Choking haze from RI fires forces southern Thais indoors

Choking haze from RI fires forces southern Thais indoors

Agence France-Presse, Bangkok

Haze from forest fires in Indonesia has blanketed parts of
southern Thailand, prompting health authorities to advise
residents to stay indoors to escape the choking air.

"We have issued an advisory in Satun province for senior
citizens, children and people suffering from respiratory problems
to stay indoors and not spend time outdoors unless necessary,"
said Phuvapohon Phanumartmethee, director of Public Health in the
southern region.

The annual haze caused by illegal burn-offs in Indonesia
arrived in the southern areas bordering Malaysia on Monday and
has now affected six Thai provinces.

Although it has not yet reached levels considered dangerous
for the general population, newspaper reports said the smoke had
reduced visibility in Satun township and slowed traffic there to
a crawl.

"The density of haze is still below dangerous level of 150 ppm
(parts per million), it's not as bad yet as the last two years,"
Phuvaphon said.

However, Thai authorities also advised residents not to worsen
the problem by burning rice fields after the paddy harvest.

Torsakdi Vanichkajorn, director of the Southern Meteorogical
Center in Songkhla province said the haze has now extended to six
provinces.

"Phatthalung, Songkhla and Satun have reported a heavy haze,
while in Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani the situation is mild," he
said.

The governor of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan on
Borneo island on Thursday declared a top alert over the crisis,
ordering action to curb forest and ground fires that have choked
the area.

Indonesia banned land clearance by fire in 1999 following
widespread forest and ground blazes in 1997-98 that created haze
over large parts of Southeast Asia, causing serious traffic and
health hazards.

However, enforcement of the ban has proved difficult.