Bangkok Sets Out Plan to Expand Low-Emission Zones Across Fifty Districts
City targets heavy vehicles during hazardous pollution episodes as part of a broader public health and clean-air strategy
Bangkok is preparing to significantly expand its Low Emission Zone programme, extending coverage to fifty districts and restricting the entry of six-wheeled and larger vehicles during periods of severe air pollution.
The move reflects the city’s determination to address fine dust pollution through targeted, data-driven measures designed to protect public health.
The plan was reviewed on Friday, December nineteenth, at a meeting chaired by Deputy Governor Jakkapan Piwngam and Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej.
The committee examined guidelines and procedures for enforcing Low Emission Zones, focusing on operational readiness, forecasting methods and environmental criteria.
According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Division, the expanded scheme is scheduled to take effect in fiscal year two thousand twenty six.
Under the proposed rules, vehicles with six or more wheels will be barred from entering designated zones when pollution reaches hazardous levels.
Enforcement will be triggered when average PM two point five concentrations exceed seventy-five point one micrograms per cubic metre, placing conditions in the red zone in at least five districts, with a two-day advance warning.
Additional restrictions will apply when PM two point five levels reach orange or red status across wider areas and the city’s ventilation rate falls below three thousand square metres per second.
The committee agreed to refine the criteria for issuing restrictions by placing greater emphasis on two-day pollution forecasts, while also taking into account wind direction and other environmental factors.
City officials said this approach would allow for more precise and timely action, reducing disruption while maximising health benefits.
Data from earlier pilot programmes informed the expanded plan.
In fiscal year two thousand twenty five, more than fifty-seven thousand nine hundred and thirty-six six-wheeled and larger vehicles were registered under the Green List programme.
During a pilot Low Emission Zone on the Ratchadaphisek Ring Road in late January two thousand twenty five, truck access was limited to Green List vehicles, with exemptions for electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles and those meeting Euro five and Euro six standards.
The trial reduced truck traffic in the restricted area by four hundred and four vehicles per day and cut PM two point five levels by fifteen point six per cent compared with surrounding areas.
Authorities also recorded compliance challenges during the pilot, with more than one thousand five hundred violations, hundreds of complaints and a limited number of fines issued.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration confirmed that Green List registration remains open from October twentieth, two thousand twenty five, to March thirty-first, two thousand twenty six, with annual vehicle maintenance required under city guidelines, underscoring Bangkok’s commitment to a cleaner, healthier urban environment.
The move reflects the city’s determination to address fine dust pollution through targeted, data-driven measures designed to protect public health.
The plan was reviewed on Friday, December nineteenth, at a meeting chaired by Deputy Governor Jakkapan Piwngam and Deputy Governor Tavida Kamolvej.
The committee examined guidelines and procedures for enforcing Low Emission Zones, focusing on operational readiness, forecasting methods and environmental criteria.
According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Division, the expanded scheme is scheduled to take effect in fiscal year two thousand twenty six.
Under the proposed rules, vehicles with six or more wheels will be barred from entering designated zones when pollution reaches hazardous levels.
Enforcement will be triggered when average PM two point five concentrations exceed seventy-five point one micrograms per cubic metre, placing conditions in the red zone in at least five districts, with a two-day advance warning.
Additional restrictions will apply when PM two point five levels reach orange or red status across wider areas and the city’s ventilation rate falls below three thousand square metres per second.
The committee agreed to refine the criteria for issuing restrictions by placing greater emphasis on two-day pollution forecasts, while also taking into account wind direction and other environmental factors.
City officials said this approach would allow for more precise and timely action, reducing disruption while maximising health benefits.
Data from earlier pilot programmes informed the expanded plan.
In fiscal year two thousand twenty five, more than fifty-seven thousand nine hundred and thirty-six six-wheeled and larger vehicles were registered under the Green List programme.
During a pilot Low Emission Zone on the Ratchadaphisek Ring Road in late January two thousand twenty five, truck access was limited to Green List vehicles, with exemptions for electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles and those meeting Euro five and Euro six standards.
The trial reduced truck traffic in the restricted area by four hundred and four vehicles per day and cut PM two point five levels by fifteen point six per cent compared with surrounding areas.
Authorities also recorded compliance challenges during the pilot, with more than one thousand five hundred violations, hundreds of complaints and a limited number of fines issued.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration confirmed that Green List registration remains open from October twentieth, two thousand twenty five, to March thirty-first, two thousand twenty six, with annual vehicle maintenance required under city guidelines, underscoring Bangkok’s commitment to a cleaner, healthier urban environment.
