Smoke from crop burning engulfed a road and created hazardous traffic conditions in central Thailand.

Footage shows the thick wall of smoke covering the highway in Nakhon Pathom province on February 21.

The haze reduced visibility as local authorities placed emergency lights on the road to prevent accidents.

Meanwhile, firefighters were battling the large wildfire ripping through two acres of forest nearby. They said they had to wait for the raging flames to weaken before tackling the blaze directly.

Traffic police were stationed in the area to guide motorists.

The wildfire occurred during the annual agricultural burning season, during which farmers set their crops ablaze to clear their lands cheaply.

Dangerous levels of deadly PM 2.5 particles are recorded every year in Thailand between December and April.

Despite paying lip service for several years, politicians have failed to stop individuals from burning their land due to it being cheaper and easier than modern farming methods.

In March 2023, the Public Health Ministry of Thailand reported that around 1.3 million people in the country had been unwell due to the rising levels of air pollution. Officials said 200,000 residents were hospitalised in a single week.

They warned hospitals in December 2023 to prepare for an influx of patients.

It came as researchers from Peking University in Beijing, China, also discovered that long-term exposure to particulate matter PM.25 air pollution is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

In December, Dr Krittai Thanasombatkul from Chiang Mai, Thailand, died of lung cancer. He had previously blamed PM 2.5 microdust particles for his condition.

The New York State Department of Health say PM 2.5 increases the risk of heart disease, asthma, and low birth weight.

While medics from South Korea published research in the National Institute of Health in the United States that said the pollutant increases the risk of stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and other illnesses such as immune deficiency and even obesity.