Chiang Mai Crop Burning Still Putting Off Tourists

[PeterRS]

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

[billyhouston]

This is my first experience of Songkran and the pollution in Chiang Mai, around that time.

I expect that, in future years, we will move away for a couple of months, as a now deceased Kiwi friend of mine did.

[kavdowe]

On 4/15/2026 at 6:36 AM, PeterRS said:

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. Reading such heavy, somber news about environmental crises can be quite draining, so I find that when the day gets too intense, a quick shift in focus is necessary, which is why I sometimes head over to https://tropical-casino.com/ for a different kind of distraction.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/15/thailand-chiang-mai-tourism-air-pollution-war-price-spikes

It is deeply alarming to read about the severity of the air quality crisis in Chiang Mai. The "burning season" has transitioned from a seasonal nuisance into a genuine public health emergency that is affecting every demographic, from young children to healthy adults. The tragic story of Dr. Krittai Tanasombatkul really puts a human face on the terrifying reality of long-term exposure to PM2.5 and other pollutants. It is heartbreaking to see medical professionals documenting such sharp increases in chronic illnesses, and it makes it very clear why so many residents are pleading for urgent, systemic change rather than just temporary solutions.

[aaroninatl]

I'm contemplating a move to Thailand next year and Chiang Mai is the leading contender.  I'm visiting for the first time next month.  The smoke thing does make me wonder though.  Is it bad inside homes too or will a simple purifier handle it?

[bkkmfj2648]

1 hour ago, aaroninatl said:

I'm contemplating a move to Thailand next year and Chiang Mai is the leading contender.  I'm visiting for the first time next month.  The smoke thing does make me wonder though.  Is it bad inside homes too or will a simple purifier handle it?

I would suggest that you visit and explore many towns/cities throughout Thailand to see where you might want to relocate to.

I would also suggest that you visit Chiang Mai during the smokey season to see and learn if you can tolerate it and to learn how your respiratory system responds.

If you want places to live without a lot of smog then I can suggest many of the seaside areas (the breezes of the seaside tend to blow away the smog), such as:

• Krabi,
• Phuket,
• Koh Samui,
• Hua Hin,
• Pattaya (Jomtien).

[aaroninatl]

Oh that's the plan for sure.  I'm well aware of smoke season... it's all over the videos I've seen from ex pats.  My specific curiosity is what it's like indoors.  

And yes I'm visiting Ko Samui, Bangkok and CM over the next couple months.  Would never move anywhere without visiting first.  CM just seems the most promising.

[billyhouston]

On 8/22/2026 at 5:52 PM, aaroninatl said:

Oh that's the plan for sure.  I'm well aware of smoke season... it's all over the videos I've seen from ex pats.  My specific curiosity is what it's like indoors.  

 

Here in Chiang Mai we run Air Purifiers for 24 hours a day in the bedrooms and they handle the pollution in a satisfactory manner. The main part of the house has far to many openings and one way is to wear PM2.5 masks there. Exercising outdoors during the high pollution season is very difficult since a PM2.5 mask is very restrictive by its very nature