Cambodia Says Bangkok PM2.5 Pollution Stems from Local Factors

Cambodia Says Bangkok PM2.5 Pollution Stems from Local Factors

PHNOM PENH, Jan 18, 2026 — Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment today rejected a report by Thailand’s The Nation that blamed air pollution in Bangkok on fires in Cambodia, saying the claim was not supported by technical or meteorological evidence.

The ministry was responding to an article published on Jan. 15, 2026, titled “Bangkok Suffocates in PM2.5 as Cambodia’s Fires Contribute to Crisis,” which alleged that fires in Cambodia were a major contributor to PM2.5 pollution in the Thai capital.

In a statement, the ministry said Bangkok’s air pollution is driven primarily by local sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial activity, construction dust and urban energy use, compounded by unfavourable meteorological conditions such as temperature inversion and low atmospheric mixing height, which trap pollutants over the city.

The ministry added that air-quality monitoring stations near the Cambodia–Thailand border showed only slightly elevated PM2.5 levels, within the yellow index range, and said this did not indicate pollution transport from Cambodia to Bangkok.

It cited current dry-season monsoon winds blowing from north to south, directing air masses toward the sea rather than toward Bangkok, according to wind maps from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre.

Cambodia has also been experiencing stagnant and cool weather conditions, the ministry said, which limit the long-distance transport of fine particulate matter and make it unlikely for PM2.5 to travel as far as Bangkok.

The ministry urged media organisations and the public to rely on verified technical data and called for an end to what it described as misleading and provocative reporting.