Although it was actually clear last evening, this morning it's so thick that I've decided not to leave the room, and hope the air in the room stays reasonably particulate free.

 

Does anyone know where it's actually coming from? I've heard from Burma and even Bangladesh.

 

I went out to eat last night, as it was so clear, and the restaurant had far fewer customers than usual, so I was thinking most of the regulars must have left town for cleaner climes.

Nasa firemap

Scary map!...Nothing to do for resolve the strong problem. 

Much burning between Wat Chan and Pai today.

Nothing to do with Burma, nor Bangladesh. Everything to do with the Thai authorities inability to acknowledge the severity of the problem, educate it's people on the issue, and push policies that will help resolve it. 

typical ignorance from " authorities " , typical sign of 3.world country ....

 

 

1 hour ago, keo said:

Nothing to do with Burma, nor Bangladesh. Everything to do with the Thai authorities inability to acknowledge the severity of the problem, educate it's people on the issue, and push policies that will help resolve it. 

Some provinces are actually  respecting a burning ban. So there is hope.

...thats what we thought last year when the 60 days burning ban was introduced....

but, for some unknown reason , apparently its shortened this year....

 

 

Two evenings ago we noticed a number of fires burning around the mountains of Chiang Mai. The Ban is ignored. A few weeks ago there was extensive burning of the verges near Mae Tha. That's the local Government burning. Guess what? The posters that had been erected all along that stretch of road to warn people NOT to burn were being burnt. When approached the supervisor (?) of the workers said the law only applies to inside the forest and not the verges.

And off course when they burn the verges they burn all the plastics that send unscrubbed and dangerous toxins into the air.

The Government knows this but they do nothing.

At the sports stadium there is an incinerator that burns plastic all the year around + other rubbish. They use wood as the fuel. Wood cannot create the 1000 degree heat needed to destroy the toxic emissions from the plastic. So all this stuff gets thrown into the air through a chimney stack that has no scrubbers. This poisonous air goes right into a sports stadium and the local school where people need clean air.

Stupid? Ignorant? Careless? Don't Care? Money talks? Lies? Denial? We could go on .....Thailand! That's it!

And ever since I've been here they blame the Burmese, the Hill Tribes etc ....anyone but themselves.

The only consolation I have is that it's not as bad as 2 years ago. I'm trying to stay indoors as much as possible.

Myanmar ?  Bangladesh ?
Samoeng and west of it 2 days ago...

om long 3.mp4

samoeng 1.mp4

44 minutes ago, ianf said:

 .....Thailand! That's it!

And every other country in the world, West, East, 1st 2nd 3rd - pick a World

 

51 minutes ago, ianf said:

Two evenings ago we noticed a number of fires burning around the mountains of Chiang Mai. The Ban is ignored. A few weeks ago there was extensive burning of the verges near Mae Tha. That's the local Government burning. Guess what? The posters that had been erected all along that stretch of road to warn people NOT to burn were being burnt. When approached the supervisor (?) of the workers said the law only applies to inside the forest and not the verges.

And off course when they burn the verges they burn all the plastics that send unscrubbed and dangerous toxins into the air.

The Government knows this but they do nothing.

At the sports stadium there is an incinerator that burns plastic all the year around + other rubbish. They use wood as the fuel. Wood cannot create the 1000 degree heat needed to destroy the toxic emissions from the plastic. So all this stuff gets thrown into the air through a chimney stack that has no scrubbers. This poisonous air goes right into a sports stadium and the local school where people need clean air.

Stupid? Ignorant? Careless? Don't Care? Money talks? Lies? Denial? We could go on .....Thailand! That's it!

And ever since I've been here they blame the Burmese, the Hill Tribes etc ....anyone but themselves.

Ride the Samoeng loop or road 1001 to Phrao.
Every year the strips left and right of the road get burnt down regularly instead of cutting the gras or bushes.
In my opinion just the easy, quick and careless way for a "clean up".
Then blame hilltribes, burmese aso. for burning their fields.

Chiang Mai today. 

If this problem bothers you so much, is so dangerous, you fear for your health - why are you here ? Seems that if you KNOW it is so bad you would get away.

Maybe try Beijing, or Mexico City ?  Then you can complain in Chinese, or Spanish, and I can not read either.

Win Win all around.

This incessant, constant, moaning and groaning ...

I have no problem with people complaining...it's a shock to people from the west as clean air is a right not a privilege...

 

pretty much sums up the difference between 1st world and 3rd world..so many factors go into why it's not dealt with...

 

it is a waste of time to ask what is being done....everyone knows the answer if you have spent time any length of time in SE Asia.....a way of life....

 

 

 

 

11 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I've heard from Burma and even Bangladesh.

This is what they tell the people.
But I tell you: The largest part of the pollution is home made. In our direct neighbourhood. Everywhere around.

3 hours ago, canthai55 said:

If this problem bothers you so much, is so dangerous, you fear for your health - why are you here ? Seems that if you KNOW it is so bad you would get away.

Maybe try Beijing, or Mexico City ?  Then you can complain in Chinese, or Spanish, and I can not read either.

Win Win all around.

This incessant, constant, moaning and groaning ...

I agree. We got out of Chiang Mai years ago. We're enjoying a relatively clean breeze off the Gulf right now.  

Burning is mostly about economics: the cost of the flick of a Bic, vs expensive chemical herbicide applications, machinery and trucking to clear and dispose of brush and wood waste, expensive landfill operations and all the fuel use that goes along with it. 

Support composting operations that recycle wood waste instead of burning it:  Natural Agriculture http://www.thai-organic-compost.com/index.html

 

I find it comical many CM expats have taken to wearing masks.

 

Why would anyone stay in a place where you can't safely breathe the air?

5 hours ago, drtreelove said:

I agree. We got out of Chiang Mai years ago. We're enjoying a relatively clean breeze off the Gulf right now.  

Burning is mostly about economics: the cost of the flick of a Bic, vs expensive chemical herbicide applications, machinery and trucking to clear and dispose of brush and wood waste, expensive landfill operations and all the fuel use that goes along with it. 

Support composting operations that recycle wood waste instead of burning it:  Natural Agriculture http://www.thai-organic-compost.com/index.html

 

Unfortunately when it's a long time ingrained practice it can take a long time to turn the ship around.
Permaculture offers one way forward.., but unfortunately it's embryonic at best in a land of masked smiles and also what is generally considered organic in S/E Asia is still a long way from what is actually organic..., especially compared to the various certification methods of the 1st world. 

22 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

I have no problem with people complaining...it's a shock to people from the west as clean air is a right not a privilege...

 

pretty much sums up the difference between 1st world and 3rd world..so many factors go into why it's not dealt with...

 

it is a waste of time to ask what is being done....everyone knows the answer if you have spent time any length of time in SE Asia.....a way of life....

 

 

 

 

I grew up in the Los Angeles basin with smog for many years worse then this.

And you are right, it is what it is and a waste of time to complain about things that one cannot control.

I was out all day yesterday with a good mask no big deal.

9 hours ago, canthai55 said:

If this problem bothers you so much, is so dangerous, you fear for your health - why are you here ? Seems that if you KNOW it is so bad you would get away.

Maybe try Beijing, or Mexico City ?  Then you can complain in Chinese, or Spanish, and I can not read either.

Win Win all around.

This incessant, constant, moaning and groaning ...

 

Ah, the old "If you don't like it, leave" rebuttal. Very constructive. 

 

It seems like China have actually made some ground in improving the air quality there, so yes, perhaps a move to Beijing isn't a bad idea. I read recently that criticism from China regarding the poor air quality in Thailand was met by a reply from the Thai Minister of Environment that everything was fine here, by Thai standards. As they say - the first step to solving a problem is acknowledging that you have one. Thailand can't even manage that.

 

I think another facet to the problem is Thais aren't making their voice heard in big enough numbers. If they made as much noise about the air pollution problem, as they did about Premchai and his leopard, or Prawit and his watches, we might actually see some action. We need this incessant, constant, moaning and groaning from the Thai population, or nothing is going to change.

 

Can’t understand it at all....told the wife things would be bad again this year with the smoke and she assured me that would not be the case as ‘they have a law’......not that ignoring the law or even common sense here is a gold medallist event for Thais.

15 hours ago, keo said:

Nothing to do with Burma, nor Bangladesh. Everything to do with the Thai authorities inability to acknowledge the severity of the problem, educate it's people on the issue, and push policies that will help resolve it. 

This is not a straight forward case of one is guilty and the other is innocent, all countries in the region are partially responsible for the pollution you're breathing right now and the Fire and Wind Maps confirm that is the case, it has always been this way for as long as - deal with one of the problems and ignore the others and nothing will change. 

 

13 hours ago, 0815 said:

Myanmar ?  Bangladesh ?
Samoeng and west of it 2 days ago...

om long 3.mp4

samoeng 1.mp4

3

I live not far away from Samoeng and I see this on a regular basis, the problem is trying to educate hill tribe farmers and provide enforcement in remote locations. And when you have hill farmers even further North across the border, doing exactly the same without impunity, there's no incentive for local farmers to abide by the law.

 

8 hours ago, rebo said:

This is what they tell the people.
But I tell you: The largest part of the pollution is home made. In our direct neighbourhood. Everywhere around.

Unfortunately it's very difficult to measure the extent of blown in PM2.5 versus the amount that is home grown, what I do know is that PM2.5 is very light and can travel for many many miles, that's why it's important to look at the wind maps before concluding on this.

I know there are a lot of variables..., but generally speaking..., when can the smokey season be expected to end by ? Can I expect it to clear up by the time of my May visit ?

4 minutes ago, Sandy Freckle said:

I know there are a lot of variables..., but generally speaking..., when can the smokey season be expected to end by ? Can I expect it to clear up by the time of my May visit ?

It will stop when the rain comes, this may be as soon as Songkran at end April.

17 minutes ago, Sandy Freckle said:

I know there are a lot of variables..., but generally speaking..., when can the smokey season be expected to end by ? Can I expect it to clear up by the time of my May visit ?

Last 2 years its been the middle of May before completely clearing.

24 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

It will stop when the rain comes, this may be as soon as Songkran at end April.

Ahh yesss.., I remember now..., thats what Songkran is ..., celebration to bring on the coming wet season.
I wonder if the Thai powers that be will ever move the date of Songkran to more accurately reflect 'climate creep' ? 
"New moon in June" could be the official Songkran song in the future ? 

7 minutes ago, Sandy Freckle said:

Ahh yesss.., I remember now..., thats what Songkran is ..., celebration to bring on the coming wet season.
I wonder if the Thai powers that be will ever move the date of Songkran to more accurately reflect 'climate creep' ? 
"New moon in June" could be the official Songkran song in the future ? 

A reasonable guide for this is to look at the water storage levels in the various reservoirs and their year of year history (link below).

Just click on a dam and see the previous years history and note the month the water levels start to increase - it takes about 4 to 6 weeks for the ground to absorb the rain before it becomes sufficiently saturated for run-off to occur and the dams start to fill.http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

I grew up in the Los Angeles basin with smog for many years worse then this.

And you are right, it is what it is and a waste of time to complain about things that one cannot control.

I was out all day yesterday with a good mask no big deal.

And eventually the complaints got strong enough so that laws were passed and the air quality in L.A. is now far better than it was back then.