Chiang Mai is experiencing severe air pollution due to wildfires, leading to emergency declarations in three provinces. The situation is exacerbated by the US-Israel war, which has disrupted tourism and increased costs, prompting a significant reduction in expected international arrivals.
Key points
Chiang Mai faces severe air pollution from wildfires
Three provinces declared emergencies due to pollution
US-Israel war disrupts tourism and raises costs
Thailand revises down international arrival targets by 18%
Haze impacts businesses during Songkran celebrations
The Doi Suthep temple in northern Thailand is known for its spectacular views of Chiang Mai and the lush forested mountains that surround it. Over recent weeks, though, visitors can see little of the city beyond a thick cloud of grey haze.
Persistent wildfires have caused intense air pollution across the north of Thailand, forcing three provinces to declare emergencies and triggering spikes in pollution-related illnesses.
The haze is yet another blow to tourism businesses already affected by the US-Israel war on Iran, which has disrupted flights and driven up operating costs, prompting Thailand’s tourism authority to revise down the national target for international arrivals by as much as 18%.
But people fear the pollution crisis could have an even more costly impact on their businesses. “Chiang Mai’s selling point is the chance to stay in the mountains, breathing fresh air. But when the dust comes, it destroys everything,” says Pitsamai Tuprit, 37, who runs the tour company Kai Rider travel.
The haze has plagued Chiang Mai for weeks in the run-up to Songkran, Thailand’s new year holiday, a key tourism date, which started on Monday. In the city centre, the streets are lined with shops selling water pistols and plastic buckets for tourists taking part in Songkran’s famous water fights.
People throw water at one another from the street and on bikes as part of the celebrations of the Songkran festival in Chiang Mai.
People take part in water fight celebrations which are part of the Songkran festival in Chiang Mai. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock
Business groups have warned of a slowdown in bookings ahead of the festival, and tour operators such as Pitsamai say they have lost customers because of the pollution. Half of her customers have cancelled over recent weeks, she says.
She has cancelled most tours during the Songkran holiday because “it isn’t worth it, with the traffic and gas prices”.
The authorities have deployed artificial rain to try to clear the haze, but the pollution has persisted. On Monday, Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, which tracks the fires, reported 4,579 wildfire hotspots across the country. Chiang Mai remains among the world’s top five most-polluted cities monitored by the group .
Q&A
What caused the air pollution crisis in Chiang Mai?
The air pollution crisis in Chiang Mai is primarily caused by persistent wildfires in northern Thailand.
How has the US-Israel war affected tourism in Thailand?
The US-Israel war has disrupted flights and increased operating costs, leading Thailand's tourism authority to lower its target for international arrivals by up to 18%.
What are the health impacts of the smog in Chiang Mai?
The intense air pollution has triggered spikes in pollution-related illnesses across the affected regions.
How is the haze affecting businesses in Chiang Mai during Songkran?
The haze is damaging tourism businesses by undermining Chiang Mai's appeal as a destination for fresh mountain air, especially during the key Songkran holiday.
Related Articles
News
US military says it killed four more people in a boat strike in the eastern Pacific
US military strikes again in the eastern Pacific, killing four more.
The Guardian World··1 min read
News
Kanye West faces possible ban from France ahead of concert in Marseille
Kanye West faces potential ban from performing in Marseille due to antisemitic remarks.
The Guardian World··1 min read
News
Haiti’s Culture Ministry fires workers over citadel stampede that killed 25
Haiti mourns 25 dead in Citadelle stampede; officials fired
Al Jazeera English··1 min read
News
Stormzy's stab vest goes on display in landmark exhibition of Black British music
Stormzy's stab-proof vest featured in landmark exhibition of Black British music at V&A East.
BBC News··1 min read
News
'I'm not being listened to' - new health plan launched as women say they are still ignored
New health plan launched in England as women express frustration over being ignored by healthcare providers.
BBC News··1 min read
News
Don't feel like exercising? Maybe it's the wrong time of day for you
Exercise timing matters! Find out when to work out for maximum benefits.
The air pollution is a recurring annual problem, caused by wildfires and by farmers setting fire to their fields to quickly clear the land after harvesting.
A Buddhist monk extinguishes a wildfire in a forest.
A Buddhist monk extinguishes a wildfire in a forest.
A hillside wildfire is seen from a road in Chiang Mai last week.
A hillside wildfire seen from a road in Chiang Mai.
The practice is illegal but campaigners say it continues to happen because farmers, who are often contracted to supply large agribusinesses, lack expensive machinery. “It’s linked to the financial strain that they’re under,” says Weenarin Lulitanonda, the co-founder of the Thailand Clean Air Network. “What is cheaper than a matchstick to manage these things?”
High-profile cases, where people have been diagnosed with lung cancer, have shaken the public in Chiang Mai. Among them was Krittai Tanasombatkul, a 29-year-old doctor and clean-air campaigner, who died in 2023. He had never smoked and lived a healthy lifestyle, exercising, sleeping and eating well, media reported at the time.
“I’m very sensitive when I hear about cancer, especially after the news of the doctor’s death,” says Pathanika Poonchai, who sells food at a school. “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. So I feel, why should I be at risk of getting lung cancer? We should all have clean air.”
Since the end of March, her five-year-old daughter Aerin has had daily nose bleeds – a common symptom for children living with air pollution, say doctors. A particularly heavy nosebleed this month felt like a wake-up call, she says. “Have we just accepted this situation as normal, when this is not how it should be?”
A passenger plane flies over a busy city street and prepares to land at the airport in Chiang Mai amid heavy pollution
A passenger plane prepares to land at Chiang Mai airport amid heavy pollution. Photograph: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty
Growing up in picturesque Chiang Mai, she remembers enjoying camping with her family, and sitting outside chatting until evening time – something that is no longer possible during the annual haze season. Instead, her children are kept indoors with air purifiers turned on. The family sets money aside so they can travel to the seaside to escape the dust every year.
“I feel sad, I feel bad that they have to breathe in this polluted air. I know that in the long run, it will definitely have some kind of effect on their health,” she says.
Pathanika Poonchai outside on a sunny day with her two young daughters
Pathanika Poonchai with her daughters, Aerin, five, and Jinnie, two. Photograph: supplied by Pathanika Poonchai
Some families send their children away to other provinces. Those who have the means to do so install positive pressure systems in their homes to filter the air, though this is extremely costly.
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. “Even usually healthy people get sick and have acute effects from the very polluted air,” he says, giving a long inventory of possible effects – from blurry vision and even corneal ulcers, to nosebleeds and chronic rhinitis.
Patients with underlying conditions are especially vulnerable. It is depressing, he says, to see people who were previously stable being readmitted, coughing up blood, and requiring oxygen.
“The more air pollution and the longer the time of exposure, there’s going to be more health impacts, both short term and long term,” he adds.
People wearing protective in Chiang Mai on mopeds
People wear protective masks in Chiang Mai after officials warn of a severe environmental and public health crisis. Photograph: Pongmanat Tasiri/EPA
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.
The Clean Air Network is pushing for a Thai Clean Air bill to be pushed into law, which would levy fines against big polluters, with money used to form a Clean Air Fund that will in turn help businesses transition to cleaner technologies. The bill has faced numerous legislative challenges, however, and faces opposition from groups that have labelled it anti-business.
Weenarin says a failure to act will, in fact, be economically damaging.
“Even if you don’t care about the environment, this is the goose that will lay your golden egg,” she says. Tourists travel to Thailand to experience its landscapes and beauty, she adds. “They come for the nature.”
