When do you guess that burning season will start in the Chiang Mai area? Will be mid to late February?

Smells like it started last week in San Sai. Awful wood burning smell in the mornings. It has since stopped. Don't know what is going on.

Already burning in Hang Dong area; have been for two weeks. Heavy rain yesterday will slow them down a bit.

Yes I think the same in San Sai. Unless someone knows differently. My nose and burning eyes and cough has said the same for the last two weeks.. Do they start early in some districts? Also I was caught out in the rain yesterday. The rain seemed to irritate my eyes but also the eyes of my Thai friend. Weird. Smoke rain? Last year I was surprised. I had heard about the poor air quality in CM area and hoped it wouldn't affect me and I hardly noticed it. But a friend visiting from the States had a non productive and nagging cough. It started around about this time. Right before Christmas. I also smelled the same smokey smell and so did he. Particularly in the mornings. Any observations from longtime/knowledgable expats?

Not my imagination. Others are complaining.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/688719-what-is-the-story-with-this-air-quality/#entry7154553

Burning season is mid-December - mid-April. One relatively new tactic of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to advise farmers to burn earlier in the season to even out the misery and lessen the potential for extreme days mid-February - mid-April. By the way, that ministry can't really enforce anything. It basically recommends and sets standards, monitors the situation, and provides general reports as well as investigating complaints. It can recommend, not enforce. That is up to other government agencies.

Look here for a continuing discussion of several aspects of air pollution:

http://www.thaivisa....013-chiang-mai/

Look here for a suggestion for air conditioner filters:

http://www.thaivisa....23#entry7163052

The thread topic really ought to focus on the season rather than the calendar year. Perhaps Admin will launch a new thread dedicated to the 2013-2014 season. -Mapguy