Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been accused during the censure debate of incompetence and insincerity in addressing PM 2.5, while overlooking viable approaches to mitigate air pollution.

Thailand has struggled with toxic air pollution in recent years, which seems to get worse year by year, although different administrations have attempted to launch policies to address it. Sources of pollution include industrial factories and agricultural burning, particularly sugarcane.

Prior to taking office, PM Paetongtarn herself assured voters that she was well-prepared for this critical issue.

During the first day of the no-confidence debate, MP Phattarapong Leelaphat of the opposition People’s Party stated that the government previously pledged to tackle the root causes of PM 2.5 by reducing agricultural burning. However, he pointed out that burning in sugarcane fields in 2024 increased from the earlier year by 8 million rai, according to a report from the Office of the Cane and Sugar Board.

The MP also said that air pollution in the first two months of this year rose by 6% nationwide compared with last year, contradicting the PM’s claim of a 16% reduction.

Phattarapong remarked that the PM failed to prepare proactive measures in advance, despite realising that severe pollution would recur annually in the last quarter. It was not until October 2024 that Paetongtarn issued three regulations, which he argued lacked careful consideration.

The regulations included strict monitoring of pollution emitted from vehicles, not accepting burnt agricultural products from both domestic and foreign sources, and imposing strict regulations on industrial factories.

The MP noted that the orders were repeated in December, which showed no progress from her previous orders. “The PM issued orders, but ministers paid no heed and government officials were not interested. If this occurred in a single agency, it could be seen as that agency’s fault, but this was all agencies. Paetongtarn must go back and look at herself in the way she worked and why, when she’s ordered something, no one does it,” noted Phattarapong.

An obvious example, he said, was when she instructed the army to prevent wildfires, one cause of PM 2.5. Instead, the army conducted artillery practice in wildfire-prone areas.

Air pollution in the country is also exacerbated by burning practices in corn fields in neighbouring countries where Thai capital groups have invested in corn production and imported the produce into the country, causing an ongoing pollution issue in Thailand. Despite this, the government has not imposed any regulation to ban imported corn from burnt fields.

In December 2024, the PM reiterated the October regulations without introducing significant new measures. Additionally, the policy allowing the import of corn for animal feed remained unchanged from the previous year, with no conditions for environmental impacts, which could help ease PM 2.5

The MP concluded that in 2024, the government under PM Paetongtarn did not implement any viable solutions to control air pollution.

In response, Deputy Agriculture Minister Itthi Sirilatthayakorn merely mentioned the collaboration between the Ministry and the Department of the Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation, who have been working on artificial rain aimed at reducing pollution in the capital and surrounding areas.

He asserted that the PM has always placed importance on dealing with the issue by approving central budget disbursements to support the initiative.

Meanwhile, Industry Minister Akanat Promphan defended the government’s actions, stating that when compared to previous years, the amount of burnt sugarcane in 2024 was significantly reduced, thanks to cooperation with sugarcane farmers. The Minister reiterated that strict measures were imposed against two sugar factories that accepted excessive amounts of burnt sugarcane, including the unprecedented measure of temporarily closing the two factories.

Apart from burning sugarcane, farmers also find it hard to deal with sugarcane leaves, resulting in many deciding to burn them. The Ministry, Akanat said, is taking steps to address the challenges posed by sugarcane leaves, where the burning often contributes to pollution.

Meanwhile, PM Paetongtarn herself did not respond to or counter the statements made by the main opposition party.

Meanwhile, PM Paetongtarn stated that this is a national crisis, and assured that no additional orders were necessary, as she believed that officials across the country are willing to collaborate with the government to address toxic air pollution.

She highlighted that the Interior Ministry enforced a ban on agricultural burning. In three months, resulting in over 100 violators facing legal action within three months. The Natural Resources Ministry also approved funding to combat wildfires, doubling the number of fire monitoring officers compared to last year.

Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry issued a warning about toxic air pollution and provided people with helpful information. Free dust rooms capable of accommodating two million people were also established. Additionally, over 100,000 vehicles emitting black smoke were banned from the roads.

The PM underscored a tangible outcome - a reduction of hotspots across the country- and she also reiterated that the government is on the right track.