The Story
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Thailand · Tier 1
1,605 days · 2021–2026 · 5 sensors
High confidenceSeasonal historical data — not for today's readings. For current air quality: IQAir ↗ · Methodology →
Independent modelled estimate for reference. Our data uses station sensors which may cover different years and locations. Methodology →
Berkeley Earth conversion: 22.0 µg/m³ PM2.5 ≈ 1 cigarette/day. This compares population-level mortality risk, not individual clinical outcomes. Acute vs chronic exposure differs significantly.
AQLI methodology: each 10 µg/m³ PM2.5 above WHO baseline (5.0 µg/m³) ≈ 0.98 years of life expectancy lost. Calculated from annual mean PM2.5 (long-term exposure), not annual median.
24-hour pattern from the most recent 7 days of hourly data. Dimmed arcs are unsafe for the selected activity.
This is a short-term trend view (not live minute-by-minute monitoring).
How does the air here compare to other health risks — and to peer cities?
Every day of the year, colored by PM2.5 air quality band.
The baseline view is No mask. You can switch to Surgical, KN95, or N95 to see a planning range for mask-adjusted exposure. Smoking-aware mode is optional and off by default.
Scroll through to see the numbers come alive.
Agricultural burning in northern Thailand and neighbouring Mekong countries
Affects: Feb, Mar, Apr
Rain washes particulates from the air
Affects: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Temperature inversion traps vehicle and industrial emissions
Affects: Nov, Dec, Jan
Bangkok residents lose an estimated 1.8 years of life expectancy on average due to PM2.5 air pollution — compared to living in a city that meets WHO air quality guidelines.
Each bar shows estimated life-years lost due to that risk factor. The orange bar is Bangkok. Gray bars are risk comparisons.
Source: AQLI methodology — each 10 µg/m³ above the WHO 5 µg/m³ baseline ≈ 0.98 life-years lost. Population-level statistical estimates, not individual predictions. Methodology →
Tip: tap a day cell to pin details, tap outside to close.
All-years view shows the median across available years per calendar day. Individual year views show actual measured values. Methodology →
Smoking-aware mode is optional. Turn it on only if you want combined smoking + air burden estimates.
Berkeley Earth conversion: 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 ≈ 1 cigarette/day. Statistical communication tool — not a clinical diagnosis.
Planning estimate from monthly median PM2.5 values. Air-equivalent burden is additive and does not replace smoking burden.
Based on monthly median PM2.5 values. Actual exposure varies by fit, wear time, location, activity, and daily conditions. Methodology →
Section 1 of 6 · Air quality story
The WHO 2021 annual PM2.5 guideline is 5 µg/m³. Long-term exposure above this threshold is linked to cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
Section 2 of 6 · Health toll
Even if you never light one.
Berkeley Earth cigarette equivalence: 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 ≈ 1 cigarette/day. AQLI life-years: statistical population-level estimate, not individual prediction. Methodology →
Section 3 of 6 · Seasonal rhythm
Bangkok's worst air comes from two overlapping phenomena. From November through February, temperature inversions settle over the Chao Phraya basin—cool, still air traps emissions from millions of vehicles and industry under a low ceiling. From February through April, agricultural burning across northern Thailand and the wider Mekong sub-region drifts south, adding a layer of smoke. The overlap months—February and March—combine both. The January–April corridor sees medians from 23 to 38 µg/m³, pushing even healthy adults past safe exercise thresholds on the worst days.
= Haze & Smoke Season · Bars show monthly median PM2.5
Section 4 of 6 · Seasonal risk profile
Each card shows the monthly median PM2.5 and the share of days safe for outdoor jogging.
Section 5 of 6 · The contrast
Bangkok splits into two cities across the year. January's peak haze—38 µg/m³ median—delivers the lung burden of nearly two cigarettes a day. Step into July's monsoon rains and the same streets drop to 11 µg/m³: clean enough that a morning run feels genuinely different. That 3.4× swing is structural, not random—it's the monsoon arriving each June with remarkable consistency. Bangkok's seasonal pattern is one of the most predictable in Southeast Asia. You can plan around it.
Section 6 of 6 · Your window
Bangkok's seasonal swing is reliable enough to plan a trip around. The monsoon scrubs the air clean from June onward; the haze builds just as reliably from November. Here is how to read the calendar.
Risk levels derived from historical seasonal medians · Methodology →