the department has launched campaigns urging nurseries and schools to provide dust-proof facilities for children and students.

Thiti explained that setting up a dust-proof room requires four key measures:

• Preventing external dust from entering the room.
• Preventing dust accumulation on walls, materials, equipment, and surfaces.
• Removing dust particles from inside the room.
• Avoiding activities that generate dust in the room, such as burning incense or smoking.