Chiang mai: Authorities are taking action against those responsible for the forest fire smoke. A 64-year-old man was arrested for illegally entering the forest at night, claiming he was inspecting traps. Meanwhile, forest fire smoke continues to blanket the city, with over 300 hotspots detected this morning.

According to Thai News Agency, authorities arrested Mr. Jamlong, 64, along with evidence including a homemade firearm, buckshot ammunition, gunpowder, rabbit traps, drug paraphernalia, and a lighter, after he illegally entered the Pha Daeng National Park in Chai Prakan District, Chiang Mai Province. He confessed to having entered the forest for two days to set up hunting equipment and use drugs. He has initially been charged with three offenses: bringing hunting tools or weapons into a national park without permission, entering the forest without permission, and offenses related to firearms and drugs.

This arrest was carried out on the orders of Mr. Arsit Sampanrat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, who visited Chiang Mai province on April 1-2 to monitor the progress in addressing the forest fire, haze, and PM2.5 situation, as instructed by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul.

This morning, Chiang Mai city, including Chiang Mai Airport, was still covered in thick smoke from wildfires, significantly reducing visibility. Authorities had to activate navigation systems for aircraft takeoffs and landings. However, even at a distance of 2 kilometers, aircraft were barely visible. A total of 312 hotspots were detected, with the highest number in Hod district (45 points), followed by Chiang Dao (36 points), and others scattered across several other districts.

Meanwhile, the Climate Change Information Center at Chiang Mai University reported the highest PM2.5 level at Ban Thung Khao Phuang Sub-district Health Promotion Hospital at 742 micrograms per cubic meter. The IQAir website also lists Chiang Mai as the world's largest city with the worst air quality.