Thailand’s Battle with Unsustainable Agricultural Habits
These days, tourists and residents in Thailand don’t even bother to visit hillsides and mountaintops offering stunning views of the countryside because there’s nothing to see. Thailand has been under a pall of some of the unhealthiest air pollution in years since the beginning of 2023. It’s referred to as PM 2.5 pollution as the haze contains particles above 2.5 microns in width.
The months of December through April have always seen the worst air quality in the country. This is the time of year when farmers burn off their fields to prepare them for the new growth of crops. The fields are burned because that’s more cost-effective than removing the stalks, leaves, and detritus by machine or hand. But this unsustainable agricultural habit can’t continue.
Couldn’t Come at a Worse Time
The pollution comes at one of the worst times in recent history. The tourism sector of the economy was just starting to recover from the Covid pandemic, and the country was looking forward to welcoming tourists to its cities, beaches, and attractions once again. Now, many people are changing their vacation plans and avoiding Thailand until the pollution improves.
The PM 2.5 pollution is threatening to further damage the tourism industry and the health of people living in Thailand. During January, there were 1.32 million people reporting illnesses from the air quality throughout the country.
The lack of enforcement of existing laws seems to be the crux of the problem and it’s forced the government into a corner where compliance may be the only way to ease the suffering of millions. Open-air burning is illegal under a number of regional laws, including Article 220 of the Thai Criminal Code, but the laws are rarely enforced.
The Thai government’s unwillingness to enforce the laws, despite the danger and illness caused by this pollution, is puzzling. After all, agriculture contributed just 8.53 percent of the country’s GDP between 2011-2021, while tourism contributed 65.7 percent between 2017-2020. It should be an easy choice to make.
