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‘I Don’t Know What To Do’ About Smog: Bangkok Governor


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‘I Don’t Know What To Do’ About Smog: Bangkok Governor

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

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A drone flies Thursday morning near City Hall and the Grand Swing in Bangkok. Inset, Bangkok Gov. Aswin Kwanmuang in a Matichon photo.

 

BANGKOK — After deploying water cannons and drones to combat unhealthy smog that shows no sign of abating, Bangkok’s governor Thursday called an emergency expert meeting to discuss solutions to the surging pollution, saying “I don’t know what to do.”

 

City Hall this morning began flying 50 drones above the capital to spray water into the air in hope of decreasing levels of harmful ultrafine particles, a method that’s been repeated despite being dismissed as scientifically ineffective. After releasing the drones this morning, Gov. Aswin Kwanmuang said he had invited experts in relevant fields to a meeting today to tell him what should be done.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2019/01/31/i-dont-know-what-to-do-about-smog-bangkok-governor/

 

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-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2019-01-31

 

 

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Aswin calls on experts to help tackle Bangkok's air pollution problem

By The Nation

 

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Bangkok governor Pol General Aswin Kwanmuang on Thursday called on experts to give advice on how best to tackle the severe air pollution that has blanketed the city.


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Photo Courtesy of Jor Sor 100 traffic radio station

Buildings of Bangkok's Sathorn area are in thick haze as of 7am on Thursday.

 

Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department reported 41 Greater Bangkok areas as having unsafe levels of PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 microns in diameter and smaller – on Thursday morning and affirmed the PM2.5 would continue accumulating until February 4.

 

Aswin called on expert assistance while presiding over a ceremony at the Khon Muang Plaza on Thursday morning to dispatch 50 drones to spray water at haze-affected locations including Kasetsart University, the Lat Phrao five-prong intersection, Lumphini Park and Rama 9 bridge areas. 

 

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The drones – each with a capacity to carry 10 litres of water – were provided by a private association in Nakhon Ratchasima.

 

Aswin said he had invited experts to brainstorm for solutions at a meeting at City Hall on Thursday. 

 

"I don't know everything, so I urge [experts] to give their input so that I can get things done,” he said.

 

Aswin said the city had been trying to wash roads and roadside plants to improve the situation and his deputies have coordinated with the owners to help spray water from the top of tall building. 

 

District office chiefs were told to check on factories that may have contributed to the pollution and report back to Aswin, he said, adding that the problematic factories would be asked to cut short their working hours during the pollution period. 

 

He said the city also asked people to co-operate by using a diesel-engine vehicle only when necessary and refraining from outdoor burning. Chinese shrines and foundations have been asked to perform Chinese New Year rituals in a way that would minimise their impact.

 

The PCD daily update said 41 areas of Greater Bangkok had seen the PM2.5 levels rising beyond the safe limit of 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air (including 24 roadside spots and 17 general locales). 

 

Many areas in Bangkok reported code-red levels of PM2.5 beyond 90 micrograms per cubic metre of air, including the front of Kasetsart University in Bang Khen district (106 micrograms); Charansanidwong Road area in Bang Phlat district (94 micrograms); Bang Kho Laem district (92 micrograms); Bung Kum district (92 micrograms); Bang Khun Thien district (91 micrograms). 

 

Vicinity province areas that saw beyond-safe PM2.5 levels included Pathum Thani's Khlong Luang district (91 micrograms) and Rama II roadside spot in Samut Sakhon's Muang district (95 micrograms), the latter of  which had Wednesday's highest level of 141 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air. 

 

The PCD said the situation would not improve on Friday, which is forecast to have no wind, and PM2.5 levels would continue accumulating until February 4.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30363282

 

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-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-31
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What is it with Thai's in authority positions and their obsession with propellers? First we had old Plodprasop  trying to do a Moses and reversing rivers flow by tethering boats to the river bank and running the engines balls to the wall, and now this. It is never going to work lads! The English expression is "urinating" into the ocean.

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Solutions are there but not without financial pain. The decision will be centered on who's slated to pay the most for reduction methods. Cutting transport of goods/people (by restricting due to emissions), general reduction of traffic in Bangkok and industry production being curtailed to reduce pollutants will have an effect but will also hurt the pocket of the average Thai and his 300 bt a day wage in the long run. Teeth gnashing aplenty with this one with no easy way out, and the current leaders must be choked (literally) over the timing of this mess. 

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This is the ''Big Enchalada'',  no quick fix , no pie charts and photo opps,no promises and blame...this is about thainess , lawlessness and entitlement......good luck with this one ,you will need it...(Amazing Thailand... that gig is over)

Edited by mok199
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I just got an air purifier for in my home, amazing that it started at a bit under 100Pm inside my airconditioned house. Now its down to 36, but every time i open the door it goes up a bit.

 

I am not even in the bad part of BKK, but I was amazed at how high it was in a home. I imagined the aircon would have filtered out more of it.

 

Probably move the unit from my living-room to the bedroom tonight. 

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2 minutes ago, SkyNets said:

What we need is a committee consisting of a number of smaller committees to hold regular seminars involving lots of talking and no real-world outcome.

 

You're forgetting about the mandatory government official field trips to Mae Hong Son... so they can relieve their stress and tensions of combating the BKK air pollution by enjoying the local "delights."  :sleepy:

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Saddly many of us ''were right'' , and we see Thailands future as a polluted 3rd world country with little to no tourism , all the good hotels and restaurants will close and the city will fall into even worse disrepair...Thais do not care enough to even p/u trash behind themselves ,how the f do you expect them to comply with strict emissions control..NO WAY

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