The move follows slump in air quality in 12 areas around Bangkok and its vicinity to unsafe levels on Thursday morning.
PM2.5 (particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter) readings were in the range of 34-62 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3). Thailand’s safe levels are 50 μg/m3 or lower.
The high pressure covering upper Thailand has caused a decline in temperature and air circulation, resulting in an increase in dust particles, BMA spokesperson Aekwanyu Amrapal said, citing a weather forecast by Thailand Meteorological Department.
He said the BMA has opened air pollution clinics at five hospitals under the Medical Service Department to give advice to people vulnerable to air pollution, such as the elderly, pregnant women, children and people with underlying diseases.
The clinic also offers advice on how to take care of vulnerable persons, he added.
The five air pollution clinics are at:
Earlier, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the BMA’s taskforce on air pollution would meet this Friday to consider stricter measures on three main sources of PM2.5 – vehicles, factories and biomass burning.
“Currently the PM2.5 situation in Bangkok is not yet at the critical level. However, if more biomass burning takes place in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, we may need to establish additional monitoring stations to detect hotspots and rising levels of pollution in risky areas,” he said.