Yai Praiwanaprasert, a corn farmer in northern Thailand, inspects his family’s small field after burning it to clear away crops left over from the harvest.
Corn is a primary cash crop in the country’s mountainous north.
For more than 10 years, Yai, who lives in Chiang Rai, has been burning his cornfield at the beginning of February each year, like many of his fellow farmers. Traditional field-clearing methods involve burning corn stalks because the steep terrain makes it impractical for farming machines to work on the slopes.
“We have to burn. There’s no other way,” Yai, 30, told BenarNews. “It’s the most economical method on steep mountain slopes where tractors can’t reach.”
Although agricultural burning is economically viable for farmers in northern Thailand, it has made them targets of public criticism during the annual haze season, when layers of harmful dirty air blanket much of the region.
“City people don’t understand – it’s easy to talk, but hard to implement,” Yai said.
However, some studies reveal a more complex picture of transboundary haze and fires that challenges common perceptions about pollution sources.
On March 31, 2024, Thailand recorded 1,864 hotspots, with 1,477 located in forest and reserved areas compared with only 294 in agricultural areas, according to Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA).
Neighboring countries showed even higher numbers: Myanmar with 5,296 hotspots and Laos, 3,047, according to the data.
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A separate GISTDA analysis from January to May last year also showed 1,827,813 rai (292,450 hectares) of burning forest areas in northern Thailand compared with 533,147 rai of razed cornfields.
A study from 2001 to 2020 by the Bangkok-based Kasikorn Research Center revealed that forest fires had increased by 240% while fires in agricultural areas had decreased by 42%.
It also found that high levels of fires were observed along Thailand’s border with Myanmar, affecting the air quality in the kingdom’s northern region.
While farmers contribute to the haze crisis, wildfires are the primary driver of seasonal pollution, the leader of a civil society group based in the northern city of Chiang Mai told BenarNews.
“Although many people often understand that agricultural burning is the main cause of air pollution, data from monitoring hot spots indicates that wildfires in conservation areas and national forests, as well as hot spots in neighboring countries, are also significant factors contributing to this problem in the northern region,” said Pritsana Phromma, head of Breath Council, a civil society group based in the northern city of Chiang Mai.
Stricter regulation
Last month, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced that the government had allocated 620 million baht ($17.5 million) to address the air pollution crisis. The money will be used to fund wildfire prevention, emergency response, and measures to curb agricultural burning.
The government has also ordered provincial governors to strictly enforce no-burning policies and to persuade farmers to adopt alternative waste management methods, such as composting and baling crop residue instead of setting fields ablaze.
“We will (also) encourage farmers to shift away from monoculture crops like maize, rice, and sugarcane toward rotational crops such as legumes and vegetables. This will make it easier to manage agricultural waste and reduce burning,” Krongsak Songraksa, deputy director-general of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said on Feb. 4.
Despite the government’s initiatives, agricultural burning remains a complex issue tied to structural challenges in Thailand’s farming sector, Pritsana said.
“This isn’t about farmers being careless – it’s a structural problem,” she told BenarNews on Feb. 9.
Many small-time farmers are trapped in a cycle of debt, making it difficult for them to invest in alternative waste disposal methods, Pritsana said.
“We need policies that help farmers transition from monoculture maize farming to diversified crops. But expecting farmers to stop burning without providing financial incentives or viable alternatives is unrealistic,” she said.
Farmers like Yai are caught in a dilemma, facing both economic constraints and mounting pressure from the government’s anti-burning campaign.
Yai also said enforcement measures had been uneven. He accused authorities of focusing primarily on farmers while ignoring other pollution sources.
“If they crack down on us, they should also crack down on factories and vehicles that pollute every day. We burn only during certain months, but industries pollute all year round,” he said.
“If the government wants us to stop burning, they should support us in switching to other crops. We’re willing to adapt, but we need a fair chance to make a living.”
Northern Thailand’s struggle continues
Partly because of agricultural burning, a thick layer of smog blankets northern cities such as Phayao, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai from January to April each year.
For local residents such as Kamonchanok Ruenkham, an 18-year-old high school student in Phayao, the annual haze season has become a serious health hazard.
“I have constant nosebleeds and breathing issues .... It’s really difficult to breathe properly, and there’s no way to escape it,” Kamonchanok told BenarNews on Feb. 7.
Over 1.16 million people in northern Thailand sought medical treatment for pollution-related illnesses between October 2023 and September 2024, the health ministry said.
The city of Chiang Mai recorded the highest number of cases, with nearly 360,000 patients, followed by Chiang Rai, Lampang, and Phayao.
Kamonchanok is taking precautions to protect herself from the worsening air pollution.
“Many students are skipping school because there are no air purifiers in classrooms. I’m lucky to have one at home, so I’m staying indoors as much as possible and wearing a mask when I go outside. That’s all we can do,” she said.
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