Burning (smoky) season in Chiang Mai

[Joseph Arthur De Gonzo]

Hello all, but mostly @Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu and @Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu since I know you lived in Chiang Mai for years. 

I'll be in Thailand Jan til  April and for some reason I thought the burning season was closer to june but I just realized that these months are basically the heart of it. And from what I've seen it seems that it's getting worse avery year. 

Anyways, would like to have your input. My main concern is that I am traveling with my 8-months baby and I thought, well, maybe it's not the best to impose a crazy smog to my little girl. So instead of doing three months in Chiang Mai, I am now thinking of doing January in Chiang Mai, February in southern Isaan and April on the Islands, maybe Krabi. Would that make sense in terms of avoiding the worse of the burning season?

Also, would like your opinion on the burning season in general, am I freaking out? I get contradicting messages online about it. Some say it's the worse, others that the worse about it is people complaining about it. 

Personally, I did not mind training in Bangkok or Pattaya as far as pollution goes.

Thank you very much

[Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu]

We were in Chiang Mai at the start of the first Covid wave, which I think was the start of March 2019. For me, the burning was horrible. My eyes hurt, I couldn't run outside and the mountains are invisible all day, every day. We were staying right at the foot of Doi Suthep, so it was rough there. However, where we were training with Karuhat, which was more or less on the other side of the Moat, the air quality wasn't as painful. 

Kevin thought it "wasn't so bad." His experience was driving between places and being in the hotel room (we didn't do much of anything other than train, due to Covid). So, from my perspective: not worth it to go during burning season. From Kevin's perspective: we lived in Chiang Mai for 2.5 years, probably experienced 3 burning seasons during that time, and it was never something that kept me from running and training. I don't know if it got worse, I was less accustomed to it, or what. But I hate it. Other than that time of year, when the rain clears it out, it's absolutely gorgeous.

[Joseph Arthur De Gonzo]

Thank you @Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu 

I pretty much decided I am only going to do January in Chiang Mai and then February and March elsewhere to make sure I avoid the burning season.

One think I don't understand is that googling "burning season in Thailand" I only find information about Chiang Mai. But the phenomenon of farmer burning fields + densely populated city in a valley must not be unique to Chiang Mai in the country. Do you know if the burning season affects only Chiang Mai or is it also bad in Chiang Rai, north of Bangkok and Isaan?