Smoke Haze Returns Blamed on Neighbouring Provinces and Countries, Authorities Advise Wearing Mask

by CityNews

 

 

CityNews – Chiang Mai authorities have acknowledged the current return of haze and smog, suggesting that this smoke is coming from neighbouring countries.

 

As the view of Doi Suthep began to disappear in a haze of smoke again, a report by the local authorities confirmed the problem, reporting PM10 levels in Mae Chaem and Chang Pheuk at 104 and 89 respectively. The Climate Change Data Centre at Chiang Mai University (CCDC CMU) also reported a PM2.5 reading at 16 locations, averaging at 125 between 11am and 12pm on April 11.

 

The highest recorded number was 160 at Anuban Chiang Mai School.

 

Full Story: http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/smoke-haze-returns-blamed-neighbouring-provinces-countries-authorities-advise-wearing-mask/

 

-- © Copyright Chiang City News 2018-4-11

Always blame the other en the sheeps will believe you, till they also know the way to find out and see that around them the air is cleaner...

North faces serious haze problem this weekend

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

File photo

 

PEOPLE IN the North have been warned to prepare for a worsening haze problem this weekend as the weather forecast shows south-westerly winds that will carry air pollution into the region.
 

The Northern Meteorological Centre (NMC) said yesterday that weather conditions during this period were the main factor for the current air pollution in the northern region. 

 

Wind from the southwestern direction during the summer months also brings smog and very fine particulate matter from open burning locally and in neighbouring countries, which results in air pollution that threatens people’s health.

 

Worapoj Khunawiwatthan-angoon, a meteorologist at the NMC, said the recent haze problem in many northern provinces, especially Chiang Mai and Lampang, was associated with the sharp rise of hotspots upwind, in areas southwest of the Chiang Mai-Lamphun Valley.

 

“During this time of the year, the wind is blowing from southern and western directions and as there is a lot of burning both in the region and neighbouring countries in upwind areas, the smog from the burning is carried downwind,” Worapoj said.

 

 

The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency’s (GISTDA) data showed there were 81 hotspots on Tuesday in nine northern provinces. These hotspots were mostly in Tak, Mae Hong Son and Nan, as the hotspot counts of these provinces were at 30, 20, and 19 respectively, while there were many more hotspots in Myanmar.

 

Tuesday’s hotspot count was considerably higher than the previous days. As on Sunday, there were only 13 hotspots in the region.

 

Hotspots, where open burning areas were detected by satellites, were the main source of very fine particulate in the air and resulted in health threats, lower visibility, and disruptions to businesses and tourism.

 

Haze information from neighbouring countries in Asean, provided by the Specialised Meteorological Centre, showed that very dense smog covered large areas along the Thailand-Myanmar border, especially in Mae Hong Son province in Thailand and Karen state in Myanmar.

 

Worapoj said that due to the current severe haze problem in the North, people should refrain from doing outside activities, especially during the morning. Colder temperature in the morning hours will trap the air pollution on the ground, but the hotter weather in the afternoon will make the air pollution rise higher along with warm air and spread into the wind.

 

He also said that the bad air quality was predicted to last until Sunday, as rains and summer storms were forecast in the upper part of Thailand from Sunday until Wednesday, which will greatly reduce the air pollution.

 

According to the Pollution Control Department’s air quality real-time monitoring website, the level of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns has been increasing beyond the country’s safe limit of 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air, in many provinces.

 

As of yesterday, the PM2.5 daily average level in Lampang’s Mae Moh district reached a harmful level of 76.79 micrograms, while in Chiang Mai it was at 76.28 micrograms, and in Tak’s Mae Sot district it was 62.45 micrograms.

 

However, Chiang Mai and Lampang were not the areas with the most severe air pollution if visibility were considered. 

 

These two provinces had visibility at 10 kilometres compared to only three kilometres in Mae Hong Son and Lamphun, due to dense smog.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30343013

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-04-12

7 minutes ago, webfact said:

country’s safe limit of 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air,

why is the thai standard, twice (negatively) the international standard ? thai people breathe differently ? or is this the latest head-in-the-sand ?

we live in pattaya next to the beach and we have all developed issues, cronic coughs ,we are now cleaning our nasal passage daily with saline , we wear masks and try not to go out at peak tour bus times as they belch smoke and churn up the bacteria and dust on the roads..i believe the bacteria from poor sewer systems, that washes downhill towards beach road, at rainy season ,is trapped on the beach sand (which is like a sponge) and is then drys and is blown back inland with wind,combined with the huge volume of tour bus traffic it has become absolutely toxic ...but pattaya is a tour group machine now...I am just a resident ....

So explain kanchanaburi? AQI says dont go outside. There is still burning in the forests legally/illegally. Are the police and officials scarred to arrest anyone?. I would gladly go stop it. The people doing this are scumbags that only think about themselves that are setting fire to public and forestry land to activate bamboo growth so they can steal and sell later, stimulate mushrooms etc but in all reality they are only burning the prickly weeds so they can steal things easier. These people live like sht, always broke, do no good for anyone and can legally poison the population so they can make a couple hundred baht a day selling to other scumbags in town willing to buy. Are thai people really this stupid? Such ignorance.

Here in kanchanaburi we complained about illegal charcoal manufacture. Officials act like we are bad to trouble there lazy corrupt selves and have since set up scenarios to implicate us in illegal activities. What kind of people behave like this?. All this new pm2.5 counters are in, people have personal pollution meters yet the pollution gets worse.

The way i see it people lighting fires, corrupt officials and such are killing a nation. Its murder!

Thais cant blame other countries until they better themselves!

why is so difficult to come up with a machine that will shred sugar cane and corn? Up here in Nakhon Sawan I took aerial photographs to show people the out of control fires.My neighbors completely missed the point, they thought the pictures were great

There are a number of issues which are causing the Thais to fail on this issue.  One of these would be agriculture and the lack of research and funding into creating a more environmentally sustainable system.

The other is the lack of civic pride of Thais. The government is so hell bent on creating national pride that it makes one wonder whether in fact this can coexist with civic pride. Civic pride is in fact more important as it concerns the immediate area that people live in.

We can see from the past few weeks that caring for the environment and peoples health is not high on their agenda. If this is the case maybe local groups should start teaming up with international organisations that can provide research and blueprints for a better future. It really has got to the stage where not only have they shown they do not care, but they are willing to stamp out any people who highlight the problem.

There is a crisis of viewing environmental and health problems as political problems.

Only by encouraging a custodial society with adequate brains, funding and power to change things , will it get better. What they don't realise, is that the present inaction and stifling of dissent isn't going to create a better situation , it is simply condemning the area to slow suffocation.

Yeah, blame it on the Burmese!!!

 

How many times have you met a Thai man confessing to that it was his fault?

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Chiang Mai authorities have acknowledged the current return of haze and smog, suggesting that this smoke is coming from neighbouring countries.

So nothing to do with the authorities disinterested incompetence in forcibly banning stubble burning in CM, then? 

Yeah, it's probably e cigarette fumes.  Lethal that!

Wind blows you know. Smoke particles are under no obligation to obey any borders.

On the other hand, northern Thais have always been ready to blame hill tribes for their woes.