Thailand’s space agency reports no direct haze impact on southern Thailand yet, as Indonesian hotspots reach 12,241 on September 15
Wildfires in Indonesia have burned over 64,000 hectares in a single week, with thousands of hotspots concentrated on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Thailand is closely monitoring wind patterns, but its southern region has not yet been directly affected by the resulting smoke and haze.
The cross-border haze has already impacted six Indonesian provinces and four neighboring countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines.
Wildfires in Indonesia have burned more than 400,000 rai (64,000 hectares) over the past week. Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) said current wind patterns had not brought a direct haze impact to southern Thailand.
Indonesia’s fires have continued for several weeks, becoming a regional environmental concern. Satellite imagery shows dense smoke rising into the atmosphere, with impacts reported across Indonesia and neighbouring countries and concerns about haze potentially reaching Thailand.
Indonesia’s hotspot count rises to 12,241
Indonesia recorded 12,241 hotspots on September 15, according to information from GISTDA’s Disaster Platform and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite. Hotspots were concentrated particularly on Sumatra and in southern Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo.
A GISTDA satellite graphic dated September 15 shows smoke from Indonesian wildfires and highlights areas containing fires and hotspots.
Fires approach Nusantara as Indonesia steps up its response
Fires were spreading towards Nusantara, Indonesia’s planned new capital, prompting authorities to mobilise resources. The report put the area burned over the preceding week at more than 400,000 rai, equivalent to 64,000 hectares.
Indonesian authorities’ response measures include:
Deploying personnel to contain the fires and control their spread
Conducting cloud-seeding operations to encourage rainfall and increase moisture
Using aircraft to drop water on fires in areas that are difficult to reach
Indonesian haze affects six provinces and four neighbouring countries
Thick haze has covered six provinces on Sumatra and Borneo, Post Today reported. The report identified four neighbouring countries already affected by cross-border pollution from Indonesia’s fires:
Singapore
Malaysia
Brunei
The Philippines
More than 50,000 people had developed respiratory illnesses after inhaling wildfire smoke.
Southern Thailand has no direct haze impact yet, GISTDA says
GISTDA’s analysis of current wind patterns indicates that haze from Indonesia has not yet directly affected southern Thailand.
Conditions remain uncertain, and residents and relevant authorities in southern Thailand need to monitor developments closely. They should follow efforts to contain the fires in Indonesia, monitor air quality, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels, and watch for changes in wind direction that could carry smoke towards Thailand.
