Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat says he will propose Chiang Mai as ASEAN’s centre for solving the PM2.5 dust problem and the party will push a clean air act through parliament.

The embattled prime ministerial candidate was visiting Chiang Mai today (Thursday), to thank the people there for supporting the Move Forward party, resulting in the party gaining more seats in parliament than Pheu Thai.

He also met with representatives of the business sector and civic groups to discuss the PM2.5 problem, ethnic people’s rights and liberties and tourism.

PM2.5 is believed to have caused damage estimated at about 3 billion baht a month in northern provinces, but the region was only allocated 85 million baht from the government to cope with the problem.

Pita said that he will propose to the new government, if it is formed by the eight coalition parties, that each sub-district in the northern provinces be granted 3 million baht to tackle the dust problem.

The party will also propose Chiang Mai as ASEAN’s centre for solving PM2.5 problem, he added.

Several problems were raised by ethnic groups during the meeting with Pita, including stateless people, including children, who, despite being born in Thailand, are deprived of the right of access to basic rights, health care and the rights to seek loans to further their educational studies and to own land.

On tourism in Chiang Mai, which was hit hard by COVID-19, Pita said he will propose that Chiang Mai airport opens 24 hours a day, to accommodate more flights to bring in more tourists, support for small hotels and the creation of a council for tourist guides.