Greenpeace activists present an hourglass filled with dust from areas in Bangkok and other provinces most affected by the severe air pollution, to a representative of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha at the Office of the Civil Service Commission.
The hourglass is a symbol to call on the government to urgently tackle the air pollution crisis caused by fine particulates less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5) from transportation, open burning, electricity generation and manufacturing. The activists also submitted an open letter to the government.
Since 2015, Greenpeace compiled a ranking for PM2.5 in Thailand, which consistently indicated that air quality in urban areas have deteriorated over the years. Bangkok and urban areas showed elevated levels of PM2.5, exceeding the safety limits set by Thailand and the World Health Organization.