Authorities have warned that this year's haze crisis in Chiang Mai is among the most severe in recent years, with pollution-related illnesses more than doubling. More than 1.6 million vulnerable people across 11 provinces have been affected.
Thick haze continued to blanket Chiang Mai yesterday, as PM2.5 levels remained several times above safe limits. Hourly air-quality data from Chiang Mai University's CCDC monitoring system showed extreme readings, including a peak of 808 microgrammes per cubic metre in Chiang Dao district -- more than 20 times the recommended safety level.
