MESmith

On Wednesday, we rode up to Wat Doi Suthep; Thursday, up to Buphing Palace; yesterday we went up to Doi Pui and Khun Chankian - so we've been right in the thick of it, so to speak.

Sounds like you've above the smog up on the mountain. Good idea.

Oops, seems one has bit the dust already.

From what I can gather the driver was OK.

I would imagine some of those driver aids they removed would have come in handy!

Although, it does look like it was travelling at a fair old speed to do all that.

Watch out for a "nearly new" for sale in Aurora Blue......

AT software problem?

Every time someone tries to sell Chiangmai as a place with good, fresh, clean air I tell them "BULLSH_T~!"

The government can't figure it out. It is beyond their capacity to put 1+1 together. Farm fires, increased respiratory illness problems... Hmmm. Must be a coincidence. Also a coincidence so many are committing suicide.

And every time someone mentions the "burning season", I say bullsh1t" . The burning is 24/7, 365 days a year. How do I know - 'cos I live out in the cuntryside, in CM. But the rains lessen the effect.

I too was on the side of those who say you have to believe the govt's figures because if you don't then you have nothing at all. But it's really hard to believe that the current PM10 reading (an average for the past 24 hours as of 8:00pm Sunday) for City Hall is a relatively healthy 99. We wouldn't have 280+ posts if the air quality was good.

Yesterday, the city hall site was down for a few hours "no data". Maybe they need to clean the filters.....

Passed through Pai in the wet season on the way to Soppong - lush green valley, looked loverly. But in April, if the rains haven't arrived, it'll be a hot (hotter than CM) dry, brown dustbowl.

I hope the rains arrive before you visit.

E-readers and the Internet, have given everyone the widest choice in reading materials ever to exist.

Not exactly living up to your TV id, Ludditeman?

The OP doesn't explain why they need to leave CM 23 March & not now. If it's because of an airplane ticket out to KL, try to change it. If you can't change it, bin it (but please don't burn it) & go to the beach, then find another way back to KL.

After all you can only burn something once.

That's what I thought, back in October

But I agree, weather conditions can change things overnight. And also bring the smog back overnight.....

And a surprise from the past!

A bonus illustration of London in 1952 which makes one pause to criticize. All those chimney pots and all that coal! The world not according to Mary Poppins, just to select one relatively recent romantic cinamatic image of coal-burning Britain.! But recall that the UK was an "economically REdeveloping" nation in 1952. Anyone care to share a similar photo of Los Angeles, California, once upon a time?

So, here goes!

And the UK did something about it!!

Last Friday a group of us went hiking in the mountains near CM. This is a walk we do often and most of us are fairly fit. On Friday, we were out of breath and panting after a kilometer. Something that hasn't happened before. It was very strange.

Have you tried hiking near the top of Doi Pui? Maybe above the smog? A great walk is to drive up to Ban Doi Pui, the hill tribe village further on from Phuping Palace. Go through the gardens, & on to Doi Pa Kha or Doi Pui.

I wonder what level the inversion layer is at this year? In 2007, one of the "other" bad years, you could find clean air at or above Wat Doi Suthep as the inversion layer was right around 900 meters MSL. A hike or mountain bike ride up there would be nice if it is clear...... From that hill tribe village you mention, there is a trail that leads you to Doi Pa Klong or Drum Mountain. Beautiful place and if the air is clear, definitely a better place to be. Since 2001, this is the first year where the general air is making me sneeze and making my eyes sore. Very unhealthy feeling.

Doi Pa Klong = Doi Pa Kha. It's named Doi Pa Kha on the map. If you do the ascent as I describe, there's not much altitude gain, quite an easy walk, under cover of forest And great views to Doi Inthanon, tho' maybe only the top right now....

I would be quite interested in what we can do on an individual level to mitigate the adverse health effects of the smog, short of leaving Northern Thailand. Unfortunately, that is not an option for everyone. In times like this, the government usually recommends to stay indoors and refrain from strenuous outdoor activity, but I wonder whether there is there any scientific evidence to suggest that the PM concentration inside the house is actually lower than outside?

For example, our house is designed for passive cooling, and therefore relatively open and breezy, which is likely a disadvantage in this season. I can shut the doors and windows, of course, but I doubt that this alone will help to reduce PM inside the house. What effect does air circulation have? What about the effectiveness of air conditioners? What about the effectiveness of additional filters, air purifiers with HEPA filters, air moisturisers, and similar devices? I am prepared to buy these devices for our house if they are effective.

Can we do something to help our bodies to deal with the increased load of toxins?

Unfortunately, the officials and media in Thailand don't have much substantial to say about these topics.

Cheers, CMX

Just speaking from experience, the air inside our house "feels ok" . If I venture into the garden without my n95 mask on, I don't feel ok. I'm planning on rigging up a ring of small sprinklers around the outside of the house. Good for the garden, & maybe cleanse the air near the entrances to the house.

Last Friday a group of us went hiking in the mountains near CM. This is a walk we do often and most of us are fairly fit. On Friday, we were out of breath and panting after a kilometer. Something that hasn't happened before. It was very strange.

Have you tried hiking near the top of Doi Pui? Maybe above the smog? A great walk is to drive up to Ban Doi Pui, the hill tribe village further on from Phuping Palace. Go through the gardens, & on to Doi Pa Kha or Doi Pui.

Meanwhile, the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office warned locals to take care of their health during this time of smog and air pollution problems. Patients with chronic diseases, the elderly, pregnant women, and children should stay inside their residences.

-- Tan Network 24 February 2012

Are they passing this info & warning on to schools?

Thanks I guess the governor doesn't know about that one either, or prefers to use the Lamphun figures...

There pretty bad, too

"He believed the amount of small dust particles, those sized no more than PM10, might have soared past the safe limit of 120 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

In the nearby province of Lamphun, airquality monitoring devices showed readings of 122.29 micrograms per cubic metre of air."

Very convenient for them not to have any monitoring gear in Lampang, the site of an anthracite-burning power station.

The agriculture minister appears to be more concerned with the effects on tourism and investment than the health of the people.

They do. a37 is in Lampang city, a40 is at Mae Moh, If you click on any site you are redirected to a googlemap showing the location. Zoom out & pan around to find the other monitoring stations.

Time to arrange another test drive, tho' earlier in the week they didn't have an auto. Over a month ago, on the other test drive, I don't recall any lag in acceleration. Did a quick u-turn from a standing starts, & another couple of standing starts on the drive. And I was being heavy with my right foot....

An ex girlfriend back in the UK managed to roll over her car in a multi-storey car park - don't ever underestimate the female driver.

She'd probably been watching too many Hollywood car chase movies......

Just for fun, head out to Airport Plaza multi storey car park before the mall opens & try a timed "hill climb" up the spirals

Just before dark this evening, the view to the south & west from our place was a layer of smoke at about 1st floor level stretching from due south to due west, about a km away. If the authorities want to clamp down on the burning, it's pointless waiting by their "hotline" - send patrols out. It's very easy to find the smoke. follow it back to source. No doubt they're satisfied they've made there pronouncements.........

Thanks to your help, and katabeachbum's, I might of found the cause of the low-speed throttle lag. According to http://www.gpsvehicl...iving-analysis:

"The Ranger’s auto shift points and throttle mapping are also changed according to what the car is doing. In low range, Ford say "the throttle response is changed to an off-road setting which provides a less sensitive, softer pedal feel. This helps prevent unintentional acceleration due to the bouncing motion of the driver’s foot while moving over bumpy ground.“"

If this throttle mapping can't be adjusted, I might be selling my truck.

It seems the link is broken on that one.

Remove the ":" (colon) at the end of the url

Tuff Cote Dinol is a great product. Used it on my BMW in Canada where salt is poured onto snowy and black iced roads. Car ends up white from the salt spray which is also forced by speed into every crevice. Tuff Cote Dinol did the job of saving my car. Can be purchased in CMai on the way out to the bus terminal past the turnoff and about 200-300 meters further on on the right at a car wash before the superhwy. No idea of cost.

Not a lot of salt on the roads around CM. No rust at all on my 11 yr old truck. Only seen rust on the really old stuff where they're all battered from miss-use.

Lots of salt and humidity in coastal Thailand, seen 5 yo with holes through

I would imagine there is, but I was responding to the Tuffe Cote being for sale in Chiang Mai.

Tuff Cote Dinol is a great product. Used it on my BMW in Canada where salt is poured onto snowy and black iced roads. Car ends up white from the salt spray which is also forced by speed into every crevice. Tuff Cote Dinol did the job of saving my car. Can be purchased in CMai on the way out to the bus terminal past the turnoff and about 200-300 meters further on on the right at a car wash before the superhwy. No idea of cost.

Not a lot of salt on the roads around CM. No rust at all on my 11 yr old truck. Only seen rust on the really old stuff where they're all battered from miss-use.

Back on topic, I agree with KBB, I think the OP should show who's wearing the trousers & order the Ranger. Stick a canopy on the back & you've got luggage storage & plenty of room on the back seat for the little one & their future sibling I'm about to order one, & it's the perfect family vehicle

How much does it cost? The school it's parked outside is very reasonably priced by private school standards in Chiang Mai.