Thailand yesterday (Tue) began fighting the killer smog blanketing its capital - with a man sitting on top of a truck spraying a hose pipe in the air.

The vehicle set out from the Bang Sue district of Bangkok just after midnight in an effort to generate 'artificial rain' to disperse the fumes.

A debilitating blanket of toxic smog comprised of deadly micro-particles of dust that become lodged in the lungs has engulfed the city since last weekend - and is expected to continue for the next month.

Officials have begun spraying water into the air as a response to the pollution and planes also flew over eastern regions dumping water from the sky.

It is believed that the 'artificial rain' will help to disperse the pollutants lingering in the sky.

But the bizarre method of tackling the pollution drew bemused responses from locals, who have been rushing to stock up on face masks to protect them from the smog.

While health agencies have also warned that the government is not taking the threat to health seriously.

Supat Wangwongwatana, former head of the country's Pollution Control Department, said: ''The measures implemented last year were the same as this year, and still the smog returned to about the same level.

''They wasn't a solution, just temporary relief of the situation’s severity.''