Third Army chief joins helicopter mission as Chiang Mai haze persists

Lt Gen Worathep Bunya, commander of the Third Army Area, boarded a helicopter on Wednesday (April 8) to join an aerial firefighting mission in Chiang Mai, as authorities intensified efforts to tackle worsening forest fires, haze and PM2.5 pollution across the North.

Before taking to the air, Worathep chaired an operational planning meeting at Yod Thap Building of the 7th Infantry Division in Mae Rim district. He later met pilots and personnel to offer encouragement before leading the helicopter mission to drop water on wildfire-hit areas in a bid to ease the ongoing haze crisis.

The move came as Chiang Mai remained covered by thick wildfire haze and whitish toxic dust, with air quality still above safety standards and continuing to affect public health.

Third Army commander joins aerial firefighting mission

Worathep said authorities were continuing efforts to prevent and contain forest fires while working to reduce the impact of toxic dust on local communities.

He said residents had not been abandoned and insisted that all operations were still being carried out to the fullest extent.

According to the Third Army commander, 2026 has been an exceptionally dry year, making April the most critical month to watch as large numbers of wildfires continue to break out.

He said additional support was needed from several ministries, especially the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, including budget support for personnel deployment, aviation fuel and wildfire suppression chemicals.

Worathep added that the Third Army Area was fully prepared and ready to carry out any mission assigned by the government or Royal Thai Army headquarters.

April seen as most critical month in wildfire battle

The Third Army Area has also been working with provincial Internal Security Operations Command units and local networks to support affected areas through patrols, firebreak construction, firefighting and law enforcement.

Worathep said more than 30 law enforcement operations had already been carried out, alongside public awareness campaigns for people living in affected communities.

At the same time, the army has deployed forces from the 33rd Military Circle, the 7th Artillery Battalion of the 4th Artillery Regiment, the 3rd Development Battalion, the 35th Ranger Regiment and the 36th Ranger Regiment to support operations in Chiang Mai and Lampang, following requests from the two provincial governors.

Northern Thailand has again been among the regions hardest hit by seasonal wildfires and PM2.5 pollution, with Chiang Mai facing repeated periods of unhealthy air quality during the dry season.

Aircraft and drones deployed across six northern provinces

The Third Army Area said that from February 13 to April 5, its forward operations centre had integrated aircraft missions with partner agencies for patrol and forest fire suppression in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Mae Hong Son and Phayao.

The operations included:

• Army MI-17 helicopters: 8 water-drop flights, releasing 28,000 litres of water
• Air Force BT-67 aircraft: 2 water-spraying flights, releasing 6,000 litres of water
• AU-23 and AT-6 aircraft: 3 aerial patrol flights, along with 13 flights by royal-donated drones to search for hotspots
• Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation KA-32 helicopters: 183 water-drop flights, releasing 549,000 litres of water
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment H-130 aircraft: 1,060 water-drop flights, releasing 532,200 litres of water
• Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation: 43 weather modification operations using 26,600 kilogrammes of chemicals

Authorities hope the expanded aerial campaign will help contain the fires and bring some relief to haze-hit communities, but the latest assessment suggests the North’s air pollution crisis remains far from over.