The recent haze crisis in the North may have a negative impact on the region, particularly on the health of local people, but an imminent closure of the Thai-Burmese border as a result of conflicts between the Burmese government and ethnic minorities, may prove gloomier than the smog.
The haze that has devastated the northern provinces has come mainly from forest fires and slash-and-burn farming practices in the neighbouring country, over which Thailand has no authority.
The issues of haze and border conflict were raised recently at a meeting of the Thai-Burma Township Border Committee (TBC) in the Burmese border town of Tachilek, opposite Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, in a bid to improve cooperation between local authorities.
The efforts to put out the forest fires and curb slash-and-burn farming practices has paid off, but the meeting at the local level could not guarantee that the border will not be closed due to "the looming flames of war."
In fact, bilateral relations became touchy again when a Thai ranger was killed by a grenade coming from the Burmese side, where Burmese troops clashed with ethnic minority fighters opposite Chiang Rai's Mae Fa Luang district.
The incident was followed a few days later by the kidnapping of a border patrol policeman by another ethnic minority group at the border in Kanchanaburi.
The incidents subsequently led to border closures in Mae Hong Son and Tak.
As for Tachilek, no order on the closure has been issued yet but there is widespread speculation that a sealing may be unavoidable as fighting between the Burmese and ethnic groups intensifies.
The Burmese junta has mobilised troops to strategic mountainous areas in Tachilek town. The mass mobilisation of 758 and 751 rapid deployment forces included more than 500 armed troopers.
Their target of attack was a base of the Shan ethnic group located opposite Chiang Rai's Mae Fa Luang district.
But the smog delayed the attack. It shrouded the area and caused the Burmese forces to put its military action on hold.
Shan ethnic forces, based on Doi Kor Wan, Doi Kor Hom and Doi Kor Muang mountains, are well aware of the Burmese army's movement which is common in the dry season. They prepared for the attack a month ago.
The Burmese troops have to make careful decisions about their military strategies, as any attack against the Shan forces now might aggravate border problems with Thailand.
And if that is the case, it will definitely affect border trading at Mae Sai district - as has happened in the past, particularly at the time when Gen Surayud Chulanont was army chief and Gen Wattanachai Chaimuenwong was Third Army commander.
Now local traders are keeping their fingers crossed that the Burmese suppression against the minority ethnic groups will not result in another border closure, because that would hammer another nail in the coffin of the local economy, which was badly affected by the recent haze crisis.