BANGKOK, April 7 (TNA) – Working from home is one of eight measures Chiang Mai issued to cope with the air pollution in the province.
The unhealthy levels of PM2.5 dust particles affects people’s daily life and tourism in this northern province, popular among both Thai and foreign tourists during the Songkran Thai New Year holiday in mid-April.
The PM 2.5 levels hovered between 112-398 microgrammes per cubic metres on April 6 and tended to rise, promting the governor to issue anti-dust measures, effective immediately.
The governor ordered all government agencies to implement work-from-home measures and asked private companies to allow their employees to work from home.
Service providers and restaurants are asked to arrange air-conditioned rooms for their customers.
Local residents are told to wear masks when they go outside if necessary and vulnerable groups like children, pregnant women, the elderly and patients with underlying health conditions should refrain from leaving homes.
Government agencies are suggested to have dust-free rooms for people and child care centers without dust –free rooms should consider suspending classes and closing outdoor activity areas.
The Pollution Control Department urged local residents in 17 northern provinces to monitor the dust levels until April 14. Hotspots have been reported in Laos, Myanmar and Thailand and could worsen the PM 2.5 situations at the border provinces.
In Thailand, most hotspots of 320 were detected in Chiang Mai, followed by 289 in Chiang Rai and 281 in Mae Hong Son. (TNA)
