Latest news with #northernThailand
Bloomberg
14-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Thailand's Changing Cannabis Rules Leave Farmers in a Tough Spot
Businessweek Economics With the Southeast Asian nation moving to recriminalize the drug after just three years, the mountainous communities that grow it are bracing for real pain. When Thailand became the first Southeast Asian nation to decriminalize cannabis, in 2022, it ignited a 'green rush,' swiftly reshaping the economic landscape and challenging long-held cultural norms. Dispensaries proliferated in urban centers such as Bangkok, ballooning to more than 10,000 across the country. But the agricultural communities in the lush northern countryside are perhaps benefiting the most from the burgeoning industry—assuming the government doesn't shut the whole thing down. In the mountains of northern Thailand, which are blessed with an ideal climate and fertile soil, generations of Hmong and other ethnic minorities have long tended the land, preserving an intimate knowledge of indigenous plants and sustainable cultivation practices. Historically these communities were linked to illicit opium cultivation, before they shifted to more wholesome crops including corn, tea and vegetables starting in the late 1960s.
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CNA
26-06-2025
- General
- CNA
Climate Conversations - Meat and maize: How eating more meat is driving big environmental impacts
Climate Conversations Play Meat demand in Asia continues to soar. But the chicken and pork on your plate comes at a cost for both the farmers who produce animal feed and the forests of northern Thailand and beyond. Jack Board and Liling Tan discuss the impact of our insatiable appetite for meat.
Al Arabiya
05-03-2025
- Al Arabiya
Thai airline halts some domestic flights due to air pollution
One of Thailand's main airlines is suspending flights between Bangkok and a northern province for more than a month because of poor visibility caused by air pollution, the carrier confirmed on Wednesday. Air pollution spikes in Thailand, especially in the north, between December and April as farmers burn stubble to prepare land for the next crop season. Domestic carrier Bangkok Airways is halting flights from Bangkok to the northwestern town of Mae Hong Son because smog was expected to make visibility too poor to land, an airline official told AFP. 'We experienced the same problem last year when smog levels were extremely high,' the Bangkok Airways official at Mae Hong Son airport said. The airport authority in Mae Hong Son, a popular stop on the backpacker trail in northern Thailand, announced on Facebook last week that flights would be suspended from March 15 to April 20. 'Smog affects vision and safety of the airlines,' the post said. The air quality index for Mae Hong Son was 7.9 times greater than World Health Organization guidelines, according to IQ Air data, which measures global air pollution. Thailand has become increasingly alarmed about the effects of air pollution, which causes millions of people to need medical treatment each year. The government banned crop burning early this year, with violators facing fines and legal action, although it is not yet clear what impact the measures are having. The Department of National Disaster Prevention and Mitigation was ordered to 'update the actual situation to restore confidence among business operators', the government said in a statement after the Bangkok Airways flight suspension.
