Pollution choking Thailand’s north hits tourism, worries public

Chiang Mai and the surrounding provinces in northern Thailand are experiencing dangerously high levels of air pollution, which has scared away tourists and alarmed locals.

During a good portion of last month, the city topped IQAir’s worldwide ranking of poor air quality, placing it ahead of Lahore and New Delhi.

The president of the Thai Hotel Association’s Northern Chapter, Phunut Thanalaopanich, told Reuters on Monday that the city of Chiang Mai, famous for its picturesque mountain views, temples, and chic cafés, had received 10.8 million visitors in pre-pandemic 2019, but that hotel bookings in the city had dropped to 45% occupancy. That’s significantly lower than the 80% to 90% predicted before this week’s Songkran celebrations in Thailand.

Sunat Insao, 53, who runs an orange juice stand, said, “It has affected my business… people aren’t coming (because) can’t see the scenery.”

The health ministry of Thailand issued a statement on Monday warning the public to stay indoors and use particle-filtering masks due to the deteriorating air quality in the north.

The third largest city in Thailand, Chang Mai, had an air quality index (AQI) of 289 in March, according to pollution monitoring service IQAir.

On Monday, it was 171, which is still 19 times the limit advised by the World Health Organization.

“It’s so thick (the dust) you can almost touch it… After I washed my face, I looked down at the pad and thought, “Wow, this is filthy.” “Fernanda Gonzalez, 27, a tourist from Mexico, remarked.

Forest fires and agricultural fires in Thailand and neighboring nations are being blamed by authorities.

Transboundary haze is a problem, and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha announced last week that he was working with Laos and Myanmar to eliminate hot spots in the border area.

Chiang Mai native Pathsharasakon Po expressed anxiety about developing allergies or perhaps cancer at the age of 36.