Northerners urged to stay indoors - Chiang Mai named world’s most polluted city for two days running

[webfact]

Northerners urged to stay indoors

By The Nation 

 

As smog continued to envelop Chiang Mai yesterday, Chiang Mai University has decided to suspend classes today and tomorrow. photo credit : Facebook page of Thailandgotsmoke

 

Chiang Mai named world’s most polluted city for two days running
 

THE SMOG enveloping the North has made it unsafe to go outdoors, the Pollution  Control Department (PCD) said yesterday.

 

Air-quality readings by the PCD showed that the amount of PM2.5 – fine particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometre in diameter – had soared above the official safe level of 50 micrograms (mcg) per cubic metre of air in all nine provinces in the North. 

 

Chiang Mai yesterday saw PM2.5 reaching 130mcg per cubic metre of air in Muang district based on a 24-hour average. The overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 240, compared to the safe level of 100. 

 

For two days in a row this week, Chiang Mai became the world’s most polluted city. Airvisual.com, which monitors air quality across the world, noted that at 12.49pm yesterday, Chiang Mai’s AQI was at 296. At 4.15pm of Tuesday, its AQI touched 229.

 

Chiang Mai

 

These high levels shocked some locals, who viewed them as a cause for alarm. 

Chiang Mai University has suspended classes and closed outdoor zones for two days from today. Lecturers and officials who are sensitive to pollution will be allowed to stay home, the university announced. 

 

Relief in sight

 

Though air pollution in Chiang Mai has been at unsafe levels since March 8, the governor believes it will improve soon. 

 

“Based on weather forecasts, air quality in Chiang Mai will naturally improve in two days,” Chiang Mai Governor Supachai Iamsuwan said yesterday. “But we won’t wait for natural factors alone. Today, we will sprinkle water and do more to fight air pollution.”

 

This was the first time that he had spoken to media in recent weeks, after many social-media users began questioning Supachai’s whereabouts and what he was doing at the height of the smog crisis. 

 

“I am here in Chiang Mai every day. But yesterday, I had a meeting to attend elsewhere,” Supachai said, denying that he had been absent or idle. 

 

Lampang

 

Neighbouring province Lampang was also covered in smog, with PM2.5 levels reaching 139mcg and an AQI of 249.

Phrae too struggled with PM2.5 at 154mcg per cubic metre of air and an AQI at 264.

 

Mae Hong Son

 

In Mae Hong Son’s Muang district, PM2.5 hovered around 94mcg, while the air-quality reading stood at 204.

 

Due to the smog, the visibility range at Mae Hong Son Airport had dropped to just 2,000 metres and prompted Bangkok Airways to suspend its flights from Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai since Monday. 

 

The smog in Mae Hong Son stems partly from agriculture fires, which were lit to clear land. At present, 31 hotspots have been detected in Mae Hong Son.

 

Mae Hong Son province

 

Fires are still being detected in the North despite authorities declaring a total ban on outdoor fires. 

 

Phayao Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn said he has assigned local officials to watch over forest fires. 

 

“Prevention of forest fires will also ease air pollution,” he said, adding that as of now, he has advised people to avoid outdoor activities so as to reduce their exposure to unsafe air. 

 

Chiang Rai

 

The World Health Organisation has linked exposure to PM2.5 to many health conditions, especially those battling heart and lung diseases. 

 

Apart from the North, the haze also blanketed several other areas of Thailand, including Bangkok and the northeastern province of Khon Kaen. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30365763

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-14

[A1Str8]

Its actually unbelievable, what these people do to their precious land.

[Prairieboy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Fires are still being detected in the North despite authorities declaring a total ban on outdoor fires. 

Declaring a ban and actually enforcing it are very different things.  Huge fines and/or jail time might reduce the problem - oops, sorry I forgot the police have to stay indoors.

[Samuel Smith]

Unless you have an air purifier, it's pretty much as bad inside the house as out.  It's actually worse inside by late afternoon, as smog lifts outside.

[SoilSpoil]

And children are suffering the most.... Pathetic and totally unnecessary. Time to send the army in and jail the firestarters.

[edwinchester]

5 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

And children are suffering the most.... Pathetic and totally unnecessary. Time to send the army in and jail the firestarters.

The army have been in power for nearly 5 years, they don't give a shit either.

[THAIJAMES]

28 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

Unless you have an air purifier, it's pretty much as bad inside the house as out.  It's actually worse inside by late afternoon, as smog lifts outside.

This is completely true!  So many people in Thailand think they are safe indoors just because everything is closed.

 

[isaantom]

Everybody talks about Chiang Mai or Mae Hong Son.

What about other regions with the same or even worse pollution?

[wwest5829]

8 minutes ago, THAIJAMES said:

This is completely true!  So many people in Thailand think they are safe indoors just because everything is closed.

 

Hmmm, I will need to sit inside my air-conditioned room and contemplate that the room environment is the same as the outside environment. Sooo, staying inside is no different from being outside?

[THAIJAMES]

3 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Hmmm, I will need to sit inside my air-conditioned room and contemplate that the room environment is the same as the outside environment. Sooo, staying inside is no different from being outside?

If you live in Thailand get an air filter and on bad days stay inside.  Seal your room as much as you can.

 

Wear a N95 or similar mask when outside.  

 

A lot of us have measured the air quality inside and outside.  The particles are so tiny that they come in even through the smallest cracks. 

 

I spent a lot of time sealing my rooms to prevent leakage and pollution from the outside but still some still gets in.

 

[THAIJAMES]

7 minutes ago, isaantom said:

Everybody talks about Chiang Mai or Mae Hong Son.

What about other regions with the same or even worse pollution?

Thats almost 13 times the safe level!  You obviously have an air filter to go with that sensor so stay safe!

[Topdoc]

Shouldn't the title read: "Northerners urged to stay indoors and take their peacocks with them"

[miamiman123]

Chaing mai air quality has been dangerous since March 6 1988. Ha! 

[Emdog]

"The overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 240, compared to the safe level of 100."

Did I miss government changing "safe level"? Has been double international unsafe level (25 I think, Thai said 50), but now quadruple that.

I'm sure there is some humorous analogy that would fit, but it's too early for me to think of one. cough, cough

[malibukid]

children playing with matches

[malibukid]

1 hour ago, Prairieboy said:

Declaring a ban and actually enforcing it are very different things.  Huge fines and/or jail time might reduce the problem - oops, sorry I forgot the police have to stay indoors.

why and 500 baht or a day at the Temple

[malibukid]

1 hour ago, SoilSpoil said:

And children are suffering the most.... Pathetic and totally unnecessary. Time to send the army in and jail the firestarters.

and you wonder why they have such miserable test scores

[PumpkinEater]

Very SAD! 

CLEAN AIR IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT!

 

Fly overhead this once fine country at night and see hundreds of fires...

[ianf]

Its not just the idiots burning the mountains. It's the local Goverment burning kilometre after kilometre of roadside verges. When doing so they also burn tons of waste material - mainly plastics - throwing toxins into the air. On a number of occasions Ive seen these beautifully designed no burning posters by the side of the road put up by local government workers. Two weeks later the same people are burning the verges and the posters they've just put up.

Another guilty party is the Northern Thai Sports Authority who have built an incinerator just behind the velodrome. Off course there are no scrubbers in the stacks. And the fuel they use is wood. So they burn the plastic waste using wood as the fuel. Wood cannot reach the required 1000 degree temperatures that you need to eliminate toxins. So what happens? This acrid smoke is blown across the sports stadium and the local school.

Do these people ever think before doing anything?

[cmsally]

Most days there are at least half the places with a reading of 300 or above for aqi.

Even my cat is smart enough to spend the last 3 days in front of the air purifier!

This isn't just dirty air its a national disaster.

Having an AC is not enough, you need an air purifier too and preferably some 3m filtrete to put on your AC filter.

 

From looking at the stats, it would seem that those SW of town are slightly better off. The really high readings are mostly north or Phrae/Nan areas.

[Time Traveller]

The tourists arrivals statistics prove that foreigners love pollution. Only yesterday there were news reports foreigners come to thailand to spend their vacation picking up litter on beaches !

For the sake of the economy, keep on pollutin' Thailand. 

[mindfulness]

Only photos of the forest fires (becoming cynical about those, due to there prominent display, as; What t  F  !!!  No photos of Farmer Somtam Giles burning back getting ready for the next rice, corn or whatever crop ? 

 

 

[mindfulness]

15 minutes ago, cmsally said:

Most days there are at least half the places with a reading of 300 or above for aqi.

Even my cat is smart enough to spend the last 3 days in front of the air purifier!

This isn't just dirty air its a national disaster.

Having an AC is not enough, you need an air purifier too and preferably some 3m filtrete to put on your AC filter.

 

From looking at the stats, it would seem that those SW of town are slightly better off. The really high readings are mostly north or Phrae/Nan areas.

... and still even the authoritarian slave masters live in denial reguarding the mental sickness aka ‘selfishness’. Ah ! So sorry they are politicians, yep totally oblivious to selfish behaviour. 

[Tarteso]

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Chiang Mai became the world’s most polluted city.

????????????

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the governor believes it will improve soon. 

????

 

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the official safe level of 50 micrograms (mcg) per cubic metre

????

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The overall air quality index (AQI) stood at 240, compared to the safe level of 100. 

????

 

If is anybody out there...;

 

Nothing is SAFE LEVEL here

and this is a NATIONAL EMERGENCE with RED CODE!... 

 

DARLING !

[nickmondo]

my health is more important to me than living in a beautiful part of thailand.

I am moving further south on Monday, and will come back to visit at more healthy times of the year.

What they do here is bloody ridiculous

 

[mehrdad]

[steveyinasia]

Today looks much worse, I am out at San Sai and the sun is having a hard time cutting theough

[cmsally]

Well you are better off in CR ! Look at this !

 

[Tarteso]

[isaantom]

1 hour ago, THAIJAMES said:

You obviously have an air filter

Of course.

And sitting down in my bedroom, waiting for better times, I read about a helicoptertrip of our Governor in the area where he localised the origins of this mess.

And guess what happened?