Chiang mai: PM2.5 dust continues to blanket Chiang Mai for the 42nd day, even though dust levels and hotspots have decreased after rainfall. The dust situation covering Chiang Mai is beginning to ease after rain and wind in several areas. While the number of hotspots has decreased to fewer than 30, PM2.5 levels remain above the standard this morning, affecting public health for the 42nd consecutive day.

According to Thai News Agency, the area around Rinkham Intersection in front of Maya Shopping Mall is still bustling with Chiang Mai residents and tourists, many of whom are still facing the toxic PM2.5 dust that has blanketed the city for 42 days. Although rain and wind have passed through many areas in the past two days, reducing dust levels, the PM2.5 level in Mueang Chiang Mai district this morning was approximately 120 micrograms per cubic meter. This places Chiang Mai, specifically the municipality, as the third most polluted city in the world according to IQ Air's rankings.

According to the hourly PM2.5 monitoring report on the CMU CCDC website of Chiang Mai University, the highest hourly PM2.5 level was recorded at Ban Kham Sum Pa Sub-district Health Center, reaching 183 micrograms per cubic meter. This is the area with the highest PM2.5 level in Northern Thailand, despite the significant decrease in air pollution levels in many northern provinces following rainfall and winds in several areas.

While the number of hotspots is also steadily decreasing, a report from GISTDA this morning showed only 29 hotspots in Chiang Mai province, down from an average of hundreds per day previously. This brings the cumulative number of hotspots in Chiang Mai province from January 1st to April 22nd to 10,642.