Polluted Chiang Mai to suffer at SongkranA firefighting helicopter drops water on wildfire hotspots in Chiang Mai. Tourism operators say rampant air pollution is likely to dent tourism sentiment during Songkran. This week Chiang Mai ranked as the most polluted city in the world, while other northern provinces such as Mae Hong Son continue to suffer from smog caused by wildfires. Punlop Saejew, vice-president of the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, said forward bookings for the province have been very slow and the Songkran holiday might not be as robust as last year. The occupancy rate in Chiang Mai has hovered at 30-40% after the smog emerged, he said.

Source: Bangkok Post April 01, 2026 22:41 UTC