Many people in and around Bangkok reported the smell of burning late Wednesday night, as the city became shrouded in smog, with the amount of PM2.5 exceeding the 37.5 micron (µg/m³) threshold in 47 of the capital’s 50 districts.
The three districts most affected by PM2.5 dust were Don Mueang (143.5µg/m³), Lak Si (143µg/m³) and Bang Sue (139µg/m³), according to Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA).
The “Smell of something burning” hashtag on “X” was top trending late last night.
Pornphrom Vikitsreth, an advisor to the Governor of Bangkok, offered three possibilities to explain the presence of unusually thick smog.
The first is that the wind last night was unusually blowing onshore from the Gulf of Thailand and many hotspots were discovered around Bangkok.
The second possibility is that a summer storm, combined a high pressure cell from the north-eastern region, resulted in an increased accumulation of pollutants in the atmosphere.
The third is increased moisture in the atmosphere, resulting in an increased accumulation of PM2.5 in the air.
Last night, Thai PBS reporters went to several locations in Bangkok to investigate. They reported the sighting of thick smog in front of Kasetsart University.
An assistant at a petrol station on Vibhavadi Rangsit Highway said that he smelt burning at about 9pm before he saw “thick smoke”.
PM2.5 levels in seven central provinces exceeded the safe threshold level last night, including Nonthaburi (113.4µg/m³) and Pathum Thani (107.6µg/m³).
According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Air Quality Information Centre, excessive PM2.5 was reported this morning in many areas of Bangkok, with Lat Krabang (57.5µg/m³) being the worst hit.
