• The haze situation in Northern Thailand has eased significantly as a result of the cooperation from all parties involved, especially the related agencies and organizations as well as individual members of the local community. The situation steadily improves.
  
  The haze was primarily the result of widespread man-made forest fires and farmers in Thailand, Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Cambodia employing the slash-and-burn technique to prepare land for the cultivation of crops during the dry season. It was also due to the extended cold season this year, which resulted in low pressure prevailing over the area and exacerbating the haze situation.
  
  
• According to the latest report issued by the Pollution Control Department, the concentration of dust particles smaller than 10 microns suspended in the air in the following provinces is as follows:

  	Concentration of dust particles smaller than 10 microns
  Chiang Mai	89 micrograms per cubic metre
  Chiang Rai	123 micrograms per cubic metre
  Mae Hong Son	169 micrograms per cubic metre

  
  The highest acceptable level is 120 micrograms per cubic metre. Beyond this, the higher concentration of dust particles suspended in the air will cause respiratory ailments.
  
  
• Airlines are operating normally.
  
  
• The number of patients with respiratory ailments seeking treatment at local hospitals each day has decreased.
  
  
• The Thai government is seeking the cooperation of local residents to observe the ban on the intentional use of fires for field burning or the burning of debris in open fields and is also seeking regional cooperation from neighbouring countries to implement and enforce provisions outlined in the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (2002) for the prevention and mitigation of land and/or forest fires and haze, urging that forest fires in all areas should be extinguished immediately.

International Public Relations Division, TAT
April 4, 2007