After a brief respite, air quality in Bangkok and surrounding provinces deteriorated today, with PM2.5 dust particulate rising. The arrival of a moderate high pressure front from China and stale air are being blamed by the Pollution Control Department.

On Wednesday, officials stopped 353 trucks in several areas of Bangkok for checks on their emissions and found 87 of them exceeding emission limits.  They were all taken off the road until they rectify the problem.

Water trucks with mist cannons were deployed by City Administration and the Irrigation Department to spray water into the air in several districts to suppress airborne dust particles.

The Pollution Control Department reported that the amount of sub 10 micron dust particles in several northern provinces has dropped compared to yesterday and the level of PM2.5 dust particles in the northern provinces for the past 24 hours has dropped to between 31-65 microns.

In the northern province of Chiang Rai bordering Myanmar, smoke from forest fires has blanketed Mae Sai district as well as the Tha Chilek border township.

The Pollution Control Department reports the level of PM2.5 particulate for the past 24 hours was measured at 70 microns in Mae Sai district and 69 microns in the Muang district, forcing many people to wear face masks.

The Chiang Rai provincial administration has banned all open air burning until April 15 and violators will face heavy penalties, including a three-month jail term and a 25,000 baht in fine.

Tags: mist cannons, smog problem, air quality, deteriorating