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.