Anutin to visit Chiang Mai for wildfire and PM2.5 talks

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is scheduled to visit Chiang Mai tomorrow to spearhead efforts in tackling the persistent wildfire, haze, and PM2.5 dust crisis gripping Northern Thailand.

Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek announced today that Anutin, acting in his capacity as Interior Minister, will be accompanied by a high-level delegation of Cabinet members to monitor and accelerate mitigation strategies.

The delegation will be comprised of a broad spectrum of ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun and Defence Minister Lt Gen Adul Boonthamcharoen.

They will be joined by Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin, Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat and Deputy Interior Minister Jeseth Thaiseth.

The mission will focus on a joint meeting with the National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Command (NDPMC) and relevant agencies to review the current situation in the northern provinces.

The Prime Minister is expected to issue proactive policy directives, aimed at achieving "concrete results" in air quality management.

The government’s integrated approach reportedly ranges from agricultural reform through the implementation of stricter measures for highland farming to the enforcement of trade restrictions on imports from neighboring countries linked to slash-and-burn practices.

Furthermore, the mission will prioritise public health, while simultaneously providing essential logistical support and morale boosts for frontline firefighting personnel working on the ground.

The delegation will also conduct on-site inspections to ensure that regional response units are fully equipped to handle the escalating environmental challenges.