CHIANG MAI – Krittai Thanasombatkul, a medical doctor who became a best-selling author about maintaining his fighting spirit and the meaning of life despite having had last-stage lung cancer since October 2022 and passing away on December 5, donated his body before he died to the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University.
On December 6, the Faculty of Medicine Chiang Mai University Facebook page released a message and photos of a merit-making event for Dr. Kritthai, with monks praying and praising his body donation. Dr. Kritthai’s father thanked the medical staff and said the family was pleased to contribute the body for further study.
Krittai was 29 and is survived by his wife, Peem, who married him less than two months ago despite knowing he has little time left. His motto was: “It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.”
Krittai was a lecturer at the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Clinical Statistics Department of Family Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine Chiang Mai University, and the creator of the Facebook account called “Su-Di-Wa” means “fight definitely.”
He doesn’t smoke and regularly exercises. Some suspect that PM2.5 microdust particles may be the cause of his lung cancer.
Chiang Mai is one of the provinces that faces the highest level of PM2.5 microdust problems in Thailand in recent years due to forest fires, forest burning, and traffic pollution. It was ranked as the city with the highest air pollution in the world many times, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI) by the IQAir website.
Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance also expressed his condolences to Dr. Krittai’ s family on Wednesday.
“I visited his site “Su-Di-Wa” with various emotions. It is heartbreaking that the doctor, a non-smoker who exercises regularly, had to be diagnosed with lung cancer. At the same time, despite his illness, he has managed to inspire and encourage those who follow his page, reminding us to cherish every minute of our lives and appreciate the moments we share with our loved ones.”
“As Prime Minister, I cannot deny that this incident has sensitized me to the problem of PM2.5 pollution, which is not easy to solve. The impact of PM2.5 on the Thai people is not just pollution, but a health issue that is prematurely costing the lives of those we love. That’s why I will do all I can to support the Clean Air Act, because clean air should be a basic right for all of us,” stated the PM.
Every year during the winter to dry season, Thailand experiences situations where particulate matter (PM2.5) levels exceed the norm in many areas, especially in 17 northern provinces, Bangkok and the metropolitan region.
This is due to a combination of natural factors, weather conditions and the country’s topography, which favor the accumulation of high levels of particulate matter. This situation has an impact on the environment and the health of the population.
Anutin Charnvirakul, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health has recently provided guidelines to the governors of all provinces and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to implement measures to prevent and control forest fires, haze and PM2.5 in 2023-2024.
The Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department will monitor and track situations involving forest fires, haze and particulate matter, using technology to support operations and efficiently notify the public.
The operational focus is on the prevention and reduction of pollution at source and the strict enforcement of laws by the relevant authorities, including open burning, transportation, industry and construction.
In cases where access to wildfires is difficult, coordination with aviation-supported agencies is emphasized to ensure that personnel welfare and expenditures are in compliance.
For the incineration of agricultural waste, coordination with local administrative organizations and agricultural authorities and the promotion of voluntary work is recommended to prevent incineration and instead promote the recycling and value creation of agricultural waste.
Health departments will provide information on public health care, especially for vulnerable groups, and local government organizations, together with the relevant authorities, will set up safe areas or dust-free rooms to care for people with health problems in necessary situations.
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