Haze in Thai South eases

THAI SOUTH, October 9 (TNA) - Haze in the Thai South, caused by forest fires in Indonesia, has improved, as the Thai government has contacted Jakarta for providing official assistance to prevent long-term negative impacts from smog in the region. Deputy Prime Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn told journalists on Friday that the haze situation in several southern Thai areas has been returning to almost normal. General Tanasak said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's website has kept informing the general public and international travellers of updated reports on air quality in the Thai South to facilitate their holiday trips in advance. Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Watanavrangkul also confirmed that air quality in several southern Thai provinces has improved although a few commercial airlines delayed because of the smog, thanks to downpours over the past several days. The Regional Environment Office 16 in Songkhla Province in the Thai Far South reported, meanwhile, that the haze situation improved in all affected southern Thai provinces for the first time on October 9, with air quality being within the safety standard level, due to strong wind, which blew out smog, and water sprayed by Royal Thai Air Force planes to reduce the amount of small particles in the air. On average, the office announced, small particles not exceeding 10 microns were measured between 52–100 microgrammes/cubic metre on early Friday morning in seven southern Thai provinces, which were safe for people there. The office stressed that concerned agencies will remain on alert until early next month, when a seasonal monsoon trough covering the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Thailand and southern Thai provinces is over. (TNA)