Parents are advised to ensure that their children wear face masks when they attend outdoor activities on Children’s Day tomorrow, due to poor air quality in and around Bangkok.

Dr. Atthaphon Kaewsamrit, deputy director-general of the Health Department, said that young immune systems and lungs are not as developed as in adults and children breathe faster. As such, there is a greater chance that they will inhale more dust.

He said that attending outdoor activities, such as in public parks or sports stadia, will increase the risk of dust inhalation, as he advised parents to closely monitor the condition of their children and, if they notice frequent coughing or breathing difficulties, the children should be taken to see a doctor immediately.

Parents can check updates on air quality by logging into http://air4thai.pcd.go.th, https://4health.anamai.moph.go.th or via the Air4Thai app.

According to the Air Pollution Mitigation Centre, most areas in central and western regions today have excessive PM2.5 dust in the air, ranging from 30.3μg-70.3μg, while 14 areas in the north have high levels of PM2.5 dust, ranging from 13.0μg-75.9μg.

Poor air quality is forecast to persist for the next seven days, said the centre.