Songkhla suffers in Sumatra’s smoke

By Somchai Samart

The Nation

 

Songkhla’s fishing boat skippers are cautioned to proceed carefully at sea due to poor visibility in the haze. (Nation/Charoon Thongnual)

 

Smoke from forest fires in Indonesia has shrouded Hat Yai in Songkhla and lifted PM2.5 levels beyond the safe level.

 

The PM2.5 level – airborne particulates 2.5 microns or less in diameter – was at 55 micrograms per cubic metre of air on Thursday. The safe level in Thailand is 50.

 

 

Thananchai Wannasuk, director of Regional Environmental Office 16 based in Songkhla, said the smoke that first appeared in the southern province on Wednesday came from the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

 

The area of Hat Yai in risky smog conditions has a 30-50-kilometre radius. Residents have been advised to stay indoors as much as possible and to wear face masks when going out.

 

Thananchai said they should be alert to coughing, eye irritation or difficulty breathing.

 

 

He has briefed in writing the provincial natural-resource and environment offices in Songkhla, Satun, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, nearby Regional Environmental Offices 14 and 15, and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30375867

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-05

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Had rain at lunchtime in Hat Yai which has washed some of the haze away. Though 55µg/m³ isn't particularly bad, certainly nothing to compare to Northern Thailand's AQI values in the hundreds last year.

So amusing quick to blame other countries for smoke pollution. As we wait for February next year in Chaing Mai as local farmers carry out the yearly burn off for 3 months, that's acceptable by the authorities.

Why look so far? Here in Nakhon Sawan you have this situation all year, and strangely it is not news!

2 hours ago, legend49 said:

So amusing quick to blame other countries for smoke pollution. As we wait for February next year in Chaing Mai as local farmers carry out the yearly burn off for 3 months, that's acceptable by the authorities.

Well because in the case of the south, the smoke pollution does primarily originate from parts of Indonesia, as can be seen from the current haze update. You can see the identified hotspots are not in Thailand, rather they're in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

 

 

http://asmc.asean.org/home/

 

 

 

5 hours ago, legend49 said:

So amusing quick to blame other countries for smoke pollution. As we wait for February next year in Chaing Mai as local farmers carry out the yearly burn off for 3 months, that's acceptable by the authorities.

Where is the blame?

I don't see any accusations or excuses for Thailand's own burning problems.

You amuse yourself.