PATTAYA, Thailand – Thailand recorded 1,537 hotspots detected by the Suomi NPP satellite system on March 26, according to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), raising continued concerns over forest fires and transboundary haze.
Most hotspots were concentrated in forest areas, with 635 in protected forests and 548 in national reserved forests, together accounting for more than 70 percent of the total. Additional detections were found in agricultural reform land (147), agricultural areas (128), communities and other zones (74), and along highways (5).
In the wider region, Myanmar recorded the highest number of hotspots at 8,941, followed by Laos with 3,943, Cambodia with 531, Vietnam with 530, and Malaysia with 182, underscoring elevated fire activity across mainland Southeast Asia.
GISTDA warned that the concentration of hotspots in forest zones, combined with high regional levels, remains a key factor driving ongoing PM2.5 pollution concerns.
In Chonburi and Pattaya, local authorities and residents remain on alert as persistent regional haze conditions could affect air quality in the coming days, particularly if wind patterns carry smoke southward into the Eastern Seaboard.
