Thailand strives to curb air pollution in tourist hotspot Chiang Mai

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Saturday vowed to tackle air pollution at the country’s tourism hotspot of Chiang Mai, which had the worst air quality in the world for the two previous days.

The statement was made when he was on a four-day visit to the northern region of the country. He acknowledged his government needs to tackle the smog which is very popular in the early months of the year when farmers burn crops, and said his government will find solutions to improve the livelihood of the people.

The Prime Minister's visit came as Chiang Mai topped air monitoring website IQAir's list of the world's most-polluted cities for the second consecutive day on March 15 and 16.

Levels of PM 2.5 pollutants – small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs – were at 224 on March 16 afternoon, 20 times higher than the World Health Organisation's guidelines.

Speaking to the media, the Thai Prime Minister said that he is working with local authorities to study the impact of transnational haze. He added that he will impose regulations on farmers who burnt stubble, without giving further details.

Earlier this year, Srettha's cabinet approved a Clean Air Act aiming to tackle the issue.

Thai Government’s statistics show that in 2023, more than 10 million people in this country required medical treatment for diseases related to environmental pollution