Massive wildfires raged as agricultural burning continues in northern Thailand.

Footage shows apocalyptic scenes as thick smoke and agricultural fires engulfed the Tat Ton National Park in Chaiyaphum province on February 23.

Firefighters, volunteers, and park rangers battled to control the blaze, which continued until the following day.

Swiss air quality technology company IQAir reported that the Air Quality Index in the province reached 103 with a PM2.5 level of 36.3 microgrammes per cubic metre, indicating 'unhealthy' air quality for sensitive groups.

More than 15,000 acres of forest has been ravaged by wildfires said to be caused by farmers clearing fields in Chaiyaphum. They burn off waste crops to clear the land and make it ready for new planting instead of environmentally friendlier methods, which take longer and cost more.

In the Nang Dad sub-district, helicopters and more than 100 people were previously dispatched to contain an out-of-control fire.

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.