Health, Travel Hazards As Forest Fires Threaten North

[ChiangMaiAmerican]

From Today's Nation:

" The Environment Ministry proposed that the Cabinet declare the emergency controls to enable provincial governors to ban all forms of combustion. At present, governors can only ask people to stop burning rubbish, farm waste and clearing scrubland, which are believed to be the major causes of the haze.

If the Cabinet had agreed to the move, it would have been only the second time powers authorised under the 1992 Environmental Protection Act had been used. The first time was almost a decade ago when then premier Chuan Leekpai used the legislation to ban inland shrimp farming on the Central plains.

Spokesman Yongyuth said the Cabinet would only issue emergency pollution controls as a last resort. He said Cabinet asked the Environment Ministry to use other means, such as recommending that farmers reuse their waste rather than burning it."

http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/14/hea...es_30029266.php

Last resort=when people start dying in mass. It is highly likely the smoke has already contributed to deaths in the area particularly among those with heart and respiratory conditions. A few people dying so that farmers can burn is ok. If more die it amy no longer be ok.

From the same article,

"Thousands of residents have reported respiratory problems over the last fortnight. Outdoor activities are prohibited and pregnant women, the elderly and children are advised to wear facemasks, Health Minister Dr Mongkol na Songkhla has said."

Facemasks sold in Thailand do not work. They do not filter small enough particulate and there is no charcoal to filter the smoke. They are better than nothing but not much. HEPA filters which would work for particulate are not common here and are hard to come by. I bought a paint respirator with an organic vapor filter a few days ago to try and ease some of the discomfort. I had hoped to find 3M or similar like I have in the US. There were none at the big hardware superstore only other inferior brands. The one I bought was so inferior I cannot use it. Its like there is a two ton weight on my chest when I draw a breath.

As to farmers following recommendations. Right. Highly educated Thai farmers listening to reason. I'd like to see that one. Order them to stop then lock one or two of them up for violating a burn ban though and word will quickly spread. It's a harsh way to go especially with the poverty among farmers but it is likely the only way the burning will stop.

Meanwhile, as long as the government does nothing Chiang Mai and the other provinces will suffer. Tourism will slow as the word of the problem spreads. Yesterday when I ventured out at about 4pm I occasionally saw a few tourists on the street that is when I could see them through the smoke. Loss of tourism dollars will hurt the country more than locking up a few farmers to demonstrate that burning will not be tolerated. Songkran is coming. The weather forecasters say the smoke is likely to remin through April due to high pressure over the area. If it does expect to see Chiang Mai's tourism revenue from Songkran drop significantly this year.

Edited March 14, 2007 by ChiangMaiAmerican

[CSS]

An typical case of TIT, the cause is NOT Burma, it is THAILAND! If you walk up to the hills over here, or just loook out of the window at night, you see that the Thai government is making up the Burma story. It is heere were the slash and burning is happening. For your information the wind always blows from the hills and Myanmar is precisely on the other side. The police is of course too busy at day time to fine 14 year old girls who go to school. I never ever saw a police patrol here in the hills doing something about it. What a joke, what a reporting!

A typical case of arshole. It's always Thailand, never the others, they are all idiots and only the farangs who post here know what the real thing is. Why don't you go to have a close watch on the fire, maybe close enough to either get your dryed out brain burnt or to extinguish the fire with all the water in your skull (not sure which one is actually applicable, but must be one of the two).

I guess this post will not last long in the forum, doesn't matter, at least my anger is aired.

Er, if you look at the maps you will see he is correct so careful before you call someone names without knowing the facts. http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery...63.0655.1km.jpg

It seems to me that that picture relates to a period ending on March 4th. However, I didn't experience serious smoke until about the 10th. I believe the fire in question started sometime around the 9th and picked up steam in the following days, thus it wouldn't show up on that nasa image yet. Does anyone have a nasa image dated after the 10th?