Young clinician’s tragic death raises questions on Thai air pollution

The problem of PM 2.5 Thai air pollution has been highlighted by the unfortunate case of 28 year old Kritthai Tansombatitkul, a clinician and statistician at the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, who passed away from late-stage lung cancer. Despite living a healthy lifestyle and not smoking, he was diagnosed with the disease at a young age, leading many to consider the possible role of air pollution in his illness.

Kritthai, who shared his cancer journey on his Facebook page Soodiwa, had a large online following who supported him throughout his battle. In November, he posted a heartbreaking message stating that he didn’t have much time left, causing distress among his followers, particularly those in the medical field.

Kritthai passed away today, leaving behind a grieving family and a society that had been following his journey. Despite receiving intense treatment, he…