Foreign tourist dies on Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand

A foreign tourist lost consciousness and died at a car park on Doi Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, yesterday afternoon.

The male tourist – name and nationality unknown – travelled to the mountain as part of a tour group, reports ThaiRath. He was estimated to be between 50 and 60 years old.

The tour guide took the group to see the Twin Pagodos but the foreign tourist stayed alone in the minivan, which was parked in the car park near the helipad.

Once the group returned to the minivan they found the tourist unconscious. CPR attempts were made but were unsuccessful and the tourist sadly passed away in the car park at around 1pm.

His body was taken to Chom Thong Hospital by military officers.

The tourist’s cause of death is currently unknown and will need to be confirmed by autopsy results. It is also unknown whether he had any preexisting health conditions.

Yesterday, Chiang Mai was ranked the most polluted city in the world for the second day running by IQAir, with an AQI of 212 (hazardous) in the morning.

The combination of severe PM2.5 dust pollution, low air pressure, rain and heat has made weather conditions at Doi Inthanon – Thailand’s tallest peak – stuffier than usual recently, reports ThaiRath.

Whether the pollution is related to the tourist’s death is not known at this stage.

Dr Wisarut Suparatpinyo from the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University advises people in areas with high PM2.5 levels to refrain from leaving the house or exercising outdoors, especially if they have a cardiovascular condition, are chronically ill or elderly.

The doctor also recommended using an air purifier at home.

Exposure to PM2.5 dust pollution can cause eye irritation, red eyes, frequent coughing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, suffocation, tight chest and irritated skin.

Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention, advised the doctor.

The Thaiger will update this story once more information becomes available.