On November 15, 2022, at 09.00 hours, the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, presided over the “Healthy Air Forum 2022” opening ceremony. President of the Indoor Air Quality Promotion Association, Asst. Prof. Dr. Pradipat Pongkiatkul reported the event’s objective at the Grand Ballroom, 5th floor, Grand Center Point Hotel, Terminal 21 Bangkok.
Mr. Boonchob said indoor air pollution is a major global environmental and health problem. Most of the population lives inside houses or buildings rather than in outdoor spaces. In Thailand, buildings are being built rapidly, with residential buildings looking more modern and beautiful. At the same time, indoor air quality problems persist, such as dust, temperature, humidity, and poor ventilation, causing mould, bacteria, and carbon dioxide accumulation, which affects both the short and long-term health of residents and building occupants. Illnesses that it can lead to include Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), allergies and pneumonia caused by different types of fungi, and the common cold caused by exposure to humidity. The effects are a serious problem, and the initiation of gathering experts, academics, and knowledgeable people from the public and private sectors, to establish an association to promote indoor air quality. The forum was organised to promote the drive for efficient indoor air quality in the future. On this occasion, the Permanent Secretary of Labour thanked the speakers and participants from all sectors and networks in the private and education sectors participating in the discussion.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Pradipat gave a report saying, “A survey by the World Health Organization or WHO found that 30 percent of buildings worldwide have an issue with indoor air quality. It also found that there may be 100 times more pollution than outside the building. If the building does not have good ventilation, it will cause higher amounts of toxins, especially buildings with many occupants.” This shows the importance of buildings that need to pay attention to air quality to prevent indoor air pollution.
On the morning of the event, there was a discussion on “Indoor Air Quality: Things Thai People Need to Know” and the direction of driving indoor air quality in Thailand. The Department of Health’s Deputy Director-General, Dr. Atthaphon Kaewsamrit, representatives from the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, and representatives from the Bangkok Administration participated in the discussion. The Permanent Secretary of Labour also participated in the discussion. In the afternoon, there was a lecture on “Healthy Air Forum 2022” from both Thailand and the Republic of Korea, and a forum was opened for discussion and exchange of comments and suggestions. The “Healthy Air Forum 2022” will be held between November 15 – 16, 2022. The second day is a business matching session and an MOU signing ceremony between the Indoor Air Quality Promotion Association of Thailand ( IAQ) and the Korean Air Cleaning Association (KACA) from the Republic of Korea.
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Public Relations Division / 15 November 15, 2022
