Formaleins Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 5 hours ago, AlexRich said: As much as I love Chiang Mai this is the issue that would keep me away for half of the year ... and yet when this topic is mentioned on TV you get plenty resident ex pats on here suggesting that it’s not much of a problem. Sorry, but it is the major drawback for anyone considering settling there. A lot of the problem is localised- which is why so many do not see it as a huge problem. There certainly is a MASSIVE difference between where I am and the air around the City. It also depends a lot on the local weather too. I certainly would not make excuses for it, it is terrible and I would hate to be bringing up a young kid in that atmosphere. As far as me personally, it has only really ever bothered me twice in more than 10 years, where I found my eyes watering due to the smoke. I am a pack a day smoker so I probably do more harm with cigs than what I get from the pollution. Whhat can be done? Around our village there is a burning ban with a fine and USUALLY it is effective, Chiang Mai is supposed to be the same, but the law is enforced arbitrarily at best. People with young kids must have a really grim time, you cannot get babies or youngsters to go around in N95 masks 24/7. The law needs enforcing across the board, no excuses, not that I ever expect that to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydebolle Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 See CP's involvement in the rail link system connecting DMK, BKK and UTP - explains why they cannot stop these farmers slash-burning their fields for faster growth of corn for ...... CP's chicken industry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwasaki Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Going there soon for 1 night I'm all set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robodelfy Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 I'm a bit confused, is it only considered one of the most 'polluted' cities during burning season? Because I thought outside of those few months the air quality was ok? Can someone explain As opposed to many Indian cities which are constantly polluted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Outdoor fires, cane burning, diesel exhaust, buses and taxis running on regular gas and diesel, rather than CNG, coal and diesel firing electrical generating plants, etc, etc. There are countless things this government could be doing, if only they cared. People are dying. People are being hospitalized with lung and respiratory ailments. This is nothing short of an emergency situation. Get with it folks. Do something. The government needs to stop talking, and act. Are you there for the people, or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geriatrickid Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 6 hours ago, AlexRich said: As much as I love Chiang Mai this is the issue that would keep me away for half of the year ... and yet when this topic is mentioned on TV you get plenty resident ex pats on here suggesting that it’s not much of a problem. Sorry, but it is the major drawback for anyone considering settling there. Smokers can't differentiate. As their lungs are already destroyed, they don't care anyway. In addition to the air pollution is the dengue and now the malaria risk. The destruction of bird habitat has allowed the mosquito populations to exponentially grow. The heavy burning forces the birds away too. No one really cares, so it's best to let them suffer the consequences. perhaps, once they suffer enough, they will finally put a stop to the burning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LomSak27 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 1 hour ago, toolpush said: Agreed. I remember Bangkok in the late eighties/early nineties. Take a tuk tuk or motorcycle taxi any distance and your face would literally be black. Up until recently the Bangkok air quality has been pretty good. It would have been early November 1985, just to be exact . Spent a day going around Bangkok by bus, air and non-air. I was wearing those old John Fowler white cotton T shirts. Damp with sweat it was a magnet, and when I washed it in a sink, the water wasn’t brown or grey, it was black. Just a day spent hard core touristing in Bangkok What you don’t see much now. Traveling by night bus in the dry season. You would look out at the lines of fire snaking up hillsides. They would burn at night. That was a signature image of the dry season in north and northeast Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j8k Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 It's all the Chinese tourists. They come here and smoke themselves and everyone else to death! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benmart Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 7 hours ago, sfokevin said: Yeah Dr Khuanchai your nudge should be sufficient to solve the problem... You are spot on. Affirmative action seems unknown in these parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dassyurus Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Just google nullschool for a look at the world as a whole. Big eye opener Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masuk Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 2 hours ago, chrisinth said: I personally find it difficult to believe one word in articles like this when they are so wrong. PM2.5 has nothing to do with weight as is being reported. It is to do with the particle size which is measured in microns, or micrometers depending on where you come from. If they can't get that little fact right I wonder what else they are spouting off about. Try S.I. which is micrometres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotchilli Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 7 hours ago, webfact said: PM2.5 are particles of 2.5 micrograms or smaller in diameter. According to the Pollution Control Department (PCD), when the amount of PM2.5 exceeds 50 micrograms per cubic metre of air, it is not safe to breathe. This what the World Health Oraganisation say's... THERE IS NO SAFE LIMIT OF PM2.5 Ohh and while were about it only Thailand says 50 micrograms per cubic metre or above is not safe This again is what World Health Oraganisation says: WHO Air Quality Guideline values Particulate Matter (PM) Guideline values Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) 10 μg/m3 annual mean 25 μg/m3 24-hour mean Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10) 20 μg/m3 annual mean 50 μg/m3 24-hour mean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PumpkinEater Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 I disagree, Third most polluted city in the world?! No Way! I've been many many places in the world. I would say India/ Africa/ Places in Brazil...Many many cities polluted. The problem is that THE FIELDS ARE ON FIRE!!!!!!!! THEY ARE BURNING THE SUGAR CANE FIELDS! That time of year... I flew to Udon Thani last night and counted a HUNDREDs of fires with thick smoke from each. The EXTRA polluted air in bangkok this time of year is mostly the result of these fires. Prohibit the burning and the air will "clean" itself to the lower levels again. Natural gas/ Electric busses and vehicles...outdoor BBQs that are charcoal based should be banned, etc etc etc.... Look at Singapore as an example of model. Stupid Humans! CLEAN AIR AND WATER ARE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS!!!!!!!! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPDEHSOI Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 7 hours ago, AlexRich said: As much as I love Chiang Mai this is the issue that would keep me away for half of the year ... and yet when this topic is mentioned on TV you get plenty resident ex pats on here suggesting that it’s not much of a problem. Sorry, but it is the major drawback for anyone considering settling there. One of the THREE reasons why I moved from there. Broke my heart, but...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmsally Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 1 hour ago, spidermike007 said: Outdoor fires, cane burning, diesel exhaust, buses and taxis running on regular gas and diesel, rather than CNG, coal and diesel firing electrical generating plants, etc, etc. There are countless things this government could be doing, if only they cared. People are dying. People are being hospitalized with lung and respiratory ailments. This is nothing short of an emergency situation. Get with it folks. Do something. The government needs to stop talking, and act. Are you there for the people, or not? People tried to organise a "protest" last year in CM and were threatened with arrest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyJ Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 1 hour ago, UPDEHSOI said: One of the THREE reasons why I moved from there. Broke my heart, but...... What were the other two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiSauce Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Let's get the water cannons out and drain the moat, maybe get a few drones as well. Sent from my BLA-L29 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knocker33 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Gone on .Just a few more points and you will be number one in the world.You know how you like being number one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4MyEgo Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Didn't I see a documentary on Chang Mai's air pollution a whiles a go and the hospital doctor was giving out face masks, the standard type and when approached had no idea that the 2.5 particles could travel through such a standard mask.....der Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4MyEgo Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 2 hours ago, dassyurus said: Just google nullschool for a look at the world as a whole. Big eye opener https://www.airvisual.com/earth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spidey Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 18 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said: https://www.airvisual.com/earth Something just doesn't make sense about that map. Sahara Desert, heavily polluted, Europe not? Air quality in Bangkok better than Sahara? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jak2002003 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 4 hours ago, spidermike007 said: The government needs to stop talking, and act. Are you there for the people, or not? Do you not know the answer to that? It's the smae in most countries, governments don't care about the general population.. they just care about their jobs, getting rich and enjoying their lives. The general population is basically treated like livestock to bring in the money. Also, a big percentage of people don't even care about their neighbours or other humans so long as they themselves are OK, and over here there is a great amount of what appears to be apathy about life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moutamine Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Great place to retire... forever... as in the ground before your time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunroaming Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Seems nothing much has changed over the years. It was flagged as the third worst in the world when I lived there over ten years ago. Nothing get's done about it so you make your choice and hold your breath or head for the cleaner air elsewhere. As grown-ups we can make those choices but if you have children then you should consider the consequences carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaiyen Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Once again the PM is telling other authorities to sort out the problem. He will not accept any responsibility for the smog. He has his beloved S44 that he could use to stir things into action, but that is only if it benefits him. Must be careful, there is an election coming up ! Spraying water into the air now seems to be the accepted answer. That does sweet FA ! The water evaporates and the dust is on the ground ready to go back into the air. It never disappears, it will always be there and each year will get more and more. Too late Thailand. Wait till the hospitals are at bursting point, which won't take long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexRich Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 5 hours ago, UPDEHSOI said: One of the THREE reasons why I moved from there. Broke my heart, but...... I understand completely. If you want to relax and stay in an interesting location then places like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are definitely worth a visit ... from about June to November. I recall arriving in May thinking that the pollution would be gone, only to walk around for three weeks with a mask on. If you stay there long term you’ll reduce your life expectancy. Health comes first. Probably best stick to the islands or coastal places like Pattaya or Hua Hin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianf Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 Huge numbers of fires every day: Yesterday as I cycled from Mae Win to Mae Wang there were 4 fires by the side of the road. Meanwhile the air was so thick that I was astounded that people didn't have the sense to see they were adding to the problem. What's more the local Tambons are themselves burning km after km of verges: and while so doing they are burning tonnes of plastic at low temperatures, releasing dangerous toxins into the air. That only leaves one question: Are these people mad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajarnbrian Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 What about those cities in China with terrible air pollution problems? Check out `Under the Dome`on Youtube, a doc (now banned in China) that examines the problem and how official pollutant particle figures there don`t tell the whole story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dumbastheycome Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 13 hours ago, YetAnother said: WHO standard is 25 micrograms per cubic metre; why is thailand double ? people breathe differently here ? or because thais realize they could never achieve the world standard ? The WHO standard is set by the influence of smug countries that insist on dirty manufacturing in someone elses country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 16 hours ago, cmsally said: People tried to organise a "protest" last year in CM and were threatened with arrest. It does not matter. Civil disobedience can turn around a corrupt and hapless society. Something needs to be done. The constant threats of force cannot stop us! Tiny men behaving like tyrants will not work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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