News Forum - Bangkok officials to pause Skytrain construction, close schools if pollution levels rise

[Thaiger]

With levels of the air pollutant PM2.5 rising in Bangkok, city officials are considering pausing construction on the BTS Skytrain and closing schools in an effort to improve the air quality if the levels rise to unhealthy levels. Officials plan to also be more strict when it comes to enforcing laws on vehicle emissions and advising the public to carpool or use public transportation to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. In the capital, the fine particulate matter 2.5 has been reaching levels this week that are classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” The PM2.5 levels are estimated […]

The story Bangkok officials to pause Skytrain construction, close schools if pollution levels rise as seen on Thaiger News.

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[NCC1701A]

"I got an idea! Lets stop construction on the train that cuts down on PM 2.5 levels."

"Good thinking. What is for lunch?" 

[PompeyLlama]

How about re opening schools first! 

Unless your child is 12+ and fully vaccinated then schools are NOT! open. And the "online" learning is a joke. 

Younger children need the learning environment of a school so every time they say school is re opening we get hopeful only to be told its not for the un vaccinated. 

This for us means our daughter won't go back to school for another 18 months and our son another 3 years!

Just think how many under 12s education is suffering because of this. 

[AlexPTY]

Schools causing pollution? Maybe I didn't read it right, my bad. Do kids fa#t too much? 

[DiJoDavO]

39 minutes ago, AlexPTY said:

Schools causing pollution? Maybe I didn't read it right, my bad. Do kids fa#t too much? 

There's a big difference on the road between when the schools are closed vs open. I kind of understand that part. 

[AlexPTY]

6 minutes ago, DiJoDavO said:

There's a big difference on the road between when the schools are closed vs open. I kind of understand that part. 

i think there is a misconception regarding PM2.5 sources in Bangkok in particular, according to this: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18258301/

"Biomass burning was the major source of PM(2.5) mass concentrations at residential sites. Meat cooking also accounted for 31% of PM(2.5) mass at a low impact site. Automobile, biomass burning, and road dust were less significant, contributed 10, 6, and 5%, respectively."

so your friendly street food vendors should be taken off the streets before shutting down schools...

[Bluesofa]

43 minutes ago, AlexPTY said:

i think there is a misconception regarding PM2.5 sources in Bangkok in particular, according to this: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18258301/

"Biomass burning was the major source of PM(2.5) mass concentrations at residential sites. Meat cooking also accounted for 31% of PM(2.5) mass at a low impact site. Automobile, biomass burning, and road dust were less significant, contributed 10, 6, and 5%, respectively."

so your friendly street food vendors should be taken off the streets before shutting down schools...

My mind has gone off at a tangent.
Should we force meat vendors on the side of the road to use a microwave, cook the meat in the sun, or only sell steamed vegetables?

[HiuMak]

19 hours ago, Thaiger said:

With levels of the air pollutant PM2.5 rising in Bangkok, city officials are considering pausing construction on the BTS Skytrain and closing schools in an effort to improve the air quality if the levels rise to unhealthy levels. Officials plan to also be more strict when it comes to enforcing laws on vehicle emissions and advising the public to carpool or use public transportation to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. In the capital, the fine particulate matter 2.5 has been reaching levels this week that are classified as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” The PM2.5 levels are estimated […]

The story Bangkok officials to pause Skytrain construction, close schools if pollution levels rise as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

If only the city officials target the correct source of pollution(20%), it will solve 80% of PM2.5. Small polluters will make any difference

[AlexPTY]

1 hour ago, Bluesofa said:

My mind has gone off at a tangent.
Should we force meat vendors on the side of the road to use a microwave, cook the meat in the sun, or only sell steamed vegetables?

frankly, i think it's illegal, unhygienic, unhealthy, tax evasion and so on... of cause this country cannot survive without street food, but blaming schools and construction sites for pollution is just plain stupid. I would rather have BMA sent every diesel powered car for a tech inspection every year as it supposed to be, instead trying to do selective road testing

[palooka]

Number three fixes a lot of their problem.

Start investing in sugar cane harvesters, form regional co-ops to assist. Most burn it off as they cannot afford to mechanical harvest.

The rich farmers who have the harvesters charge 50% of the crop to cut and transport to mill, small growers with 10 rai etc cannot afford this so they burn.

How many harvesters can you buy for the cost of one submarine?

Stopping children going to school is not helping Thailands' future, sets the nation back a generation or two.