Several flights were diverted at Bangkok\u2019s airports this week as the Thai capital continued to battle dangerous levels of air pollution covering the city\u2019s skyline.
\nFlights were diverted from Bangkok\u2019s Don Mueang International Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sunday morning, as air pollution in the city reached hazardous levels.
\nPoor visibility, which dropped to just 150m around 7am, disrupted air traffic at the airport.
\nAmong the affected flights was AirAsia X Flight XJ901 from Harbin, China, according to The Straits Times, which had to be redirected to Suvarnabhumi in neighbouring Samut Prakan province.
\nOther flights, including AirAsia Flight FD3417 from Chiang Mai and a Lion Air Flight SL213 from Ahmedabad, India, were forced to circle above Don Mueang, waiting for conditions to improve before landing.<\/p>\n
At 11am on Sunday, the PM2.5 levels at the Don Mueang Airport were recorded at 64.7 micrograms per cubic meter, well above Thailand\u2019s safety threshold of 37.5 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3.
\nThe air pollution levels in Thailand continued to remain at hazardous levels after weeks of school shutdowns and restrictions.
\nThe air quality in all areas of Bangkok metropolitan exceeded the safety standard on Tuesday morning, according to the Air Quality Information Centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
\nPM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
\nThe centre reported the average PM2.5 levels throughout the city on Tuesday at 44.9 micrograms per cubic metre (\u00b5g\/m\u00b3), well above the country\u2019s standard of 37.5 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3 over a three-hour average (5am to 7am).
\nMonday\u2019s reading at the same time was at 47.2 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3.
\nThe five districts that reported the highest levels of PM2.5 are Bueng Kum (62 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3), Lat Krabang (61.7 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3), Nong Chok (61 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3), Minburi (55.9 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3), and Khlong Sam Wa (55.4 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3).
\nAuthorities attribute the high pollution levels to a combination of traffic emissions, industrial activity and agricultural burning in surrounding regions. Weather conditions, including stagnant air and temperature inversions, have further trapped pollutants close to the ground, exacerbating the smog.
\nThe Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has urged residents to wear masks, limit outdoor activities, and work from home if possible. The city also made public transport free for residents to reduce transport pollution.
\nPeople experiencing symptoms such as coughing, eye irritation, or breathing difficulties are advised to seek medical attention immediately.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Several flights were diverted at Bangkok\u2019s airports this week as the Thai capital continued to battle dangerous levels of air pollution covering the city\u2019s skyline. Flights were diverted from Bangkok\u2019s Don Mueang International Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sunday morning, as air pollution in the city reached hazardous levels. Poor visibility, which dropped to just …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19940,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":null,"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[102,88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-en","category-flights"],"yoast_head":"\n