You may have heard different terms: Smokey Season, Burning Season, and even Hazy Days. In this guide, we’ll explore what it’s like, what to expect, and what you can do to remain healthy. Without further ado, let’s talk about the burning season in Chiang Mai.
It's an agricultural practice that takes place in Chiang Mai and many other parts of Thailand between February and April. During this time, farmers set fire to large patches of land to clear it. Unfortunately, this practice creates significant air pollution and smoke.
* Air smoky and hazy * Visibility can be quite low * Your eyes feel dry and itchy * May experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Everyone has a different opinion on the smokey season.
You’ll have good days and worse days. If it rains, it will clear up the air for a bit, so you could get lucky, but rain at this time of year is unusual.
Upon arrival, we could see the haze and smoke. We struggled a bit on the first couple of days, but then the sky cleared up, and it really wasn’t that bad until the end of March.
The burning season in Chiang Mai is a personal preference. Some people don’t mind it, and some people can’t stand it. Ultimately, the decision is yours.
To find reliable information about air pollution in Chiang Mai, I use the AirVisual IQAir app. If air quality is bad: – Wear a mask outdoors – Avoid outdoor exercise – Close your windows – Run an air purifier