Chiang Mai Air Quality and Pollution

[nigelforbes]

3 minutes ago, DezLez said:

What an over dramatic and stupid comment'

RIP commonsense!

Not entirely. After 10 years here I was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease and with Chronic Bronchitis, neither of which I had previously. Would I have been diagnosed with those things if I'd lived somewhere that has pure air? Dunno. But I do know that statistically the North of Thailand sees proportionality far more incidents of both those diseases so perhaps I'm just another statistics, if you want proof of the foregoing you only need to do some googling. (I'm not going to do it for you) 

[DezLez]

3 minutes ago, Iamfalang said:

Now go talk to those 7 million!!! every year!!!! Probably more!!!!

I do not deny that air pollution is a problem for some but 7 million is not the same as what you said "RIP everything"

I would suggest your mathematics are RIP!

I also suggest you stick to facts and not hyperbole if you wish to be taken seriously!

[nigelforbes]

3 minutes ago, DezLez said:

I do not deny that air pollution is a problem for some but 7 million is not the same as what you said "RIP everything"

I would suggest your mathematics are RIP!

I also suggest you stick to facts and not hyperbole if you wish to be taken seriously!

I said I wouldn't but I have:

 

https://www.greenpeace.org/southeastasia/press/45425/air-pollution-responsible-for-29000-deaths-across-31-thai-provinces-in-2021-greenpeace/

 

https://cdn.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/210212c-killeen-archer-air-quality-in-thailand-wp-2101e-final.pdf

[KhunLA]

12 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

Not entirely. After 10 years here I was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease and with Chronic Bronchitis, neither of which I had previously. Would I have been diagnosed with those things if I'd lived somewhere that has pure air? Dunno. But I do know that statistically the North of Thailand sees proportionality far more incidents of both those diseases so perhaps I'm just another statistics, if you want proof of the foregoing you only need to do some googling. (I'm not going to do it for you) 

Best of luck dealing with it.  No way could I live up there, or Hua Hin or above.  16 yrs in Udon Thani was bad enough, with some horrid pollution.

 

It's already started this year, and too damn early.  Here hitting AQI of 80.  Breaking 100 already in parts of TH.  My only true negatives of TH, air pollution, and litter, though the latter not too bad where we are.

[Thailand]

Rain stops, burning starts , government forms a committee. Standard annual procedure.

[KhunLA]

7 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Rain stops, burning starts , government forms a committee. Standard annual procedure.

Yes, glad they are making great headway every year in controlling it ....

.... in the headlines anyway, as it seem to be getting worse & worse every year.

[JimmyJ]

4 hours ago, Virtualrecluse said:

https://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/ shows readings in the 150 range today, Oct. 18. 

Earlier than expected? What is going on?

Yesterday morning/afternoon the PM2.5 readings were about 47.

47 = 129 AQI 

[JimmyJ]

Right now outside I'm seeing 37 to 39 = AQI 105 to 110.

 

Perhaps improved a bit since 4 hours ago when you posted.

 

But yesterday and today definitely disappointing - the air had been good recently.

 

[nigelforbes]

Cooler air at this time of the year means an inversion layers form, that's where heavy dense air traps warmer more polluted air, close to the ground and prevents it from rising. That's why the numbers are up. You can see an inversion layer when a column of smoke rises and then goes horizontal. High AQI readings and inversion layers is indicative of local pollution and not blown in pollution from neighboring countries which is typically at a higher level.

[Forza2002]

Very high AQI readings in Chiang Mai today.... Seems surreal to have the air cleaner switched on in October!!! https://www.iqair.com/th-en/thailand/chiang-mai

[Tarteso]

In October…Here we go 

[TheAppletons]

Starting to plan my escape from the smoky season now.

 

Would Kuala Lumpur be an option for escaping the smoke?  From what I can find online, the smoky season there is generally July-September so doesn't coincide with Northern Thailand's smoky season.

[KhunLA]

[seedy]

Air pretty good up here

 

[Gweiloman]

I was driving my PHEV last night with the sunroof and all windows open as the weather was great here in CM, between San Sai and San Kamphaeng. Unfortunately the drive was occasionally spoiled by noisy combustion engines spilling out smelly and toxic fumes.

 

Hopefully, greater adoption of electrified vehicles can help reduce pollution in towns and city centres.

[VocalNeal]

^Not sure if this is sad or smug????

 

Weather where I live is fine. I guess the take on this is not what car you drive, but where you chose to live.

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Hopefully, greater adoption of electrified vehicles can help reduce pollution in towns and city centres.

Noise & petrol fumes, especially diesel ... NO ... the windows stay up, and I consider myself living fairly rural.  Only when Sniffy & myself are out on the hunt for birds to snap, from the car, as acts as the best blind.

 

In the ZS, don't notice, but when on the morning E-motorcycle run to the park with the dog ... yea, and quite irritating.  One reason I never bought a diesel, as would not do that to anyone.  They really should be banned completely.

[nigelforbes]

On 10/24/2022 at 7:28 PM, Forza2002 said:

Very high AQI readings in Chiang Mai today.... Seems surreal to have the air cleaner switched on in October!!! https://www.iqair.com/th-en/thailand/chiang-mai

That's not very high, that's the warm up round. Very high is when the numbers get into the 3XX.

[seedy]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

^Not sure if this is sad or smug????

Yep - his wonderful EV charged with lignite from Lampang.

But if he does not smell it - then it does not exist.

[VocalNeal]

5 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Hopefully, greater adoption of electrified vehicles can help reduce pollution in towns and city centres.

With this I concur. But this policy doesn't have to be mandated for everyone only those who reside in major cities.

[seedy]

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

With this I concur. But this policy doesn't have to be mandated for everyone only those who reside in major cities.

Agree. Lots of talk about Elon and his Tesla truck - 555

Hauls a partial load of potato chips and declares himself a winner !

Altho - once the grid plays catchup - and if (big IF) they do not gouge the rates once widespread charging comes online, it will work OK for local deliveries where you back in the home terminal every night.

Long distance, heavy loads, Arctic cold - forget it.

[Bassosa]

On 10/18/2022 at 9:27 AM, nigelforbes said:

Not entirely. After 10 years here I was diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease and with Chronic Bronchitis, neither of which I had previously. Would I have been diagnosed with those things if I'd lived somewhere that has pure air? Dunno. But I do know that statistically the North of Thailand sees proportionality far more incidents of both those diseases so perhaps I'm just another statistics, if you want proof of the foregoing you only need to do some googling. (I'm not going to do it for you) 

Scary.

 

I have a business in Chiang Mai near a major road. It's scary to see the pollutants (in this case from traffic) settling on my car each and every day. I'm 44 and breathing this air every single day. 

Fun fact: I rinse my driveway every other day to get rid of the pollutants, in my opinion, diesel soot. The way my driveway is sloped it all ends up at one particular tree. That tree is now dying, whereas similar trees are thriving.

If it's killing the tree its probably killing me.

Another fun fact: my business is on the Chiang Mai moat.

[VocalNeal]

28 minutes ago, seedy said:

it will work OK for local deliveries where you back in the home terminal every night.

Like the milk floats of yesteryear???? All done quietly without fuss and fanfare.

[Bassosa]

On 10/18/2022 at 11:47 AM, nigelforbes said:

Cooler air at this time of the year means an inversion layers form, that's where heavy dense air traps warmer more polluted air, close to the ground and prevents it from rising. That's why the numbers are up. You can see an inversion layer when a column of smoke rises and then goes horizontal. High AQI readings and inversion layers is indicative of local pollution and not blown in pollution from neighboring countries which is typically at a higher level.

Exactly this.

People forget that cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai create a ton of air pollution. If the weather patterns are favourable it gets dispersed quite quickly. If there's a blocked pattern it stays.

People fixate on agricultural burning as the leading cause for air pollution and not without reason, but look at what we produce in the city ourselves. Next time, scan the air above a busy thoroughfare and let me know what you see.
 

[Forza2002]

Air getting very bad again this past week. In San Kamphaeng my PM2.5 machine was reading 70 when I took the dog for a walk at 10pm last night (Mon 19th Dec). Plenty of red flags in various parts of Chiang Mai this morning... https://aqicn.org/map/chiang-mai/

 

[Tarteso]

Today…Orange is the new Black

[sqwakvfr]

Flew back from Singapore yesterday and the skies over CNX looked grey and hazy.  The current AQI is over 100 and it is late December.  Really noticeable from Singapore once I got outside of the airport.  Lately I have been living on throat lozenges and Loratadine.  The air in Singapore was good and my allergy symptoms were nonexistent. 

[sqwakvfr]

On 12/12/2022 at 6:08 PM, Bassosa said:

Exactly this.

People forget that cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai create a ton of air pollution. If the weather patterns are favourable it gets dispersed quite quickly. If there's a blocked pattern it stays.

People fixate on agricultural burning as the leading cause for air pollution and not without reason, but look at what we produce in the city ourselves. Next time, scan the air above a busy thoroughfare and let me know what you see.
 

Excellent point.  One of the greatest inventions of the 20th Century was the Catalytic Converter.  Do they make those for  Tuk Tuks(insert sarcasm emoji)? 

[Tarteso]

I wish a Happy New Year to the Governor of Chiang Mai and his entire team, including the Police and Fire Brigade, who guard for the safety of its citizens.  And good luck to the sellers of anti-pollution masks 2023. ????????????????

[VocalNeal]

6 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

The air in Singapore was good and my allergy symptoms were nonexistent. 

Well you know the answer then.???? ✈️