Thailand’s parliament has advanced a Clean Air Act to recognize clean air as a protected public right. Lawmakers voted 611 to 3 to send the bill to the Senate for review before submission to the prime minister and the king for endorsement. The bill originated as citizen-initiated legislation in 2019, later consolidated from seven draft versions. It would require major emitters in industry, transport, and agriculture to pay fees, fines, or compensation for pollution damage. It also aims to trace supply chains, including agricultural imports, to prevent products linked to open burning or transboundary haze from avoiding scrutiny. The bill would replace a patchwork of existing rules with a coordinated national framework and give local authorities more power to respond to pollution in their areas. Thailand’s smog peaks during the dry season from December to April, driven by agricultural burning, forest fires, traffic, and industrial emissions under stagnant weather. PM2.5 is the main concern, and air pollution contributes to more than 32,000 premature deaths annually, with about 10 million people seeking medical care in 2023 for pollution-related illnesses.
"Thailand's air pollution crisis is most severe during the dry season, especially from December to April, when agricultural burning, forest fires, traffic and industrial emissions combine with stagnant weather. In 2023, around 10 million people sought medical care for pollution-related illnesses, according to environmental reporting. PM2.5, fine particulate matter small enough to enter the bloodstream though the lungs, is the main concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution contributes to more than 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand each year, including illnesses affecting the heart and lungs."
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