Chiang Mai tops global pollution rankings for fourth day

Thailand’s northern tourist destination, Chiang Mai, has remained the world’s most polluted city, with an AQI score of 227 for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, followed by cities in Pakistan and Myanmar.

A total of 324 villages and 27 communities in six districts of Chiang Mai province have been declared public disaster zones by the provincial administration due to the worsening PM2.5 pollution, which has reached 286 µg/m³ in Chiang Dao.

Chiang Mai Governor Ratthaphol Naradisorn said that not the entirety of the six districts — Hot, Samoeng, Chiang Dao, Doi Saket, Mae Taeng and Mae Wang — has been declared disaster zones, but only the areas affected by forest fires where efforts are being concentrated to address the problem.

He disclosed that 1,020 hotspots were detected in the province on Sunday, dropping to 355 the following day. He added that most hotspots were found at night and in the early morning.

Armed with this information, the governor said officials have adjusted fire containment plans by increasing forest patrols in the evenings, when hotspots begin to rise.

He also said local officials have been instructed to reach out to villagers, warning them not to start forest fires while hunting wild animals.