Smog in Thailand continues: Hundreds of thousands with health problems Roberto Cavalli became a father again at the age of 82

Nearly 200,000 new patients were added this week alone, Grandpa Karnkawinpong, state secretary of health, said Thursday, according to the Bangkok Post newspaper. Since the beginning of the month, more than five million people have been diagnosed with illnesses directly related to the massive air pollution. Many suffered from breathing problems.

15 provinces, mainly in the north of the country, have been particularly affected. Dangerous particulate matter levels prevailed in the tourist stronghold of Chiang Mai and in the capital Bangkok. Emergency medical services have been set up in all regions.

The reason for the thick bubble of extreme smog is fire clearance in Thailand, but also in neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. At the end of the dry season, farmers burn their fields to rid them of undergrowth and weeds. Between January and March, there are often high levels of particulate matter.

Karnkawinpong urged the elderly, children and citizens with health problems to stay at home if possible. Air purifiers for apartments were partly sold out in Bangkok. The actually cloudless sky above the mega metropolis has shimmered milky white for days. The iconic skyscrapers were also shrouded in a thick fog of smog. (sda/dpa)