Today’s deep dive is on the never-ending pollution crisis in Thailand…
1. PM2.5 Chiang Mai March 2019 – 98.7 micrograms per cubic metre
https://www.iqair.com/thailand/chiang-mai/chiang-mai
2. WHO PM2.5 annual guideline – 5 micrograms per cubic metre
https://www.iqair.com/thailand
3. 32,000 deaths from air pollution in 2019
https://www.rapap-platform.org/National-Plans/Country-Profile/?geo=THA&tab=tab_2
4. 10 million Thais sought treatment for pollution-related illness 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Bangkok_smog
5. Pollution Control Department budget 2023 – 1.75 billion baht
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296172/thailand-national-budget-for-environmental-management-by-type-of-pollution/
6. Defence budget 2024 – 198.3 billion baht plus 660 million secret funds
https://fulcrum.sg/thailands-defense-budget-in-2024-2025-appeasing-the-military/
7. Secret funds – lack of transparency could facilitate malfeasance
https://fulcrum.sg/thailands-defense-budget-in-2024-2025-appeasing-the-military/
8. Ministry of Tourism and Sports budget 2024 – 5.6 billion baht
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1045324/thailand-total-budget-expenditure-of-ministry-of-tourism-and-sports/
9. Tourism emergency stimulus 2025 – 3.5 billion baht proposed
https://www.nationthailand.com/business/economy/40049913
10. Domestic tourism subsidy – no less than 20 billion baht
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/tourism/2025/01/04/thailand-aims-to-attract-40-million-foreign-tourists-by-2025/
11. Bangkok smog January 2025 – PM2.5 reached 108 micrograms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Bangkok_smog
12. Free public transport – 140 million baht for one week
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Bangkok_smog
13. Sugarcane farmer subsidy – 8 billion baht
https://www.globalcompliancenews.com/2024/01/22/thailand-bringing-back-clean-air-to-thailand/
14. Chiang Mai tourism revenue – 106 billion baht in 2024
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2950565/chiang-mai-takes-on-air-quality-challenge
15. Songkran 2024 generated 140 billion baht over 21 days
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/tourism/40037481
16. Bangkok could prevent 1,393 premature deaths annually
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12444943/
17. Clean Air Act approved in principle November 2023
https://www.globalcompliancenews.com/2024/01/22/thailand-bringing-back-clean-air-to-thailand/
18. Government environmental protection spending 2021 – 14.7 billion baht
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1125561/thailand-government-spending-environmental-protection/
19. Chiang Mai hotel rates drop 30% during burning season
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2950565/chiang-mai-takes-on-air-quality-challenge
20. Environmental protection spending 2022 – approximately 10 billion baht
https://www.statista.com/topics/9203/environmental-pollution-in-thailand/