Govt apologises for Bangkok’s suffocating, hazardous smog

[Cadbury]

1 minute ago, geisha said:

Has the pollution made a definite slow down on tourism yet ? Or is that yet to come ? 

TAT could turn this to their advantage by issuing "Smiley" LOS (Land of Smog) face masks to all inbound tourists. They could keep them as a memento of the occasion of their visit to Thailand. 

[Shiver]

Couple of questions:

Drones: 50 x 10Kg of water with some Molasses.  What was the outcome?  Drones are limited to 90 metres in height, but I'm told the dust is in the clouds?  What's the Sq/Km of Bangkok for 500Kg of water?

 

Burn off:  What's the purpose?  Is it to clear the land, put stuff back into the soil or something else?  There's plenty of minerals in the soil, it's just a bit brackish.  Filtering that and creating something to feed the soil and also getting a lot of table salt for another market at the same time would seem like a better idea.  Also the fibres from the rice would make an excellent building material if approached properly.

 

[Eric Loh]

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I made a few days ago. Why not have the PM, the Cabinet, the leaders of the Military, the appointed members of 'Independent' agencies, and the tree-stumps appointed to the NLA all give up their cars for a while? You know, lead by example?

Maybe for a start, stop stopping vehicles for your commuting convenience. Vehicles stop and burn fuel and adds up to the pollution. That was suggested but never carried out like the plans to alleviate Bangkok chronic jam which is spouted every year. 

[Shiver]

Just now, Cadbury said:

TAT could turn this to their advantage by issuing "Smiley" LOS (Land of Smog) face masks to all inbound tourists. They could keep them as a memento of the occasion of their visit to Thailand. 

France is about to ban face masks (presumably under the guise of face recognition - which is not necessary these days - sunglasses can though, but there are other unspoken reasons that would make more sense for their action).  Maybe if they put some tech in there to establish that the mask belongs to the wearer then recognition would not hinder genuine want for face covering.

Still, if the real issue is smog then that's a different story, and should be approached in an entirely different way.

[Searat7]

Take the old diesel buses off the road ASAP (some have to be 40 yr old) and use some of the Military Toy Money to replace them. 

[chainarong]

The Government is primary Thailand's governance, all the blame must go to the administration on any issue , at the end of the day the people depend on the good governance , this not only applies with the present mob of spiffs but those of former predecessors,  another example of not having the finger on the pulse , yet pollution has been mounting for decades, even blind d Freddie could see that.

[unamazedloso]

Stop blaming diesels. They dont help but they are not the root cause you liars!

Seems there is a push to get taxes from base model elec cars when they arrive to fill the gap that fuel $$ lines the govs pockets.

They should be ashamed. ITS THE FKN SUGARCANE (money make for the gov also) and forest fires, rubbish burning an6s charcoal manufacture which are the leading causes. Stop fooling yourselves. People arent as stupid as yourselves.

Your all fkn murders.

Apology not accepted. Resign immediately and let someone in to fix the country.

[akampa]

visited Thailand nearly 25years ago, in Bangkok waiting for a taxi the air pollution was so bad that our eyes were smarting we had to wait inside the hotel ,nothing has changed except it has got much worse .Move on Thailand.

[Jimdandy]

Admitting there's a problem is a start.

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

However, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and relevant authorities have taken some action to ease the problem in areas under heavy smog. For instance, they have been trying to crack down on vehicles emitting black fumes and are becoming strict with people burning fires outdoors. Officials have also started keeping a close watch on industrial plants, ensuring there are no toxic fumes coming out of their chimneys. Roads are being regularly hosed down and water is being sprayed in the air in the unsubstantiated hope of bringing down the dust particles.

some action:

trying to crack down

started keeping a close watch

 

Thai officialdom at its most pathetic

[CGW]

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

t;s only the 2stroke motobikes that pollute...and tuktuk with 2 stroke engine

Are you sure? very few 2 stroke motorcycles on the road & even less tuktuk that are nor running on LPG, the diesel monsters are to blame! 

[scorecard]

"For instance, they have been trying to crack down on vehicles emitting black fumes ..."

 

So why are these vehicles on the road at all?

 

Laws and regulations were published years ago totally banning these vehicles and making it illegal to use these vehicles. In other words the police and government agencies didn't do their job. So punish them and, make an example of them, get the point across strongly.

 

Issue new regulations today, vehicles caught with black smoke over a certain measurement (a very low point) automatic fine of 1,00,00Baht and six months jail for:

 

- The driver

- The owner

- And the most senior official of the gov't. agency which issued a license to operate the vehicle.

 

 

[monkfish]

29 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

Stop blaming diesels. They dont help but they are not the root cause you liars!

Seems there is a push to get taxes from base model elec cars when they arrive to fill the gap that fuel $$ lines the govs pockets.

They should be ashamed. ITS THE FKN SUGARCANE (money make for the gov also) and forest fires, rubbish burning an6s charcoal manufacture which are the leading causes. Stop fooling yourselves. People arent as stupid as yourselves.

Your all fkn murders.

Apology not accepted. Resign immediately and let someone in to fix the country.

They were burning near me a few days ago but now the smoke has dispersed and the air clear again and sky blue.
When you see the black fumes belching out from trucks, public buses and motorbikes it's not hard to imagine that vehicle emission is to blame in the city.
They also make charcoal in my area but again the air is clear.

[owl sees all]

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

When someone says "Sorry"  it is an admission of guilt.  Doesn't mean they are really sorry or will do anything about it.  It is the standard Thai answer to anything they do wrong, then forget about it.

 

Couldn't "sorry" mean simply "sorry you are suffering"?

 

I don't see what the Junta/authorities can actually do once the smog has arrived. Tell everyone to put their fans on - facing outwards - open their windows, and blow it away. I don't think this solution will work. Cloud seeding? Restrict farting? Drones and molasses. Stopping people smoking? Stop all traffic?

 

Long term planning and commitments are required to help with the smog.

 

Bangkok is doomed anyway. Just let it slip into the bay.

Edited February 2, 2019 by owl sees all

[fruitman]

13 minutes ago, CGW said:

Are you sure? very few 2 stroke motorcycles on the road & even less tuktuk that are nor running on LPG, the diesel monsters are to blame! 

Yes of course i'm sure...2 stroke engines pollute much more pm2.5 than 4strokes...and i still see plenty of them old motorcycles. Tuktuk's also were 2 strokes but on lpg i don't know if they are still 2 strokes, maybe not.

 

Also the gardeners use a lot of 2 strokes on their chainsaws and lawntrimmers..

 

Edited February 2, 2019 by fruitman

[dcnx]

The north has to deal with this every year for months, but worse. Bangkok has to deal with it for a few weeks and it’s turned the country upside down with daily media and apologies from the government. ????

[user4654364]

I'm waiting for the lazy b*#!d farmers to come out and apologize for deliberately breaking the law burning the cane and poisoning everyone around them. I watched a video of some kids being evacuated from school because of these ar*eholes lighting fires. The kids weren't just walking calmly. They were bolting down the street and the flames and smoke was massive.

3 weeks on and I'm back offshore and still suffering from the effects of this PM2.5.

I used to have a lot of respect for farmers seeing how hard they work but thats changed and they're just a bunch of inconsiderate morons who care about themselves and nobody else to save a few bucks.

[Odysseus123]

6 minutes ago, sgoodes said:

I'm waiting for the lazy b*#!d farmers to come out and apologize for deliberately breaking the law burning the cane and poisoning everyone around them. I watched a video of some kids being evacuated from school because of these ar*eholes lighting fires. The kids weren't just walking calmly. They were bolting down the street and the flames and smoke was massive.

3 weeks on and I'm back offshore and still suffering from the effects of this PM2.5.

I used to have a lot of respect for farmers seeing how hard they work but thats changed and they're just a bunch of inconsiderate morons who care about themselves and nobody else to save a few bucks.

Yes-sooner or later the picture of the Thai farmer as some sort of "noble savage" a la 18th  century Enlightenment needs to change.

 

In fact,along with his Cambodian,Chinese,Laotion.Burmese and Indonesian cousins he is a major polluter and poisoner of the environment.

 

But for the farmer to change-so must the completely feudal gov'ts of the countries named above need to change as well-a fast and dishonest buck is all they know.

[TMNH]

What would one expect from a third world country where ineptness leads to all of these unnecessary "calamities"? This is not rocket science, although common sense is deficient in many scenarios. My God....prayers will never accomplish what most common-sensical people might think to be prudent. Nope- none of that here...So........I would suggest a Western- based consultation where even-minded people discuss whatever. Good luck considering 4 on 1 assaults and helpless children being at the mercy of those who have no reason to be labeled father/ mother. And then, there's the concept of dual pricing. Sorry- another issue blended with another. If I'm not mistaken, monks got nailed charging a higher price for farangs.

 

 

AND you think that considering this BS, one would even want to come to Thailand? I'm sure all of you ex pats will attempt to dispel my obvious scenery re: BKK. So Pattaya? Good luck. Phuket? Once the Junta leaves (if a democratic election) AND people have a clue as to what is as stake, then you or anyone should lend to this fiasco.

 

Sorry........your biased, subtle comments have no place in this country...therefore YOU will be eliminated.

[madmen]

It's not just this government. Pollution didn't pop up in the last 4 years. Every previous government is also to blame. But TIT. Horse [emoji206].. Bolt... Gate

[Jadam]

Does anyone think maybe government subsidies on diesel fuel, which led to a demand for diesel pickup trucks (which would be gasoline powered in other countries) could be a contributing factor?  Nowadays it's not even an option to get a pickup without a diesel engine.
Keep in mind that gasoline engines can be converted to LPG, whereas diesel cannot.

[Sydebolle]

Maybe it went unnoticed but the boys in green just signed another tanks deal with the Chinese over THB 2.2 billion (THB 2'200'000'000); wonder what that money could have done to  improve public transport. 

Unless, of course, the bad enemies are at the (Thai) gate waiting to storm Bangkok so they also can have some of the smog share. 

[monkfish]

59 minutes ago, sgoodes said:

I'm waiting for the lazy b*#!d farmers to come out and apologize for deliberately breaking the law burning the cane and poisoning everyone around them. I watched a video of some kids being evacuated from school because of these ar*eholes lighting fires. The kids weren't just walking calmly. They were bolting down the street and the flames and smoke was massive.

3 weeks on and I'm back offshore and still suffering from the effects of this PM2.5.

I used to have a lot of respect for farmers seeing how hard they work but thats changed and they're just a bunch of inconsiderate morons who care about themselves and nobody else to save a few bucks.

They've been burning the fields for decades in not hundreds of years why should they stop now?
Because pollution in Bangkok caused by vehicle emissions?
When I was a kid in the UK they burned the fields too, think it's against the law now.
But in any case UK farmers are compensated for any losses and guaranteed a good price.

Edited February 2, 2019 by monkfish

[realfunster]

2 hours ago, fruitman said:

The europeans all read about it in the newspapers...the chinese and indians don't care i bet....their countries are even worse and that's why they want to go out of them.

Here’s some coverage from the UK, complete with bloodshot eyes and nosebleeds that are attributed to the pollution. Can’t say I have heard about this locally...

https://metro.co.uk/2019/02/01/thick-toxic-smog-making-people-cough-blood-bangkok-pollution-crisis-8423277/

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

According to the Pollution Control Department (PCD), it is unsafe if the amount of PM2.5 exceeds 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air. Anything beyond this, and people will start experiencing health problems.

This is true if you use the "Thai scale" of what's safe, nothing is safe, certainly not 50 micrograms.

Go to the W.H.O web page to see what the rest of the world consider as being acceptable!!

[Chris Lawrence]

 So what are the long term strategies the Government will apply. 

 

When this happens up north nothing is done except for old and young and people with respiratory problems to stay indoors.

 

Maybe Elon Reeve Musk can come back?

[ebean001]

I am confused! This is normal for me but my question is....this is the first time BKK has this problem? and Why the problem?

Has it been a yearly problem that has not been highlighted? Seems to me that limiting vehicles in BKK is fruitless.

Seems to me...if it is really that bad...add more cars to the BTS, increase trains,  and reduce the fare on the BTS to 0.

Then stop cars coming into bkk and question then ...WHY? This should cause enough of a traffic jam that people turn back...555

if they are telling me it is traffic then I am really confused. Traffic is a 100% problem year round in BKK.

[malibukid]

 enforce agricultural burning, vehicle emissions, heavy fines like they do in Calif?  life is cheap in Asia.

[connda]

5 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Govt apologises for Bangkok’s suffocating, hazardous smog

But no apology for Chiang Mai's suffocating hazardous smog, and no apology for the suffocating hazardous smog that will soon blanket the entire North, Northeast, and Central regions of Thailand.  Why?  My guess is it's due to basic Thai elitism: "Outside of Bangkok is only the rural peasants.  Like Prawit's watches, they are a trivial thing.  But the mighty Krung Thep!"  <wais all around>

[malibukid]

3 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Perfect way to make sure 65 million people ignore anything else he has to say. Thais HATE being told they can learn something from outside this cartoonish country.

plain pigheaded