News Forum - Agency reports deteriorating air quality in Thailand’s North and Northeast

[Thaiger]

Air quality in Thailand’s North and Northeast is deteriorating mostly due to farmers burning waste, and villagers lighting fires in forests. Thai PBS reports that the air quality “may” pose a risk to people’s health. The country’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency said that on Tuesday there were 1,060 ‘hot spots’ across Thailand. 110 of the hotspots were in Chiang Mai province, and 92 were in Lampang province. The hot spots are leading to increasing levels of PM2.5 dust. In addition to farmers burning waste, villagers often light fires in forests while they hunt for animals, pick produce, or […]

The story Agency reports deteriorating air quality in Thailand’s North and Northeast as seen on Thaiger News.

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[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

5 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

Air quality in Thailand’s North and Northeast is deteriorating mostly due to farmers burning waste, and villagers lighting fires in forests.

I don't suppose Chiang Mai is planing to copy Phuket as a world class healt destination? The billionaires privat jets would get lost in the Smog.

[KaptainRob]

16 minutes ago, DoUKnowWhoIAm said:

I don't suppose Chiang Mai is planing to copy Phuket as a world class healt destination? The billionaires privat jets would get lost in the Smog.

^ Haha.

Chiang Mai is a large province, not just a city and current visibility at CNX is 8km's.

Friends visiting up north in the province report heavy smoke coming across from Mae Hong Son as well as many local fires.

Typically, with the hot, dry season and natural convection, dust rises to mix with smoke and this causes high particulate counts.  With no winds to carry it away, smoke and dust literally hovers in the valleys until a strong wind or rain storm clears the air.

 

[Bangkok]

The Prime Minister doesn't care about anyone's health even when knowing 25% of citizens die prematurely from pollution caused by fires and smokey vehicles.

When Prayut was asked about the pollution he stated : "Its ok for me".

If he orders farmers and citizens to stop starting fires, he'll lose political approval points meaning he's putting his own political ambitions before the health of Thai citizens.

[Shade_Wilder]

49 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

Thai PBS reports that the air quality “may” pose a risk to people’s health.

The truly sad fact is that unless it affects The Kingdom of Bangkok and Surroundings, nothing will be done.

C'mon Northerners!

Your incessant whining for clean air is disturbing the image of the capital, and having deleterious effects on afternoon tea and crumpets.

Why can't you help the Nation and hold your breath for a few months?

Selfish people...

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by Shade_Wilder

[PapayaBokBok]

I'll tell ya one thing, Im gonna  ..wait....(hack)   (cough)  (urp...catches breath)  (rubs eyes)....

[JamesR]

13 hours ago, KaptainRob said:

^ Haha.

Chiang Mai is a large province, not just a city and current visibility at CNX is 8km's.

Friends visiting up north in the province report heavy smoke coming across from Mae Hong Son as well as many local fires.

Typically, with the hot, dry season and natural convection, dust rises to mix with smoke and this causes high particulate counts.  With no winds to carry it away, smoke and dust literally hovers in the valleys until a strong wind or rain storm clears the air.

It goes on for months.

A friend has a house in CM and one in Hua Hin, he and many others he knows 'do a runner' to HH during the three or four month annual burning spree. 

 

[JamesR]

13 hours ago, Bangkok said:

The Prime Minister doesn't care about anyone's health even when knowing 25% of citizens die prematurely from pollution caused by fires and smokey vehicles.

When Prayut was asked about the pollution he stated : "Its ok for me".

If he orders farmers and citizens to stop starting fires, he'll lose political approval points meaning he's putting his own political ambitions before the health of Thai citizens.

I don't see why the government can not set up a system where farmers can hire tractors from them at the end of each season and plough the residual vegetation not burn it. 

[HiuMak]

All the talks about Green Movement is BS in Thailand

[KaptainRob]

8 hours ago, JamesR said:

It goes on for months.

A friend has a house in CM and one in Hua Hin, he and many others he knows 'do a runner' to HH during the three or four month annual burning spree. 

Certain locations in the province are worse than others.  No different to what most Aussies from NSW and Victoria already know.

If you choose to live adjacent to bushland or upwind (prevailing seasonal winds being souwesterly) of forested Arras then you will experience smoke from bush fires.

I live 4 kms from the airport but 10km s East of any bush land.  I'm 10 minutes from the cbd and have seldom experienced heavy smoke encroachment. 

[KaptainRob]

1 hour ago, HiuMak said:

All the talks about Green Movement is BS in Thailand

Not true.  Chiang Mai government is very pro active in this regard with strict anti burning laws and heavy fines.  Trouble is the size of the province with so many far flung villages and lots of tinder dry bush land.

The media likes to blame CP corn growers yet many large fires start from indiscrimate rubbish fires or mushroom gatherers burning the vegetation.  They are simple folk who simply have no idea what they're doing.

I've seen a huge change in attitudes, policy and enforcement over recent years yet the media reports seldom tell the truth.

I read a Pattaya news article yesterday which would have readers think we were choking in pollution .... No,  blue sky above me.  But the AQI station they chose was one which records morning rush hour exhaust and convected dust.  Simple analysis of location, time of day and whole of day data shows the real picture but that would be NEWS, would it?

[HiuMak]

On 3/4/2022 at 9:54 AM, KaptainRob said:

Not true.  Chiang Mai government is very pro active in this regard with strict anti burning laws and heavy fines.  Trouble is the size of the province with so many far flung villages and lots of tinder dry bush land.

The media likes to blame CP corn growers yet many large fires start from indiscrimate rubbish fires or mushroom gatherers burning the vegetation.  They are simple folk who simply have no idea what they're doing.

I've seen a huge change in attitudes, policy and enforcement over recent years yet the media reports seldom tell the truth.

I read a Pattaya news article yesterday which would have readers think we were choking in pollution .... No,  blue sky above me.  But the AQI station they chose was one which records morning rush hour exhaust and convected dust.  Simple analysis of location, time of day and whole of day data shows the real picture but that would be NEWS, would it?

Pollution, Green House Effect, etc......It is a very tricky business.

Large organisations move their toxic production to a more pollution friendly location like Thailand for example because they cannot comply with emission laws in their country.

Most NGOs or government have big support from Large Organisations (main pollutors) and and there is little they can do to go against, else risks losing sponsorship or investment. Examples are Meat Industry, Fishery, agriculture and textile etc. Small time recycling effort, control of vehicle emission, solar energy, etc do not help too much. Solve 20% of the problems with the former you get better results.