Chiang Mai and northern Thailand hit by orange-level PM2.5 for 7 days
Chiang Mai is adding clean air rooms and mobile medical units as PM2.5 across the North is forecast to rise over the next seven days.
- Chiang Mai and 17 northern provinces are experiencing an orange-level PM2.5 alert from March 29 to April 4, indicating air quality that is harmful to health.
- Pollution levels are forecasted to continue rising throughout the seven-day period, with wildfires being a significant cause, as evidenced by over 600 hotspots.
- In response, Chiang Mai is increasing the number of "Clean Air Rooms" to over 2,000, deploying mobile medical units, and intensifying wildfire prevention efforts.
- Officials are advising residents in affected areas to avoid outdoor activities and to wear protective face masks if they must go outside.
The PM2.5 situation in Chiang Mai and across the 17 northern provinces from today, March 29, to April 4, 2026, is at the orange level, meaning a level that affects health.
The air pollution communication centre forecasts that over the next seven days, the trend in harmful dust levels will continue to rise, and some areas will still need to be monitored closely.
Forecast of PM2.5 conditions in 17 northern provinces, March 29-April 4, 2026
Sunday, March 29, 2026
- Nan, Lampang, Lamphun, Chiang Mai, Tak, Phrae
Monday, March 30, 2026
- Lampang, Tak
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
- Lampang, Tak
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
- Lampang, Tak
Thursday, April 2, 2026
- Lampang, Tak
Friday, April 3, 2026
- Lampang, Tak
Saturday, April 4, 2026
- Lampang, Tak.
People in affected areas are advised to avoid outdoor activities.
If it is necessary to go outside, they should wear a face mask to protect against dust and check PM2.5 levels on applications such as Air4Thai before leaving home each time.
Real-time PM2.5 checks are available through the following channels.
Channels for checking PM2.5 via applications and websites
- Website: Air4Thai.com
- Application: Air4Thai
- Application: Check Dust (เช็คฝุ่น)
Chiang Mai steps up PM2.5 response, speeds up expansion of clean air rooms
The Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office has increased the number of Clean Air Rooms and checked that they can be used effectively.
It has also asked for cooperation from government agencies, the private sector, and operators of shops, cafés, hotels, schools and healthcare facilities to add more Clean Air Rooms so services can be provided more comprehensively.
The locations will be publicised so people can access them easily.
At the same time, mobile medical units have been prepared to operate in areas where PM2.5 levels have remained above the standard, to provide timely healthcare for residents.
At present, Chiang Mai has a total of 2,004 Clean Air Rooms across the province, distributed as follows:
- Hospitals and public health service units: 570 rooms
- Child development centres: 417 centres, with 559 rooms
- Government and private-sector agencies: 606 rooms
- Educational institutions: 110 institutions, with 269 rooms.
Ratthaphon Naradisorn, Governor of Chiang Mai, has laid out the response plan for wildfires, haze and PM2.5 through the following key directives.
- Increase the intensity of wildfire prevention and control by ordering forestry agencies and administrative officials to deploy more personnel to high-risk areas, increase the frequency of both ground and air patrols, and use technology such as drones for surveillance, while reporting progress continuously.
- Reinforce the role of community leaders by using village loudspeakers or public address systems to warn residents about dust conditions, advise on health protection, and publicise legal penalties for those who illegally set forest fires, to raise public awareness and participation.
- Control dust sources in urban and construction areas by ensuring regular water spraying in high-risk locations to reduce the spread of dust.
- Accelerate public health protection by assigning local administrative organisations, district public health offices and subdistrict health-promoting hospitals to distribute face masks thoroughly to vulnerable groups and residents in high-risk areas.
Meanwhile, according to the operations centre, GISTDA reported 613 hotspots for March 28, 2026, in the afternoon round, based on Suomi NPP data at 1.50pm, as follows:
- Chiang Dao 81
- Samoeng 77
- Omkoi 76
- Hot 63
- Mae Taeng 50
- Mae Chaem 43
- Phrao 40
- Doi Saket 27
- Doi Lo 23
- Mae Wang 21
- Mae On 21
- Doi Tao 19
- Chai Prakan 15
- San Kamphaeng 14
- Galyani Vadhana 12
- Chom Thong 9
- San Sai 8
- Mae Ai 5
- Hang Dong 4
- Wiang Haeng 4
- Mae Rim 1
