Chiang Mai (northern Thailand's main cultural hub), long prized for its mountain scenery and clean highland air, is seeing a sharp drop in visitors as thick wildfire smog blankets the region during the Songkran new year holiday, a critical period for tourism. Persistent wildfires have left the city among the world's most polluted, with thousands of hotspots recorded across Thailand and health authorities reporting surging cases of respiratory illness, nosebleeds, and other pollution-related conditions. The crisis compounds existing economic strain caused by disrupted flights and rising operating costs linked to the US-Israel conflict with Iran, which has prompted Thailand's tourism authority to cut its national arrivals target by up to 18%.