‘My six-year-old has a nosebleed’: Air pollution in Chiang Mai sparks health fears
Kelly NgAnd
Pweena Ninbut,BBC Thailand, Chiang Mai
Tirayut Wongsantisuk and his wife moved to Chiang Mai in the 2010s, attracted by the fresh air and lush greenery of the hilly region.
But the deteriorating air quality in the Thai city, especially at this time of year, prompted them to consider moving for the sake of their children.
Two of their daughters had frequent nosebleeds. “I thought maybe we should really move during this time… because if something bad happens to our child, we will feel bad forever,” Tirayut, 41, told the BBC.
Smoke from devastating fires choked parts of northern Thailand last week, with Chiang Mai ranking among the world’s most polluted cities, according to monitoring group IQAir.
A thick layer of mist hung over the horizon when BBC Thai visited Tirayut and other families in Chiang Mai, covering what was once a mountainous view. There was a lingering burning smell in the air.
Satellite data showed a record 4,750 hotspots across Thailand on Tuesday, mostly in forested areas.
As of Wednesday morning, Chiang Mai’s PM2.5 level, which refers to the concentration of tiny dangerous particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, was classified as “very unhealthy.”
The months from November to March mark high fire season in the region as farmers burn their fields before new seeds are sown. Added to this are forest fires that occur naturally due to drought in forests and agricultural lands.
Photographs broadcast in local media show mountains engulfed in flames, with some residents comparing the fires to “erupting volcanoes”, according to local media outlet Khaosod.
Earlier this week, authorities ordered the closure of parks with a high fire risk and warned that anyone entering these areas to start a fire would be immediately arrested.
In Thailand, people found guilty of illegal forest burning face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of 2 million baht ($61,100; £46,200).
Exposure to the haze can cause a variety of health problems, from itchy eyes and nosebleeds to heart attacks.
Tirayut said her eldest daughter, aged six, “had nosebleeds, a rash and an allergic reaction in her eyes, to the point where her eyelids were swollen.”
Benjamas Jaiparkan sent his children to the neighboring province of Phayao, where air quality is better, to temporarily live with relatives. But the 35-year-old plans to leave Chiang Mai for good.
Benjamas, a public school teacher, is particularly worried about her four-year-old son, who started having nosebleeds last year.
“I feel really sorry for him because I don’t know how much longer his lungs can take,” she said.
Over the years, activists and Thai residents have filed lawsuits demanding government action against the pollution.
In July 2023, about 1,700 people in Chiang Mai filed complaints against former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and two state agencies for failing to exercise their authority to reduce pollution in the north, which they said was shortening their lives by about five years.
In January 2024, a court in Chiang Mai ordered the government to develop an emergency plan to improve air quality within 90 days.
Dangerous haze has also choked populations elsewhere in Southeast Asia, with the most hot spots erupting in Malaysia and Indonesia in seven years.