Authorities in northern Thailand have declared three provinces — Chiang Mai, Lamphun and Phayao — as emergency disaster zones following several days of dangerously poor air quality. The designation allows provincial leaders to access and deploy emergency funding to respond to the crisis.
The announcement was made on Saturday by Unsit Sampuntharat, permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, during a briefing on efforts to tackle wildfires, haze and fine particulate pollution affecting 17 northern provinces.
Air quality in Chiang Mai remained critically poor, with the city ranked the most polluted in the world for a fifth straight day, according to data from IQAir.
At 3pm, real-time readings showed Chiang Mai’s air quality index (AQI) at 206 — a level considered very unhealthy.
Concentrations of PM2.5 fine particles were recorded at 131 micrograms per cubic metre, easing slightly from earlier levels but still significantly exceeding Thailand’s safety threshold of 37.5.
Mr Unsit confirmed that emergency disaster zones have been formally established across multiple areas in the affected provinces.
In Chiang Mai, wildfire-related disaster zones now cover the districts of Hot, Samoeng, Doi Saket, Chiang Dao, Mae Wang, Mae Taeng and Mae Rim, encompassing 40 tambons, 338 villages and 27 communities.
In Lamphun, the declaration applies to Li district, where PM2.5 pollution has affected eight tambons and 99 villages.
Meanwhile, in Phayao, both wildfire and air pollution emergencies have been declared across several districts, including Muang Phayao, Chun, Chiang Kham, Chiang Muan, Dok Khamtai, Pong, Mae Chai, Phu Sang and Phu Kamyao.
According to Mr Unsit, the emergency classification enables provincial governors to allocate funds in line with Finance Ministry disaster relief regulations.
It also allows for the coordinated use of additional budgets to mitigate the crisis and provide compensation for damage to lives and property.
