Thailand: According to the Pollution Control Department, the region’s PM2.5 values for the previous 24 hours ranged from 37 to 550 microgrammes per cubic metre of air. In comparison to most nations, the safe level established by the government is 50.

In the north of Thailand, pollution levels are significantly worse. According to a live ranking released by the Swiss air quality business IQAir, Chiang Mai has the worst air pollution in the entire world. Last month, one doctor issued a social media warning against tourists visiting the city due to the haze, which has made it difficult to see Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep peak.

The cooler months are often when air pollution in Thailand is at its worst because of seasonal agricultural burning that adds to the smog already produced by industry and transportation. Yet, campaigners claim that the underlying reasons for the issue are still unresolved and that the big, powerful corporations whose supply chains contribute to this pollution continue to avoid taking responsibility.

In order to clear the land, farmers in Thailand, a major producer of rice and sugarcane, burn their fields every season. According to Mr. Saroj Dokmaisrichan, a sugarcane farmer in Suphan Buri province, the practice continues in spite of burning regulations since many farmers have no other option.

WORLD ROUNDUP: France bans TikTok, Twitter, Instagram from government employee’s phones