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On 2/16/2024 at 3:07 AM, webfact said:

 

The Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department admits its efforts to tackle sky-high PM2.5 levels in Bangkok are being thwarted by the haze drifting from Myanmar.

 

The department’s Director-General, Supit Pithaktham, sprung into action after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s directive to combat PM2.5 air pollution actively. Supit revealed that despite their daily endeavours since December to produce artificial rain, the intensified burning of farmland in Myanmar has unleashed a relentless barrage of pollution, carried by easterly winds into Bangkok.

 

“Although our sorties to seed clouds continue daily, we lack the aircraft to increase our efforts.”

Yesterday witnessed a surge in PM2.5 levels across Bangkok, prompting the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to advocate for remote work today and tomorrow. PM Srettha, responding to the crisis, rushed to the Air Quality Centre of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry’s Pollution Control Department for a briefing.

 

by Mitch Connor

Photo courtesy of The Nation

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-02-16

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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They have a rainmaking department?! Jesus Christ! Is it that bad?

On 2/15/2024 at 5:06 AM, jaideedave said:

I don't think it's enough to worry about.When I worked in the ME one employer paid everyone in USD cash.I often flew in BKK airport with over 10k in cash. Nobody asked and I didn't tell.

Mind you that was over 15 yrs ago.

I know that you're supposed to declare that amount but , oh well.

If asked I could have shown a pay advice.

One time waiting to board a plane at Heathrow to Tripoli a security fellow asked me how much cash I was carrying? I don't know why.

I think you are allowed to bring 15 000 USD into Thailand (or equilvalent) before you need to declare them.

19 hours ago, Sigmund said:

With all the big spenders from Europe, it is normal that retail business is boosted in december january. But wait till these quality retirees or visitors leave due to visa hassles, business will drop back to normal.

 

Thailand must make the red tape in foreign thai consulates more simple to get long stay retirement visa for the quality retirees from western europe who own property. These people are reliable and constant spenders and all have good health insurance by law in their homelands.

 

Currently they ask for far to many documents, notorised papers during the process of a long stay retirement visa,

 

Any retiree who owns a house in Thailand must have a simplified fast track process to get a 10 year visa. Currently the embassies abroad hassle with all sort of document requirements, translations, etc that will push these quality retirees to chose another country and sell their property in Thailand.

A clean (or cleaner) air would be nice as well.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have sought cooperation from both the public and private sectors in and around Bangkok by allowing their employees to work from home until this weekend, as air pollution has deteriorated to a health-threatening level.

 

The BMA’s Line Alert service at 6pm today showed PM2.5 reaching the Red level in 31 out of the 50 districts in the capital.

The Air Pollution Mitigation Centre reported excessive PM2.5 in the atmosphere of 55 provinces.

 

• In northern provinces, PM2.5 levels range from 18 to 83.2µg/m³
• In central and western provinces, PM2.5 ranges from 51.5 to 110.1µg/m³
• In eastern provinces it’s from 39.2 to 81.3µg/m³
• In north-eastern provinces, 22.5 to73.7µg/m³
• In Bangkok and its vicinity, PM2.5 ranges from 58.3 to 105µg/m³
• In southern provinces, its between from 14.6 and 37.8µg/m³

 

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-02-15

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

 

Not the next 3 months?

9 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

This is like a band aid covering a much more serious problem.

The government needs to address the cause of the pollution, not make superficial fixes...

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

'Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen, nineteen and six, result happiness.  Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.' 

Teach Dickens in schools.

But first the teachers need to learn it themselves.

Considering no one respects traffic lights there will become even more accidents with lights.

And at the same day 78 dies in road accidents in Thailand because of a non functional police force.

On 2/3/2024 at 7:39 AM, hotchilli said:

I wonder where they studied, most of the students I know couldn't find Europe.

Old news! Read about this some time ago from a non thai astronomer.

Only 1 thing will help and that is if the tourists (=money) stays away from Thailand. Problem is that most tourists dont know about the air pollution

Good to know the registration plate number...

On 1/31/2024 at 4:57 AM, Emdog said:

. "Despite the current AQI reading at a moderate level of 28 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), it remains 1.12 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended level of 15 µg/m3." What hole do they pull these numbers from? Check right now for Bangkok is 153-184.

These morons worried about tourists, don't give a damn about the health impact on Thai people

Where in Thailand is it ONLY 28 micrograms? Maybe that is the place to settle down.

Just now, Moonlover said:

 

Yes you have to have the mobile app and it can only be done through the bank's own ATMs. 

I see, thanks! Good to know! I normally avoid the mobile apps for security reason. But good to know about this option.

4 hours ago, Denim said:

 

Perfect solution to the ATM getting gobbled issue

4 hours ago, Denim said:

 

Perfect solution to the ATM getting gobbled issue

5 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Teach the good lady how to make cardless withdrawals. Problem solved. I've also taught my wife to use the Krungsri mobile app so she can transfer the money to her account.

 

How can you do cardless withdrawals? Is the smart phone involved in that?

I do not like hi tread count anymore. I have found out that lower tread count is better for me because the bed linen breadhes more easy and keeps me cool all night long. At the moment I have tread count 144 if I not remember wrong. Cotton of course. All the talk about silk dont suits me at all. They do not breathe.

In Thailand I have found IKEA not so bad about bed linen. But then it is also important what is inside the bed linen. And what matress you have. I dont like hard matresses as are the standard in Thailand. I want them soft and are now having a 7 cm nature latex matress on top of the normal matress. I sleep like a baby on that.

19 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Wouldn't it just...       though added confusion would exist for those expatriated from the EU (i.e. no longer tax resident in the UK - thus would a reciprocal agreement work for us then ?).

 

Obviously, reciprocal agreements would only work in government hospitals, but, that would be great - I'm in my 40's but already concerned about what happens in my 70's...  when I can't afford the extremely high insurance premiums or worse still, can't get insurance at all.

I don't know how that will work out with previous UK citizens. And I am not holding my breath regarding the agreement too as this has been ongoing for some time already. I am 67 so I am there soon facing the difficulty of healthcare protection. That is a horror story for many expats that still pays tax to the home country for nothing. An agreement would be just fair. We will see what will happen.

On 1/17/2024 at 10:09 AM, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Mate - there is no place in Thailand without air pollution sometimes.  We are currently in Rayong in a small village - OK air but we are thinking of moving. We like the big city stuff and miss it - long drive to Pattaya and I dont like that place either.  Hate Bangkok, dont like Hua Hin, Phuket sucks, CM bad, Samui expensive/small - basically we dont like any of the tourist spots to live. Depending on how this income tax thing goes (if bad we will try Philippines - great air and much cleaner - but not Manilla), but if the tax thing is all good, then we will probably try an East Isaan city - the further west you go in Isaan towards CM, the worse the smoke season.  But there is nowhere without bad air sometimes. Phuket is the probably the best overall in that regards, but it is a seriously screwed up and corrupt small island that gets 6-10 million tourists a year - great to visit a resort on the west coast - not a good place to live (for us). 

I agree with you about everything. I have lately considered Malaysia but I don´t know... And also Philippines (Cebu City). In Thailand I was thinking Maybe Songkhla but that is to far south and all the <deleted> there at the border. Maybe that spills over to Songkhla. Maybe Nakhon Si Thammarat or Surat Thani (the city). I was also into Hua Hin before and maybe that is the best option still because of it is close to Bangkok. But I am really uncertain were it is best to live if the tax-things turns out to be no problem for expats.

On 1/26/2024 at 8:38 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

No longer with the UK though...   (post brexit).... so the Framework to have something similar between Thailand and other countries is likely to be so complicated the probability of that happening is miniscule... 

 

Additionally, the cost of treatment throughout the EU is fairly similar...  but there is an extreme difference in comparison cost of treatment in the US and Thailand (for example) - thus any attempts to push through reciprocal agreements are unlikely to ever materialise.

 

 

The only viable routes are:

- Systems in place to ensure all have insraunce cover (that covers everything - even pished up incidents)... 

OR...

- Write the burden cost off (as 'cost of doing business' as Lopburi3 put it)

 

 

Right, or hope that EU will soon have an agreement about free healthcare in Thai government hospitals which I have hear they are working at. Don´t know if that is correct though. But that would be a game changer.

48 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

That 'would' make sense and is exactly what used to happen in the EU pre-Brexit...  but no more.

 

The issue of course is that people do not take responsibility for themselves.

When I first came over to Thailand in my early 20's - I didn't take out medical insurance... I was naïve and ignorant to such issues, as many young people are...   Then there others who just do not care or think something could happen to them.

 

IMO - as Thailand already makes so much money from Tourism, they should write off the burden costs which only falls at 1% of the income to the medical industry - which is pretty much what they already do...  but then there are the constant announcements complaining about the burden of tourists which is not exactly welcoming for a country which relies so heavily on tourism.

 

 

 

 

 

There still is the agreement between countries whitin EU. I as Swedish citizen will have free healthcare in any EU country.

17 hours ago, The Old Bull said:

I had my apendix out a few years ago before they had an ATM at the hospital.So when I went to leave they put me in an ambulance and headed to the nearest ATM with the lights and siren on ,wasn't too expensive around $1200. I think I was in the hospital three nights.

It would be helpful to know if private or governmental hospital...

On 1/22/2024 at 7:39 AM, Tropicalevo said:

Thanks for that response TGJIB.

I had not thought about the power supply. There is one near the place that I had planned to use, but I do not want cables trailing there.

I need to find one that runs of AA or AA batteries - similar to the thermometer.

The meters are having a fan that sucks in the air into the sensor. I think you need to have a rechargeable battery. Or power on all the time. AA batteries wont last long.

On 1/20/2024 at 6:51 AM, JustinCredible said:

I think that ALL farangs on this Forum should "Express Outrage" at this happening and DEMAND a full investigation by a minimum of three independent Police Stations.  [Sarcasm Alert]

And a overcrossed sign showing a picture of a angry thai with a knife selling beer on the street.

On 1/18/2024 at 6:42 AM, webfact said:

Whilst Bangkokians battle with the silent killer, the potent PM2.5 air pollution, the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine unveils a game-changing solution to combat the notorious dust particles threatening the health of residents in the capital city.

 

Amidst rising concerns over the long-term health impacts of PM2.5 exposure, Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, the face of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, reveals the secrets of four Thai herbs that promise to shield your lungs and heart from the invisible menace.

 

“Thai herbs have been scientifically proven to be effective in treating respiratory symptoms, as well as inflammation in internal organs caused by the fine dust slipping through the body’s screening mechanism.”

 

Highlighted as the frontline defender against fine dust pollution, the quartet includes little ironweed, laurel clockvine, Indian gooseberry, and turmeric. Dr Taweesilp prescribes little ironweed tea, also known as Ya Dok Khao, as a potent remedy for respiratory irritation, cautioning those with heart and liver conditions to consult physicians due to its high potassium content.

 

by Puntid Tantivangphaisal 

Photo courtesy of The Nation

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-18

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Jesus Christ!

Perfect for feeding the already bad air pollution. It would not be better using the money for poor homeless people? Just wondering...

2 hours ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

If the Thai airforce using the NASA fires website to identify a fire, and then goes and drops huge amounts of water on it - great!!  But anything else is a load of PR BS. 

 

We used to live in Chiang Mai and loved it - we left after 3 years because the smoke was unbearable on some days during the 'smoke season'. It got worse every year and lots of promises and PR BS announcements amounted to nothiong - so we left.  Is the Governor of Chiang Mai listening () that is 1 million baht a year NOT being spent in your Province anymore.  Nowhere has great year all round in Thailand - not even Phuket (90 now on IQair) - but Chiang Mai/Rai is a disaster.   

 

If the Thai Airforce water bombs the forest and farm fires - that would be very useful - as long as they do it all the time - day after day. Sure it will screw up a few farms - but screw them. And the mushroom hunters starting the forest fires can go fu...........  

Where did you move in Thailand? I am looking about that right now myself and trying to identify a location with less pollution other than Phuket.