Chiang Mai likely to suffer haze problem until May

 

 

Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Mai is likely to face health-threatening haze problems from
PM2.5 dust particles until early May, or the arrival of the rainy season, due to uncontrolled burning of vegetation waste and forest fires, said Associate Professor Seth Sampattakul, chief of the Climate Change Centre at Chiang Mai University, on Friday.

 

The level of PM2.5 in most parts of Chiang Mai remains above the standard level of 50 microns on a continuous basis, especially in Samoeng district where the level of PM2.5 dust particles was recently measured at over 500 microns, hich poses serious health threat.

 

Seth said, although authorities have tried to fight forest fires and control the burning of vegetation, the haze problem persists and is worsening, ahead of the Songkran holiday, as farmers step up burning of farm waste to prepare their land for the next cultivation.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/chiang-mai-likely-to-suffer-haze-problem-until-may/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2019-03-31

Personally I would like some more detail. Preparing their land for the cultivation of what ......

Also what happened to the burning ban. I thought there was a total ban on burning until April 30. Is this an admission that they simply have no control?

If so then we can assume that this is driven maybe by greed but more probably through desperation. Seeking more land to cultivate in order to pay off last years debts.

48 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

due to uncontrolled burning of vegetation waste and forest fires

Well, why not controll it then? If the authorities can't stop it, they should resign.

1 minute ago, Vacuum said:

they should resign.

They should be terminated! sacked, got rid off, put out to pasture and replaced with ?????????????????? - now there might be a problem? ????

24 minutes ago, cmsally said:

Personally I would like some more detail. Preparing their land for the cultivation of what ......

Also what happened to the burning ban. I thought there was a total ban on burning until April 30. Is this an admission that they simply have no control?

If so then we can assume that this is driven maybe by greed but more probably through desperation. Seeking more land to cultivate in order to pay off last years debts.

I am communicating with a Thai friend right now who says that the head man turns his head the other way and allows the burn so that he will be voted back in by the village.

I have been looking at air quality indexes for many years, I worked in China and realised that it would be good to know just how much crap I was breathing, never seen an index like this one from yesterday - shocking :-

 

Earlier, Chiang Mai Governor Supachai Iamsuwan admitted that he could not declare the province a
disaster zone due to technical problem.

The technical problem is that an ineffective clown is in charge...

16 minutes ago, neeray said:

I am communicating with a Thai friend right now who says that the head man turns his head the other way and allows the burn so that he will be voted back in by the village.

So here's our answer...it's the Thai way of life!  Accept it or leave LOS...I see NO other option.  Do you?

As a foreigner, we are helpless. I encourage my Thai friends to speak out but that is all I can do whether it is about politics or burning. They both burn me.

But beyond that, I accept "it's the Thai way of life!"

Unless it rains.

Why does anyone think the Thai gov can solve this problem anymore than how they manage traffic fatalities?

 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

Why does anyone think the Thai gov can solve this problem anymore than how they manage traffic fatalities?

 

 

 

 

This would be much easier to solve than traffic fatalities. Just send in the big tanks with the big guns and lots of soldiers, who are presently cleaning General's houses. Intimidate the crap out of fire starters, first with a fine and second, pull out the guns.

Why else did the army buy all these arms (besides keeping Thai demonstrators in line)?

Why else does Thailand need a million man army?

Might as well make good use of the stuff. A sure "fire" way to stop the pollution.

53 minutes ago, neeray said:

I encourage my Thai friends to speak out

...but you know this will not happen. 

4 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

...but you know this will not happen. 

I know. But it was fun to dream up that scenario.

There really isn't any genuine concern about returning "happiness (or health) to the people".

14 minutes ago, DonDoRondo said:

If instead of fire starters they were anti-government protesters

I think they are , maybe not protesters, but red for sure.

23 minutes ago, DonDoRondo said:

You wouldn't need tanks.  Heavy military / police presence.  Stopping and searching vehicles

( profiling raggedy pickups ).  Drones with infrared. Helicopters. Reward money for anyone turning in firestarters.

 

If instead of fire starters they were anti-government protesters I'll bet there would be much more attention given.......and of course a call could be put out for the Caped Crusaders.

 

                                                       

 

they need COMMON SENSE...

34 minutes ago, DonDoRondo said:

Stopping and searching vehicles

( profiling raggedy pickups ). 

I resent that. I'm a proud owner of one of those.

If this is  how the Government responds to a slow forming cries then I can just imagine the response to a sudden and large emergency?  I grew up in California and as many know Earthquakes are a way of life.  I was working as a police officer during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and it took a lot agencies to respond quickly.  I can’t imagine something on that magnitude occurring here and what the response would be.  The first thing to do would be to admit out loud “Houston we have a problem”.  I’m all for being laid back and living the good life in Chiang Mai but not on this issue.  Of course there is nothing I can do except buy a mask and limit the amount of time I spend outdoors.   

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

.... Of course there is nothing I can do except buy a mask and limit the amount of time I spend outdoors .   

unfortunately the air inside is just as unhealthy as outside ... 

except you are using inside air purifier ...

2 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

If this is  how the Government responds to a slow forming cries then I can just imagine the response to a sudden and large emergency?  I grew up in California and as many know Earthquakes are a way of life.  I was working as a police officer during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and it took a lot agencies to respond quickly.  I can’t imagine something on that magnitude occurring here and what the response would be.  The first thing to do would be to admit out loud “Houston we have a problem”.  I’m all for being laid back and living the good life in Chiang Mai but not on this issue.  Of course there is nothing I can do except buy a mask and limit the amount of time I spend outdoors.   

i grew up in So. Cal, in the 60's.  we use to have smog alerts, but than we set up a air quality board and cracked down on vehicle emissions.  won't happen here i am afraid.

So now I fully understand why local officials have not called an emergency in the region..

it's only termed as haze !!

Don’t expect any enforcement of anything (except playing darts, cards, smoking e-cigarettes, smoking on the beach) In your lifetime 

'Forever' x

Unfortunately most Thai people seem to think the air indoors is magically clean by itself.

Esp. in cars you rarely see anybody wearing a mask.

I have to post this again. The utter ... what's the right word here? insanity? incompetence? of this confirms my thoughts that there is no hope for this country to step into the modern age. 

 

He's got that "tough guy on PM2.5" look on his face, too. 

Question 1: Who thought up the idea of posing for cameras with a leaf-blower? 

Question 2: How did the leader of the nation think, "Good idea; give me that puppy!"?

 

Does the phrase, "international laughingstock" not count for anything? 

 

All you students of English as a second language take note; this is a perfect example of, "Closing the stable door after the horse has bolted."

Instead of spraying water around the moat they should send those trucks into the mountains to put out the fires, problem solved

No no no cry's a general it will be gone by Tuesday or someone must get punched in the face surely ???? 

The leaf blower is used to blow the smoke away. In 5 days they will all fly around the streets with that ????????

thats funny you say in the 60's there were smog alerts and the people cracked down on vehicle emissions. i wonder if the same would be true today? I'm thinking lawyers would get involved and it would drag on for a very very long time not to mention fox news telling everyone how socialist it is lol. seems like america is going more the thai way lol.

12 hours ago, cerox said:

The leaf blower is used to blow the smoke away. In 5 days they will all fly around the streets with that ????????

Seriously speaking what could be the use for a leaf blower? Blowing the leaves away to create a fire break?

 

Blowing on the fire itself is only likely the fan the flames. What else could it be besides pure madness?