"About 2.4 million people in Thailand have sought hospital treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of the year, health officials said, as toxic smog chokes parts of the country.

Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were among the most polluted cities in the world on Thursday morning, according to air quality monitoring firm IQAir.

The poor air quality has seen 2.4 million people seek medical treatment since the start of the year, with 184,465 hospital admissions this week alone, Public Health Department permanent secretary Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said Wednesday.

Opas said respiratory problems, dermatitis, eye inflammation and sore throats were among the most common medical issues."

Agence France Presse had the story April 20, 2023. [2]