canopy

Remember Bangkok has done a number of things to curb pollution otherwise the air would be much worse. Things like all taxi's and buses run on LPG. But in the countryside of Thailand they do nothing about the bad air and burning. You'll see the air quality in what should be serene countryside soar to way worse levels than the metropolis of Bangkok which is absolutely ludicrous. And the smog blankets every single inch of northern Thailand for around half the year to one extent or another.

Though the numbers are bit lower, the Chiang Rai air has still been in the orange zone (unhealthy for sensitive groups) same as Chiang Mai. I doubt these burning bans are all they are cracked up to be. Does anyone have a link to any of those satellite images that show the fires across Thailand? Then we can glimpse how the ban is working or not.

Thai's enjoy lighting fires. That's why they do it. It's not a necessity. So there is no point in coming up with better alternatives because they don't care. It makes them perfectly happy to burn things their entire lives and pass it on to the next generation.

As for Chiang Rai the air is comparable to elsewhere in the north; bad half the year and horrible at times. I vividly recall my final trip to Chiang Rai. Forget seeing the mountains, visibility was just so bad, just a few hundred meters and the atmosphere was as if a volcano had erupted nearby. There was absolutely nowhere a person could go to escape the stench. Fires were being lit all over the place, even the hotel burned giant amounts of plastic in a pit nearby. I couldn't wait to get out of there and get back to Bangkok for the air. I know it sounds absurd to want to go to the smoggiest city to breath again, but it was true. And when I got to Bangkok the air seemed like heaven in comparison and I could sleep again.

46 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

You need to spend a few minutes...

I would say the same to you. Did you not notice the air has become the worst of the year due to lack of wind?

Don't kid yourself. In cases you might reach for a camera of a wonderful creature villagers will not hesitate to reach for their gun. The villagers will kill and eat every single animal until there is nothing left. Endangered species status and national forest borders are not a big deal to them. It is terrific they busted this horrible guy and his accomplices. But it is appalling to learn they may hold a double standard when it comes to the poor doing the poaching. The forests should be protected from everyone, period. It's nonsense to insinuate that because someone is hungry (or any other excuse) that stealing from the forest is now somehow tolerated or any less of a crime.

On 2/9/2018 at 4:24 AM, webfact said:

“In other cases, it’s villagers sneaking in to fill their hungry stomachs. It’s not for pleasure,” Wichian said. 

Completely incorrect. Living around such villagers they clearly hunt for pleasure. Just because they eat what they kill doesn't change this. The villagers know it is wrong, but they sneak in just like he says and hunt every innocent animal they can. The villagers aren't starving. It's just a pleasureful activity to them. They also enjoy burning down the forests and stealing every flower and everything else they can get their hands on. I hope his words do not mean he or anyone else protecting the forests is granting villagers any special leniency or a free pass to slaughter animals in the forest.

Did you miss the part where the figures said this engine produces MORE power than the old 3.2L?

Peak horse power alone can often be a marketing gimmick because some engines are peaky or only good in unused RPM ranges. I don't know much about either engine but I would suspect the 3.2L could be stronger in important ranges. I'd like to see a dyno comparison of the two engines to form an opinion of which is better.

Man WHAT would you buy then?

I don't know the choices of what's out there. Maybe one day a good tuner will drop in a bigger engine? It scares me how Ford describes the raptor as not designed for acceleration. In the mountains passing zones are rare and short and right before blind corners. Every millisecond is needed standing on my old vigo accelerator to stand a chance of passing safely. I would prefer something much more powerful than that for my next vehicle.

I live in the mountains in Thailand. So a vehicle with a strong engine for confidently going up steep grades and a good chassis for comfort through the curves that can also haul things and go through rough terrain when asked would be very practical. When I glimpsed the raptor i thought maybe this could be it, but no, sigh. Not with that engine.

Ford rolled this this truck out in Thailand for a reason. To compete in the Thailand market.

Ahh, didn't know that. So it's the Thai version dumbed down for the local market. Now it makes sense. Looks over substance, all about show value. All you need to do is slap on a cool name and tell them a story how cool the engine is and they'll get in line. It all makes sense now. Got it. I can't blame Ford for doing what makes the most sense for their profitability. In time history will look back at this truck as exactly what it is: the mighty truck with the itty-bitty engine. I know I am in the minority and don't matter, but that just isn't the direction I would want to go when I buy a truck.

9 hours ago, UncleTouchyFingers said:

Just to clarify - as most members here just have no clue how horsepower is calculated nor what they are looking at:

Your explanation wasn't that clear to be honest. Let's keep this simple. The marketing people at car companies understand the general public only look at peak HP. Most people would be confused to learn a car with less HP could beat a car with more HP.  Only the more technical people know that when looking at an engine, it's more important to look at the torque curve. The peak HP number the marketing people dangle at you is often at very high RPMs that aren't useful in typical driving. You should care more how good the car pulls from a standing start at 1000 RPM. Or when you push the throttle when cruising at 2000 RPM. Tiny 4-banger engines like that found in the raptor typically fall flat on their face trying to supply good power at low RPMs. They have to rev really high to get the power on. Ford understands this and installed a 10 speed transmission help keep the revs from falling into the dead zone ranges. But it's only a band aid solution and they are getting eggs and tomatoes thrown at them for this decision.

Would a raptor beat a vigo in a drag race? Maybe, but who cares because a vigo is just an everyday grocery getter. The raptor was supposed to be this mean super truck, but the engine isn't tough at all. I repeat what the Ford chief engineer said "If you’re talking about power; if you’re focused on power, that’s not a Raptor. That’s not what Raptor’s about."

Looking at all that damage, I would take out the tile and install a new one and make a more solid grout joint.

Even the chief engineer at Ford is having trouble defending the weak engine. Here is an excuse he made: “And, honestly, when you go off-road, the whole idea behind this is conservation of speed. So, you’re not braking, accelerating, braking, accelerating. You just need a powerplant to keep you going”. He said it, not me.  If that doesn't put to rest how doggy this pos engine is, I don't know what will.

Some of you folks are exactly the kind of buyer Ford is banking on and I am sure they have done their market research. Ford understands they can pump up what appears to be a big bad truck, then only need to put in a puny, underpowered engine not befitting of such a vehicle because there are people that will still like it. I fear Ford made the right decision. And for enthusiasts, this pickup is not only a no-go, but a set back to the industry with such a low bar for other manufacturers to compete with.

This sounded promising, but the puny little engine is a real turn off. What a freaking joke. And don't fall for the peak power spec as this is not that important no matter how you try to sugar coat it. I'd like to see the dyno to get a real idea about an engine. Check this quote from: NEW FORD RANGER RAPTOR ‘IS NOT ABOUT THE ENGINE’

Ford Performance’s chief engineer has reacted to criticism of the brand’s choice of powerplant for the new Ranger Raptor. "If you’re talking about power; if you’re focused on power, that’s not a Raptor. That’s not what Raptor’s about. It’s about the chassis and the suspension"

So unfortunately, it's a truck for grannies. And I would say the same thing if Toyota pulled a stunt like this.

You are talking about ineffectiveness and I can't argue with that. It should have been clear I was replying to the part "everyone wants a piece of this story for their own motivations". I can't agree with this. This is a hot potato everyone would prefer didn't happen. Apparently now they have executed a search warrant on his house and found tusks among other things. And a clip has emerged of attempted bribing that took place. More police charges are expected. More good signs they are serious about this case and the noose is tightening. No one is wavering. No one appears bought off (yet). The powerful seem to always get off, but i hold a glimmer of hope on this one. Early days though. The best news would be if Ital Thai gives him the boot. It's the right thing to do. He has wrecked their reputation and is a total scum bag. A man with elephant tusks in his house out killing critically endangered black panthers is their new company image. Dump him.

19 minutes ago, coulson said:

On the contrary, everyone wants a piece of this story for their own motivations....

Thanks for the good laugh. 555. What a hilarious remark.

Very good sign so far. Can you just imagine how gigantic the final bribe offered to the forestry people who busted him must have been to keep quiet? I am guessing enough to make them all rich for life and they said no!? And then PM Prayut comes out immediately and slams him saying no one is above the law speaking specifically about this case. Now they are gathering thorough DNA evidence at the scene!? When is the last time that happened? So far, excellent work and no one is letting up which will make it much tougher to beat this rap. I would imagine some sort of face saving plea bargain will be tried down the line and hope it fails and all four of these people get the maximum sentence and rot and set an example to dissuade others. Like them or hate them, this government seems to being doing a little more to protect the forests than previous governments and that should be commended by everyone.

The pollution control department has released health warnings here.  It's interesting they are blaming not enough wind causing pollution to accumulate. Remember that the next time they say it's all coming from other countries.

Surely the only reason they are dragging their feet this many years and still not releasing the dangerous PM 2.5 air pollution data to the public must be because they could no longer hide the ugly truth about how horribly bad the air quality actually is. So don't expect proper air quality reporting, nor any change to the rampant burning that fuels the problem. Their strategy seems to be sweep it all under the rug rather than let the truth be told or be part of the solution. Props to green peace for helping raise public awareness about this important issue.

It is a good idea to factor air quality into your exercise plan. Choose the time of day with less pollution. Reduce intensity. Exercise indoors. Your condition could be progressive due to the accumulation and wear on the immune system. As someone else said, there are pesticides and dangerous chemicals in this smoke being inhaled in addition to the already unhealthy levels of PM 2.5.

7 hours ago, jimgilly said:

At best there are 3 or maybe 4 months where the PM 2.5 levels average only slightly above the max of 10 that the WHO recommends. 

It's not clear what scale you are referring to. According to aqicn.com, the PM 2.5 AQI in Chiang Mai today ranged from 62 to 157. That's classified as unhealthy for the entire population. Furthermore, the air in the north does not meet the international clean air standard for half the year or more. In the coming months we can anticipate the air will continue to be quite unhealthy and the worst is yet to come.

All types of countertops should have some edge rounding. This has nothing to do with quartz. There are all sorts of edge rounding and edge details one can choose and it's cheap.

Consider the advantages of quartz. In America quartz countertops are more popular than granite. Showrooms at Hafele, CDC, others.