Air pollution at Rayong ?

[Wim1954]

37 minutes ago, nontabury said:

I don’t know where airbagwill lives. But I can tell you that I live in Ban Chang, and unfortunately we cannot take our children down onto the beach, as one of my children always comes out in a rash. Is this due to pollution,I do not know.

Maybe but it's not about Ban Chang it's about Rayong city beach no pollution here you are in the province Rayong after Mapthaput there is a lot of pollution.

[nontabury]

8 minutes ago, Wim1954 said:

Maybe but it's not about Ban Chang it's about Rayong city beach no pollution here you are in the province Rayong after Mapthaput there is a lot of pollution.

Does not Ban Chang border Mat a phut to the west, while Rayong City is to the east. I’ve always been told ( and noticed ) that the prevailing wind is usually from the west to the east. Therefore Rayong city will be mostly effected from any pollution. That of course is not to say that Ban Chang will not be.

[YaiJung]

Rayong has some of the worst/dirtiest beaches I've seen in my life.  Last time we went down there the beach was absolutely covered in dead fish and garbage.  The smell was horrendous.  My mind was blown by the sight of Thais swimming in the filth.  Depressing scene to say the least.  Smoke stacks in the background added to the grim apocalyptic vibe.  

 

Sadly, I'm sure Rayong beaches were once beautiful and clean, but obviously the Thai government had decided this area is to be used for large-scale, no-holds-barred, industrial plants and written the entire area off as far as nature is concerned. 

 

I find it comical to see these guys in complete head-in-the-sand denial of the situation down there.   Reminds me of the type who stick their head out of the door, with cig in hand,  during the worst of the smoke season in Chiang Mai, and exclaim, "what smoke?   the air is perfectly fine!".   

[Airbagwill]

further disappointment for those who think pollution stays inland....

 

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1009492-thais-are-terrible-polluters-using-eight-plastic-bags-each-per-day-conference-told/?utm_source=newsletter-20171102-1227&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

 

[Airbagwill]

20 hours ago, nontabury said:

Does not Ban Chang border Mat a phut to the west, while Rayong City is to the east. I’ve always been told ( and noticed ) that the prevailing wind is usually from the west to the east. Therefore Rayong city will be mostly effected from any pollution. That of course is not to say that Ban Chang will not be.

Prevailing winds (it's theS.E. Asian monsoon weather system) go in opposite directions at different times of year and they are only one of many factors.

 

there seems also to be a misconception that pollution stays at source and doesn't spread. There are MAJOR industrial complexes in both Ban Chang and Rayong on either side of Map ta Phut and to the north.

Industrial waste is carried all over the province and dumped - about 50% illegally -

 

BTW - prevailing winds are ground level - any pollutants emitted as gas can well lift above them and are deposited in other directions.

soil and water is then polluted and run-off and dumping takes it to the sea.....in Rayong it is a  pollutants perfect storm.

[Wim1954]

On 1-11-2017 at 6:25 PM, YaiJung said:

Rayong has some of the worst/dirtiest beaches I've seen in my life.  Last time we went down there the beach was absolutely covered in dead fish and garbage.  The smell was horrendous.  My mind was blown by the sight of Thais swimming in the filth.  Depressing scene to say the least.  Smoke stacks in the background added to the grim apocalyptic vibe.  

 

Sadly, I'm sure Rayong beaches were once beautiful and clean, but obviously the Thai government had decided this area is to be used for large-scale, no-holds-barred, industrial plants and written the entire area off as far as nature is concerned. 

 

I find it comical to see these guys in complete head-in-the-sand denial of the situation down there.   Reminds me of the type who stick their head out of the door, with cig in hand,  during the worst of the smoke season in Chiang Mai, and exclaim, "what smoke?   the air is perfectly fine!".   

Last time meaning JUST one time I was there one time he see some dirt and yes in an area where fishermans working you have dead fish but it is certainly not the worst beaches in Thailand see the latest pozts of Hua Hin or Pattaya where the army need to help to clean it up and this is not only the Thai who are making it dirty coreigners think as a Thai and do the same.

[Airbagwill]

At present the authorities have a pitiful record on pollution - they have preferred to sweep under the carpet for about 25 years.

 

It seems that most farangs in the area are completely unaware of the local resistance to this; there are action groups and activists voicing their concerns.(see above)

 

Just recently the government closed down one particular organisation that was for locals to voice their concerns and they have invoked "article 44" to speed through plans for the new EEC plan

Again I think that many foreigners living in the region have little or no idea of how this will increase and compound the  situation in both Chonburi and Rayong.

 

If you read the papers - either EL or Thai, you'll find a lot of concern of the latter.

e.g. - http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30330349

this is very disturbing.

 

"EEC development would harm the public’s trust in the government and more industry in the region would only worsen the situation since industrial development would cause severe environmental impacts.

‘Lack of good governance’

He gave as an example Map Taphut Industrial Estate, which has been declared as a pollution-control area by the Supreme Administrative Court, while Rayong residents were still suffering from pollution."

 

"The NCPO had revoked city plans in three provinces because authorities wanted to rush the expansion of the Map Taphut Deepwater Seaport, while Rayong’s current city plan barred land reclamation from the sea. The government’s revocation of that prohibition circumvented a legal obstacle.

Meanwhile, local people in Rayong also objected to the order, with Banjerd Luangphon, a local fisherman, saying he was very sad that the government had used its special powers to rush the industrial development for the benefit only of rich investors, while ignoring local poor people."

 

Fishing is totally disrupted in the area - i.e. fish stocks are diminished to the point of no return. 

It is simply too glib to put this down just to overfishing as it is other factors, destruction of breeding grounds (magroves) for industry, run-off from agriculture and industry that have rendered fish stocks unsustainable.

 

there is of course a difference between litter (Pattaya) and pollution form industry.

 

BTW - have you ever wondered why Thailand doesn't release seawater quality figures on a regular basis?

[Wim1954]

6 hours ago, Airbagwill said:

At present the authorities have a pitiful record on pollution - they have preferred to sweep under the carpet for about 25 years.

 

It seems that most farangs in the area are completely unaware of the local resistance to this; there are action groups and activists voicing their concerns.(see above)

 

Just recently the government closed down one particular organisation that was for locals to voice their concerns and they have invoked "article 44" to speed through plans for the new EEC plan

Again I think that many foreigners living in the region have little or no idea of how this will increase and compound the  situation in both Chonburi and Rayong.

 

If you read the papers - either EL or Thai, you'll find a lot of concern of the latter.

e.g. - http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30330349

this is very disturbing.

 

"EEC development would harm the public’s trust in the government and more industry in the region would only worsen the situation since industrial development would cause severe environmental impacts.

‘Lack of good governance’

He gave as an example Map Taphut Industrial Estate, which has been declared as a pollution-control area by the Supreme Administrative Court, while Rayong residents were still suffering from pollution."

 

"The NCPO had revoked city plans in three provinces because authorities wanted to rush the expansion of the Map Taphut Deepwater Seaport, while Rayong’s current city plan barred land reclamation from the sea. The government’s revocation of that prohibition circumvented a legal obstacle.

Meanwhile, local people in Rayong also objected to the order, with Banjerd Luangphon, a local fisherman, saying he was very sad that the government had used its special powers to rush the industrial development for the benefit only of rich investors, while ignoring local poor people."

 

Fishing is totally disrupted in the area - i.e. fish stocks are diminished to the point of no return. 

It is simply too glib to put this down just to overfishing as it is other factors, destruction of breeding grounds (magroves) for industry, run-off from agriculture and industry that have rendered fish stocks unsustainable.

 

there is of course a difference between litter (Pattaya) and pollution form industry.

 

BTW - have you ever wondered why Thailand doesn't release seawater quality figures on a regular basis?

You have all your comments from the newspapers social media or whatever you are not here so stop with your fake news.

[Airbagwill]

12 minutes ago, Wim1954 said:

You have all your comments from the newspapers social media or whatever you are not here so stop with your fake news.

Fake news? - I think your problem isn't fake news its plain simple head-in-the-sand denial. 

"he isn't here, this isn't happening" - seriously???

 

 

[Wim1954]

23 hours ago, Airbagwill said:

Fake news? - I think your problem isn't fake news its plain simple head-in-the-sand denial. 

"he isn't here, this isn't happening" - seriously???

 

 

Yeah right bye bye keep on dreaming.

[Airbagwill]

 

Here’s a couple more references concerning the mess that is Rayong.

 

https://www.thethailandlife.com/air-pollution-thailand

 

 

and a video ............

https://vimeo.com/73365880

“South of Bangkok in Rayong province is the Mataput industrial estate, the largest industrial complex in Thailand. It's also home to hundreds of thousands of people who have become victims of irresponsible building and rampant pollution. 

Meet the people who have been the most affected and also the people fighting to make things better.”

[beachproperty]

1 hour ago, Airbagwill said:

 

 

Here’s a couple more references concerning the mess that is Rayong.

 

https://www.thethailandlife.com/air-pollution-thailand

 

 

and a video ............

https://vimeo.com/73365880

“South of Bangkok in Rayong province is the Mataput industrial estate, the largest industrial complex in Thailand. It's also home to hundreds of thousands of people who have become victims of irresponsible building and rampant pollution. 

Meet the people who have been the most affected and also the people fighting to make things better.”

Thanks for the research.....as it indicates the "beach" has good air quality

And if you stay out of the water .....Again the "beach" is a good place to live!

 

As opposed to you, who lives in Queensland ....You can post all you want but since you don't live on the front lines your information is FALSE news

[Airbagwill]

5 minutes ago, beachproperty said:

Thanks for the research.....as it indicates the "beach" has good air quality

And if you stay out of the water .....Again the "beach" is a good place to live!

 

As opposed to you, who lives in Queensland ....You can post all you want but since you don't live on the front lines your information is FALSE news

How about some counter information?

You also need to get your facts straight - the beach quality is well below international and Thai standards.

You can cherry pick the odd stat out of context but no one - repeat no one has put a single argument to suggest anything against the case put forward by the various bodies - government and otherwise that have been cited re-pollution in ALL elements around Rayong....and Chonburi.

You just seem to be content to make ad hom attacks that are factually incorrect.

 

"In coastal regions of Thailand like Rayong, economic development has spurred the use of over 73 million tons of chemicals (including dangerous volatile organic compounds) each year. The use of VOCs can contribute to severe neurological and reproductive disorders." - thailandlife.com

(...and don't forget the EEC!)

 

 

to be honest it just sounds like you are getting a bit desperate.

[beachproperty]

38 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

How about some counter information?

You also need to get your facts straight - the beach quality is well below international and Thai standards.

You can cherry pick the odd stat out of context but no one - repeat no one has put a single argument to suggest anything against the case put forward by the various bodies - government and otherwise that have been cited re-pollution in ALL elements around Rayong....and Chonburi.

You just seem to be content to make ad hom attacks that are factually incorrect.

 

"In coastal regions of Thailand like Rayong, economic development has spurred the use of over 73 million tons of chemicals (including dangerous volatile organic compounds) each year. The use of VOCs can contribute to severe neurological and reproductive disorders." - thailandlife.com

(...and don't forget the EEC!)

 

 

to be honest it just sounds like you are getting a bit desperate.

Some counter information......You just have to read the articles you cited that indicated the air quality on the beach was GOOD.

 

AND again you fail to realize the RAYONG is a BIG area..."Thailandlife" is just an article wherein the bias of the authors is suspect.

 

I am getting bored responding to YOU and as such have "ignored" you forever....good luck keyboard surfing looking in vain for articles that have little basis in fact to support your ambiguous thesis ...That "the WORLD is drowning in Pollution" ...except of course that little patch of paradise you call home which of course is pollution free, where ever That might be.

 

[Airbagwill]

1 hour ago, beachproperty said:

Some counter information......You just have to read the articles you cited that indicated the air quality on the beach was GOOD.

 

AND again you fail to realize the RAYONG is a BIG area..."Thailandlife" is just an article wherein the bias of the authors is suspect.

 

I am getting bored responding to YOU and as such have "ignored" you forever....good luck keyboard surfing looking in vain for articles that have little basis in fact to support your ambiguous thesis ...That "the WORLD is drowning in Pollution" ...except of course that little patch of paradise you call home which of course is pollution free, where ever That might be.

 

http://file.scirp.org/Html/12-6701640_25056.htm

 

“RAYONG is a BIG area.” - you don’t seem to understand what a facile remark that is do you seriously think that pollution doesn't spread? - do you even know where the sources are in Rayong and Chonburi?

 

Attached is a map of the coastal hot spots. - you'll see it includes a strip from Bang Chang to the far side of Rayong Ban  Phe

 

 

and are still cherry picking MY references - you have none of your own and if you read all mine, you’ll see that the overall picture is very disturbing

 

Most of your presumed premises sem to be based on either (deliberate?) misinterpretation or fantasy  with no evidence even in this thread......

 

There is nothing to suggest air quality in Rayong is “good” as you so naively put it.

You seem to concentrate on erroneous fixation about where I am and then try to connect this with the accuracy of the information I’m referring to - you don’t even seem to understand that it isn’t MY information it is information that is provided by researchers and scientists and is available - with a little effort to anyone in Rayong or Chonburi if they choose to read it.

 

information

 

Here is yet another passage from a government report that you choose to ignore.

 

The main problem is as ever that none of the recommendations are ever put into action.

 

Journal of Environmental Protection

Vol.3 No.11(2012), Article ID:25056,8 pages DOI:10.4236/jep.2012.311171 Green Design and Planning Resolutions for an Eco-Industrial Town: A Case Study of Polluted Industrial Estate in Rayong Province, ThailandAriya Aruninta

●How to Cite this Article

 Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.Email: [email protected] August 9th, 2012; revised September 7th, 2012; accepted October 5th, 2012Keywords: Air Quality; Eco-Industrial Town; Buffer; Pollution Protection; Landscape IndicatorABSTRACTMap Ta Phut was designated for development in national policy as an Eastern Seaboard Industrial Port. It is located in Rayong Province with growing demand from Eastern Seaboard industries and is heavily affected by serious environmental problems as a “pollution control zone”. While the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking, representing the national business sector, claimed that the area generated total revenues of 1.1 trillion baht per year, or 11% of Thailand’s gross domestic product, and employed more than 100,000 workers, the declaration of the area as a pollution control zone severely limited investment and business operations. Thus, controversies arose among the investment business sectors, the residential sector (residents have been affected by a decrease in their quality of life and health) and environmental concern sectors. This paper aims to find an efficient and practical mitigation practice to balance the purposes of the industrial port with protection of surrounding communities and natural resources."

 

 

PS - when one talks about BIG I think there needs to be a perspective on BIG -  one should bear in mind that this pollution problem stretches from Chachoengsao through Chonburi and Rayong provinces.

Furthermore, the proposed EEC -  An inconvenient elephant in the room it would seem for many -  is set to increase the amount of industry, traffic and waste and resulting  pollution in all these changwats.

 

 

[torrzent]

On 10/20/2017 at 3:27 PM, Wim1954 said:

Once again there is no polution at Mae Ramphung beach Rayong.

mixed reviews here

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g2301761-d3982203-Reviews-Mae_Ram_Phueng_Beach-Phe_Rayong_Province.html

 

[Wim1954]

45 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

http://file.scirp.org/Html/12-6701640_25056.htm

 

“RAYONG is a BIG area.” - you don’t seem to understand what a facile remark that is do you seriously think that pollution doesn't spread? - do you even know where the sources are in Rayong and Chonburi?

 

Attached is a map of the coastal hot spots. - you'll see it includes a strip from Bang Chang to the far side of Rayong Ban  Phe

 

 

and are still cherry picking MY references - you have none of your own and if you read all mine, you’ll see that the overall picture is very disturbing

 

Most of your presumed premises sem to be based on either (deliberate?) misinterpretation or fantasy  with no evidence even in this thread......

 

There is nothing to suggest air quality in Rayong is “good” as you so naively put it.

You seem to concentrate on erroneous fixation about where I am and then try to connect this with the accuracy of the information I’m referring to - you don’t even seem to understand that it isn’t MY information it is information that is provided by researchers and scientists and is available - with a little effort to anyone in Rayong or Chonburi if they choose to read it.

 

information

 

Here is yet another passage from a government report that you choose to ignore.

 

The main problem is as ever that none of the recommendations are ever put into action.

 

Journal of Environmental Protection

Vol.3 No.11(2012), Article ID:25056,8 pages DOI:10.4236/jep.2012.311171 Green Design and Planning Resolutions for an Eco-Industrial Town: A Case Study of Polluted Industrial Estate in Rayong Province, ThailandAriya Aruninta

●How to Cite this Article

 Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.Email: [email protected] August 9th, 2012; revised September 7th, 2012; accepted October 5th, 2012Keywords: Air Quality; Eco-Industrial Town; Buffer; Pollution Protection; Landscape IndicatorABSTRACTMap Ta Phut was designated for development in national policy as an Eastern Seaboard Industrial Port. It is located in Rayong Province with growing demand from Eastern Seaboard industries and is heavily affected by serious environmental problems as a “pollution control zone”. While the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking, representing the national business sector, claimed that the area generated total revenues of 1.1 trillion baht per year, or 11% of Thailand’s gross domestic product, and employed more than 100,000 workers, the declaration of the area as a pollution control zone severely limited investment and business operations. Thus, controversies arose among the investment business sectors, the residential sector (residents have been affected by a decrease in their quality of life and health) and environmental concern sectors. This paper aims to find an efficient and practical mitigation practice to balance the purposes of the industrial port with protection of surrounding communities and natural resources."

 

 

PS - when one talks about BIG I think there needs to be a perspective on BIG -  one should bear in mind that this pollution problem stretches from Chachoengsao through Chonburi and Rayong provinces.

Furthermore, the proposed EEC -  An inconvenient elephant in the room it would seem for many -  is set to increase the amount of industry, traffic and waste and resulting  pollution in all these changwats.

 

 

I hope the next time you will come to Thailand they will refuse to give you a visa you work at a weather station in the US you better stay there. 

For the ladt time stop with your stupid insulting posts about Thailand.

[Jap Pumkin]

Airbagwill

I would like to thank you for putting all of this information

on the forum.

From what I see the only ones knocking you are the ones with money invested in the area.

Pollution in Rayong and Ban Chang has been covered up for a long time

Its about time it was exposed like this.

Thank you.

[nontabury]

4 hours ago, Wim1954 said:

I hope the next time you will come to Thailand they will refuse to give you a visa you work at a weather station in the US you better stay there. 

For the ladt time stop with your stupid insulting posts about Thailand.

Where has he insulted Thailand? All he’s done is provided facts to back up his arguement, that there is a great deal of pollution in this area. Would you prefare  him to bury his head in the ( polluted ) sand.

[beachproperty]

10 minutes ago, nontabury said:

Where has he insulted Thailand? All he’s done is provided facts to back up his arguement, that there is a great deal of pollution in this area. Would you prefare  him to bury his head in the ( polluted ) sand.

He has NOT provided facts .....he has, though, provided articles that have been written in various sources that allege pollution in SOME parts of Rayong and Chonburi. Some of the pollution is of a temporary nature, if not all and the government is facing it because of the pressure from its citizens. In fact one source is that of a student doing a thesis in school.....NOT the academic source one would rely on.

 

He has stated the first stage of the presence of pollution is a rash ....Well I have live in Rayong (ON THE BEACH) for over 10 years and NEVER had a rash of any kind...So Pollution????

[amvet]

I've lived in Rayong, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.  Rayong is like living in a pristine Swiss mountain village when comparing air quality with Chiang Mai or Bangkok. 

[Airbagwill]

double post in error.

[Airbagwill]

1 hour ago, amvet said:

I've lived in Rayong, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.  Rayong is like living in a pristine Swiss mountain village when comparing air quality with Chiang Mai or Bangkok. 

Air quality has little to do with what you  can see or smell.

The northern hazes are agricultural and although dangerous are easy to see.

The industrial air pollution around Rayong is far more insidious - colorless and odorless in part they are not detectable by human senses.

The WHO tells us that 2 million people die prematurely each year from the poisonous gases that make up smog.

In the north the problem is largely seasonal generation of particulates where as  in Rayong it is a different matter.

 

“In coastal regions of Thailand like Rayong, economic development has spurred the use of over 73 million tons of chemicals (including dangerous volatile organic compounds) each year. The use of VOCs can contribute to severe neurological and reproductive disorders.”  - Thailand life.com

 

 

as for fires etc - d YOU know where the landfill sites are? Apparently up to 50% of industrial waste from the area is disposed of illegally.

 

“Atthapon Rittichart, a technical officer with EARTH, said people around the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate were suffering from high amounts of toxic substances in the environment, with many pollution-monitoring stations detecting high amounts of volatile organic compounds beyond safe levels, leading to extraordinarily high rates of cancer.” The Nation

“Meanwhile, the report showed that over the past two years, there were 35 landfill fires, 22 reported incidents of illegal industrial waste dumping, and 11 oil spills in Thai waters.” – The Nation. 

[amvet]

1 minute ago, Airbagwill said:

Air quality has little to do with what you  can see or smell.

The northern hazes are agricultural and although dangerous are easy to see.

The industrial air pollution around Rayong is far more insidious - colorless and odorless in part they are not detectable by human senses.

The WHO tells us that 2 million people die prematurely each year from the poisonous gases that make up smog.

In the north the problem is largely seasonal generation of particulates where as  in Rayong it is a different matter.

 

“In coastal regions of Thailand like Rayong, economic development has spurred the use of over 73 million tons of chemicals (including dangerous volatile organic compounds) each year. The use of VOCs can contribute to severe neurological and reproductive disorders.”  - Thailand life.com 

It is the third time in my life I have lived in a refinery town.  I know the symptoms and sounds and results of that type of pollution.  You have never lived in Rayong that much is obvious.  Have you ever lived in Bangkok or Chiang Mai?  No insult intended but you don't have a clue what you are talking about. 

 

Go talk to the doctors at Chiang Mai Ram and at Bangkok hospital Rayong they can give you a valid comparison of pollution caused illnesses.  I go to the hospital every 90 days for checkups so am quite familiar with the medical staff of both hospitals. 

 

I don't know what got you on a anti Rayong crusade but maybe some time spent there would assist your understanding of the area and the pros and cons of living there. 

 

I don't find you a credible source just a guy who can google.  Look at your last post.  1.  Do 2 million Thai people die each year from smog in Thailand?  No that's a lie.  "use of VOCs can contribute to severe neurological and reproductive disorders"  Nothing about Rayong so that's a lie.

"air pollution around Rayong is far more insidious - colorless and odorless in part they are not detectable by human senses"  Thats a lie too.  It is very detectable I know as I lived there. 

Sorry you have some agenda to scare people that fools no one.   

[Airbagwill]

1 minute ago, amvet said:

It is the third time in my life I have lived in a refinery town.  I know the symptoms and sounds and results of that type of pollution.  You have never lived in Rayong that much is obvious.  Have you ever lived in Bangkok or Chiang Mai?  No insult intended but you don't have a clue what you are talking about. 

 

Go talk to the doctors at Chiang Mai Ram and at Bangkok hospital Rayong they can give you a valid comparison of pollution caused illnesses.  I go to the hospital every 90 days for checkups so am quite familiar with the medical staff of both hospitals. 

 

I don't know what got you on a anti Rayong crusade but maybe some time spent there would assist your understanding of the area and the pros and cons of living there. 

 

I don't find you a credible source just a guy who can google.  Look at your last post.  1.  Do 2 million Thai people die each year from smog in Thailand?  No that's a lie.  "use of VOCs can contribute to severe neurological and reproductive disorders"  Nothing about Rayong so that's a lie.

"air pollution around Rayong is far more insidious - colorless and odorless in part they are not detectable by human senses"  Thats a lie too.  It is very detectable I know as I lived there. 

Sorry you have some agenda to scare people that fools no one.   

No insult could possibly be taken from such an ill-informed post.

[amvet]

14 minutes ago, Airbagwill said:

No insult could possibly be taken from such an ill-informed post.

If you actually knew what you were talking about you'd know that in an average refinery town sirens go off a couple of times a day and that signals a chemical leak.  The visual confirmation of this is people have to repaint their cars every couple of years.  Does that happen in Rayong?  No.  Every leak makes the news and it's not that frequent.  Brazoria county Texas has a lot in common with Rayong but I can't tell you why Rayong has winds off of the Gulf of Thailand and Brazoria county does not off the Gulf of Mexico.  Dow is in both places but the problems in Texas are far greater.  I know because I lived in both places.  

[Airbagwill]

Most of the deniers on this thread, rather than actually argue a point  seem to prefer to make wild assumptions about the messenger and never address the message.

 

I ‘m slightly bemused about those who  claim to have  lived in “refinery towns”.

They clearly don’t understand the geography of the situation here or the size of the problem - we are talking about 3 changwats - not a “refinery town”. We’re talking one of the largest E. Asian industrial areas outside China.

 

This is an enormous industrial region that makes electronics, motorcars, plastics and the biggest petrochemical industry in S.E. Asia,; aromatics, industrial monomers and polymers, ethylene plant, cracking plant, gas separation plant, Plastic and chemicals etc. etc. and all the concomitant effluent gases and liquids and solid waste - disposed of in cavalier fashion at best.

 

Their comments lead me to believe that they are not all that familiar with the area. Maybe recently moved without thoroughly researching the environmental issues? Like quite a few who have invested in the area - presumably because the property seemed such good value (realtors are not known for their frank disclosure, are they?) - they seem to be in denial of the issues as if that will make them go away.

 

Not only is this wishful thinking the situation looks like getting a lot worse - the EEC is upon us...

 

Naval development in Sattahip, an expansion of the port facility at Map Ta Phut and expansion of Utapao airport.

 

Much has been said of the “hi-speed railways” but they are only part of a new network of twin-tracked lines mainly designed for freight from Bkk to Chachoengsao to Rayong to cope with and generate more industry along the coast.

 

The road system is already being expanded  (e.g. the motorway to Map Ta Phut)  Massive  financial enticements are being offered by the BOI  for more of the same industries and new types to move in or expand.  

 

A Japanese huge delegation (over 500 people) recently was fated by the BOI in the area.

 

Several new “industrial cities” are planned two of them in Rayong - one at Ban Chang and the other  just north of Rayong.

 

I often end up driving visitors/customers around and they are to a man taken aback by the extent of industry in the area and the abundance of major multi-nationals who have frequently shown that they are prepared to take advantage of slack regulations and enforcement to indulge in practices that would be quickly prosecuted and stamped out in your “refinery towns”.

 

Your suggestion that there are no VOCs in Rayong is of course laughable a total false syllogism.

 

[NornIronSteve]

The industrial centre of Map Ta Phut lies on the coast to the west of Rayong City, on the eastern side are the PTT petrochemical refinery/works.

The wind in the area generally blows off the coast towards the north/northeast in the summer months, and in the opposite direction in winter.

I don't think anywhere in the city escapes the affect on air quality that these two centres produce, and also downwind on Amphoe Ban Khai to the north. Living close to the beach should be the cleanest (air) option, followed by heading east out of the city towards Ban Phe,  or west to Ban Chang.

[Airbagwill]

AS I said before although a factor, prevailing winds are not the be-all and end-all and certainly don't provide blanket protection. Te prevailing winds are ground level - there are other winds etc higher in the atmosphere that don't follow the same patterns. Also there are other factors - waste disposal gas/liquid/solid) - stuff is moved around the area by road etc. and there have ben various fires and waste dumps (see above). Apparently up to 50% of industrial waste is disposed of illegally.

Then there is the problem of soil/dust and run-off as well as the rivers, streams, tides and sea currents.

All this distributes damaging and toxic materals in ALL directions from the sources..... and creates new hotspots around the region that in turn spread pollutants.

As you also point out places like Ban Chang - which has its own chemical industries, are pretty much surrounded by industries on all sides, so prevailing wind is a moot point.

However those who think prevailing winds are a protection are at least admitting that these plants are emitting pollutants, it's just that they don't work out where they are likely to go.

[Airbagwill]

 

this from 2011

According to the National Cancer Institute, the incidence of cancer in Rayong, where the Map Ta Phut industrial estate is located, is 182.45 per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 122.6. The leukemia ratio is also higher; 6 per 100,000 people, whereas the national average is about 3.55. The Rayong public health of ce reports that the ratio of birth deformities, disabilities and chromosome abnormalities drastically increased from 1997 to 2001, from 48.2 per 100,000 people to 163.8 people, an increase of 300%