My Thailand Diary

Its awful.  My family and friends are suffering from respiratory problems, itchy eyes, dizziness and generally irritible. I woke up this morning with a sore throat. Its the smog. My daughter asked if we have a gas leak. Thats  how it smells. It looks like fog. Thick fog. Apparently some planes couldn’t land yesterday due to the weather.
Chiang Mai air quality reached a critical level over the past week. The level of dust particles smaller than 10 microns was as high as 273 microgrammes per cubic metre on Monday, the highest reading since the haze began early this month.
Outdoor activities are prohibited. Pregnant women, the elderly and children were advised to wear face masks to protect against the hazadous haze.
The increasing dust level is a result of widespread bush fires in the northern provinces and in Burma, as well as slash-and-burn farming practice among local villagers. Chiang Mai is the hardest hit, thanks to its mountainous terrain that trapped the haze within its deep valleys.  More here Bangkok Post

Maybe we should get out of here.. .