Bangkok (NNT/VNA) – Thai Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed relevantagencies to develop short, medium, and long-term plans to tackle air pollutionin cities.

GovernmentSpokesperson Puttipong Punnakanta said that the PM had ordered the Ministry ofNatural Resources and Environment and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administrationto mitigate the impact of air pollution in Bangkok which is caused by an excessof particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns per cubic meter in diameter(PM2.5).

Government agencieshave been assigned to educate the Thai people and foreign tourists about thecauses of air pollution and how to safeguard themselves against PM2.5 whilediscouraging all burning activities during New Year festivities such as theburning of incense sticks and joss papers.

Meanwhile, Gen Prayutexplained on January 29 that solving air pollution in an effective andsustainable manner requires short, medium, and long-term strategies as well ascooperation from all sectors, adding that the government is looking into thepossibility of adopting the air pollution control laws of other nations butpromised to adjust them to the context of Thailand.-NNT/VNA