The burning issue for Chiang Mai is not Doi Suthep housing project
Re: “Chiang Mai people will fight to the end for Doi Suthep”, Have Your Say, yesterday.
Since day one, I have doubted the purpose of so-called “citizens of Chiang Mai” in their protest against the Doi Suthep housing project.
If they care so much about the environment, they ought to do something about the smog problem there. They never do. Between February and April every year farmers slash and burn an incredible amount of vegetation and create serious air pollution. Not only do their actions spread fire through forests, they also contribute to the region’s chronic health problems and encroachment on wildlife habitats as well. It won’t be long before Chiang Mai citizens have to wear a space suit when they go outside.
Nowadays when tourists think of Chiang Mai the first thing that comes to their mind is thick and grey smog, not fresh air or blue sky.
Somsak Pola
Samut Prakan
