Chiang Mai air quality improves as hotspots decline
Air quality in Chiang Mai is improving as wildfire hotspots decline, though the province has already exceeded its 2026 hotspot target through late April. Authorities are intensifying efforts and expect further improvement as the rainy seaso
CHIANG MAI — 30 April 2026, Air quality in northern Thailand's Chiang Mai province is showing signs of improvement as the number of wildfire hotspots declines, officials said.
At a provincial meeting on wildfire and PM2.5 pollution mitigation held in Chiang Dao district, Vice Governor Siwakorn Buapong said efforts were being stepped up to accelerate pollution reduction plans at the local level.
Authorities reported that the VIIRS satellite system used to detect hotspots is temporarily unavailable, but data from the NOAA-20 satellite identified two hotspots on the morning of 30 April in Mae Wang and Omkoi districts. Cumulative figures from 1 January to 27 April showed 10,849 hotspots, already exceeding the province's target for 2026.
Despite this, air quality readings have gradually improved, with some monitoring stations reporting levels in the "green" category.
Weather forecasts for May indicate that the first half of the month will remain hot and humid, with frequent thunderstorms, before transitioning into the rainy season in the latter half, bringing lower temperatures and increased rainfall.
Authorities said law enforcement efforts against illegal burning between 1 January and 29 April resulted in 240 cases and 257 suspects. Offences included open burning in communities, forest law violations, roadside burning and breaches under national park, forest reserve and public health laws. Most cases have resulted in fines, with a small number forwarded for prosecution and others still under investigation.
The meeting also urged local administrative organisations to urgently submit integrated pollution reduction plans at subdistrict level, aligning with community strategies. These plans are to cover six key areas, including forest fire management, land and forest use, agricultural burning reduction, waste and carbon reduction, public health protection, and community participation, as part of Chiang Mai's 2026–2028 pollution control action plan.
