Indonesian forest fire smog envelopes southern Thailand
Indonesian forest fire smog envelopes southern Thailand
4 July 2006
published by etna.mcot.net
Pattani, Thailand — Smog from forest fires in Indonesia has moved across the South now including Pattani on the Gulf of Thailand, Mr. Faisol Kasetkala, head of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office said Tuesday.
However, the density of the smog enveloping Pattani is less than that in Satun, on Thailand’s Andaman Sea coast, which has been blanketed by thick smog since last week.
Smog in Satun is at high enough levels to be a health hazard, as it can affect the human respiratory system, but the smog and fog in Pattani simply caused day long cloudiness, Mr. Faisol said.
Trawlers operating out of Pattani have been warned of possible problems related to reduced sunshine and visibility, he said.
Mr. Faisol said the Indonesian forest fire phenomenon emerged earlier this year than in previous years, which he said might be due to the La Nina phenomenon.
