Chiang Mai’s smog crisis threatens to smother Songkran celebrations and hurt Thai tourism industry
- Tourism revenue, particularly from Chinese visitors, underpins Thailand’s economy
- Arrivals recovered after deadly Phuket boat accident last year but Chiang Mai’s smog crisis is another setback
Thailand’s Songkran festival, marking the traditional New Year, is just weeks away but celebrations in Chiang Mai may be muted as the northern city confronts its worst ever smog crisis.
Widespread open burning and “man-made” forest fires for agricultural purposes along Thailand’s western and northern borders and in the neighbouring countries of Myanmar and Laos have left the city and other nearby provinces blanketed in a dim orange haze.
On Tuesday afternoon, Chiang Mai’s air quality index reading was 264 or very unhealthy, compared to 91 for Bangkok, 85 for Singapore and 55 for Hong Kong.
Ubonrat Yasai, a 37-year-old Chiang Mai resident, was prescribed anti-allergy pills after she experienced a swollen neck and breathing problems.
“There is an air purifier in my bedroom but I can still smell the smoke throughout the night,” she said, coughing uncontrollably.
In 2002, Thailand and its neighbours signed a legally binding environmental contract called the Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. However, little progress has since been made in confronting the decades-long problem of forest erosion caused by farming and foraging of wild plants, which generates income for villagers during the dry season, expected to be longer than usual this year.