Thick Smog In Chiang Mai Causes Flights To Return

24th Mar 2014

Several flights bound for Chiang Mai in recent days were either forced to return to their original destination or get diverted as the city has been shrouded with thick haze which makes landing at the city's primary airport impossible.

Smog is not new to Chiang Mai as it has been an annual occurrence for years now. This year, the bustling city in northern Thailand has its annual rendezvous with its notorious and most despicable nemesis come much earlier than expected.

Air pollution in this northern ancient capital has been a serious environmental issue in recent years that has caused significant damages not only to the environment but to the health of its residents as well.

According to an airport official, three domestic flights and one international flight were diverted to Bangkok following the city's visibility yesterday down to less than 2,000 meters making it impossible for any aircraft to make a safe landing.

The smog usually peaks between 6:30 and 10:00 in the morning when visibility is greatly reduced. Flights which are scheduled to arrive during this period will have to either get diverted to the nearest airport or forced to return, depending on the type of aircraft used.

According to an Aerothai source, the air quality of Chiang Mai for the past two days has been very poor with a reading of more than 280 micrograms of dust particle per cubic meter. The air quality in the province, in particular, has been in an alarming level in the past five years.

Acting Director Prayat Amanpradit of the Chiang Mai Natural Resources and Environment Office said that the smog hounding the province was mainly due to the wrong agricultural practice by farmers like slash-and-burn activities as well as the high air pressure system prevailing over northern Thailand.

The official added that the burning activities are mostly found in the extreme north and southern portions of the province.

It was reported that in the North alone, there were over 60,000 people affected by respiratory disease caused by the haze. Residents and tourists alike were advised to wear face masks whenever they go outdoors.

The North's air pollution has reportedly exceeded safety standards causing widespread respiratory ailment among its residents.

The recent smog that has hounded the province and its capital could potentially affect the tourism industry if unabated especially that the city is a focal point during the country's celebration of the annual Songkran Festival.

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