The spiraling pigeon population at a popular tourist spot has sparked health concerns among worried locals in northern Thailand.

Flocks of the 'unhygienic' birds have taken over the Tha Phae Gate in Chiang Mai, ballooning in number as tourists feeding them began to flock back into Thailand following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Local media reported that workers at the attraction would often lure the pigeons with bags of bird feed and scatter the treats around to get the pigeons to fly while they take photos of the holidaymakers, many of whom were Chinese nationals.

However, the practices have caused the Tha Phae Gate to become increasingly dirty, strewn with leftover bird feed, plastic bags, and pigeon excrement on the seats and walls.

The local community has raised health concerns over the growing number of sick pigeons seen in the area, sparking fears of disease like bird flu spreading.

Residents have urged the relevant agencies to curb the pigeon population and carry out random disease testing. They added that bird feed sellers should be regulated, advocating for the 'natural presence' of the birds rather than luring them with food.

Local authorities said they had previously banned pigeon food sales and even arrested several workers. However, the offenders reportedly resumed selling bird feed once released due to the lucrative income.

Bird flu fears exploded in Thailand this year when an 11-year-old girl died of bird flu in the Prey Veng province of neighbouring Cambodia last February.

Following the girl's death, Thai authorities vowed to intensify security measures against the avian flu, dousing 'high-risk areas' like cockighting arenas and farms with chemicals.

Thailand has not had a bird flu case in more than 16 years.

An outbreak of avian flu has been decimating wild and domestic bird populations in several parts of the globe since late 2021. Infection among mammals, including minks, foxes, seals, and bears, is also rising, but transmission to humans remains rare, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a news conference in February, told reporters: 'The recent spillover to mammals needs to be monitored closely.

'For the moment, WHO assesses the risk to humans as low.'