Chiang Mai's secret is out: smoke. A dangerously thick blanket of smoke is smothering northern Thailand, sending thousands of people to the hospital, disrupting flights, and prompting Health Ministry volunteers to go door-to-door distributing face masks. The haze happens every year, as farmers burn their field waste and forests catch fire during the worst of the dry season. But this year's haze is reportedly the worst in 14 years, with the Thai Pollution Control Department reporting dust-particle levels at the emergency stage. I've spent the past three dry seasons in Chiang Mai, watching the view from our condo shift with the air. Now that the rainy season has started again, that back porch offers clear views of Suthep Mountain, less than a mile away. But for the past two months, the mountain had mostly disappeared. The attached photo shows the shroud of white that blocked the green mountain and national park behind. Over the years, I've heard tourists exclaim surprise at the haze. Many travelers specifically book trips to northern Thailand in the dry season, expecting blue skies and clear weather for trekking. But maybe the rainy season is a better bet.
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