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382675
Tue, 10/06/2015 - 12:35
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Authorities closely monitor haze situation in Thai South

THAI SOUTH, October 6 (TNA) - Authorities concerned have kept monitoring haze in the Thai South closely until the situation returns to normal, as particulate matters (pms) levels in three southern provinces have already exceeded the safety standard level. New Thai Public Health Minister Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn announced the stance on Tuesday, after he was informed that dust pollutants, or pms levels, in Songkhla, Yala and Satun Provinces in the Thai Far South now stand as high as 171, 144, 141 microgrammes per cubic metre respectively, exceeding the safety standard level of 120 microgrammes per cubic metre. Dr. Piyasakol told journalists that his ministry has, therefore, distributed 70,000 face masks to seven provinces in the Thai South to protect local people who are affected by haze from forest fires in Indonesia. According to the minister, public health officials in the three provinces have also been instructed to pay special attention to people of risk groups, including those with chronic diseases, the elderly, children and pregnant women, who are advised to stay indoors most of the time now until the situation returns to normal. The minister noted that his ministry has already sent 10,000 face masks to each of seven provinces in the Thai South, including Surat Thani, Phuket, Pattani, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Yala and Satun, while another 20,000 pieces of face masks remain in stocks. The Office of Disease Prevention and Control Region 12 in Songkhla reported, meanwhile, that smog has caused red eyes and sore throat to people in the deep South, but none of them have been hospitalized for treatment so far. (TNA)

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