FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Programs: Frontier Gold, DL estranged 1MMer, Spirit VIP, CO/NW/UA/AA once gold/plat/comped gold now dust.
Posts: 38,151
Expats working in Thailand [Split from Thailand Air Pollution problems]
I get the sense that Chiang Mai was on the verge of a breakout of being THE place so often mentioned as the premier example of one where you can live a lot cheaper than in (insert developed country here, such as the U.S.) that it becomes known even to the public at large, but that this haze problem just killed that off for at least several years.
Now whenever we get the bloggers, YouTubers or even occasional TV shows gushing about it they hear immediately, "Yeah, but it's so polluted for some months in a year that it'll endanger your health. It even made Most Polluted City in the World during that time."
Thailand won't be able to measure the losses from the comedown from what COULD have been, but I have a feeling they'll be huge. CM could have been the world-renowned Digital Nomad Capital and another feather in the cap for the TAT, but for this.
Was in Bangkok earlier in the week for one of the 100-degree days, BTW. Not fun to think how it could be happening more often soon with climate change.