CHIANG MAI, Thailand – Northern Thailand’s tourist hub of Chiang Mai topped global air pollution charts on Friday morning, as thick smog from illegal forest fires blanketed the city.
Tourists at the Doi Suthep viewpoint reported being unable to see the cityscape, citing a heavy smell of smoke visible to the naked eye.
Residents in the urban basin received automated mobile health alerts as hazardous fine particulate matter (PM2.5) surged to dangerous levels.
Locals reported eye and nasal irritation, with many resorting to wearing face masks and using garden hoses to dampen the airborne ash and dust.
The flare-up was driven by 104 active forest fire hotspots across the province, with 22 located in the Chiang Dao district.
Chiang Mai University’s Climate Change Data Center recorded PM2.5 levels peaking at 755 micrograms per cubic meter in Chiang Dao—more than 20 times the national safety standard of 37.5 micrograms per cubic meter.
Swiss air quality tracker IQAir ranked Chiang Mai as the world’s most polluted major city during the morning peak. (TNA)
