Thai govt agencies ‘not taking air pollution seriously’

[NaaKap]

Just have another government incentive to provide cheap new vehicles to the masses. Off the scooter and into a nice new 6 cylinder 4x4 That will solve the problem. Infrastructure..? Arai na. 

[SunsetT]

4 hours ago, mikebell said:

Whilst the roadside bandits are 'fining' road users, couldn't they look at the exhausts of any number of ill-maintained, clapped-out hulks which are slowly killing us.

Yes, while modern car emmissions are not so bad, they could and should clamp down on buses, trucks, and tuktuks which are so much worse.

[phetpeter]

Its quite simple, during the day the sun heats up the air, the smog because its warmed rises higher in the sky, This can be seen as brown/grey haze hovering over a city. As the sun goes down the air cools and the smog then lowers back down to street level. not on busy roads which are generating heat from vehicles, but certainly in the parks and areas where people are jogging and walking, or strolling along the riverbanks! So it would be safer to walk along the main road paths, But, more chance thro of an instant life-threatening accident! 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, YetAnother said:

self-interest trumps greater good nearly all the time; not enough motivation yet

Smog obviously hasn't reached the ivory towers yet.

[mommysboy]

I don't think they can do much...if truth be told. If they stopped people making money they would soon be out of a job.  it's one of those token departments designed to make it look as if!

 

The Governments main strategy appears to be reporting figures on an alternative and not widely used scale, which makes the casual observer think there isn't an issue; now that is typical imo.

Edited January 15, 2019 by mommysboy

[Benmart]

Can't be true. Look at the photo ops celebrating record arrivals, acolades for being in the top 10 places to retire and so forth ad nauseum. 

 

It is an illusion. The thin veil of "alls well" does not hide the truth of what we breath, drink and eat each day. I won't even elaborate on the death toll on the roadways.

[DrTuner]

With one word, "smog", Thailand will lose what few western tourists were left. Nobody wants to have a holiday in a chimney. 

 

Lost tourist dollars is the only thing that'll cause action, besides youtube name & shames.

[DrTuner]

What I don't get is trying to blame traffic that is there 365 days a year for the smog, when anybody with an IQ greater than -500 knows it's the bloody farmers burning their fields. Get the army with tanks in there and make the penalty for burning the fields a death sentence. 

[Tchooptip]

This is my second Chevrolet TrailBlazer, so I read your car at the pollution level matches the EU standard, I forgot the number 4? But can be easily upgraded to? one figure more 5?
So why is not it done initially? Because if there are no severe laws that protect consumers and judges to enforce them behind every company,  all is an only beautiful speech in their adverts and in practice only their wallets.

Why catalytic exhaust are not imposed in Thailand! sometimes I wonder if what we all consider to be bad will or corruption is not pure stupidity

[malibukid]

life is cheap in Asia

[simtemple]

Forget pollution, now the Thai Government is set to expose the population to cancer causing/DNA damaging radiation in the name of profits.

 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, Nice Boyd said:

They don’t even have a clue , what the definition of “Serious” is...

The present "leaders" don't have a clue what pollution is !

Unless it leaves a stain on their immaculate uniforms it won't even register on their agenda.

[wvavin]

It is not that the government agencies are not taking air pollution seriously, it is because they are absolutely clueless. No way they will consult the more advance neighbors because of face factor!

[natway09]

A decent freight train service down to the deep sea water port would help take 1,200 trucks a day off the road, but God forbid,,,, look who owns the truck services

[newnative]

Umm.  Don't waste your time 'educating the public' about how serious the problem is. The public knows.  Educate the people in charge--who do nothing year after year.

[Cake Monster]

After getting the Local Admin Office to extinguish a large trash fire that was emitting huge amounts of toxic black smoke, I tried to explain about PM 2.5 particulate matter and the health risks to the Senior Official that attended.

Hisd English capability was K in understanding what I was trying to tell him. However, the grey matter was seriously lacking, and it was like trying to educate Pork.

[maddox41]

8 hours ago, wreckingcountry said:

Leave Bangkok! I am after 5 years ,choking traffic and now mass pollution ! Bye


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Me too mate I I'm out of he too after 5 yrs  the stong bhat the pollution the government  amazing place but now I'm afraid it's rooted they charm has gone back to reality and clean air 

[maddox41]

It's bad. And the local buses 30 yr old Mitsubishis  running around poisoning everyone.  Bkk just  made the  top 10  most polluted City in the world. 

 

[lvr181]

10 hours ago, YetAnother said:

self-interest trumps greater good nearly all the time; not enough motivation yet

Yup, no money in it!

[Eligius]

This filthy 'government' will do nothing to help anyone unless there is money or power in it for THEM!

[Jimdandy]

9 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

They are detached from reality if they think there is a quick fix to this .. It'll take years to bring it under control requiring mind boggling amounts of investment and a step change in the way of life here .. Unless of course PM has a cunning plan the pray the pollution away .. 

And you wonder what a water canon can really do against this kind of opposition. Is that a city bus?

[Jimdandy]

How did the lyrics from that song from the 60's go? ...don't it always seem to be that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone, pave paradise and put up a paring lot.

[Justgrazing]

9 minutes ago, Jimdandy said:

How did the lyrics from that song from the 60's go? ...don't it always seem to be that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone, pave paradise and put up a paring lot.

Joni Mitchell .. Big Yellow Taxi is the one you're thinking of .. 

Barry McGuire .. Eve of Destruction is another that has a kinda emphatic ring to it for me .. 

Edited January 15, 2019 by Justgrazing
Sp

[Jimdandy]

18 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Joni Mitchell .. Big Yellow Taxi is the one you're thinking of .. 

Barry McGuire .. Eve of Destruction is another that has a kinda emphatic ring to it for me .. 

Both speak volumes to the environmental catastrophe we are facing. Even scarier is visitors from places like Beijing which has horrible smog, don't seem to think this level of pollution is a problem; yet. Maybe they think they can buy their way out of pollution.

[Justgrazing]

2 minutes ago, Jimdandy said:

Both speak volumes to the environmental catastrophe we are facing. Even scarier is visitors from places like Beijing which has horrible smog, don't seem to think this level of pollution is a problem; yet. Maybe they think they can buy their way out of pollution.

They just don't get it so nowt will be done .. Death's among the elderly and those with respiratory problems will rise because of this but excuses will be found and other things will be blamed but pollution will continue to choke the place .. I have grave reservations that anything meaningful will get done as it will require such a fundamental change to the way of life here .. 

[Jimdandy]

2 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

They just don't get it so nowt will be done .. Death's among the elderly and those with respiratory problems will rise because of this but excuses will be found and other things will be blamed but pollution will continue to choke the place .. I have grave reservations that anything meaningful will get done as it will require such a fundamental change to the way of life here .. 

I agree unconditionally

[DaRoadrunner]

We are proudly in the top 10 in the world for pollution. World class country for retirees.

 

If the General had us all only make one trip a year to Immigration instead of every 90 days it would cut down some on pollution. Not to mention make Thailand a more desirable place to retire.

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, Jimdandy said:

And you wonder what a water canon can really do against this kind of opposition. Is that a city bus?

Seems to be one of the ancient BKK red buses that you can ride for free. Most are newer and run with NGV. I was actually surprised how good the air quality in BKK was while working there for a few years. It's not the buses, it's the farmers. Like clockwork every year.

[Shaunduhpostman]

Seems strange that suddenly there is all this rigamarole about the problem, almost as though it were new. Its hard to imagine that any level of anything dangerous, deadly etc. would cause even the slightest raise of an eyebrow amongst those in a position to do anything about any of it. Seems this is just yet another game being played for someone's political and/or financial advantage.

[puukao]

1.  save money during retirement

2.  cheap food, lots of sugar

3.  cheap rent, dogs loud

4.  bad air, cough all day

5.  black lung, die 20 years early

6.  allergies even after i'm dead

7.  body cannot decompose, pollution turned me into a fossil

8.  breathe bad air all day, every day, check pollution reports all day, while in my grave