Inside Thailand’s 200-million-baht war on PM2.5
As Chiang Mai was ranked world’s most polluted city again on Friday, figures show Thai authorities have spent at least 203.83 million baht to tackle PM2.5 in the past seven years (fiscal 2016-2022).
PM2.5 refers to the ultra-fine particles in air pollution that are linked with premature death from heart, lung and other conditions.
Figures compiled by Krungthep Turakij news outlet show Thai authorities have launched at least 761 projects to tackle PM2.5 pollution over the past seven years.
Last year alone (fiscal 2022), 52.22 million baht was spent on 144 projects.
Among them was 16.81 million baht spent by the Department of Land Transport to procure diesel-smoke opacity meters.
Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) spent 14.35 million baht on a contract for operating and maintaining PM2.5 meters at public parks across the capital.
Fiscal year 2021 saw the implementation of 193 projects worth 30.40 million baht. They included 3.98 million baht spent by the Public Health Ministry to procure air purifiers and PM2.5 meters on March 19, 2021.
Fiscal 2020 saw 327 projects worth 94.55 million baht. The BMA spent 43.99 million baht on procuring PM2.5 meters and a contract for PM2.5 meters at public parks across the capital on September 25, 2020.
Fiscal 2019 saw the implementation of 94 projects worth 24.25 million baht. The Department of Industrial Works spent 10.85 million baht on hiring an adviser for a project to boost energy efficiency and PM2.5 reduction at factories in Bangkok and surrounding areas on August 1, 2019.
Only one project was recorded in fiscal 2018, when Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna spent 1.99 million baht to procure a PM2.5 meter for Chiang Mai's Doi Saket district.
Fiscal 2017 also recorded just one project, with the Department of Health spending 385,200 baht on the procurement of PM10 and PM2.5 meters.
One project was conducted in 2016. The Pollution Control Department spent 34,893 baht on the maintenance of a PM2.5 meter in Saraburi's Na Phralan subdistrict and a PM2.5 data logger at a station near Ayutthayawittayalai School in Ayutthaya.
Chiang Mai city registered an air quality index of 331 on Friday, according to Swiss pollution-monitoring website IQAir. PM2.5 levels in the city measured 280.7 micrograms per cubic metre, more than five times Thailand’s safe limit of 50 micrograms.
