Air Quality Analysis by IQAir
Reaches 35 Times WHO Recommended Standards
Chiang Mai, Thailand, a famous tourist destination and recently gaining attention domestically as a 'one-month living' spot, has been selected as the city with the worst air quality in the world.
On the 15th (local time), AFP reported that Chiang Mai's fine dust levels were the highest globally. According to measurements by air quality analysis company IQAir, the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Chiang Mai reached 175㎍/㎥ that day. This is a staggering 35 times higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended level of 5㎍/㎥.
The cause of air pollution in Chiang Mai, a representative tourist destination in Thailand, is due to the burning of crops to clear farmland, along with recent consecutive wildfires. The ongoing air pollution is also a negative factor for the local economy that relies on tourists. The Northern Branch of the Thailand Hotel Association reported that tourists continue to cancel reservations, and local merchants have also expressed concerns about this.
As the situation worsens, the Thai government has also taken measures. In April last year, about 1,700 residents of Chiang Mai filed a class-action lawsuit, claiming that the government failed to address the severe air pollution problem in the northern region and that their life expectancy would be reduced by about five years. They urged for artificial rainfall in the Chiang Mai area and for the entire province to be declared a disaster zone. At that time, the fine particulate matter concentration in some parts of Chiang Mai soared to 340㎍/㎥.
In response, in July last year, the Thai Administrative Court ruled in favor of the residents, stating that then-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the National Environment Board (NEB) neglected their duty to handle toxic air pollutants in Chiang Mai Province. The court pointed out, "The fine dust problem has worsened every year, negatively affecting public health in both the short and long term," and "The defendants failed to fulfill their obligation to resolve this issue." The court ordered Prime Minister Prayut and the NEB to properly address and manage the air pollution problem.
Srettha Thavisin, a native of Chiang Mai and the Prime Minister of Thailand, promised upon taking office in August last year to make air pollution a national agenda. Additionally, in January, a draft Air Pollution Prevention Act was approved in parliament, which includes provisions to identify the causes of air pollution and impose compensation.
Chiang Mai is the second-largest city in Thailand and the capital of Chiang Mai Province, located 700 km north of the capital, Bangkok. It is known to attract about one million tourists annually.
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