URMySunshine

17 minutes ago, canopy said:

However this is a landmark admission. In past years poor air was always blamed on Burma, the weather, and other factors. Never was it Thai people's fault. Putting blame where it belongs is an unprecedented and also a necessary step towards change.

 

Baby jackboot steps as it were. 

56 minutes ago, canopy said:

Wrong again. They are in poverty because they grow antiquated subsistence farming size plots which are not competitive with modern, efficient growers around the world. 10 rai worked for subsistence, not anymore. Today Thai farmers have become a burden to the tax payer. Torching the fields and dousing them with horrible poisons is doing more harm than good and it's a painful truth the farmers cannot accept. And it is incredibly stupid to tell everyone around you "hey i'm burning stuff every year to save a baht and a lot of you will suffer and get sick and end up in the hospital." And then our hearts melt and we all end up feeling sorry for them and prop up this failed system which only assures a deeper, longer cycle of poverty for the farmers and poor health of the inhabitants. Great system.

 

It was called I think the "Sufficiency Economy" and is therefore beyond criticism. 

On 8/18/2019 at 2:45 AM, atyclb said:

 

please dont ruin our self deluded fairy tales even if your name is ron jeremy . hehe

 

ps; ron jeremy doesn't get it for free, he gets paid for doing it

It's a long thread and this therefore has most probably  been said before but aren't the quotes in the wrong place. Shouldn't it be Paying Thai "girlfriend" a salary.

33 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

I have 2 in our condo but it doesn't solve the issue really.

Even on the island where we have a house, where no cars are allowed, the air is totally skrewed. What's the point of having an island getaway if you dye from coughing there...

 

We are currently looking for RE in Lisbon, as you said, help yourself... still sucks that millions have to suffer for a handful of people to make big bucks.

Lisbon is a refreshing '11' - Portugal is on a lot of folk's radar at the moment it would seem.

I have heard that farangs with asian wives can sometimes get the cold shoulder in Korea as they often assume she is a 'scarlet woman'. 

9 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

Cars are not much of an issue according to real science, sure they make it worse but they aren't a fix for the issue we have: 

https://towardsdatascience.com/identifying-the-sources-of-winter-air-pollution-in-bangkok-part-i-d4392ea608dc 

https://towardsdatascience.com/identifying-the-sources-of-winter-air-pollution-in-bangkok-part-ii-72539f9b767a

 

 

In other words we are skrewed.

 

If this was coming from Thailand and Malaysia only, then maybe.... but Laos and Cambodia, Myanmar will not ever give a <deleted> without a military intervention.

If you are waiting to be saved by the cavalry then you may be waiting a long time. If you are thinking should I buy an air purifier think no more as it says in the Lion King "it is time" . At least in the 12 hours you spend in your house/condo the air will be clean. 

7 minutes ago, UncleMhee said:

And that's why I love it OP ........because the cons are in the monkey house, and the pros are everywhere.

If you have just made that up then I doff my cap in admiration. 

8 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

yes you did, you called it thainess and it's just a stupid generalisation implying all thais are ignorant.

 

Most of the burning here is caused by 1 sugarcane manufacturer right now, a guy that happens to be the richest anti corruption commitee member: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitr_Phol_Group

 

they are the worlds fifth largest sugar producer, asias largest.

They are producing so much oversupply that they crashed the entire sugar market last year: http://sugar-asia.com/rise-sugar-industry-to-overhaul-the-sugar-system-of-thailand/

 

What is a thai going to do against them? It would be the governments job to stop them burning. But they won't, they are the government. literally.

Looks we have ourselves a new Thaksin - well said. And to think bioethanol is supposed to be more green. That said remember 'Andy Hall'. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Hall_(activist)

1 minute ago, CGW said:

Indeed, they no longer have a voice, "they" control the government and the media, long fight back - if they ever do?

I imagine the elite are not exactly happy with their countries air turning to shiite. The costs of fixing it are far lower than of the costs of maintaining the deteriorating status quo. The problem comes is that the levers of power don't really work when the push comes to shove and they are confronted with a crisis. 

1 minute ago, kingofthemountain said:

It didnt' take long before you got rude

that says more about you than your ''pink glasses'' topic

I remember this place when it were all green fields and clear crystal water - in  a galaxy far far away. 

2 hours ago, Gerard052 said:

When you are in Rome you do like Romans do.

If only we could still feed Christians to the lions we would have a reason to go out. 

4 minutes ago, Sydebolle said:

All this whining is justified as a few filthy rich elitarian members of Thailand's oligarchy (CP Group might spring to mind) are the sole beneficiary of this environmental damage. 

30+ years ago you had the occasional burnt field, no nuisance to nobody (except possibly the micro organism world which got incinerated on that particular field) and i.e. Chiang Mai was a lovely place to visit all year round.

This, notabene, has changed drastically; the haze in Chiang Mai hinders quality life for months and all that PM reading these days confirm, that it gets worse and worse. Take Pattaya with top bad readings; where does all that fine dust come from? Not the girlie bars nor the soapies, most likely it is strong West wind blowing the stuff in from Cambodia. Some now will argue, that this is ridiculous but some of you know about the Saharan sand dust across the Mediterranean sea which was traceable on French alps. 

Thailand is free falling towards a banana republic and those affected most do not even realize it - how sad! 

The toxic air is my personal red line. Air purifiers are doing a roaring trade - the Numchai Samsung has just come in and we can get a credit note for the spare filter as they are totally out for weeks to come. So if you have one , are buying one stock up in filters. In Hat Yai the air is still fresh and my lungs are starting to feel good again. 

22 minutes ago, thaibook said:

Has anybody on TV heard of irony?

I normally get irony but it was a long day....and it was well done.

I never did get to Bang Sue now I probably never will !

3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Unfortunately it is normal.  At least it's better than most cities in China and India.

To most of the high class Chinese and Indian tourists they will feel right at home in this world class tourist resort !

On the way to Swampy today saw quite a few fields burning  / have recently burnt. So I would guess a fair bit of the smoke is locally produced and therefore theoretically could be controlled. Off to Hat Yai to see what clean air looks like I'm starting to forget. 

24 minutes ago, champers said:

Can't see Koh Larn from Pattaya beach today. Sun not visible and pleasantly cool.

Yeah I've noticed the coolness - every cloud and stuff !

22 minutes ago, Liverpudlian said:

Time for the temples to invent new amulets me thinks.

Stop burning all the incense and fireworks would be a start. 

12 minutes ago, potless said:

Its been getting steadily worse for at least the last 5 years. I am on a high floor less than 1 mile from the ocean. Each year there are more and more days I cannot actually see the ocean. Just a murky colour that blends into the sky.

Today in Jomtien it's the worse I've ever seen like the darkening of the skies before dusk. From the 15th floor we can see the gloom and taste it.