How to deal with Chiang Mai smoke?

[RamenRaven]

It's September now, but burning is happening everywhere. In southern Chiang Mai, by the Lamphun border area, there are many longan orchards where tree branches and other organic matter are burned daily, usually around the afternoon. I am dismayed that not only March and Songkran have this kind of burning, and that apparently August and September see a lot of burning in Chiang Mai too. I don't know when this will stop. When I drive my motorcycle around the area, I see a different fire being lit about every 1 km or so. Not wearing glasses would result in itchy, irritated eyes. Of course, the smoke would also cause hacking and coughing. Absolutely atrocious.

 

Chiang Mai farmers do open-air burning for various reasons, including...

1. Clearing the fields of post-harvest organic matter (straw, branches, and so forth) and to rid the fields of weeds

2. Burning trash because they're too poor (or cheap) to pay for the weekly trash service that comes every Monday

3. Burning random stuff to get rid of mosquitoes in their houses, since they don't want to get proper mosquito repellant

4. Burning piles of sticks when someone dies

5. Open-fire cooking, including making muu yaang (barbecue pork)

 

Am I missing anything else?

 

The locals are addicted to burning. It is the Lanna panacea for all of their problems, but causes huge problems for us. Work, exercise, sleep, and all sorts of daily activities become very difficult under such conditions.

 

I am sick and tired of this constant burning.

Everyday from 2 pm - 6 pm, smoke fills my house, which has no air conditioning, and I cannot work on my computer anymore. This is negatively affecting my work and income, since I work from home doing computer work. I have to close all the windows, which makes the house unbreathable with hot, suffocating air. I would usually leave the house during that time, or take a nap. To deal with this, I've tried working at night and during early mornings, which has messed up my circadian rhythm.

 

What is the best solution to deal with this? What kinds of air conditioners and/or air purifiers would you recommend to get rid of all the noxious smoke?

 

Edited September 11, 2018 by RamenRaven

[worgeordie]

2 hours ago, RamenRaven said:

What is the best solution to deal with this?

You are going to have to move somewhere else where there is

no burning,that means nowhere in Northern Thailand, you are

going to have to make changes ,as the Thai villagers won't.

regards worgeordie

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

It's September now, but burning is happening everywhere. In southern Chiang Mai, by the Lamphun border area, there are many longan orchards where tree branches and other organic matter are burned daily, usually around the afternoon. I am dismayed that not only March and Songkran have this kind of burning, and that apparently August and September see a lot of burning in Chiang Mai too. I don't know when this will stop. When I drive my motorcycle around the area, I see a different fire being lit about every 1 km or so. Not wearing glasses would result in itchy, irritated eyes. Of course, the smoke would also cause hacking and coughing. Absolutely atrocious.  

Chiang Mai farmers do open-air burning for various reasons, including...

1. Clearing the fields of post-harvest organic matter (straw, branches, and so forth) and to rid the fields of weeds

2. Burning trash because they're too poor (or cheap) to pay for the weekly trash service that comes every Monday

3. Burning random stuff to get rid of mosquitoes in their houses, since they don't want to get proper mosquito repellant

4. Burning piles of sticks when someone dies

5. Open-fire cooking, including making muu yaang (barbecue pork)

 

Am I missing anything else?

 

The locals are addicted to burning. It is the Lanna panacea for all of their problems, but causes huge problems for us. Work, exercise, sleep, and all sorts of daily activities become very difficult under such conditions.

 

I am sick and tired of this constant burning.

Everyday from 2 pm - 6 pm, smoke fills my house, which has no air conditioning, and I cannot work on my computer anymore. This is negatively affecting my work and income, since I work from home doing computer work. I have to close all the windows, which makes the house unbreathable with hot, suffocating air. I would usually leave the house during that time, or take a nap. To deal with this, I've tried working at night and during early mornings, which has messed up my circadian rhythm.

 

What is the best solution to deal with this? What kinds of air conditioners and/or air purifiers would you recommend to get rid of all the noxious smoke?

 

 

Go back to your country if you don’t like agricultural burning. Absolutely nothing is ever done and if it was smoke still comes over from Myanmar and Laos. I like the smells of burning, but not dry throat and coughing. It is pointless to resist. Go back to your country, if you. Cannot adapt.

 

[eyecatcher]

If thats your September moan, the March moan will be an epic.

[Happy Grumpy]

Killer sunsets.

[orang37]

Do not inhale.

 

~o:37;

[RamenRaven]

Since there is nothing we can do about pyromaniac Thai farmers in a country where you're allowed to do anything (except insult people and make them feel bad about themselves, which will cause you to end up dead), perhaps we can answer this question instead.

 

What kinds of air conditioners and/or air purifiers would you recommend to get rid of all the noxious smoke?

Edited September 11, 2018 by RamenRaven

[RamenRaven]

5 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

If thats your September moan, the March moan will be an epic.

I easily lived through March, because the smog was actually quite spread out and comes from other districts.

 

The difference now is that the fires are all within a 5 km radius, so the smoke is very thick and heavy. Farangs living in air-conditioned downtown Chiang Mai condos are not likely to notice this. Try living in a typical local house (no A/C) in rural southern Chiang Mai province or Lamphun province.

[Scott]

There is an existing thread.   Please post there: