Chiang Mai has world’s worst air for fourth consecutive day

[SoilSpoil]

Make the sales of these black mushrooms illegal.

[PumpkinEater]

Remember when it does rai the ACID RAIN will seep into the crops thus causing cancerous agents...

Stupid People!!!!

[Longcut]

17 hours ago, DNPBC0 said:

The responsibility for the atrocious levels of PM2.5 in the North (and to an apparently lesser extent in the Northeast) rests squarely with the junta. So far, it has done nothing of any consequence to deal with this very serious problem - a different story perhaps if BKK was exposed to similar extremely dangerous conditions.

They don't want to "rock the boat" before the elections.

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, ebean001 said:

What is the plan?

 

The plan is to ignore it until news passes on to the next topic and it's forgotten until next year. Repeat. Actually enforcing the law that says no burning is too hard (they have to leave their office), so don't expect any useful action by the authorities.

[Phaser]

This is a national health and environmental disaster that rests squarely on the Thai govt to take charge and resolve. Aside from the wildfires a huge portion of the issue is  burning by farmers of corn husks and the absurd hunt for mushrooms. Companies like CP must be required to take responsibility for farmer practices and be fined. No point pushing poor farmers who are squeezed by companies like CP. 

 

The situation is a national health emergency 

[Phaser]

34 minutes ago, Longcut said:

They don't want to "rock the boat" before the elections.

Agreed - but also was an issue in years past just now worse than ever. This is a pure and classic govt area of responsibility to take charge and stop the burning 

[UPDEHSOI]

18 hours ago, cmsally said:

I can put up with a day or two, but seriously wondering if I should book a ticket out of here. Air quality is off the scale atrocious.

This is actually the fifth day, just hope my air purifiers hold up.

MAN! If you can afford it, and have nothing to hold you back, why are you risking your life, and for sure endangering your health by hanging around a dump like that? As for me, I'm lonnnng gone...just sayin'...

[moe666]

19 hours ago, cmsally said:

A lot of people doing this in my neighbourhood. It does actually offer a bit of relief and cuts down additional dust from the street.

The thing is people are pretty powerless to alleviate the conditions and this is about the only thing they can do.

they could take the fire trucks to the hot spots and put the fire out, that would do more good than spraying the air

[Derek B]

Can't smoke in the pub but no enforcement of the ban on burning in the countryside. Same in Lao and Burma I guess.

[aBigSmile]

4 hours ago, ebean001 said:

I have been here for 12 years. It seems to get worse each year. Why spray water over the moat? Seems like spraying water on the fire is best. They know where the fires are. Put them out. Are farmers burning off rice fields? If so, is there a better way? Pay the money and do it the better way. What is the plan?

 

Indeed, this year the poisonous frontier arrived on Feb. 10th., much earlier than usual, and the intensity felt more acute than ever.

I escaped by the teeth of my skin.

 

That beautiful land devours its old. Any expat who can't migrate for 3, or at least 2, months a year, should move out of CM. 

 

Peace and happiness to all. 

[just bob]

Someone should shoot a lampoon TAT video, put it in different languages and send it out on the web.  "Visit beautiful Chiang Mai and see the wonder of post apocalypse sunsets".  Nevertheless, this is going to decimate our reputation.  Eventually the big money owner's of the malls, condos and hotels will realize they're losing big baht and maybe they have the means (cash) to grease the brown envelope machine into finally taking some action. 

 

It seems like if we had a PM who maybe had some military experience he could declare a national emergency (it is) and send out troops to enforce the burning ban.  But then they might not be ready for coup redux.

[mehrdad]

SOS !!!! Chiang Rai 

[mehrdad]

Chiang Rai Now !

[MikeN]

1 hour ago, Phaser said:

Agreed - but also was an issue in years past just now worse than ever. This is a pure and classic govt area of responsibility to take charge and stop the burning 

There are laws against the burning, but in typical Thai scofflaw fashion they are not obeyed or enforced because the citizenry by and large don’t care. Mai pen rai, buy another mask and carry on.

 What do you want the govt to do ? Send in helicopter gunships and shoot any farmer seen burning his field ? Until the Thai populace start demanding effective action the laws will not be enforced. That will require quite an attitude change !

 And even if the farmers stopped burning tomorrow you would still have the same problem blowing in over the borders. How are you going to stop the people of Laos and Myanmar from burning their forests and fields ?

Edited March 16, 2019 by MikeN

[bristolgeoff]

i saw the cloudy mountain yesterday but it was bad for sure again

[malibukid]

just another day in paradise

 

[Krataiboy]

My elder daughter is studying at Chiang Mai University - and, like a number of her fellow students, lives too far away to take advantage of the three day break from the pollution. Last night she told me she and her fellow students have been issued with face-masks (no idea how efficient they are), but she is suffering nosebleeds from breathing in the foul air.

 

One shudders to think what long-term damage students like her could suffer with carcinogenic PM2.5 levels up to thirty times the WHO recommended safety limit.

 

In any other country, all the city's educational establishments would be closed until the danger has passed. Unfortunately, the Chiang Mai air appears to be as thick with official apathy and inertia as it is with hazardous particles.

[hotchilli]

22 hours ago, cmsally said:

A lot of people doing this in my neighbourhood. It does actually offer a bit of relief and cuts down additional dust from the street.

The thing is people are pretty powerless to alleviate the conditions and this is about the only thing they can do.

Temporary relief, as when the water evaporates it will rise as vapour and take the particles back up with it.

Better to get tough & find some more permanent solutions.. but we all know that will take some doing to convince the public to change their habits!

[Dap]

OUTSTANDING!! Now number one in most road fatalities, AND worst air quality IN THE ENTIRE WORLD !!! HUGE FACE!!!

[michael888]

22 hours ago, arithai12 said:

April 27, 2015... basically clear air.

 

March 25, 2016: AQI 130

 

March 15, 2019: AQI about 270

 

 

What the heck happened?  Is it from farmers (and others) burning trash and foliage?  Or a combination of factors?

[Happystance]

On 3/15/2019 at 8:41 PM, madmen said:

Who cares about Bangkok Isaan or pattaya. Chiang mai is the world leader and thats an amazing stastic. I would worry about your own backyard before trying to make feel good comparisons.

Failure to follow the conversation, unsurprisingly.

Rather than reiterate the obvious, you're invited to start at the top and try again.

 

But I will say this:

Isaan Population: 22,240,574

Bangkok Population: 8,280,000

Pattaya Population: 1,000,000 (Chonburi Province)

That's a whole lotta people "who care"

 

My backyard is now the Andaman Sea, we left Chiang Mai when we saw this coming. 

And my concerns are global, thank you.

 

Edited March 16, 2019 by Happystance

[Galactus]

why live in chiang mai anyway? unless you have a family and long time connection?

lots of nice cities in thailand, way cheaper and with way less tourist and hassle and greed. 

and of course with a lot better air quality.

nothing happens for preventing the air pollution. farms are still burned.

[Tarteso]

You can’t smoke in the beach, but they can burn their country[emoji471] Stupids!

 

[losworld]

On 3/16/2019 at 3:16 PM, Krataiboy said:

My elder daughter is studying at Chiang Mai University - and, like a number of her fellow students, lives too far away to take advantage of the three day break from the pollution. Last night she told me she and her fellow students have been issued with face-masks (no idea how efficient they are), but she is suffering nosebleeds from breathing in the foul air.

 

One shudders to think what long-term damage students like her could suffer with carcinogenic PM2.5 levels up to thirty times the WHO recommended safety limit.

 

In any other country, all the city's educational establishments would be closed until the danger has passed. Unfortunately, the Chiang Mai air appears to be as thick with official apathy and inertia as it is with hazardous particles.

If free masks they are insufficient.  The 2.5 particle masks are much more expensive and the only ones that will do anything.

[Krataiboy]

26 minutes ago, losworld said:

If free masks they are insufficient.  The 2.5 particle masks are much more expensive and the only ones that will do anything.

I have no doubt you are right and will ensure she gets the genuine article. Thanks.