PeterRS Posted 1 hour ago Posted 1 hour ago The air quality in Chiang Mai has always suffered in the run up to Songkran due to farmers setting fire to the stubble left by their crops to clear the land. It's nothing new and it has always had some affect on the tourism business. Now it seems to be getting worse. When tourists look at the countryside from Doi Suthep, in most parts of the year they have a glorious view of the surrounding countryside. Recently all they have seen is haze and tourist numbers are falling. Photo: Rebecca Ratcliffe/The Guardian The business of burning fields has been illegal for quite a number of years, but no-one does anything to stop it. It is, say experts, an issue of funding - or the lack of it. Lighting a match is quick and easy and does the job fast. It would need expensive equipment to achieve the same result without causing haze. The situation has got worse with high temperatures also leading to the outbreak of wildfires like this recent one. Photo: The Guardian The dust created by the haze affects everyone. An article in today's Guardian also points out that the popssibility of cancer from the haze has recently shaken the Province. Krittai Tanasombatkul, a 29-year-old doctor and clean-air campaigner, died in 2023. He had never smoked and lived a healthy lifestyle, exercising, sleeping and eating well, media reported at the time. His death was attributed to the particles in the haze. Young children have been suffering from frequent nose bleeds, a common symptom for those living with air pollution. Some families send their children away to avoid the haze. Atikun Limsukon, a doctor specialising in chest and lung care, who runs a private clinic, says his patient caseload has more than doubled over recent weeks . . . Limsukon says there is more and more evidence linking pollution not only to cancer, but also strokes, metabolic problems like diabetes and even neurocognitive problems and dementia. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/15/thailand-chiang-mai-tourism-air-pollution-war-price-spikes Quote
