Chiang Mai ranked sixth worst for air pollution globally

[webfact]

Chiang Mai ranked sixth worst for air pollution globally

By The Nation

 

Chiang Mai

 

Air pollution in the North continues to be critical, with small dust particles of 2.5 microns in size (PM2.5) exceeding safe limits at almost every air-quality testing station.

 

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) revealed on Sunday that although PM2.5 levels had dropped from the previous day at almost every station, the amounts were still higher than safe standards. 

 

On average, the amount of PM2.5 in the North ranged between 48 and 91 micrograms per cubic metre of air during the 24-hour period.

 

For safety reasons, the amount of PM2.5 should not exceed 50mg per cubic metres of air, according to Thai health authorities.

 

 

In Chiang Mai’s Muang district, air quality tests revealed the amount of PM2.5 ranged between 86mg and 91mg.

 

Regarding PM10 particles, tests showed there were between 64mg and 140mg throughout the North. The stated safe limit for PM10 is 120mg and levels registered within the stated limit except in Tak’s Mae Sot district, where up to 140mg was detected. 

 

The PCD urged relevant authorities to quickly address air pollution by controlling burning in open areas. People were asked to not burn their garbage, farm detritus or fallen leaves. 

 

“If there is thick smog, avoid going outdoors,” the department advised. “If you really need to go out, wear masks.” 

 

The statement added that people who were developing health problems linked to smog should see a doctor. 

 

 

According to the Air Visual app, which monitors air quality around the world, Chiang Mai ranked sixth worst in the world in terms of air pollution, according by US Air Quality Index. 

 

It ranks just Nepal’s Kathmandu, India’s New Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore, Bangladesh’s Dhaka and India’s Kolkata.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/around_thailand/30341186

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-19

[cornishcarlos]

Wait for the spin...

 

Thailand declared 189th Best Air Quality in the world. PM Prayut acknowledges the governments progress.

 

I love it up in CM in November...

[Cadbury]

52 minutes ago, webfact said:

Chiang Mai ranked sixth worst for air pollution globally

Another world ranking under-achievement for the Prayut military government. I know a lot of the pollution comes from neighbouring countries burn-off but a lot of it also comes from within Thailand and Prayut could use his Article 44 to help minimise that. If he felt inclined that is.

 

Thailand 1st in world road deaths

Thailand 1st in world motorcycle deaths

Thailand 5th in world sea polluters.

Thailand 6th in world air pollution

 

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

For safety reasons, the amount of PM2.5 should not exceed 50mg per cubic metres of air, according to Thai health authorities.

i don't trust them; what are the international standards ?

[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

On average, the amount of PM2.5 in the North ranged between 48 and 91 micrograms per cubic metre of air during the 24-hour period.

too general to be of any real value, each area's characteristics vary widely;  sure the absolute numbers are important however what about the relative numbers ? year on year, getting better or worse (my guess) ?

[Thian]

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

Another world ranking under-achievement for the Prayut military government. I know a lot of the pollution comes from neighbouring countries burn-off but a lot of it also comes from within Thailand and Prayut could use his Article 44 to help minimise that. If he felt inclined that is.

 

Thailand 1st in world road deaths

Thailand 1st in world motorcycle deaths

Thailand 5th in world sea polluters.

Thailand 6th in world air pollution

 

Are there any countries with more rabies infected soidogs on the world?

[simoh1490]

Thailand - number one for the number of resident expatriates who bash their chosen country of residence...hmm, what's wrong with that picture I wonder!

[InMyShadow]

And to think that expats actually choose to live in that lung busting environment mainly because of cheap rent.

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, InMyShadow said:

And to think that expats actually choose to live in that lung busting environment mainly because of cheap rent.

Really, is that why they do it, are you sure?

 

And, since you've never visited CM before can I assume you won't be visiting in the future?

[Lupatria]

31 minutes ago, Thian said:

Thailand 1st in world road deaths

Thailand 1st in world motorcycle deaths

Thailand 5th in world sea polluters.

Thailand 6th in world air pollution

And to each topic we hear: "the situation is under control".

[InMyShadow]

7 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Really, is that why they do it, are you sure?

 

And, since you've never visited CM before can I assume you won't be visiting in the future?

I'm absolutely 100% positive. Chang mai is THE number one destination for broke pensioners.Booked a month last year and was out in 3 weeks. Either you die of lung disease or you die of boredom...

[AsiaCheese]

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

i don't trust them; what are the international standards ?

The €U has its limit at 25uG - half of the Thai limit. If I remeber correctly, 25uG is also the WHO limit.

[RichardColeman]

21 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

And to think that expats actually choose to live in that lung busting environment mainly because of cheap rent.

Probably as its number one for availability of hookers too ? 

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, InMyShadow said:

I'm absolutely 100% positive. Chang mai is THE number one destination for broke pensioners.Booked a month last year and was out in 3 weeks. Either you die of lung disease or you die of boredom...

Hmm, interesting.

 

FWIW I don't see lots of broke pensioners but I do see lots of twenty/ thirty-something-year-old Western backpackers hitchhiking on the road between Chiang Mai and further North, people who apparently can't afford the bus fare! And on the rare occasion I drive through the centre of CM see mostly very similar, I see them in supermarkets buying food for dinner and in the 7/11's buying cheap beer. OK so they're young and they're tourists, I have no difficulty with them doing those things although hitchhiking is seriously borderline.

 

As for broke pensioners: hand on heart I don't know any and I can't say that I've seen many that would make me think, hmm, he looks down and out. But I do know quite a lot of Westerners who spend most of their time in the local areas, away from the tourists and who live in some very nice houses and all seem to have ample pension or investment income. I've been here for 16 years and the chances you'd bump into me are almost zero because I won't go near anywhere that tourists hang out.

 

Finally boredom: it's true there's only a couple of go-go bars here and the number of beer bars has reduced dramatically, people who want those things go to Pattaya, thankfully Chiang Mai is not about those things and that reflects in the type of tourists who come here.

 

 

 

[simoh1490]

16 minutes ago, AsiaCheese said:

The €U has its limit at 25uG - half of the Thai limit. If I remeber correctly, 25uG is also the WHO limit.

You do not remember correctly! 

 

The WHO has a much hoped for guideline which is a target, currently, over 92% of all countries exceed that guideline by a substantial margin including London on a regular basis.http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/

Edited March 19, 2018 by simoh1490

[smotherb]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

Are there any countries with more rabies infected soidogs on the world?

How about cuckolded farangs?

[Phaser]

And WHAT is the government doing about this?? I guess nothing (again) because to do something and stop burning it would break someone's rice bowl....amazing how people in Thailand usually come last. 

[ikwiljou]

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

i don't trust them; what are the international standards ?

AQI	Air Pollution Level	Air Pollution Category	Health Implications	Recommended Precautions
0–50	Level 1	Excellent	No health implications.	Everyone can continue their outdoor activities normally.
51–100	Level 2	Good	Some pollutants may slightly affect very few hypersensitive individuals.	Only very few hypersensitive people should reduce outdoor activities.
101–150	Level 3	Lightly Polluted	Healthy people may experience slight irritations and sensitive individuals will be slightly affected to a larger extent.	Children, seniors and individuals with respiratory or heart diseases should reduce sustained and high-intensity outdoor exercises.
151–200	Level 4	Moderately Polluted	Sensitive individuals will experience more serious conditions. The hearts and respiratory systems of healthy people may be affected.	Children, seniors and individuals with respiratory or heart diseases should avoid sustained and high-intensity outdoor exercises. General population should moderately reduce outdoor activities.
201–300	Level 5	Heavily Polluted	Healthy people will commonly show symptoms. People with respiratory or heart diseases will be significantly affected and will experience reduced endurance in activities.	Children, seniors and individuals with heart or lung diseases should stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities. General population should reduce outdoor activities.
>300	Level 6	Severely Polluted	Healthy people will experience reduced endurance in activities and may also show noticeably strong symptoms. Other illnesses may be triggered in healthy people. Elders and the sick should remain indoors and avoid exercise. Healthy individuals should avoid outdoor activities.	Children, seniors and the sick should stay indoors and avoid physical exertion. General population should avoid outdoor activities.

[simoh1490]

https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/region_rankings.jsp?title=2018&region=142

[IamNoone88]

I remember an small exodus a few years ago from Phuket to Chiang Mai to escape the Phuket traffic, pollution, overcrowding etc ... ...... it doesn't seem so appealing having read this.

[simoh1490]

Just to keep things in perspective:

 

"Previously this year, air pollution levels in London were worse than those in Beijing for a brief period - with the UK capital's pollutants frequently breaking UK limits". 

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/high-air-pollution-city-does-compare-themost-polluted-cities/

[sfokevin]

35 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

I'm absolutely 100% positive. Chang mai is THE number one destination for broke pensioners.Booked a month last year and was out in 3 weeks. Either you die of lung disease or you die of boredom...

I agree totally!... No one come here!... 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

Not good enough. Thailand number one!

[ostyan]

Where are Bangkok and Beijing?

[mentalcolonization]

4 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Hmm, interesting.

 

FWIW I don't see lots of broke pensioners but I do see lots of twenty/ thirty-something-year-old Western backpackers hitchhiking on the road between Chiang Mai and further North, people who apparently can't afford the bus fare! And on the rare occasion I drive through the centre of CM see mostly very similar, I see them in supermarkets buying food for dinner and in the 7/11's buying cheap beer. OK so they're young and they're tourists, I have no difficulty with them doing those things although hitchhiking is seriously borderline.

 

As for broke pensioners: hand on heart I don't know any and I can't say that I've seen many that would make me think, hmm, he looks down and out. But I do know quite a lot of Westerners who spend most of their time in the local areas, away from the tourists and who live in some very nice houses and all seem to have ample pension or investment income. I've been here for 16 years and the chances you'd bump into me are almost zero because I won't go near anywhere that tourists hang out.

 

Finally boredom: it's true there's only a couple of go-go bars here and the number of beer bars has reduced dramatically, people who want those things go to Pattaya, thankfully Chiang Mai is not about those things and that reflects in the type of tourists who come here.

 

This one of the most gentlemanly reply to a post that i have ever read on TV

[worgeordie]

Heading for the top spot,its strange where people smoking on the beaches

are threatened with heavy fines and it was said, imprisonment,that for one

cigarette,and they actually have officers patrolling the beaches. 

 

While up here in the North,is the same every year,and has been so for as

long as I can remember, the Government,anyone,every year comes out

with ,"this year we are going to stop the burning",while NOTHING changes.

 

Smoke on a beach you are in for big trouble, set the forest a fire,there will

be no one there to catch you.

regards worgeordie

[Dustdevil]

2 hours ago, InMyShadow said:

I'm absolutely 100% positive. Chang mai is THE number one destination for broke pensioners.Booked a month last year and was out in 3 weeks. Either you die of lung disease or you die of boredom...

I like the comforts--Rimping supermarket chain is the finest in variety and customer service I've seen anywhere outside North America, including Europe and Dubai. Young women in the service sector are amazing--they work hard, fast and efficiently, and many are, of course, knock-out beautiful. Find a Thai gf. Goodness, I almost fell in love with my pharmacist. What a lovely, smiling, smart, helpful, beautiful woman. Fast internet is available, VPNs to US Netflix, Amazon Prime etc., or whatever British streaming and channels you like. Great Thai dinners for $1.50, American breakfasts for $1. None of this is boring for me, but I suspect I'd just stay indoors a lot during "haze" season. Here I could live on my miserly US Social Security of $840 a month (it's only that low because I spent 40 years outside the U.S., but it's enough--26,000 baht--to live OK in C.M. Chiang Mai is a piece of cake even to drive a car around, compared to BKK or anywhere in the Middle East. No need to drive on the highways. I'm not a beach person or a BKK person.

[Dustdevil]

2 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Just to keep things in perspective:

 

"Previously this year, air pollution levels in London were worse than those in Beijing for a brief period - with the UK capital's pollutants frequently breaking UK limits". 

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/high-air-pollution-city-does-compare-themost-polluted-cities/

Europe's diesel cars spew their fumes of particulate matter all over the EU and beyond.

[alant]

When I read the headline I thought this would be about the pollution we (some of us) endure and with luck a realisation that it is a problem and possibly....action?

 

No, wrong again. It seems it is about the age old activity of having a pop at the poster;

 

"Thailand - number one for the number of resident expatriates who bash their chosen country of residence...hmm, what's wrong with that picture I wonder!" was a reply as if the pollution problem was not there or perhaps it is OK to have this pollution?

"And to think that expats actually choose to live in that lung busting environment mainly because of cheap rent." came another "informed post".

 

Is this why nothing gets done about this damaging pollution, the power that be know posters are not that interested in the real problem?

[simoh1490]

9 minutes ago, Dustdevil said:

Europe's diesel cars spew their fumes of particulate matter all over the EU and beyond.

Just like the pollution from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and China spews over Thailand.