I have been away for three weeks and noticed as I got back this evening the air is filled with burning rubbish particles and haze...my pool was full of burnt offerings too, even though it was only cleaned yesterday I cant remember seeing it so bad after one day!

Has the burning season started up here already?

If not anyone any ideas as to whats going on?

Yes, obviously, it has started... I would guess that if you can see things floating around, it is either a very close neighbor, or maybe it is from the range of mountains from Hot to Mae Sariang on fire.

Is this a yearly thing? How long does it last?

I noticed burnings in my neighborhood, of excess vegetation, as soon as the dry season started - November or December. Noticed it this week on the canal road to Hod, at night. I assume it's almost continuous through most of the dry season.

Is this a yearly thing? How long does it last?

Yes, it lasts until the rainy season in May.

Go to http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regional/G.../QueryGraph.cfm. choose 'graph' and then 'graph by particular site' and choose Chiang Mai. I don't know exactly which place they do the monitoring, and the pollution seems to vary greatly through the city.

Also look at the link on the same page: 'Bad day/site. Number of days from each stations that PM-10 concentration exceeded air quality standards (120 µg/m3) data since 25-March-97'

According to this, CMai is not great but not the worst in Thailand.

The burning started immediately after the last raindrop fell!

You must have noticed that Doi Sutthep is barely visible on most days now. I know that pollution's bad in 'the Rose of the North' but not that bad.

But at least it makes for pretty sunsets...

MCL

The burning started immediately after the last raindrop fell!

You must have noticed that Doi Sutthep is barely visible on most days now. I know that pollution's bad in 'the Rose of the North' but not that bad.

But at least it makes for pretty sunsets...

MCL

The last week, esconced by the pool at CM Orchid with my fellow expat pool rats, I have noticed occasional soot particles, that lazily spiral down...

Can't say that it is so hazy, as a stiff wind blew on Sat. evening. There is burning going on but it doesn't seem to be so bad at the moment. Wait till March, when it gets hot, and still...