Looking Ahead to Possibility of Smoke in 2020 Beginning End of February. Worse than Last Year?

[MisterBleach]

Last year, beginning in February, there seemed to have been higher levels of smoke and PM2.5 than usual. I read a few good articles written by a professor at Chiang Mai University which shed quite a bit of light on air quality conditions. However, so far this month, I have not seen any further information published by this researcher.

 

Also, many of the air quality monitors that were functioning earlier this year seem to have been taken offline.

 

Does anyone know if the air quality around Chiang Mai will be worse than what we saw this past Hot Season?  Or, can we look forward to air quality which is similar to earlier this year?

 

And, another question might be why smoke levels are some days seemingly rising recently?

 

High PM2.5 levels are a fact of life in many countries, and I am not complaining in the least.

 

In fact, once prepared, I sort of enjoy walking through the smoke when I am wearing an excellent respirator. It's like getting a very heavy snow storm when one has already bought snow tires, snowplows, and chains for tires. I like the feeling of being prepared and also the realization that I did not waste my money buying respirators and air purifiers that I did not need.

 

What is not so much fun is when you get an El Nino combined with the smoke because the extra sweat can make mask wearing uncomfortable at times.

 

PM2.5 levels for next year should, in theory, be fairly predictable. No doubt there are those who have already begun to make the calculations.  But, where do we go to obtain these prognostications?

Edited October 4, 2019 by MisterBleach

[Presnock]

last week and this week you have seen fewer stations reporting/off line due to school closure.  Why the hospitals too shut down I don't know.  However, starting last month, Pm2.5 numbers began to go upwards of a 90-150 and one station reporting each day over 200 but think they must have a problem with their equipment.  Away from those reporting stations (mostly schools or hospitals in crowded ares) the pm2.5 was much lower.  Sankamphaeng and Sarabbi were reporting 90-120 while my house (10kms between each of these two stations) was never reading above 55 and usually was under 50.  a check of the URL :aqicn.org/city/thailand/chiangmai---CMIS with show one the reading currently at ChiangMai International School and it is on a map of CM province with readings of different stations.  Page down to "History" to see the last 2 month's readings and further for last year's readings.  FYI current pm2.5 readings are about the same as this time last year.

[sfokevin]

As usual (The last 3 years) have booked a villa in Hua Him for March & April... If it's as bad as last year (which was the worst recorded year in the 10 years I've lived in CM) we will not be returning to Chiang Mai

[Ajvat37]

Seems like mid February to mid May is really bad over the last three years I’m here.  You can go back and look at 1 year history of air quality on some sites, and you can find the rest here if you search for it.  A few years ago I lived in nam phrae and the entire western side of the valley was on fire from Chiang Mai to hang dong.  It was really amazing to see when driving the canal road at night.  

This year I’m outta here during that three month period.  But if anyone can tell me what koh Chang is like I’d be interested to know as I can’t find aqi readings for trat province in burning season.  Hua Hin seems like it still gets a little polluted compared to Kao lak or krabi.  What areas in the south does everyone think has the best air during that time?  I want to plan soon.

[donnacha]

No one with options should stay in Chiang Mai between mid-January and the start of May. I usually get out in the first week or two of the year, as soon as air fares start getting cheaper after the Christmas season, and the PM 2.5 numbers are always rising by then.

The most dangerous part of air pollution is not the stuff you see. This is an unprecedented mass experiment on human beings. No one really knows exactly what the long term affects will be, but we do know that far lower levels of air pollution, in other countries, have significantly increased the number and severity of cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological cases. Northern Thailand already has among the highest levels of lung cancer in the world.

I enjoy my time in Chiang Mai every year but come across so many expats making the mistake of thinking that they can avoid the problem by getting out for the few weeks when they believe the problem is "at its worst", or when it is announced that Chiang Mai is now "the world's most polluted city".

That it gets particularly bad during a particular month does not mean the "less bad" surrounding months should not also be avoided. Risking serious, incurable medical conditions is not a smart way to save money.

Be aware that most of the people in forums and Facebook groups dismissing the danger, and calling anyone who mentions it a whiner, are people who have a vested interest in increasing the flow of visitors to Thailand. As soon as someone owns a couple of Airbnb apartments, they decide the burning season is no longer a problem.

 

 

Edited October 5, 2019 by donnacha

[Samuel Smith]

3 minutes ago, donnacha said:

No one with options should stay in Chiang Mai between mid-January and the start of May. I usually get out in the first week or two of the year, as soon as air fares start getting cheaper after the Christmas season, and the 2.5 PM numbers are always rising by then.

The most dangerous part of air pollution is not the stuff you see. This is an unprecedented mass experiment on human beings. No one really knows exactly what the long term affects will be, but we do know that far lower levels of air pollution, in other countries, have significantly increased the number and severity of cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological problems. Northern Thailand already has among the highest levels of lung cancer in the world.

I enjoy my time in Chiang Mai every year but come across so many expats making the mistake of thinking that they can avoid the problem by getting out for the few weeks when they believe the problem is "at its worst", or when it is announced that Chiang Mai is now "the world's most polluted city".

That it gets particularly bad during a particular month does not mean the "less bad" surrounding months should not also be avoided. Risking serious, incurable medical conditions is not a smart way to save money.

Be aware that most of the people in forums and Facebook groups dismissing the danger, and calling anyone who mentions it a whiner, are people who have a vested interest in increasing the flow of visitors to Thailand. As soon as someone owns a couple of Airbnb apartments, they decide the burning season is no longer a problem.

 

 

Spot on, except should be "end of May", not "start".

[PatOngo]

23 hours ago, MisterBleach said:

Does anyone know if the air quality around Chiang Mai will be worse than what we saw this past Hot Season? 

I'll get back to you shortly!

 

 

[dcnx]

On 10/4/2019 at 1:57 PM, MisterBleach said:

I sort of enjoy walking through the smoke when I am wearing an excellent respirator.

Jesus H.

[Ron jeremy]

Enjoyable to wear a mask while walking thru the smoke, u most certainly can't be serious!  Still for the life of me can't understand why people retire in a city where wearing a mask is essential?

[NE1]

It is only bad if it happens in Bangkok .