Pollution. Health Problems. Your Opinion?

[moonseeker]

With ever worsening traffic and massive pollution, several of my elderly friends are having breathing problems, bronchitis, coughs and several  up with pneumonia and in hospital. Obviously smokers, old folks, kids are more susceptible to these problems. We see more and more people with face masks on Pattaya roads... Dr. 's warn to take potential lung infections, often resistant strains, very serious, especially if you are older or your young kids are affected. A friend's 4 year old been in hospital 4 times the last 18 months and they have now made up their mind to leave. 

Are you affected? Are you considering a move? What goes on in minds of people who seem to spend their days on/in Soi Bouakao and similar right in the middle of pollution center?? 

Is there hope ?? will ever implement any kind of pollution control?

Interested, if others are also  concerned about health issues? Or are having serious health issues already? Regards. MS>

[newnative]

    I had asthma as a child and am still bothered several times a year with bronchitis and coughing that can last 3 weeks before going away.  The air is not that good here--I can tell by my 'gunk' test.  If you have a ceiling fan you use regularly, take a look at the blades.  Likely the leading edge will be gray-black with gunk--picked up as the blade rotates through the dirty air.  We used to have to clean out ceiling fan blades about one a month.   I say 'used to' because we have moved to a condo right on the ocean. So far our ceiling fan blades have remained free of gunk so maybe the air is a little cleaner by the water.

[moonseeker]

I got a forced ventilation system with particle filters. Absolutely shocking to see the black sticky filters after just 1 week. I believe most of the people and visitors are not aware how bad it really is. MS>

[champers]

Electric vehicles will gradually replace those using oil based fuels. How that electricity is generated is quite another matter. Coal still has its supporters here.

Not too long ago in the UK people were actively encouraged to drive vehicles that ran on deisel; now it is a sin against humanity. 

While scientists can't agree about global warming how can the man in the street be expected to decide the right way and make the best life choices? Everyone has a POV that is backed up by a renowned scientific study but which one is actually right.

Henry Kissinger said that 20 renowned economists gave him 20 different theories. Kissinger knew one was right, but not which one.

[OmarZaid]

No solution for city dwellers in sight ....

if susceptible, best be moving on to the country or to smaller towns,

or just live with it best you can . . .

[stanleycoin]

Quote

people who seem to spend their days on/in Soi Bouakao and similar right in the middle of pollution center?? 

I think they are in more danger in that area of, Heart attack from to much Viagra.

and liver failure from to much alcohol, also head damage from Lady boys.

Poor air quality is way down the list for the residents there. 

[phycokiller]

1 hour ago, champers said:

While scientists can't agree about global warming how can the man in the street be expected to decide the right way and make the best life choices?

you wont find a scientist that doesnt agree, facts are facts and the evidence of human caused global warming is indisputable. you will find plenty of non scientists that say that scientists dont agree because it doesnt suit their agenda. the problem is that most people dont have the time and/or interest to do their own research

Edited July 9, 2018 by phycokiller

[bkk6060]

No for me never had any issues here.

Bangkok air is much worse but never had a problem there either.

 

Some of this may be due to aircon issues.  Are they cleaning their aircons/filters at least every 6 months?

Usually 500 b for a professional service.

 

I do wear a large mask when on my M/B.  But, only because I do not want girls to recognize me.

[phycokiller]

Im in Phnom Penh and have had bronchitis for the last month, induced by smoking but it also seemed to start the same time as the monsoon. I would have thought the air from the Indian Ocean would be a lot cleaner then air coming down from the Chinese cities, maybe its the extra moisture in the air, or maybe its just coincidence

[ScotBkk]

5 hours ago, newnative said:

    I had asthma as a child and am still bothered several times a year with bronchitis and coughing that can last 3 weeks before going away.  The air is not that good here--I can tell by my 'gunk' test.  If you have a ceiling fan you use regularly, take a look at the blades.  Likely the leading edge will be gray-black with gunk--picked up as the blade rotates through the dirty air.  We used to have to clean out ceiling fan blades about one a month.   I say 'used to' because we have moved to a condo right on the ocean. So far our ceiling fan blades have remained free of gunk so maybe the air is a little cleaner by the water.

 Hi there
Out of personal interest can you tell me do you think the air-con improves or makes asthma worse. Thanks for your reply in advance.

 

[newnative]

2 minutes ago, ScotBkk said:

 Hi there
Out of personal interest can you tell me do you think the air-con improves or makes asthma worse. Thanks for your reply in advance.

 

   I no longer get the asthma attacks I got as a child so I don't really have an answer.  What I get now is more bronchitis and coughing.  I use an air cleaner at night and I think that helps some and I keep the aircon around 26 degrees, so not too cold.  Usually just use the aircon at night unless it's really hot.

[Thingamabob]

2 hours ago, phycokiller said:

you wont find a scientist that doesnt agree, facts are facts and the evidence of human caused global warming is indisputable. you will find plenty of non scientists that say that scientists dont agree because it doesnt suit their agenda. the problem is that most people dont have the time and/or interest to do their own research

Simply not true. For millions of years the Earth's temperature has gone up and down at varying speeds.

[phycokiller]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

Simply not true. For millions of years the Earth's temperature has gone up and down at varying speeds.

no denying that but it doesnt disprove anything I said

[poanoi]

the sea breeze makes pattaya a good place to live in,

you would be far worse off in bkk or chiang mai

[poanoi]

4 hours ago, phycokiller said:

you wont find a scientist that doesnt agree, facts are facts and the evidence of human caused global warming is indisputable. you will find plenty of non scientists that say that scientists dont agree because it doesnt suit their agenda. the problem is that most people dont have the time and/or interest to do their own research

dafug?!?!!

educate yourself

 

[phycokiller]

6 hours ago, poanoi said:

dafug?!?!!

educate yourself

 

going to need some evidence. I got up to 7 minutes and its just people with posh english accents saying global warming isnt true. very nice but thats not evidence. maybe you can tell me where to fast forward to the actual evidence, or is that it?

Edited July 9, 2018 by phycokiller

[poanoi]

1 hour ago, phycokiller said:

going to need some evidence. I got up to 7 minutes and its just people with posh english accents saying global warming isnt true. very nice but thats not evidence. maybe you can tell me where to fast forward to the actual evidence, or is that it?

the sceme is crushed on every single point all over the video,

and the explanation what actually causes ups and downs is towards the end,

but you may look at 19:30 on when al gore gets shafted

[John Singer]

I don't think that Pattaya's location by the sea helps much anymore. The big port up in Laem Chabang is very busy and ship engines are horribly dirty. 

City traffic is also ever increasing - especially tour buses which are a nightmare. Chonburi and Rayong are also very busy industrial centres. 

It really worries me even though I don't feel any immediate impact from it. 

[topt]

16 minutes ago, John Singer said:

City traffic is also ever increasing - especially tour buses which are a nightmare.

Agree wholeheartedly with this. Recently, when on the mc, I seem to get stuck behind coaches belching black smoke more times then not now whenever travelling up and down third road. Was never this bad 3 years ago.

What effect is this having on my lungs/respiratory system - who knows......... 

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

One of the motivating factors for leaving Pattaya/Bangkok was the frequent scratchy, irritated throat and the rare shortness of breath. When you can virtually see and smell the air you're breathing walking along Central Road Pattaya or Sukhumvit in Bangkok, it just may be bad for you. My Bangkok floor fan was coated black and had to be cleaned monthly. Another bad sign.

 

Since moving to the southern coast of Vietnam two months ago, where the air is clean and fresh, I am back to walking longer distances of 3-5 km a day, whereas in Thailand, I found myself shortening my walks and thus my exposure to the foul air.

 

It's interesting the Vietnamese are adopting electric bicycles and scooters, especially the school students. Also, I have yet to experience here the black air of the foul diesel-belching tourist buses and intercity trucks that crowd Pattaya and Bangkok roads. 

Edited July 10, 2018 by Kaoboi Bebobp

[balo]

With ever worsening traffic and massive pollution, several of my elderly friends are having breathing problems, bronchitis, coughs and several  up with pneumonia and in hospital. Obviously smokers, old folks, kids are more susceptible to these problems. We see more and more people with face masks on Pattaya roads... Dr. 's warn to take potential lung infections, often resistant strains, very serious, especially if you are older or your young kids are affected. A friend's 4 year old been in hospital 4 times the last 18 months and they have now made up their mind to leave. 
Are you affected? Are you considering a move? What goes on in minds of people who seem to spend their days on/in Soi Bouakao and similar right in the middle of pollution center?? 
Is there hope [emoji1242] will ever implement any kind of pollution control?
Interested, if others are also  concerned about health issues? Or are having serious health issues already? Regards. MS>

I bought an AQI (Air Quality ) PM 2.5 reader from Lazada, it's the same type of reading they do officially in Bangkok. It's very precise.

Anything above 35 are considered unhealthy. From my balcony it's not too bad, the worst I had was around 55. But in central Pattaya I measured over 100 a few times which is very bad and you can get sick inhaling the air.
We have the fresh sea breeze here which helps, so better than Bangkok, still not good.

Compare this with the AQI level in Europe and it is 5 times worse here.

I do recommend wearing a pollution mask in the crazy traffic, you can buy them online from 3M.

[phycokiller]

2 hours ago, balo said:

I bought an AQI (Air Quality ) PM 2.5 reader from Lazada, it's the same type of reading they do officially in Bangkok. It's very precise.

Anything above 35 are considered unhealthy. From my balcony it's not too bad, the worst I had was around 55. But in central Pattaya I measured over 100 a few times which is very bad and you can get sick inhaling the air.
We have the fresh sea breeze here which helps, so better than Bangkok, still not good.

Compare this with the AQI level in Europe and it is 5 times worse here.

I do recommend wearing a pollution mask in the crazy traffic, you can buy them online from 3M.

you only have the sea breeze in the wet season, in the dry season its pretty much coming down from polluted china then overland to pattaya. I dont know how much pollution from china stays in the air. on the other hand, in the dry season the sewers dont overflow into the ocean

 

how long have you had the tester? seasons changed about a month ago, it would be interesting to know if theres a difference in the results 

Edited July 14, 2018 by phycokiller

[moonseeker]

The "healthy sea-breeze" is probably as healthy as the rest of polluted air. A friend owns a yacht in Ocean Marina. Decks are more grey and black than white, parked in marina or after a few days on the sea.....Not even starting about the rubbish/plastic, styrofoam- islands floating in the gulf........Shocking.....MS>

[champers]

18 minutes ago, moonseeker said:

The "healthy sea-breeze" is probably as healthy as the rest of polluted air. A friend owns a yacht in Ocean Marina. Decks are more grey and black than white, parked in marina or after a few days on the sea.....Not even starting about the rubbish/plastic, styrofoam- islands floating in the gulf........Shocking.....MS>

That is supposed to be a high-profile showpiece site. Shame.

[balo]

5 hours ago, phycokiller said:

how long have you had the tester? seasons changed about a month ago, it would be interesting to know if theres a difference in the results 

We have another long thread going in the Bangkok forum about this so I suggest you follow .  I posted about it several times since I bought it back in March . April the worst month , better readings in June.  

 

From page 25 .  

 

 

  

 

 

[moonseeker]

We are just living in a part of the world where people and authorities don't care about the environment. Looking at 1000's of regulations Europeans put up with to save Mother Nature I see nothing better coming here. They won't ever be able to get organized, they can't even stop using mio of tons of plastic and styrofoam. Actually at Homepro I get a thumb ? every time I decline a plastic bag. The girls seem to be informed and have been for a while. Pretty much the only place. 

IMO we can clearly see declining numbers of Westerners due to the fact of dirt, garbage, smells and filth e everywhere... 

Driving along certain Sois and even main roads reminds me more and more of my previous visits to the ??. 

Have many friends who moved to stunningly beautiful places in Europe and don't regret it. 

Indians and Chinese live in even worse conditions, so for them it is still paradise here. 

This is a very complex subject, won't even start with use of pesticides and industrial pollution. MS>

 

[gmac]

I have been having treatment for an eye infection for the past few months which I am sure has come from an initial sinus blockage which I am pretty sure has resulted from riding a motorcycle without a mask both in Pattaya and Bangkok.  I imagine it is the Bangkok air that really did the damage as the constant jams there are horrendous.. The upshot is that I have so far spent almost 30k baht on treatments and the sight in my right eye seems to have been permanently damaged.

 

I'm not looking to move away but I won't leave home on a motorbike without a full face helmet and mask anymore.

[KittenKong]

I live near the sea in Jomtien but every day I can sweep up a lot of black dust on my balcony. Presumably it comes from the diesel traffic on Thappraya Road. I imagine that it would only be worse around Soi Buakow or 2nd/3rd road, or Sukumvit.

[bkk6060]

22 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

I live near the sea in Jomtien but every day I can sweep up a lot of black dust on my balcony. Presumably it comes from the diesel traffic on Thappraya Road. I imagine that it would only be worse around Soi Buakow or 2nd/3rd road, or Sukumvit.

Sounds horrible.  And you are breathing that into your lungs everyday.

Have you thought about a move?

Edited July 20, 2018 by bkk6060

[The manic]

Pollution is a by product of wealth just like inflation. Read a history  book about pollution in London in the 40s and 50s. Things are much better now in most democratic countries. They are worse in China, North Korea and any country with an unelected military dictatorship. The exception to this idea is the USA whose government cannot even guarantee safe drinking water to its citizens...to say nothing of 'lead' poisoning rampant in the USA.