Spreading haze in Thai North

NORTHERN REGION, THAILAND, March 2 (TNA) - Spreading haze in the Thai North has started blanketing Lampang and Mae Hong Son Provinces although the level of dust particles remains within the safe standard limit. The level of small dust particles, measured at all four air quality monitoring stations in Lampang, stood at 71-110 migrogram per cubic meter on Thursday, not exceeding the safety standard level of 120 microgram per cubic meter. The highest level was recorded in Lampang's Mae Moh District, while the dust particles in the provincial seat were measured at 93 microgram per cubic meter. Echoing his concerns over the situation, Lampang Governor Suwat Promsuwan urged all parties to join hands in solving the smog problem, particularly through refraining from all forms of outdoor burning. In the meantime, Mae Hong Son has recorded 30 hot spots since the beginning of this month, but they have been put under control by firefighters. The latest fire occurred on Wednesday night at a roadside forest in Mae Hong Song's Mae Sarieng District. Officials from a forest fire control unit took about an hour to put out the blaze under control, but about 10 rai (four acres) of the forest area were damaged. Mae Hong Son has targeted to reduce hotspots by 10 per cent this year. Agricultural fires are a common cause of smog in the Thai North. (TNA)