US EditionChiang Mai chokes under severe haze as pollution levels in Northern Thailand soar
Officials say some monitors recorded PM2.5 above 900 micrograms per cubic meter as wildfires and burning fuel the haze.
- On Saturday, PM2.5 concentrations at Nakornping Hospital in Mae Rim district hit 409 micrograms per cubic metre, a hazardous level; Chiang Mai regularly topped the IQAir monitor website's most polluted big cities list this week.
- Seasonal agricultural burning, forest fires, and weather patterns produce this annual pollution season across Southeast Asia, while Chiang Mai's mountainous geography traps smoke against forested hillsides.
- Some monitors recorded PM2.5 levels exceeding 900 micrograms per cubic metre, 60 times higher than World Health Organization recommended 24-hour average exposure. "It's a real problem for the elderly," one 82-year-old retired nurse told AFP.
- Districts in Chiang Mai issued disaster declarations to speed up financial support; on Wednesday, a volunteer firefighter died from suspected exhaustion linked to heat and underlying health conditions, officials told AFP.
- Kanongnij Sribuaiam, legal team leader at Thailand Clean Air Network, warned that clean air legislation stalled last year must restart from scratch if no action is taken by May 13.
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Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodayToxic haze sends PM2.5 soaring to ‘extremely dangerous’ levels in Chiang Mai
CHIANG MAI, April 4 — Northern Thailand is once again under a blanket of toxic haze, with Chiang Mai facing one of its worst air pollution episodes in recent months as fine particulate levels surged to “extremely dangerous” levels, according to The Nation.PM2.5 concentrations at Nakornping Hospital in Mae Rim district hit 409 micrograms per cubic metre at about 9am today — a level far exceeding safe limits and considered hazardous to human healt…
Chiang Mai chokes under severe haze as pollution levels in Northern Thailand soar
Pon Doikam, a coconut seller in Chiang Mai, told AFP the haze is so severe it leaves her nose burning and bloodied. Across northern Thailand, even longtime residents say the pollution is exceptionally bad, with dangerous levels of fine particles linked to serious disease.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior revealed that governors in northern Thailand have declared emergency disaster relief zones in three provinces and 17 districts: Chiang Mai, Lamphun, and Phayao. This allows the governors to use emergency government funds.
Disaster declared in three northern Thai provinces
Three provinces in northern Thailand — Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Phayao — have been declared emergency disaster zones after days of hazardous air quality, enabling provincial governors to disburse emergency funds to address the situation.
Royal Rainmaking Department tackles smog with 7 aircraft conducting flights, spraying water and dry ice to continuously disperse dust, nourish clouds, and induce rainfall in target areas. April 5, 2026, 2:00 PM. Mr. Rachen Silapraya, Director-General of the Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department, revealed that the department continues its rainmaking operations. Monitoring of air quality in Chiang Mai Province since 8:00 AM shows t…
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