Chiang Mai is Choking !

Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai has been hit by smog and has dangerous tiny dust particles higher than safety standard for five consecutive days, the provincial pollution control office said Sunday. The main reason for this pollution is the widespread Swidden Agricultural farming methods employed within Northern Thailand, Myanmar & Laos whereby large areas of the mountain forests are "torched" between February & April each year as preparation for setting new crops.

The office's three air quality measuring stations found that the province had particle pollution, which is less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10) higher than the safety standard of 120 microgrammes per a cubic metre of air for five consecutive days.

The station at the provincial hall Sunday recorded the lelvel of PM10 particle at 168.4 microgrammes per a cubic metre of air.

The level of PM10 particle was recorded at 208.0 microgrammes at the Yupparaj Withayalai School in Muang district and at 130.4 at the Phuping Palace.