I am doing post-retirement slow travel through Thailand. After 3 days in bangkok and 4 days in Chiang Mai, the air pollution has sent my normally very well controlled asthma and sinus allergies into a state of shock and sinus infection. I expected bangkok to be a problem which is why I only stayed for a couple of days. For some reason I did not expect CM to be problem, but it is.

 

Anyway, my question is are there places I can go and let my lungs recover for a bit?  I am retired and well past the backpack traveller age, so I don't mind paying a bit more value received. I am on my feet and air travel for transportation (carry on and a shopping bag).

 

Thank you and Happy New Year

Interesting enough, November through about February I have no problems with allergies in the CM area.  The rest of the year, starting when the burning starts and through the rainy season Claritin and saline eye drops are my friends. 

I highly recommend leaving Northern Thailand by March and don't come back until the rains start which could be June or July.  The air quality up here is atrocious during the hot season when the locals start burning down their forests and their fields.  It's bad, bad news.

Edited January 3, 20188 yr by connda

For starters, anywhere away from a big city... is it the car exhaust giving you a problem? If it is a sinus infection, you might just be carrying it with you... not sure what you are looking for in a location, so, it is tough to advise. I am in North Central Thailand and it is cool and clear this morning... 

For exactly that reason I love to be at Maikhao Beach in Phuket. 

 

http://www.siamhaus.com/baan-maikhao.html

There air some applications for air polution in Thailand, Google could help you maybe better than TV posters, for your telephone you can try downloading “Air4Thai” 

We’re in Khon Kaen and my asthma is amazingly improved here compared to the UK. I gradually need less and less medication and feel so much better here. When we visit Bangkok I really notice the difference. Khon Kaen is a great place to live too.


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As Teutonian recomended, Phuket will likely be a much better location than anywhere in northern Thailand.  I've found winter to be a tough time for allergy sufferers like myself as the winds come predominantly from the north, & north-east and carry all the pollen from all the vegetation from the large northern land masses.  Any island, like Phuket, will have less wind blown pollen, but will still have some this time of year.  I live in Rayong where the summer winds come out of the south, south-west, over the ocean, and during that time of year my allergies are minimal, but now, with the northern winds, my allergies are rather bad.  Much too depends on what you're allergic,...smog and other petro-chemical pollutants, or like me, pollen.

Edited January 3, 20188 yr by siamike

21 minutes ago, Riojasue said:

We’re in Khon Kaen and my asthma is amazingly improved here compared to the UK. I gradually need less and less medication and feel so much better here. When we visit Bangkok I really notice the difference. Khon Kaen is a great place to live too.


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I live in Kalasin.. 10 years now and until this year I haven't had any problems... but.. a couple of months ago I got a 'cold' and developed a harsh cough bringing up a lot of fluid from my lungs..and sinus congestion and very runny nose..  a trip to KK RAM hospital and a consultation with a good Dr.. my 'cold' turns out to be a return to asthma that hasn't bothered me for years.. he says hyper-sensitivity to the rapid change in weather..  he prescribed a decongestant nasal spray (avaMYS nasal spray) and an antihistamine.. (Desloratadine Sandoz 5 mg).. it cleared up in a couple of days...  I suggest a trip to a good Dr in a good hospital.. my visit cost me 2,600 Bt for a couple of consultations.. a chest x-ray and medication.. about $100 Au.. money well spent.. 

When we lived in Phuket, my wifes asthma didn't outbreak, but now that we live in her hometown of Kantharalak, Sisaket she often have severe outbreaks, sometimes I need to rush her to the hospital. It happens all year round but must often in the rainy season. Changes in the weather often causes an outbreak.

She takes her medicine as prescribed.

 

So I will recommend Phuket or another island.

Jomtien koh chang huahin.

most places in Thailand are much better for asthmatic people then European Cities.

For really clean air, spend your time at Ko Jum or Ko Ngai, both in Krabi.

Ko Jum has hardly any car traffic, Ko Ngai none at all.

The downside is the complete lack of entertainment.

If you like partying (and a lot of noise), try Ko Phi Phi.

No

I would suggest that you try Hua-Hin. We have some of the best air quality in Thailand here, particularly if you stay on the southern side of HH.

We have no industries in the area and the range of accommodation and restaurants is vast. You can catch a coach from Bangkok to HH for about 260 Baht that takes about 3.5 hours from the major coach station near the Chatuchak area, comfortable and reliable, but I would advise you to book it as it only seats about 25 people. Don't take the coach from the airport as this drops you about 3 miles north of HH whereas the other one will bring you into the centre. If you need more info just pm me.

As an asthma sufferer I too picked Hua Hin for the air quality since we live inland not too far from the seaside. I take daily therapy but still get occasional sinus and nasal polyp problems almost certainly a reaction to airborne pollen.

 

 

10 hours ago, teutonian said:

For exactly that reason I love to be at Maikhao Beach in Phuket. 

 

http://www.siamhaus.com/baan-maikhao.html

thailand has not the best climate for asthma  . plant spores , plant spores and more plant spores along with the forest burning . think hot and dry .

Chiangmai is only nice in books and people dreams.

Only place where you will feel ok are islands.

 

 

1 minute ago, Destiny1990 said:

U probably deserve  it far as i am concerned. I am allergic and asthmatic but never a problem in Thailand dont need any medication. No pollen here either very great.

u no not of what u speak , but i am glad you do not suffer here , i do not , mine stopped years ago it regresses as you get older in many people , that is what i was told , but the bruning for 2 months a year in chiang mai is horrendous and will bring on a attack . 

28 minutes ago, mikiea said:

u no not of what u speak , but i am glad you do not suffer here , i do not , mine stopped years ago it regresses as you get older in many people , that is what i was told , but the bruning for 2 months a year in chiang mai is horrendous and will bring on a attack . 

Yes of course the burning smoke is horrible for asthma people but i never mentioned chiang mai as being suitable location i said Jomtien Koh chang are very good places for asthmatic people.

Unpoluted places in Thailand don't exist.

The locals take a shower directly after walking in the rain, me too.

Acid rain  or whatever it is called.

I used to laugh about it but after getting sick of walking in the Thai rain I know better.

3 hours ago, bandito said:

Unpoluted places in Thailand don't exist.

The locals take a shower directly after walking in the rain, me too.

Acid rain  or whatever it is called.

I used to laugh about it but after getting sick of walking in the Thai rain I know better.

I think you are so right as 1 month ago I washed our white car and of course it rained shortly after . When the rain stopped I went to the car and it was dirty from the rain so had to give it a rinse off . So there must be a lot of pollution up here in the north east . I would have thought that a coastal resort would be preferred for its fresh air ?

Some inflammatory posts and replies have been removed. 

This air quality map is quite useful. You can zoom in/out and drag the map around. In the uk I never suffer with respiratory problems, but in Bangkok nearly always get laryngitis or something similar. It's horrible and takes 6 weeks to leave. http://aqicn.org/map/thailand/

On ‎1‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 8:02 AM, superal said:

I think you are so right as 1 month ago I washed our white car and of course it rained shortly after . When the rain stopped I went to the car and it was dirty from the rain so had to give it a rinse off . So there must be a lot of pollution up here in the north east . I would have thought that a coastal resort would be preferred for its fresh air ?

 

Well, I live in a coastal town and the air here is also dirty.

 

After a good rain shower, couple or 3 days the cemented ground outside my house is black and I have to use a power washer to clean it.

 

When my daughter was still a toddler she liked to dance in the rain which I allowed her.

My Thai wife, seeing this, read me the riot act and gave my daughter a good scrubbing in the shower.

Told me to never ever do this again because she , our daughter, would get very sick at which, as said before, I had to laugh.

I know better now after getting sick of walking in the rain and not taking a shower.

Ah well, paradise right?

3 hours ago, bandito said:

 

Well, I live in a coastal town and the air here is also dirty.

 

After a good rain shower, couple or 3 days the cemented ground outside my house is black and I have to use a power washer to clean it.

 

When my daughter was still a toddler she liked to dance in the rain which I allowed her.

My Thai wife, seeing this, read me the riot act and gave my daughter a good scrubbing in the shower.

Told me to never ever do this again because she , our daughter, would get very sick at which, as said before, I had to laugh.

I know better now after getting sick of walking in the rain and not taking a shower.

Ah well, paradise right?

It is a real eye opener and maybe I have found part of the reason on Google search . Apparently even though you may be living in a non industrial area the rain you are receiving may be carrying pollutants from far away especially if you are down wind of refineries etc . The initial start of the rain will be the worse for being dirty as the first rain clears most of the pollutants but there after the rain should become clean to the eye but not as clean as can be produced in a laboratory .   

On ‎1‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 7:34 AM, superal said:

It is a real eye opener and maybe I have found part of the reason on Google search . Apparently even though you may be living in a non industrial area the rain you are receiving may be carrying pollutants from far away especially if you are down wind of refineries etc . The initial start of the rain will be the worse for being dirty as the first rain clears most of the pollutants but there after the rain should become clean to the eye but not as clean as can be produced in a laboratory .   

 

 I think you are right as I am living some kilometres " downstream" from MapThaPhut, which is a large industrial area with refineries and all kinds of industries.

Most, if not all, dirty.

after 3 years in Bangkok moved to Jomtien by the beach, never felt better i have got a lovely sea breeze wafting through my condo now with all the doors open, its hot but no air con required