Patthapong, MP for Chiang Mai from the Prachachon Party, points out that PM2.5 toxic dust remains critically severe in the northern and upper northeastern regions, but the government has not taken action. He calls for the Clean Air Bill to be urgently reconsidered by the authorities.
On 18 April 2026, Mr. Patthapong Leelaphat, MP for Chiang Mai from the Prachachon Party, posted on Facebook that toxic PM2.5 dust is heavily saturating the northern region—the upper northeastern region.However, the government has not responded, acting like a doctor who only prescribes paracetamol, while this problem requires urgent surgery. The PM2.5 pollution is now severe not only in the north but also in the upper northeast, with heavy pollution in Nakhon Phanom, Loei, Nong Khai, and Bueng Kan provinces. All four provinces are experiencing pollution levels exceeding the PM2.5 disaster declaration threshold, similar to the north. Yet, the government has not moved to address the impact on people's lives.
Patthapong stated that to help everyone clearly see the pollution problem in Thailand, he used Google Earth Engine to extract data on smoke and particulate matter in the air (shown as black areas in the images) from the Sentinel-5P satellite, combined with hotspot data (red areas) from NASA. This data covers the period from 8 to 16 April.
It is clearly visible that smoke accumulation is very heavy in the northern and upper northeastern regions, consistent with the very severe PM2.5 levels in the dark black shaded areas. We can also clearly see clusters of burning areas through numerous hotspots, especially in Laos. Given the wind direction, this directly affects the upper northeastern region. Thus, it is not only the north suffering from severe PM2.5 pollution but also the upper northeast, which, although having fewer hotspots, is heavily impacted by pollution coming from neighboring countries, particularly in provinces along the Mekong River border.
This is a problem the Prachachon Party warned the government about earlier, urging urgent action before the problem escalated. However, the government neglected this, leading to severe current impacts. Still, the government continues to ignore the issue, failing to handle health consequences for the public. PM2.5 dust is highly dangerous to people's lives—not necessarily showing immediate effects today but certainly causing long-term harm.
Patthapong said that he and the Prachachon Party call on the government to urgently address this issue, both by tackling the root causes of forest fires and managing health impacts. This includes quickly installing positive pressure rooms and anti-dust nets for the public, especially vulnerable groups. He urges immediate use of budgets to reduce risks to the population now, as people's lives and health are invaluable.
He also calls on the government to urgently bring back the Clean Air Bill for consideration to avoid further delays. The law should be enacted promptly. If the government truly values people’s lives and is sincere, it will not neglect such problems.