blueyeshk

Looking from Big C, Mae Hia at 10 am this morning the mountain range was missing.

I can't see any weather forecaster web site predicting any rain,apart from the chance of a thunderstorm, for the next 14 days.

Rain, of any consequence, could be weeks away.

Hey hey who said the north is due to rain - sure you have all May to enjoy the smoke more or less.

It's more likely to be a combination of the extreme heat that prevents them from burning plus the knowledge that the rains are imminent - if it aint burned by this point then it waits until next year.

That's a funny thought- they will always find something to burn - wait next week until they are all on a mission again - u still have lots of time to suffer

It's always amazing to see how the so called "wildfires" disappear if Thais got something else to do like celebrating - so the best would be a call for a 4 month celebration period from feb-may. Let them pray until their ankles are striped from skin.

Soon it will all be forgotten though..............................................until next year

Not quite so I remember my one and only smoke season a decade ago - since than I leave from feb-June and I remember it every year in the comfort zone of a fresh breeze abroad.

The fire map is working again with hourly updates - who is taking bets that this will be the longest season we had? No rain and they will burn until 2017

http://www.ehabich.info/images/synchro/asia.jpg

It is still to early to finalize this burning season with about a month ahead but somewhat i sensed a tiny move of change one can just hope it was not all just slightly better than the past decade because of climate or drought effects maybe we witnessed the start of a change in thinking. Looking on today's fire map you can make clearly out the border line to neighboring countries which have to follow suit with reduction of burning if the overall pollution condition shall improve for everybody. Don't get me wrong - I am highly skeptical for the coming years and will not change my escape pattern by leaving from February to May because even with a eventually major reduction I still think the north is inhabitable for some month every year - I just hope my sense is right and they come to theirs.

http://www.ehabich.info/images/synchro/asia.jpg

An ancient saying: fly away from February to May - don't forget to return in June

Looking at FIRMS reports of fires this year in the Doi Suthep area, there appears to have been in recent weeks quite a few sitings. The report received this AM was an astonishing 79 spotted in the past 24-hour period . This is by far the highest number I can recall in quite a few years, and the satellites don't pick all of them up in any case. From day to day the number can vary significantly, and 79 does not reflect a 24-hour average. It is really puzzling to me how this information and various ground reports reflected above do not seemingly agree.

I've never been able to find any relation between fire maps for nearby areas (or fires spotted on the mountain) and then smog levels in the hours/days following those.

(Note that I'm not saying that there is no relation, just that I haven't found it and that I don't understand it.)

Good luck guys hang on there it's just another month or so. Don't understand why nobody is protesting , by phone, mail, feets on the street. Instead of just looking out of the window like a cow who will get butchered next.

At least do this even I recommend more one of the above sign, share make public:

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand#petition-letter

I would sign it if it has things in it that made sense.

Do your own I sign yours as well

Both CM and CR are quite clear of smog

All the smoke has been reported to come from neighbouring countries.

Are you serious? Take a look outside, the air in Chiang Mai is an absolute disgrace.

And don't be fooled by the Thais pointing their fingers at Burma and Laos. That's just their way of skirting the responsibility of actually doing something about the burning problem here.

That is not to say that the burning in and the pollution from Myanmar is a small problem, potentially one that could dwarf the local problem at times, as posts 252 and 253 so very clearly show.

I'm not saying the burning is Burma is not contributing to the problem here. But until the Thai authorities actually start actively tackling the burning problem in Thailand head on, the fingers of Thai citizens should be firmly pointed at Thai authorities, not their neighbouring countries.

You'd think with the estimated loss in tourism revenue of 3 Billion THB, and another 3 Billion on top of that to treat those affected by the pollution, year after year, that Chiang Mai officials would manage more than putting up a few signs and some useless cloud seeding. Not to mention that buffoon of a Mayor and his "burning schedule".

It's a hopeless situation, as it seems to be beyond the scope of Thailand's problem solving capabilities.

"it seems to be beyond the scope of Thailand's problem solving capabilities".

In fact it's probably beyond the scope of problem solving capabilities of most countries and most people, within around a twenty year time frame at minimum.

If you want to stop the burning in Thailand you have to change the culture, indigenous folk have been farming this way for centuries, to change that culture you need education and need to access lots of very poor rural farmers in a range of mostly inaccessible and often hidden locations.

Then you need to provide an alternative to burning, one that is just as easy to implement, minimally labour intensive and with zero cost overhead. For example, the rural hilltribe farmer who farms a rai on the side of a mountain that has nothing but dirt track access and is in the back of beyond, an area that uses no mechanized tools whatsoever, needs a solution that doesn't cost him anything above a box of matches and a litre of petrol. A government sponsored scheme whereby state owned helicopters hovered overhead whilst the army cut the mans dead grass and trees and loaded it onto nets to be flown away for incineration might work, anything short of that probably wont, not without at least a couple of decades of intense education.

Cue Mr compost, cue Mr rotovator/tractor, cue Mr fine and jail them.

Only partially tru I think that your view is very romantic- we arrived already also in Thailand in big scale agriculture farming and face groups like CP who further promote pollution on a massive scale.

Good luck guys hang on there it's just another month or so. Don't understand why nobody is protesting , by phone, mail, feets on the street. Instead of just looking out of the window like a cow who will get butchered next.

Totally agree!!!

But perhaps there should be at least a few hundreds people to make local authorities concerned!!

So u wait like everybody does? At least sign the above petition letter (link) it's a start. Sent emails, call local government. Just don't sit.

Good luck guys hang on there it's just another month or so. Don't understand why nobody is protesting , by phone, mail, feets on the street. Instead of just looking out of the window like a cow who will get butchered next.

At least do this even I recommend more one of the above sign, share make public:

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand#petition-letter

When do you estimate that the pollutions levels at Chiang Mais become acceptable?

I looked at the 8 days forecast and it still looks still quite bad.

Wondering when to return back to Chiang Mai.

When they are done they are done- public holidays /celebration days give a break sometimes like sonkrahn just to restart in full force right after again. Only rain stops them from going out there and light everything in their path and by rain we talk not about a day or two but torrential rain over a couple of days and weeks. My guess and u can only do this is may/June

Sign it:

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand?lang=en-GB#petition-letter

While there are cultural differences which leads many to see Chinese behavior as rude, I've seen greedy customers at all you can eat buffets of all races and religions in multiple countries. Most haven't made such a spectacle of themselves however and were busy quietly sneaking food out of the buffet for friends and relatives at home who didn't want to pay to enter..... Who hasn't seen a story of some poor morbidly obese person kicked out of an all you can eat buffet for eating all they can?

Recommend a heavy dose of reality check - go more out there. Try to check in at airasia, or just go to any tourist spot/beach/restaurant u name it.

Dear uncle Xi,

Would you please free the world community from the sight of your country men and ban traveling, other countries are obviously not strong enough to say "no" to a presumedly quick bug. Please, I really worry about my mental state every time I hear,smell,see (in this order they appear) them and I am sure they provoke more aggressive feelings in others.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

It's an anagram for.... Figure it out

I know the air is bad but it doesn't seem nearly as bad as in years past. The mountains are visible through the haze, the sky is grayish-blue and the moon is shining brightly at night. This time last year it was a lot worse. I don't know if the relatively good (or not as bad) conditions are due to weather patterns or because the drought has left less vegetation to burn.

Most likely your observation is correct last and previous years this time we had already double the figures than what we got now but does it really matter if you lose your life in an accident and on top a leg?

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand#petition-letter

Sign it - better than to look out of the window

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand#petition-letter

Sign it - better than to look out of the window

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand#petition-letter

Sign it - better than to look out of the window

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand#petition-letter

Sign it - better than to look out of the window

https://www.change.org/p/chiang-mai-governor-improve-haze-pollution-information-for-public-health-in-northern-thailand#petition-letter

Sign it better than to look out of the window

Greetings from Bali by arrival the customs officer told me with a smile I could extend my 2 month visa to up to 180 days easily - live can be so easy and it's a seriously good alternative.