PM Prayut targets diesel cars, factories

[webfact]

PM targets diesel cars, factories

By The Nation

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (C) tries on a face mask as he is shown initiatives to combat pollution, before a weekly cabinet meeting at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, 05 February 2019.EPA-EFE

 

PRAYUT TO PUSH FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES; BACKS STRATEGY OF SPRAYING WATER TO LESSEN SMOG

 

BANNING the use of diesel vehicles, promoting the use of electric cars, and suspending the operations of polluting factories were among the measures to tackle Bangkok’s dangerous air pollution that were considered by the Cabinet yesterday.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told a press conference after the meeting that all related official agencies were cooperating to solve the air pollution problem in the capital and nearby provinces for the short-, medium-, and long-term.

 

The main focus will be on the transport sector, which has been fingered as the largest source of Greater Bangkok’s air pollution.

 

Up to 50 per cent of the very fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns, or PM2.5, was from the traffic and transport sector, said General Prayut. Stakeholders must choose measures to reduce that to 35 per cent of PM2.5 particulates, he said.

 

“We need to closely examine automobile engines, whether they are properly equipped with a pollution filtering system and whether the engines are in good condition,” he said.

 

“I have ordered the Transport Ministry to find a solution, including measures to assist those who use diesel vehicles to switch to alternative cleaner fuels. The government has also already lowered the tax on electric cars as an incentive to promote the use of electric vehicles.”

 

He admitted that batteries for electric cars were expensive. With many Asean countries having already invested in electric vehicles, it is important for Thailand to have advanced electric-car technology to cope with future competition, he said.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (R) looks at a sprinkler device as he is shown initiatives to combat pollution, before a weekly cabinet meeting at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, 05 February 2019. EPA-EFE

 

Polluting factories to be inspected

 

Regarding the polluting emissions from industry, Prayut said an inspection of around 100,000 factories resulted in 1,700 being put on a watch list, and operations at 600 had already been suspended and the factories told to improve their emissions.

 

He also asked that people not see the official operation to mitigate the smog problem by spraying water into the air as a joke, because it can at least reduce the level of larger dust particles in the air.

 

“The people also should avoid outdoor burning and help each other in preventing health risks from air pollution,” Prayut added.

 

Dr Somchai Cheungmeechok, the Medical Services Department director for Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, revealed that 909 people showed up for health inspections last weekend to receive medical treatment for illnesses resulting from exposure to Bangkok’s air.

 

Somchai said 172 of them were diagnosed with respiratory tract infections, 32 with allergies, six with skin irritation, four with eye irritation, three with asthma, and 115 with other conditions.

 

A team of doctors from the Medical Services Department will continue their inspections in Bangkok every weekend for the rest of February and March.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30363590

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-06

[YetAnother]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (C) tries on a face mask

he needs a special mask; one where it is difficult for him to talk

[rkidlad]

Ah, will he be buying electric tanks, then? 

[fruitman]

So it's okay to burn the fields?

[akirasan]

2 minutes ago, fruitman said:

So it's okay to burn the fields?

Until after the election, yes

[djayz]

Too little, too late me thinks. 

 

Please tell me they're not going to build a gigantic spraying device made of PVC to suspend over the city! 

[ZeVonderBearz]

Electioneering to the nth degree. This fella will talk this spiel now to make himself look good and caring but if he's in power this time next year it'll be "pollution? What pollution?" We solved that problem last year! Change your ways, do as we say and don't ask question."

[bluesofa]

34 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

he needs a special mask; one where it is difficult for him to talk

Oh, and a pair of handcuffs fastened behind his back, to prevent delivery of his famous 'punch in the face' threats.

[legend49]

38 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

he needs a special mask; one where it is difficult for him to talk

Putting on that basic mask is easy, get him to wear it , work or talk for more than an hour on a hot sultry day then you will realise this band-aid is not the solution. We use face masks with proper filters at our mines in another country, always hot and dusty days, but after a few hours work and use very uncomfortable and people take them off a lot. Fix the root cause!

[miamiman123]

Ha! Yeah report all those street food sellers w the charcoal smokers? Ha! 

[mikebell]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Is he going to ban loudspeaker vans slowing traffic advertising the newly closed factories?  These vans must be the most futile form of advertising in the world yet still businesses continue to pay!

[Hayduke]

Determined to restore health and happiness to the people…Uncle Number One investigates reports that the smog is caused by dust released into the air from unwashed socks…

 

[Ossy]

And today's portrait is entitled "A Jerk in Pink"

 

 

Does this jerk not have any help or advice in the choice of his attire for his pathetic PR stunts? His big Mercedes will almost certainly run on diesel and his daily blouse will almost certainly be made in a factory that emits some sort of muck. The sooner he realises that Bangkok, like the rest of Thailand under the Junta's sleeping bear of a government, is a city totally out of control from the road-planning and vehicle numbers viewpoints. That he and his cohorts can't see that, when there are half-a-million vehicles - many of them gas-guzzling hi-so carriers, crawling along hundreds of kilometres of gridlocked roads, there is bound to be a pollution cloud, pretty well says it all . . .

 

                                      . . . too little, too late, you jerk (in pink)

 

 

[colinneil]

This is just another of his pathetic stunts, trying to convince people that he is doing a good job.

A stunt just prior to the election for obvious reasons.

[Lungstib]

Chiang Mai and other up-country cities are even more affected by diesel emissions than Bangkok. A large percentage of vehicles in these places are pick-ups and I see little hope that their owners are going to agree to 'give them up' any time soon. This would be tantamount to war.

[bluesofa]

Just now, colinneil said:

This is just another of his pathetic stunts, trying to convince people that he is doing a good job.

A stunt just prior to the election for obvious reasons.

Colin, you've misspelt 'stunt'.

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, YetAnother said:

he needs a special mask; one where it is difficult for him to talk

At least it hides that disgustingly smug grin!

[Crossy]

PC Plod was out in force yesterday outside the PathumThani University stopping and emissions checking all big trucks and buses (and causing traffic chaos which only added to the pollution).

 

There were a number of vehicles stopped with the drivers having a friendly chat to the cops. Doubtless lots of tea was being bought.

 

The actual effectiveness of these checks (other than boosting the tea fund) is debatable.

 

 

[DPKANKAN]

26 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Is he going to ban loudspeaker vans slowing traffic advertising the newly closed factories?  These vans must be the most futile form of advertising in the world yet still businesses continue to pay!

Yeah. Even seen them in the countryside where only the kwae and some noi are listening!! 555????????????????

[sammieuk1]

He was dressed in white when he went out litmus testing the romantic Bangkok air????

[Emdog]

I suppose the "stop joss sticks and hell bank notes burning" push didn't quite cut it

[Ossy]

6 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Colin, you've misspelt 'stunt'.

Hey, bluesofa, have you spelt misspelt correctly? I was thinking it should be 2 separate words, miss-spelt. Just a minute, I'll check. Yes, you're right . . . I think they changed it just recently ????

 

How about Gen. Prayuth, BSc mistargets pollution causes? No, that should be miss-targets, but he's definitely miss-taken, though.

[bubba]

1 hour ago, YetAnother said:

he needs a special mask; one where it is difficult for him to talk

 

He needs a special mask; one that will effectively block PM 2.5 particulate. The one he is wearing as well as the ones on display there are completely ineffective in blocking PM 2.5.

[nbg]

"promoting the use of electric cars"

 

Sounds great, so can We expect lower/no import tax and 5 years of no roadtax on EVs now?

[bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, Ossy said:

Hey, bluesofa, have you spelt misspelt correctly? I was thinking it should be 2 separate words, miss-spelt. Just a minute, I'll check. Yes, you're right . . . I think they changed it just recently ????

 

How about Gen. Prayuth, BSc mistargets pollution causes? No, that should be miss-targets, but he's definitely miss-taken, though.

I was keen on the idea of getting to know miss world. Or is it miss-whirled - that well-known blender misprit.

[AhFarangJa]

32 minutes ago, Ossy said:

His big Mercedes will almost certainly run on diesel and his daily blouse will almost certainly be made in a factory that emits some sort of muck. The sooner he realises that Bangkok, like the rest of Thailand under the Junta's sleeping bear of a government, is a city totally out of control from the road-planning and vehicle numbers viewpoints. That he and his cohorts can't see that, when there are half-a-million vehicles - many of them gas-guzzling hi-so carriers, crawling along hundreds of kilometres of gridlocked roads, there is bound to be a pollution cloud, pretty well says it all . . .

Exactly, plus when you add on the buses, security vehicles etc, etc. that make up these Hi-So convoys. Then the gridlock on the streets caused by police road blocks to let them through with no delays.

[Ossy]

7 minutes ago, bubba said:

He needs a special mask; one that will effectively block PM 2.5 particulate

I can think of something else his mask should effectively block.

[holy cow cm]

In order to have enough electricity for the trend of electric cars, you would think they will have to build more coal burning plants. 

[Aussieroaming]

Bloody air is bad enough without that oxygen thief stealing good air as well.

[timewilltell]

I hope it is a mistake in translation in the original news article. The biggest polluters are the trucks and buses that belch out 100's of times more particulates than cars and are never controlled.  Add to that a complete lack of control on factory emissions, street vendors all cooking away and zero attempts to control car use inside super congested Bangkok because of the egocentric love affair Thais have with cars that make them look good. 

 

But it can all be solved by looking in the wrong places and avoiding doing the things that need to be done because of corrupt special interests.

 

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