BANGKOK, 9 October 2015 – The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has begun aerial spraying operations over Songkhla province to mitigate the haze, advising the public to avoid any activities that may cause harm to their health.
The Royal Thai Air Force Commander-in-Chief Treetod Sonjance has ordered the RTAF’s Disaster Relief Center to carry out the aerial spraying operations, from today onwards to reduce concentration of airborne particles and reduce the severity of the persisting haze covering the southern region of Thailand.
The operation will be carried out by a BT-67 aircraft stationed at the Wing 46 Air Force Base in Songkhla Province. The operation is expected to be conducted in an ongoing manner until the situation resolves.
Communities with dense population will be the operation’s major target, while a singular operation can provide up to 3,000 liters of clean water over an area of 1 rai. This mitigation effort will cause no harm to humans or animals.
The RTAF is also carrying out aerial announcements using an AU-23 aircraft, advising the general public on proper health practices to reduce health risks from the ongoing haze.
The air quality in southern provinces under the effect of the haze has been recorded at moderate levels with the particulate matter (PM10) value at 52-100 micrograms per cubic meter. The PM10 value in Songkhla Province alone has receded to 76 micrograms per cubic meter today.
