Chiang Mai and Bangkok among world’s worst for air quality as wildfires rage across Thailand
With both Thai cities listed among the 10 worst in air quality worldwide, emergency measures and regional cooperation are under way to address the crisis
According to the international air monitoring platform IQAir, the city was ranked among the 10 worst locations worldwide for air quality as of Wednesday. Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, also appeared on this list.
Nirat Phongsittithaworn, governor of Chiang Mai city, attributed the decline in air quality to local wildfires and blazes in neighbouring Myanmar, The Bangkok Post reported on Tuesday.
In the past 24 hours, as of 1pm Wednesday, Chiang Mai province, which includes the city bearing the same name, recorded an average PM2.5 level of 57.7 micrograms per cubic metre, according to Thailand’s Space Agency (Gistda).
Since January 1, the province has experienced more than 30 days when PM2.5 levels exceeded the government-set safety threshold of 37.5 micrograms.
Another tourist hotspot, Chiang Rai, reported even higher pollution levels, nearing 80 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre.
