How do you deal with the air quality outside?

[Poopyface]

I've seen the air quality thread where folks are discussing metering indoors and various ways to clean air indoors.

 

What I'm wondering is how do you handle being outside in it? Is it as bad as it looks via the reading?

 

Do you wear a mask at all times?

 

I spend a lot of time outside and use public transport, walk a lot, ect.

Should I just give up on visiting Bangkok?

I left Chiang Mai because the air was terrible.

Now I'm hopping the southern islands.

Had planned to take the overnight train to Bangkok but air quality reports convinced me otherwise.

 

Thoughts?

[mommysboy]

A few days in Bangkok won't have much effect.  If you were to live in Bangkok you would have to change your lifestyle for sure.

[Emdog]

Perhaps best approach would be "You can hide but you can't run"

[NightSky]

I wear an N95 mask when outdoors.

 

Indoors we keep the windows and doors closed, use air purifyer and about to add filters to the aircon units.

 

The air quality is very poor in Bangkok at the moment I would give any area a miss that has high pollution since then the authorities might wake up if the tourist numbers begin to fall. Its also better for your health of course.

 

Im hoping the Chinese will be more aware of the health risks of pollution and start skipping Bangkok for their tours so that the authorities take note and take action.

 

[owenm]

I'm in Nonthaburi, about 25km.out of Bangkok and the air doesn't appear too bad, but with PM2.5 it can lurk as invisible..

 

There's a good choice available from Lazada from 60bht to 200bht. N95 PM2.5 masks that are either disposable or reusable. Some avail locally with 1-4 day delivery while others from China 14-30 days and available cash on delivery.. 

Many pharmacies had sold out and just using a paper mask is a useless investment. A band-aid solution that doesn't work.. 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

I hold my breath from my apartment to the BTS, a distance of about five hundred metres. I have found it a very effective way to avoid inhaling those microscopic critters, but the palpitations are sometimes a problem.

[connda]

It's difficult to find an N95 mask that can effectively be worn with glasses.  Either they don't vent well causing to glasses to fog, or the mask interferes with the glasses being worn on the bridge of the nose, or both.   Now I've read promotions by companies that say their masks work with glasses, but user reviews don't necessarily corroborated their claims.  So it can be a problem for wearers of glasses.

 

Sooo, spend a lot of time indoor with a HEPA air filter running 24/7, or simply leave and head far enough South to get out of the worst of it, e.g. Petchaburi and points South.

[madmen]

I wear an N95 mask when outdoors.
 
Indoors we keep the windows and doors closed, use air purifyer and about to add filters to the aircon units.
 
The air quality is very poor in Bangkok at the moment I would give any area a miss that has high pollution since then the authorities might wake up if the tourist numbers begin to fall. Its also better for your health of course.
 
Im hoping the Chinese will be more aware of the health risks of pollution and start skipping Bangkok for their tours so that the authorities take note and take action.
 

By Chinese standards the smog air in bangkok would be considered refreshing

[Ulic]

I ignore it and hope it will pass sooner rather than later. I don't hold my breath. 

[marcusarelus]

I use an R-95

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 1/29/2019 at 1:25 PM, Poopyface said:

Had planned to take the overnight train to Bangkok but air quality reports convinced me otherwise. 

 

 

The rest of Thailand right now is not so bad (for Thailand.)  But BKK is horrible right now, and not projected to improve for at least the coming week.

 

If I had any choice, I'd be anywhere but BKK and its environs right now -- mask and purifier or no mask and purifier!

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

16 minutes ago, Ulic said:

I ignore it

 

At your own peril...to your health....

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, connda said:

It's difficult to find an N95 mask that can effectively be worn with glasses.  Either they don't vent well causing to glasses to fog, or the mask interferes with the glasses being worn on the bridge of the nose, or both.   Now I've read promotions by companies that say their masks work with glasses, but user reviews don't necessarily corroborated their claims.  So it can be a problem for wearers of glasses.

 

 

3M has a line of low-profile N95 face respirators that supposedly are better with glasses, and also some of those have an internal exhale valve to make more comfortable and perhaps fog less...  But they're not cheap, nor are they probably easy to find right now in BKK given the mask shortages...

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 hours ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

I hold my breath from my apartment to the BTS, a distance of about five hundred metres. I have found it a very effective way to avoid inhaling those microscopic critters, but the palpitations are sometimes a problem.

 

This might help....

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 hours ago, owenm said:

I'm in Nonthaburi, about 25km.out of Bangkok and the air doesn't appear too bad, but with PM2.5 it can lurk as invisible..

 

 

Think again....

 

[bkk6060]

I jog, walk around, and do nothing it does not bother me.

All this geek measuring and instruments are a joke so stupid.

Get out and enjoy your day and do not worry about it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

50 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

I jog, walk around, and do nothing it does not bother me.

All this geek measuring and instruments are a joke so stupid.

Get out and enjoy your day and do not worry about it.

 

Breathing this kind of foul air, especially for breathing deeply for exertion activities, has been scientifically shown to increase people's risks for respiratory problems, COPD, strokes and even heart attacks. And the longer you're exposed, the more the risk increases.

 

Only an ignorant fool would provide the advice you're spreading...

 

[NCC1701A]

 

[Unify]

I use nasal filters, I think the company is Woody Knows. They block out a significant portion of pm2.5, if they fit, and are in the strongest configuration (two filters). They have a pack that's an assortment of sizes, to get you started.

 

I have to take care to breathe through my nose. It takes more effort to breathe, but it doesn't usually bother me. I can wear them 2-3 hours, and then it starts to bother me.

 

FYI, I came to Krabi Town to days ago. I was dismayed to see the air quality while in the plane. AQI 131. Yesterday, 109. Today, in the morning, 67 or so.

 

131 certainly isn't disastrous, but it was not the pristine air I was hoping for.

[fruitman]

It's very bad in BKK...best to stay in the bedroom with airconditioning.

 

I still see loads of large trucks belching huge black clouds on the roads. Nothing gets done to stop it.

[Skeptic7]

Just another day in BKK. Going about day to day business as usual. No mask...no nothing. 

[Poopyface]

On 1/30/2019 at 4:17 PM, Ulic said:

I ignore it and hope it will pass sooner rather than later. I don't hold my breath. 

Pass? It's here to stay, sorry to say.

The ostrich approach doesn't work for me.

 

[Poopyface]

On 1/30/2019 at 8:45 PM, fruitman said:

It's very bad in BKK...best to stay in the bedroom with airconditioning.

Why do people think air conditioning solves anything? They simply pump the air from outside directly into your lungs...

[Poopyface]

22 hours ago, Skeptic7 said:

Just another day in BKK. Going about day to day business as usual. No mask...no nothing. 

Go get em tiger!

Better to burn out than fade away, eh? ????

[fruitman]

4 hours ago, Poopyface said:

Why do people think air conditioning solves anything? They simply pump the air from outside directly into your lungs...

Yes and then your lungs filter the air so after that it's cleaner.

[CGW]

5 hours ago, Poopyface said:

Why do people think air conditioning solves anything? They simply pump the air from outside directly into your lungs...

You don't understand how AC works do you ????

[Skeptic7]

5 hours ago, Poopyface said:

Go get em tiger!

Better to burn out than fade away, eh? ????

Wonder how many smokers are wearing masks when inhaling much worse on a daily basis? How many terrible dieters are wearing masks when preventable heart disease, #1 killer, doesn't faze them in the least. Many more things gonna kill many more people here than the smog....like driving. 

 

Wear a mask... 

[robblok]

On 1/30/2019 at 8:45 PM, fruitman said:

It's very bad in BKK...best to stay in the bedroom with airconditioning.

 

I still see loads of large trucks belching huge black clouds on the roads. Nothing gets done to stop it.

That does not work, you need an air purifier. I thought it would not be needed until i put an air purifier in my home. Keep my doors closed and have aircon on. Still I had over 100PM 2.5 in my home. Now after using the air purifier it goes down to 20 (if I keep doors closed).

 

The pollution is already in your house it has come in over time.

[robblok]

17 hours ago, CGW said:

You don't understand how AC works do you ????

No he does not.. but people who think AC filters the air are also in for a rude surprise. without a air purifier your aircon does nothing but to recycle the air with all its pollution in there already. Pollution seeps into your house it does not stay out. 

 

I was shocked when i first ran the air purifier, I had expected like so many that me closing the doors and running aircon would protect me. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

No he does not.. but people who think AC filters the air are also in for a rude surprise. without a air purifier your aircon does nothing but to recycle the air with all its pollution in there already. Pollution seeps into your house it does not stay out. 

 

I was shocked when i first ran the air purifier, I had expected like so many that me closing the doors and running aircon would protect me. 

 

Your comments above are basically correct as regards to PM2.5... Regular split air cons sold here usually have only a rudimentary OEM filter(s) that do nothing to catch/capture/reduce PM2.5...  They may and do capture larger particles of dust and such...but that's not PM2.5.