H.E. Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) assigned Mr. Athapol Charoenshunsa, Director General of Pollution Control Department (PCD) to be the chairman and co-sign the project to study the effectiveness of the installation of automobile exhaust gas treatment equipment for large-sized diesel commercial vehicles to reduce air pollution together with the Royal Thai Navy by Naval Transportation Department, Department of Land Transport, Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, Sammitr Green Power Co., Ltd., Eminox Ltd., SCG Logistics Management Co., Ltd., and Thainamthip Co., Ltd. and witnessed by Mr. David Thomas, Chargé d’ Affaires ad interim, the British Embassy in Thailand. The event showed the performance test of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) in real-life conditions of diesel vehicles to give information for policy-making in solving the pollution problem from diesel vehicles in Thailand to be successful according to the national agenda.
Mr. Athapol Charoenshunsa, Director General of PCD revealed that because of the situation of PM2.5 problems in Bangkok Metropolitan Region including other areas in Thailand, MNRE by PCD and other relevant agencies jointly considered measures to solve PM2.5 problems. The cabinet resolution on February 12, 2019 addressed “Solving the problem of particulate pollution” as a national agenda. Moreover, the action plan to drive the national agenda “Solving the problem of particulate pollution” includes measures to tackle air pollution from the transportation sector, including 1) setting new vehicle exhaust standards, which are Euro 5 and Euro 6 levels, along with setting low sulfur fuel quality standards 2) promoting the use of electric vehicles for both private cars and public buses and 3) researching on exhaust gas treatment equipment technology to assess the efficiency and consider for use in both small and large diesel vehicles with a service life of more than 15 years, which account for up to 60 percent of diesel vehicles in the country, etc.
Mr. Athapol said Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) is a technology for filtering particulate matter from vehicle exhaust that is installed in vehicles of Euro 5 and Euro 6 standards. It is effective in reducing both mass and particle number from vehicle exhaust by up to 90 percent. It is currently in use with the above standard cars and cars that use older technology for more than 10 – 15 years. The result shows that the efficiency is satisfactory and is recognized worldwide in the ability to resolve vehicle exhaust particulate matter problems in both new and used vehicles.
The private sector and entrepreneurs need technology to reduce pollution from old engines. The exhaust emissions must be within the standard to reduce PM2.5 problems. The main sources of pollution are the transportation and traffic sectors. Thailand’s new standardization of PM2.5 to 37.5 micrograms per cubic meter, equivalent to the United States and Europe standards, and the setting of new automotive exhaust standards at Euro 5 and Euro 6 levels will reduce PM2.5 up to 75 percent, Mr. Athapol said.
