Rampant farm burning ravaged homes and spread air pollution as farmers continued to ignore warnings not to burn their fields in Thailand.

Aerial footage shows the apocalyptic scene in Nakhon Ratchasima province as thick smoke blanketed swathes of rice fields that were blackened from the harmful practice known as 'slash and burn'

Police officers in the Krachon district were notified that the flames had also spread to a nearby house on March 23.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze in an hour, but one person was left homeless.

The resident Duangsamorn Suannok, 50, said she was running errands when a neighbour called to tell her her house was burning.

She said: 'All of my belongings were burned. Everything is around 100,000 baht. I want the one responsible to take responsibility and pay for the damages.'

Police believe the fire was caused by a farmer burning rice stubble in the field. Investigations were ongoing.

Dangerous levels of deadly PM 2.5 particles - which cause cancer and other debilitating illnesses - are recorded every year in Thailand between December and April when farmers across Southeast Asia burn waste crops to clear their land.

The rudimentary method, known as 'slash and burn', is quicker and cheaper than modern machinery, leaving relatively poor landowners unwilling to heed environmental and health concerns over economic necessity.

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.

Researchers from Peking University in Beijing, China, found that exposure to PM 2.5 air pollution is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

In December, Dr Krittai Thanasombatkul from Chiang Mai - one of the world's worst cities for air pollution - died of lung cancer. He had previously blamed PM 2.5 microdust particles for his condition.

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

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.