The People's Party urges the government to resolve the northern dust crisis after the AQI surged past 200, the highest in the country, highlighting measures such as "fuel coupons and financial support" to help farmers stop burning.
On 9 April 2026, Mr. Natchanon Chanabunrasak, MP for Phitsanulok from the People's Party, held a press conference calling on the government to urgently implement measures to address the PM2.5 dust problem in northern Thailand. He pointed out that Phitsanulok province is facing a severe crisis, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) averaging over 200 for five consecutive days last week, ranking first in the country. This directly affects public health, yet local authorities' response has been limited to spraying water for just a few hours daily, which is an ineffective and inadequate solution.
Mr. Natchanon explained that the root cause of the dust problem is a combination of forest fires and farmers’ need to burn fields to prepare soil for new crops before the rainy season. This is driven by their lack of confidence in government policies and the necessity to rely on themselves for survival. He proposed that the government provide tangible financial support to encourage farmers to reduce burning, such as offering 250 baht per rai or distributing fuel coupons that farmers can use for plowing machines instead of burning. This approach would help reduce smoke pollution and sustainably alleviate residents’ hardships in the affected areas.