Upper Thailand suffers from smog crisis

Jettana Pantana

 

 

LAMPANG, 15 March 2019 (NNT) - The upper regions of Thailand have continued to suffer from poor air quality, despite mitigation measures and campaigns against burning activities.

 

In the northern province of Lampang, thick smog has impacted visibility in the downtown area and nearby districts, while several burning activities have been sighted outside of city limits. Authorities have campaigned for locals to refrain from burning and are gathering donations to support the firefighting effort. Donations have included first aid kits, face masks, gloves, socks, and basic consumer goods. The supplies will go to personnel who continue combating haze and wildfires.

 

Meanwhile, the northeastern province of Nong Khai is also facing air pollution, especially in SangKom district. Dense smog has persisted for three straight days due to burning activities and wildfires, both within the Kingdom and from neighboring countries.

 

Inspector General for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Komsan Chamroonphong stated that anti-burning campaign has been elevated as a national agenda. He urged cooperatives to refrain from agricultural burning and grow alternative crops instead.

 

Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha has expressed concern over the smog crisis in upper Thailand and urged the officials in affected areas to spray water mist to reduce air pollution. He also called on private firms to cooperate by installing water sprayers on tall buildings to reduce airborne particles.

 

-- © Copyright nnt 2019-03-16

 

"...The upper regions of Thailand have continued to suffer from poor air quality, despite mitigation measures and campaigns against burning activities..."

 

Hmm... perhaps more and better action is required?

 

A cynic might think that since it does not affect Bangkok, then it isn't much of a concern to the government.

 

A cynic might be correct...

 

 

There is nothing new here,it happens every year,and every year

the authorities say they will stop the burning,but nothing changes,

obviously they are not taking the threat serious enough,how many

people have been arrested for setting the forest ablaze ?,some of

these arsonists need to be arrested,put on trial,if found guilty,

NO 500 THB fines, a prison term should be imposed,to act as

a deterrent.things must change for the majorities health,for

the tourist industry ,that provides jobs for so many,who would

want to come here for holiday with the worst air in the World.

 

regards Worgeordie

The right to breathe clean air is a human right.

 

The smog is crazy bad right now. How can it be that the Thai government announces a crackdown on farmers who burn their fields, and then they burn more? This is bad for Thailand and for the reputation of the Thai government, which needs to step up.

Rather disturbing in the original article, that any fire fighting equipment has to rely on donations. This crazy scenario needs to be sorted in advance, with a complete ban on agricultural burning, since at least beginning of February . This is the worst and longest lasting smog ever recorded in this area. have already made plans to be out of this area every year from now on. 

You reap what you sow

Half the land probably controlled by loan sharks don't give one damn.

Singaporean organisation donates

 

Well the Singaporeans seem to be onto it. You would think the Thai govt and large corporations that help to create the problem would do something.

1 hour ago, CalifornianInThailand said:

The smog is crazy bad right now. How can it be that the Thai government announces a crackdown on farmers who burn their fields, and then they burn more? This is bad for Thailand and for the reputation of the Thai government, which needs to step up.

On days when PM2.5 ug/m3 levels in a given area rise above a proscribed limit, 50 for example, then a total fire ban should be imposed, ie no open fires outside.

There is plenty of data available from sensors on the ground and satellites (see FIRMS, look at it and weep) to make an accurate assessment.

 

At the moment the only approach seems to be appealing to peoples good nature and asking them to, pretty please, not burn the mountains of agricultural waste and sprinkling water from tall buildings in the vain hope agribusinesswill take any notice and miracle will happen and all the micro paricles will evaporate.

 

The pollution Control Department is an oxymoron.

Bloody hell. 

EFFECTIVE government action is killing people. 

Yes spray water and give out gloves and food and campaign to reduce fires, effective to save face, but doesn't save lives. 

Is saving face more important to Thai people?

I bloody think so. 

 

Chiang Mai United game should be fun tonight! No beer and visibility shorter than the length of the pitch. 

For some reason they think "urging" and "asking" qualify as "taking action". I believe in treating burners gently, but first you have to get their attention. A month in jail ought to do the trick.

2 hours ago, CalifornianInThailand said:

The smog is crazy bad right now. How can it be that the Thai government announces a crackdown on farmers who burn their fields, and then they burn more? This is bad for Thailand and for the reputation of the Thai government, which needs to step up.

It’s an inconvenient truth that due to a decade’s worth of nasty political infighting, the Bangkokian government is more than willing to let the North suffocate in its own toxic air...it will be up to the northern governors to resolve this crisis, but how do they impose jail terms and hefty fines on the rural, agrarian poor from whence they themselves sprang?  And how do they obtain obedience in enforcing any laws from the police and military who also rose from the very same grass roots?  

 

Those that can, get out of this potentially lethal miasma and try not to return until May; those that can’t, hunker down indoors and make a habit of buying and wearing N99 masks every time you open the door. They are obtainable on Lazada and get delivered very quickly.  Buy a costly air purifier if you can even find one now.  I’ve been here 15 years and it’s only become worse every year, with no respites and the smog season continues to lengthen.  So sad that I settled in Chiang Mai.

Edited March 16, 20197 yr by Fore Man
Correction of typos

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

There is nothing new here,it happens every year,and every year

the authorities say they will stop the burning,but nothing changes,

obviously they are not taking the threat serious enough,how many

people have been arrested for setting the forest ablaze ?,some of

these arsonists need to be arrested,put on trial,if found guilty,

NO 500 THB fines, a prison term should be imposed,to act as

a deterrent.things must change for the majorities health,for

the tourist industry ,that provides jobs for so many,who would

want to come here for holiday with the worst air in the World.

 

regards Worgeordie

It is something new to have such bad pollution this year.  Its much worse than normal, and so much more dangerous.  

24 minutes ago, Fore Man said:

It’s an inconvenient truth that due to a decade’s worth of nasty political infighting, the Bangkokian government is more than willing to let the North suffocate in its own toxic air...it will be up to the northern governors to resolve this crisis, but how do they impose jail terms and hefty fines on the rural, agrarian poor from whence they themselves sprang?  And how do they obtain obedience in enforcing any laws from the police and military who also rose from the very same grass roots?  

 

Those that can, get out of this potentially lethal miasma and try not to return until May; those that can’t, hunker down indoors and make a habit of buying and wearing N99 masks every time you open the door. They are obtainable on Lazada and get delivered very quickly.  Buy a costly air purifier if you can even find one now.  I’ve been here 15 years and it’s only become worse every year, with no respites and the smog season continues to lengthen.  So sad that I settled in Chiang Mai.

You make some excellent points. I'd add that the reluctance to enforce the laws and to penalise wrongdoers also stems from ignorance and the belief that the PM2.5 pollution isn't serious. Case in point, villagers around where I live don't wear masks, despite the fact that PM2.5 levels have been 200-400 these past few days. We have three people working outside our house today and (wearing our masks) went out to talk with them about the pollution. The reaction: a shrug of the shoulders and "This is normal".

 

A note on air purifiers. If you can afford them, get them as they absolutely work. We bought a couple of fairly cheap Sharp air purifiers in December for 3,150 baht each. While the PM2.5 in the open plan area of the house is currently 220, the rooms in which we run the purifiers (where we spend most time) are currently reading just 18. Obviously one for the bedroom is a must.

 

 

1 hour ago, aussie11950 said:

Bloody hell. 

EFFECTIVE government action is killing people. 

Yes spray water and give out gloves and food and campaign to reduce fires, effective to save face, but doesn't save lives. 

Is saving face more important to Thai people?

I bloody think so. 

 

Maybe someone will realise the inefficacy of "saving face" when the heart and lungs have "gone to s..."

There is actually a causal relationship between inner respiratory circulation and the workings of the face.

Very useful information!  Thanks. I’ve been trying to learn just how bad the air quality is indoors and am admittedly shocked that the AQI doesn’t change all that much without resorting to a purifier. How do you obtain the AQI reading?  Does the unit itself include a readout?

Here in Udon Thani the air quality today is 153 PPM and is rated hazardous.  Looking at the fire map on FIRMS I can see why.  The entire country is RED..80+% of the country has had fires observed over the past 24 hours.  That little bit of green (where the arrow points) is the long/lat of where I live.  I think my area is green because the farmers have already burned all the nearby sugar cane and some as close as 40 meters from my front door.  Black snow has been falling all week.  Nobody came to our area when the fires were raging and the folks in our village take poor air quality as a fact of life.  Most of them smoke like a chimney as well and care little about long term health.  Maybe they figure they'll get whacked on their motorbike well before they have to worry about self-inflicted health issues.

Antonymous, please supply more information on the air purifiers.  I'll get a couple of them today! 

I might need to get a really really huge one that can purify the entire area surrounding my house because my wife refuses to close the front doors!  That is another issue!  Do they come in different sizes?  Our bedroom is 27 SQM and the great room is 96 SQM.  Thanks for the help...I've got keys in hand ready to go!

Too late this year,but what if all those cops manning road blocks

all over Chiang Mai,where sent up in the hills,camping out if need

be,at the start of the burning season,and catch some of these 

arsonists,they are the minority that are causing so many problems,

i cannot imagine how much people with asthma and other breathing 

issues are suffering at this time.

 

I sleep with the windows open,don't like A/c,when i get up in the

morning clear my throat,and spit out brownish phlegm,the snots

up my nose are like concrete,hard, must be mixing with the  

particles in the air. I bet my house, that next year will be no different,

as it's already been this way for years. it's not a natural disaster that

you cannot foretell.

regards Worgeordie

As Marcissan notes above, looking at the fires in Thailand over the past 24 hours, the entire country is engulfed especially from Bangkok upwards:

Fires in Thailand in past 24 hours

 

 

 

51 minutes ago, MarcIssan said:

Antonymous, please supply more information on the air purifiers.  I'll get a couple of them today! 

I might need to get a really really huge one that can purify the entire area surrounding my house because my wife refuses to close the front doors!  That is another issue!  Do they come in different sizes?  Our bedroom is 27 SQM and the great room is 96 SQM.  Thanks for the help...I've got keys in hand ready to go!

I'm in Udon also, I relented a few days ago and ordered a unit from Lazada, arrived in two days, made a huge difference dropping inside to 06 last night, so far so good, outside has cleaned up quite a bit today also - thankfully!

https://www.lazada.co.th/-i295288441-s497092725.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1&spm=spm=a2o4m.order_details.item_title.1

1 hour ago, Fore Man said:

Very useful information!  Thanks. I’ve been trying to learn just how bad the air quality is indoors and am admittedly shocked that the AQI doesn’t change all that much without resorting to a purifier. How do you obtain the AQI reading?  Does the unit itself include a readout?

You can by a portable monitor on Lazada to measure PM2.5. They are all pretty good and work much the same. Look for:

 

Portable Xiaomi SmartMi PM2.5 cost at 1330 bht, including shipping. I have bought a few of these for friends and reccommend them.

 

Dont waste your money on a purifier with fancy readouts and wi fi connections, ionisation and all that rubbish. Basically they all work by blowing air through a Hepa filter which filters out the 2.5 particulates. Make sure you can get replacement filters or do what I do which is buy sections of Hepa filter and waste an afternoon of your life cutting it to size, fitting it then telling everybody how clever you are saving 100 bht.

29 minutes ago, fantom said:

You can by a portable monitor on Lazada to measure PM2.5. They are all pretty good and work much the same. Look for:

 

Portable Xiaomi SmartMi PM2.5 cost at 1330 bht, including shipping. I have bought a few of these for friends and reccommend them.

 

Dont waste your money on a purifier with fancy readouts and wi fi connections, ionisation and all that rubbish. Basically they all work by blowing air through a Hepa filter which filters out the 2.5 particulates. Make sure you can get replacement filters or do what I do which is buy sections of Hepa filter and waste an afternoon of your life cutting it to size, fitting it then telling everybody how clever you are saving 100 bht.

Thank you very much.  I saw a myriad of units on Lazada but didn’t have a clue as to which one to buy. 

7 minutes ago, fantom said:

You can by a portable monitor on Lazada to measure PM2.5. They are all pretty good and work much the same. Look for:

 

Portable Xiaomi SmartMi PM2.5 cost at 1330 bht, including shipping. I have bought a few of these for friends and reccommend them.

 

Dont waste your money on a purifier with fancy readouts and wi fi connections, ionisation and all that rubbish. Basically they all work by blowing air through a Hepa filter which filters out the 2.5 particulates. Make sure you can get replacement filters or do what I do which is buy sections of Hepa filter and waste an afternoon of your life cutting it to size, fitting it then telling everybody how clever you are saving 100 bht.

Its not just a hepa filter! you will need a  carbon filter to remove smoke odor (google it)

 

"Dont waste your money on a purifier with fancy readouts and wi fi connections, ionisation and all that rubbish. "

 

Those numbers are "fancy" because your an old git who doesn't understand them ????

They are PM 2.5 read outs plus temp and humidity etc Those numbers control the auto fan settings in my unit. The one I have is Grunluft (with 4 filters) 3500 baht lazada and is outstanding. Why are people buying hand held read out units when for a few thousand baht more can buy a purifier with the unit built in?

 

 

14 minutes ago, madmen said:

Its not just a hepa filter! you will need a  carbon filter to remove smoke odor (google it)

 

"Dont waste your money on a purifier with fancy readouts and wi fi connections, ionisation and all that rubbish. "

 

Those numbers are "fancy" because your an old git who doesn't understand them ????

They are PM 2.5 read outs plus temp and humidity etc Those numbers control the auto fan settings in my unit. The one I have is Grunluft (with 4 filters) 3500 baht lazada and is outstanding. Why are people buying hand held read out units when for a few thousand baht more can buy a purifier with the unit built in?

 

 

We are all entitled to our own opinions. Having a background as an ergonomist measuring air for contaminants in home and industrial and hospital environments I do very much understand the 'fancy' numbers.

A practical consideration for those of us looking to keep a clean indoor environmenti is primarily to remove the PM 2.5 particles. The reality is that every addition to the Hapi filter simply adds cost with diminishing benifit.

Most of the sensors are, in my opinion, a waste of money and a simple portable monitor is all you need to get the vital relative readings in the house or condo so you can see how effective it is.

A further consideration is maintenance of the unit and the cost of replacing filters, you have 4 filters in yours, these all require cleaning and/ or replacing. In practice getting replacements is often a matter of luck.

I note the Grunluft is advertised on Lazada at over 4000 bhat, hope its mood lamp is worth it!  Despite my rude comment it seems to be very good value but getting replacement filters might be a bother.

I might be a git but I'm not old !!!

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, fantom said:

 

I note the Grunluft is advertised on Lazada at over 4000 bhat, hope its mood lamp is worth it!  Despite my rude comment it seems to be very good value but getting replacement filters might be a bother.

And ships from S Korea, so would be good for next year ???? 

You mean spraying water into the air is having no effect !!

Surprise surprise!