Drivers battle through thick clouds of smoke from forest fires in northern Thailand

Drivers battle through thick clouds of smoke from forest fires in northern Thailand

Drivers had to battle through thick clouds of smoke after forest fires spread through Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

Footage was taken by motorist Khun Gift while she was riding to the downtown last Sunday (March 29) morning shows the scale of the air pollution from the blaze.

The fires which began on March 23 have spread across the region destroying more than 400 hectares of forest.

The driver said: "People in Chiang Mai have encountered unhealthy air quality more than three months.

We have been waking up with the worst breath every day.

We are calling for help." Thailand's environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa said on Monday (March 30) some of the fires may have been started deliberately.

During the period from January to April farmers in Southeast Asia use an agricultural process known as 'slash and burn' to clear the land of waste crops to prepare for the next season.

Officials also believe that some residents are deliberately starting fires to cause panic.

The environment chief said: "Some of the fires at Doi Suthep-Pui National Park in Chiang Mai were the result of villagers burning forest to aid foraging.

But we found some people deliberately set fires to create mayhem.

We do not know why they wished to do this.'' Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is understood to be ''deeply concerned'' about forest fires in the northern region.

More than 3,000 ministry employees have been drafted in to help tackle the blazes.