Bangkok Air Pollution

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Darn, I am not keeping up with the latest gizmo (again!). That is the exact model I am currently using.

 

Be glad that, apparently, you and other owners can still get replacement HEPA filters for it!

 

[garyk]

What a horrible way to live your retirement life!  Hard to believe.

[MaxYakov]

3 hours ago, garyk said:

What a horrible way to live your retirement life!  Hard to believe.

 

[sunnyboy2018]

On 1/23/2018 at 7:34 AM, JimShorts said:

It is a big deal. The health impacts are very real and very serious, especially for young and old people. 

 

Many steps can be taken in the short/medium term to reduce air pollution and are taken in many other major cities around the world when the air pollution reaches such dangerous levels. 

 

Indeed, the medical masks do nothing to reduce the amount of pollution you breath, nor does a hand/shirt/fabric over face. You have to use a proper mask. 

Pollution is part of city life..Im tired of people moaning about it.

[ExpatOilWorker]

1 hour ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Pollution is part of city life..Im tired of people moaning about it.

Yeah, we love our precious city pollution, but we don't want any of that pesky rural sugarcane, rice field and forest fire burning. 

[garyk]

2 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Pollution is part of city life..Im tired of people moaning about it.

City only... haha.   I have had to fly out of Malaysia and Thailand when birding in the country because of the insane air pollution. It is a polluted cesspool.  And I think I am being kind... 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

This is not looking good.... We're now consistently into the orange unhealthy for sensitive groups.  And if the forecast is correct, we'll be into the red / unhealthy for all status within the week.

 

 

 

 

[Dinobot]

The Xiaomi one is very good. Just don’t let it connect to your Wifi unless you want the CCP recording everything digital that passes through your connection.

[MaxYakov]

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

This is not looking good.... We're now consistently into the orange unhealthy for sensitive groups.  And if the forecast is correct, we'll be into the red / unhealthy for all status within the week.

 

 

 

 

According to the RTAQ site we PM2.5 in the red for 4 hours this morning and 1 hour last night. I came back from breakfast and my bedroom reading was unusually high for having the door closed and the purifier off while I was away and didn't check the RTAQ, just noted it and turned on the purifier. My bathroom has the same reading as my balcony because the window seals leak like a sieve.:

 

 

 

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by MaxYakov

[Thainess]

You all know you'd be better off, health-wise, safety-wise and now even financially (given the unstoppably escalating cost of living in BKK), so this begs the question: Why do you farangs continue to punish yourselves by living in Thailand? Why not return to your wealthy and welfare state-offering Western countries and live out the rest of your days in good health and safety and cooler weather, with the Western foods you like at cheap prices? You'll probably live 10 years longer in your home country. So why not go back?

[MaxYakov]

2 hours ago, Thainess said:

You all know you'd be better off, health-wise, safety-wise and now even financially (given the unstoppably escalating cost of living in BKK), so this begs the question: Why do you farangs continue to punish yourselves by living in Thailand? Why not return to your wealthy and welfare state-offering Western countries and live out the rest of your days in good health and safety and cooler weather, with the Western foods you like at cheap prices? You'll probably live 10 years longer in your home country. So why not go back?

It's a fair question, Your Thainess. In my case "bad movie syndrome" is probably the best answer. Also, I've accumulated all this <deleted>, including similarly described relationships with a Thai woman or two.

 

Can you believe it!? The editor automatically converted 'cr#p' to '<deleted>'! Isn't this all a bit off-topic?

 

Please reference THIS video. 

 

Edited September 26, 2019 by MaxYakov

[Dinobot]

20 baht says Thainess is not actually thai.

[smutcakes]

15 hours ago, Dinobot said:

20 baht says Thainess is not actually thai.

Thainess used to live in Thailand but could not hack it so went to HK a few years ago. However he still posts here regularly, ironic given the advice he is imparting just up there that he still finds it necessary to post on a forum about Thailand a lot.!!

[brewsterbudgen]

You all know you'd be better off, health-wise, safety-wise and now even financially (given the unstoppably escalating cost of living in BKK), so this begs the question: Why do you farangs continue to punish yourselves by living in Thailand? Why not return to your wealthy and welfare state-offering Western countries and live out the rest of your days in good health and safety and cooler weather, with the Western foods you like at cheap prices? You'll probably live 10 years longer in your home country. So why not go back?

Some of us have our jobs here.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[ThomasThBKK]

On 9/23/2019 at 1:00 PM, phungo said:

what do you all recommend for an indoor air filter for a 100 square meters condo?

where to buy? what brand? what features?

 

BlueAir are the best, swedish company, sold in Central Embassy department store etc. 

I use the Pro L: https://www.blueair.com/us/air-purifiers?prefn1=blair_recommendedRoomSize&prefv1=large

 

Review: https://breathequality.com/blueair-pro-l-review/

 

Yes they are pricey... but it's industrial scale stuff in the Pro Line used in Restaurants and co. 

The filters however are cheap, and it has long warranty.

 

Most other air purifiers aren't made for large condos/rooms and you would need more than one.

 

I just have it running on auto setting 24/7, and exchange filters twice a year. It doesn't make any noise even when sleeping next to it.

[NewGuy]

ThomasThBKK, that’s a great tip. Can you give an approximate cost for the 72 sq meter Pro L and and annual costs for consumables, like filters. 

 

Thanks muchly.

[edwardandtubs]

7 hours ago, NewGuy said:

ThomasThBKK, that’s a great tip. Can you give an approximate cost for the 72 sq meter Pro L and and annual costs for consumables, like filters. 

 

Thanks muchly.

There's a new one from Xiaomi called the Air Purifier Max which is more effective and cheaper. It's available at Lazada.

 

https://s.lazada.co.th/s.ZP7b5

[ThomasThBKK]

19 hours ago, NewGuy said:

ThomasThBKK, that’s a great tip. Can you give an approximate cost for the 72 sq meter Pro L and and annual costs for consumables, like filters. 

 

Thanks muchly.

 

I paid 45k THB at Central Embassy, so yeah it's pricey. 

The filters are 69 USD on amazon, i just order them online once a year, 2 of them, but even when not changing them after 6 months they are still efficient, i monitored that with an AirVisual airmeter. The thailand prices are highway robbery. 

 

The xiaomi models, as well as phillips had issues where there auto mode wasn't working, and it was quite bad at doing it's job at all: 

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/data-explains-never-use-purifiers-auto-mode/

https://saigonnezumi.com/2017/10/25/xiaomi-air-purifer-2-test-in-auto-mode/

The BlueAir seems to have a way better meter for measurement and no such issues.

 

I don't know if that has ever been fixed but if it's fixed then they are a good alternative, basically every air purifier is better than not having one, the technology isn't rocket science you could even build them yourself. DIY are often better than these cheap chinese ones, see test

[edwardandtubs]

The issue with Xiaomi auto mode doesn't affect the newer models - 2s, pro and max.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 hours ago, ThomasThBKK said:

 

I paid 45k THB at Central Embassy, so yeah it's pricey. 

...

basically every air purifier is better than not having one, the technology isn't rocket science you could even build them yourself. DIY are often better than these cheap chinese ones, see test

 

The high end air purifiers in Thailand sold by places like Central are crazily overpriced compared to what you could pay for comparable filtration spec units in the U.S. 

 

And since you've mentioned ordering your replacement filters from Amazon in the U.S., presumably there's a reason you're deciding to import them.  When I checked Central's online shopping site tonight, they have a bunch of that brand's purifiers for sale, but not a single HEPA replacement filter for any of them listed for sale on Central's website. Which is not uncommon here for the sellers of purifiers to NOT stock the replacement filters.

 

________________

 

Then separately, a lot of the decision about what size capacity air purifier(s) to get goes down to how one's home space is laid out... Is it all one big open unpartitioned space? Or is one's home divided up into a bunch of separate, closed off rooms.

 

In the case of the later, the occupant probably does not need to filter the whole house all the time, or pay for the electricity required to do so... Just the bedroom(s) at night and the main living space during the daytime in home then. So I'd look at what spaces in a home are going to be occupied during what periods of the day. And then make my air purifier choices and capacity requirements accordingly.

 

A person doesn't need a high capacity and high priced single air purifier suited to 70 or 100 sq mt of cleaning capacity if every night, all the occupants of the home are going to be sleeping in a single 20 sq. meter enclosed bedroom. Or spending the day hours in a 40 sq mt kitchen and living room area when the other rooms and living spaces are closed off by doors, etc.

 

Edited September 28, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Congratulations BKK!!!!   One of the first major red flag alerts of the coming smog season right now. And it's not even October yet...  Red all over the map!  Just as was forecast earlier in the week.

 

 

 

[mstevens]

11 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Congratulations BKK!!!!   One of the first major red flag alerts of the coming smog season right now. And it's not even October yet...  Red all over the map!  Just as was forecast earlier in the week.

This is just appalling, especially as it's still only September. Can we expect bad pollution for the next several months?!

[edwardandtubs]

12 hours ago, mstevens said:

This is just appalling, especially as it's still only September. Can we expect bad pollution for the next several months?!

September is usually the best month of the year yet tonight is even filthier. It's going to be airpocalypse come December. Bangkok covered in smog will be in the news all over the world just like Beijing used to be.

[Dinobot]

Gee, thanks all you palm oil farmers, hope you enjoy the few extra quid!

[MaxYakov]

NASA's Fire Information Management System (FIRMS) indicates many fires in a long and wide corridor to the north of Bangkok. Air Visual's current (0230) wind direction is from the Northeast @ 4.9 k/hr. Is this the "smoking gun". RTAQ's wind measurement/display appears to be not working:

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by MaxYakov

[MaxYakov]

2 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

September is usually the best month of the year yet tonight is even filthier. It's going to be airpocalypse come December. Bangkok covered in smog will be in the news all over the world just like Beijing used to be.

The RTAQ site doesn't have the Sept 2018 historic data now, but August 2019 looks pretty good compared to our awful Sept 2019 - RTAQ site for Bangkok:

 

[phungo]

what are some things you do differently day to day to avoid or reduce the effects of the bad air quality, besides having the air filters on?

does wearing masks help?

im planning to buy eyedrops and keep them in my pocket to avoid itchy red eyes.

[MaxYakov]

2 hours ago, phungo said:

what are some things you do differently day to day to avoid or reduce the effects of the bad air quality, besides having the air filters on?

does wearing masks help?

im planning to buy eyedrops and keep them in my pocket to avoid itchy red eyes.

Eyedrops, eh? And for lung and protection of your entire body from PM2.5 (micron particles)?

 

For the past 8 years at least I've worn these filter-masks when outside my apartment. I've worn out dozens of them over the years. They are sold with two TG-50SV filters which are a three-layer filter advertised as being able to stop PM2.5 and they have a carbon layer. The advantages of these are that provide a very good facial seal, have a one way exhale valve and the ability to easily replace the filter or augment it. I've augmented mine with another layer of filter material cut out from a 3M PM2.5 N95 disposable mask. Since I've been double-filtering and wearing the filter a lot more I have not come down with the continual colds (virus) I had been getting in the past every six months. They are available at HomePro and a number of other retail outlets in Bangkok.

 

Also, recently I've begun wearing the mask outside my bedroom in my apartment because I do not run an air purifier in those rooms and have come to the realization that the their air is as polluted as Bangkok's air.

 

My air-purified bedroom is the only room (or place in the entire city of Bangkok) where I do not wear the mask - ALL THE TIME (except when actually eating - not just waiting for food). People might say this is "over the top". I say it's because Bangkok's air pollution is obviously "over the top". This morning Bangkok was classified as the number 5 city on the planet for the worst air pollution (Channel 3 News). Hanoi, Viet Nam was the worst at >200 AQ - Magenta, Very Unhealthy.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by MaxYakov

[scavenger]

 They have just made it to the next level. Must be the Thai Chinese and their long incense sticks  no such incense at Thai temples, of course. 

Edited September 30, 2019 by scavenger

[Dinobot]

Eyedrops, eh? And for lung and protection of your entire body from PM2.5 (micron particles)?
 
For the past 8 years at least I've worn these filter-masks when outside my apartment. I've worn out dozens of them over the years. They are sold with two TG-50SV filters which are a three-layer filter advertised as being able to stop PM2.5 and they have a carbon layer. The advantages of these are that provide a very good facial seal, have a one way exhale valve and the ability to easily replace the filter or augment it. I've augmented mine with another layer of filter material cut out from a 3M PM2.5 N95 disposable mask. Since I've been double-filtering and wearing the filter a lot more I have not come down with the continual colds (virus) I had been getting in the past every six months. They are available at HomePro and a number of other retail outlets in Bangkok.
 
Also, recently I've begun wearing the mask outside my bedroom in my apartment because I do not run an air purifier in those rooms and have come to the realization that the their air is as polluted as Bangkok's air.
 
My air-purified bedroom is the only room (or place in the entire city of Bangkok) where I do not wear the mask - ALL THE TIME (except when actually eating - not just waiting for food). People might say this is "over the top". I say it's because Bangkok's air pollution is obviously "over the top". This morning Bangkok was classified as the number 5 city on the planet for the worst air pollution (Channel 3 News). Hanoi, Viet Nam was the worst at >200 AQ - Magenta, Very Unhealthy.
 

 
 
 

Two questions:

1) does this mask fit a larger head/face? All the masks I come across in Thailand are too small for me.

2) you say you augment the mask, is that because it’s not that efficient at removing pm2.5 from the air without it? I notice the description talks about its purpose as filtering odor, not pollution.

Thanks