Chiang Rai Secures 36 Million Baht Budget to Fight Forest Fires

CHIANG RAI — The Thai government has allocated 36.42 million baht to Chiang Rai province for the 2026 fiscal year to combat the escalating crisis of forest fires and PM2.5 air pollution.

This funding, the second-highest in Northern Thailand, focuses on strengthening firebreaks and increasing patrol efficiency in protected conservation areas. Despite local successes in controlling hotspots, officials warn that regional transboundary smoke from neighboring countries remains a critical challenge that money alone cannot solve.

Strategizing the 36 Million Baht Investment

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment distributed the 36,424,500 baht budget across three primary agencies. This strategic allocation marks Chiang Rai as a high-priority “frontline” province in the battle against seasonal smog.

According to data reported by Nakorn Chiang Rai News, the funding is broken down as follows:

Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP): 27.26 million baht. This lion’s share is dedicated to fire control (11.6 million), constructing firebreaks (9.8 million), and enhancing overall operational efficiency (5.8 million).
Royal Forest Department: 8.61 million baht. These funds target fire prevention and smoke control specifically within community and national forest reserves.
Office of the Permanent Secretary: 550,000 baht. This smaller portion supports administrative coordination and haze mitigation efforts.

“The budget acts as the fuel for our systems, but the real task involves managing complex terrain and cross-border cooperation,” local officials noted in the report. The funding recognizes that Chiang Rai faces a multi-layered problem, including high-altitude mountains, communities living near forest edges, and international borders.

Why Chiang Rai Ranks Second in Funding

Across the 17 northern provinces, the total budget for wildfire and PM2.5 management reached 351.46 million baht. Chiang Mai received the highest allocation at 73.4 million baht, followed by Chiang Rai. This ranking is significant because Chiang Rai does not always have the highest number of internal hotspots.

However, its geographical position makes it a “impact zone” for smoke drifting from Myanmar and Laos. Experts from the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) recently identified nearly 300,000 hotspots in neighboring countries. Even if Chiang Rai achieves zero internal fires, north-westerly winds often push hazardous levels of PM2.5 into the province, turning the sky a hazardous red.

The Challenge of Transboundary Haze

While the 2026 budget provides necessary tools like drones and satellite monitoring, it highlights a persistent limitation: domestic funding cannot stop international smoke.

“We have seen a decrease in internal hotspots due to strict local management, yet air quality remains at dangerous levels,” said a provincial spokesperson. This discrepancy suggests that while Chiang Rai is becoming more resilient, the “war on dust” requires diplomatic solutions alongside financial ones.

The budget allows for:

Increased Patrols: Hiring local personnel to monitor high-risk zones 24/7.
Technological Upgrades: Using drones to scan for early-stage fires in inaccessible valleys.
Community Protection: Assisting villages in creating buffer zones to prevent agricultural fires from spreading into protected forests.

Looking Toward a Sustainable Solution

The focus for 2026 shifts heavily toward the Department of National Parks, which manages nearly three-quarters of the regional budget. This indicates a policy shift toward protecting biodiversity and preventing fires in deep forest areas before they become uncontrollable.

Community-led models, such as the one in Phan District, have shown that forest restoration can curb haze while generating carbon credit income for locals. These “buffer zone” projects are increasingly seen as the most cost-effective way to supplement government spending.

As the 2026 fire season approaches, the 36.42 million baht represents a significant commitment from the central government. However, for the residents of Chiang Rai, the true measure of success will not be the amount of money spent, but whether they can finally breathe clean air during the dry season.

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