In response to the ongoing issue of PM2.5 pollution in Thailand’s northern provinces—where satellite imagery reveals hotspots caused by burning activities both within Thailand and neighboring countries—the Kingdom of Thailand, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and the Republic of the Union of Myanmar have jointly developed an Action Plan for Transboundary Haze Prevention and Mitigation under the Clear Sky Strategy (2024–2030). This strategy aims to strengthen efforts in preventing and addressing forest fires, particulate matter, and transboundary haze pollution.
To support this initiative, the Center for Air Pollution Mitigation (CAPM) of PCD, in collaboration with the Department of Border Affairs, and other relevant agencies, has implemented a project to establish Forest Fire and Haze Monitoring War Rooms in neighboring countries. In 2024, War Rooms were established in Bokeo and Xayaburi (Lao PDR), and Tachileik (Myanmar). In 2025, additional War Rooms were set up in March in Luang Namtha (Lao PDR), and most recently in Kengtung (Myanmar), during 17–20 June.
The objective of this initiative is to enhance analytical capabilities to determine the root causes of the haze problem, and to process data for reporting on air quality and hotspots. The War Room also functions as a coordination hub with related agencies to support operations and facilitate communication, ultimately promoting awareness of particulate matter reduction and encouraging public self-protection especially during critical periods of PM2.5 pollution.
PCD has also provided technical knowledge and capacity building support to the War Room operations, including:
- Data on key sources of particulate matter
- Satellite-based hotspot information
- Air mass trajectory modeling at various altitudes to predict the movement trends of particulate matter for area-based monitoring and management
- Important meteorological data
Moreover, Thailand and Myanmar have exchanged experiences and lessons learned in tackling particulate matter, contributing to sustainable transboundary forest fire and haze management.
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