Deputy Prime Minister 'Phatcharavat' Calls for Immediate Action to Tackle Thai-land-Cambodia Haze Crisis

Today (March 8, 2024) at 09:00 AM, Pol. Gen. Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, assigned Mr. Jatuporn Buruspat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, along with related agencies, to convene and discuss solutions to the cross-border haze issue between Thailand and Cambodia with Cambodian representatives. The meeting was held in Room 301 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment building via video conference.

The meeting focused on the coordination through a hotline between the two countries, with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment acting as the ministry-level coordinator and Miss Preeyaporn Suwanaged, the Director-General of the Pollution Control Department, serving as the department-level coordinator. Discussions also covered participation in the joint action plan under Cambodia's CLEAR Sky Strategy to promote cooperative efforts to solve the problem at the regional level, including a task force meeting on the prevention and resolution of cross-border haze issues between Thailand and Cambodia to be held in Thailand. Furthermore, Thailand will host capacity-building training for Cambodian officials and organize a task force meeting between the two countries in April. The cross-border haze situation between Thailand and Cambodia typically occurs from December to April each year, necessitating close coordina-tion with Cambodia to address the issue and mitigate health impacts on the public promptly.