Thai protesters demand action as air pollution clouds Bangkok

[Jane Dough]

It's a lovely clear day in Ratchayothin, northern Bangkok, today. The birds are tweeting merrily in the luxuriant trees, the happy population are going about their merry way, the distant rumble of the pristine new sky train assures us of progress, and the local school children, including my own, are gamboling outside gleefully before further important lessons are imparted. 

 

All is wonderful in paradise. 

 

Rooster

[banagan]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

How is it possible that some greedy farmers are allowed to pollute and intoxicate nearly all of Thailands population ... and the government does nothing against it except " propositions on how to tackle the problem " . The burning goes on for years already , people get sick and fed up because of that .

May be instead of paying billions for useless submarines and other military gadgets , they should finance some sugarcane harvesters for every province that are used by all sugar cane plantations , one after the other ...?

A government that does not protect the people from the easily avoidable smog that is caused by the burning , is not worth to be named " government " , because it does not do what it should do .

They are so concerned about ' losing their face ' ... do they ever reckon how much of their precious ' face ' is lost due to their incompetence ...?

An uneducated, ignorant population.

 

Unfortunately, they won't wake up to the problem until it's so bad people will be dropping dead, children and old people mostly.

 

Until then, business as usual.

 

 

 

 

[ExpatOne]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

How is it possible that some greedy farmers are allowed to pollute and intoxicate nearly all of Thailands population ... and the government does nothing against it except " propositions on how to tackle the problem " . The burning goes on for years already , people get sick and fed up because of that .

May be instead of paying billions for useless submarines and other military gadgets , they should finance some sugarcane harvesters for every province that are used by all sugar cane plantations , one after the other ...?

A government that does not protect the people from the easily avoidable smog that is caused by the burning , is not worth to be named " government " , because it does not do what it should do .

They are so concerned about ' losing their face ' ... do they ever reckon how much of their precious ' face ' is lost due to their incompetence ...?

Because they don’t care about the people. If they did they would deal with the burning problem, the alcohol problem, Pattaya (And similar areas) and people eating hot food out of plastic bags.

[Johnny Rotten]

You know when there is a problem here, just ignore it! Good luck if you think the air is going to get better. As it's said, love it or leave it.

[yokat]

I bought masks, filters for the AC and another air purifier. I'll probably be able to apply for the retirement visa by the time they come up with a real solution.

[CGW]

9 hours ago, khunpa said:

The farmers are the main cause that we have this issue every year at this time. But they just will not face the root of the problem.

The media blames the "Farmers" the "good old boys" making the real money are never blamed, the mills and sugar corporation are beyond reproach it seems, they have the power to shut down cane burning whenever they won't, just ban buying it burnt, but they are never mentioned, the media has obviously been told not too mention the real money makers as they all have close connections to the "government"

[CGW]

16 minutes ago, banagan said:

An uneducated, ignorant population.

Harsh but True! the "education" system is working very well isn't it, be fairer to state that the population is purposely kept "uneducated & ignorant"

[Ventenio]

Breathing clean air is OVERRATED!!!   Brain issues, allergies, lung problems, early death, lifelong issues..... what's not to like??!!!!

 

all for Pattaya.  and then you get AIDS and we all have a good laugh.

 

toxic air but 20 baht noodle soup.  sounds like paradise.  

 

expats in Thailand really are the dumbest lot of the bunch.  they have no idea pollution is bad for them????!?!?!?!?!!  

 

Don't worry, this year will be different.  

[LetsCleanUpTHAILAND]

And no one wants to talk about the elephant in the room?? Burning piles of trash is rampant in Thailand and a major cause of the most toxic type of air pollution. Thailand is a trash importing country and trash burning is a primary form of waste management here. Livinng in Thailand is like living in a room of cigarette smokers. We must tackle waste management! Agreed?

[johnarth]

13 hours ago, Titan1962 said:

First thing they need to do is tackle the farmers and the burn offs,this is the major contribution to the bad air quality.Taking into count  that for 7 to 8 months of the year the air quality is acceptable. It’s only when the farmers  start their <deleted> it gets really unhealthy.

Next thing would be to tackle the trucks and buses,and other forms of public transport. Start looking at electric tuk tuks etc.

Then start on private vehicles,cars,pickups,and motorcycles over ten years old need to pass strict emission controls before the rego is allowed to be renewed.

It will not be a quick fix,but you need to start in the right place,private vehicles are not the main contributor to the bad air quality. 

 

SO TRUE, but the government has its money spent elsewhere

[malathione]

1 hour ago, Assurancetourix said:

Much more than you think;
even in Florida in the USA this is how they practice;
but I guess you didn't know that.

In the Everglades, yes. Does that make it right?

[nobodysfriend]

11 minutes ago, CGW said:

The media blames the "Farmers" the "good old boys" making the real money are never blamed, the mills and sugar corporation are beyond reproach it seems, they have the power to shut down cane burning whenever they won't, just ban buying it burnt, but they are never mentioned, the media has obviously been told not too mention the real money makers as they all have close connections to the "government"

---> Farmers burning sugarcane face additional fees for milling their crop

Sugarcane growers, who burn their crops before harvesting, will be charged 30 baht/tonne for the burnt sugarcane delivered to sugar mills, while the mills will be levied 12 baht/tonne for accepting burnt cane exceeding the set limits.

[CGW]

1 minute ago, nobodysfriend said:

Sugarcane growers, who burn their crops before harvesting, will be charged 30 baht/tonne for the burnt sugarcane delivered to sugar mills, while the mills will be levied 12 baht/tonne for accepting burnt cane exceeding the set limits.

Burnt cane has always been bought for a lower price than unburnt cane, they need to stop buying it altogether!

[Dumbastheycome]

4 minutes ago, CGW said:

The media blames the "Farmers" the "good old boys" making the real money are never blamed, the mills and sugar corporation are beyond reproach it seems, they have the power to shut down cane burning whenever they won't, just ban buying it burnt, but they are never mentioned, the media has obviously been told not too mention the real money makers as they all have close connections to the "government"

It is interesting that despite the theoretical burning ban local weigh stations will not accept burnt  cane. I have a BIL who has  just 1 rai of  cane  which he tediously as cut  himself every year. He has never  burned. Not  because he would not prefer too but because his production is  small and so not worth paying  cartage to the nearest  sugar  factory. So he sells to a local buyer/agent who as I mentioned will not accept burnt cane. But other growers who have  higher production burn and  truck  directly to the  sugar factory.

So yes indeed the simplist way to  stop the burning of  cane fields is obviously to prosecute the Mills for accepting  burnt  cane. The aspect of corruption negating that would  not  be so hard to  overcome if rather than a single  Inspector or observer it involved a Community  group in significant  numbers? Blockades?

 

 

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

What is that BS ...?

 

The solution is mechanical harvesting of sugar cane as I have said .

 

" ---> better put them against a wall to shoot them ...< --- are you mad or think that is funny ?

Mechanical harvesting of green cane may reduce some pollution but you will most likely find the farmers will burn the cane trash anyway.....and there will be a lot of it so there will probably be little difference overall except that the trash will burn more slowly and for a longer period than a traditional sugar firem

With the right equipment a cane trash blanket can be good. Without the right equipment water penetration is difficult as is fertiliser application......solution...burn the trash.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

38 minutes ago, banagan said:

Unfortunately, they won't wake up to the problem until it's so bad people will be dropping dead, children and old people mostly.

 

People here are already dropping dead because of air pollution -- an estimated 38,000 a year specifically due to air pollution-induced increased incidences of cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, emphysema, etc etc... 

 

And that number is based on research by Thai researchers from the Ministry of Public Health!

 

[Grusa]

51 minutes ago, Jane Dough said:

It's a lovely clear day in Ratchayothin, northern Bangkok, today. The birds are tweeting merrily in the luxuriant trees, the happy population are going about their merry way, the distant rumble of the pristine new sky train assures us of progress, and the local school children, including my own, are gamboling outside gleefully before further important lessons are imparted. 

 

All is wonderful in paradise. 

 

Rooster

I thought gamboling was illegal...?

[MaxLee]

And how many of these activists arrived there with their cars?

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, Isaan sailor said:

Best way to start...regime change. 

 

Except that they took power by force of their bayonets and that they will do everything possible to keep it.
It is a question of filling your pockets as much as possible and leaving this country devastated;

 

"After me, the flood" already said Louis XV;

 

 

( To say that we don't bother much about what will happen when we no longer exist, or simply, when we stop being in office.
"After me the flood," said Louis XV. It was a deluge of blood. - (Émile Cantrel, Hand News on the Countess of Barry, 1861)

 

https://fr.wiktionary.org/wiki/après_moi_le_déluge

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, Jane Dough said:

It's a lovely clear day in Ratchayothin, northern Bangkok, today. The birds are tweeting merrily in the luxuriant trees, the happy population are going about their merry way, the distant rumble of the pristine new sky train assures us of progress, and the local school children, including my own, are gamboling outside gleefully before further important lessons are imparted. 

 

All is wonderful in paradise. 

 

Rooster

 

I thought for a moment that it was written by Yinn; ( excellent english, nope , it's not possible )
in any case, it is the extra good herb that you smoke ...

Edited January 24, 2020 by Assurancetourix

[tomauasia]

You must understand that Pinnochio would not reform the police and scoffed at any reforms imposter. This has set Thailand back 10 years more at least. The protesters need to focus on removing the coupsters not the pollution. 

Edited January 24, 2020 by tomauasia

[johng]

8 minutes ago, tomauasia said:

The protesters need to focus on removing the coupsters not the pollution. 

Hopefully they can remove both.

[anterian]

In the last few days the readings in my soi have dropped from 107 to 24, quite dramatic. If one does not own a meter one can make an approximation by seeing how sharp the edges are to shadows, the sharper the shadow the cleaner the air.

 

[Matzzon]

You can clearly see a sign on the picture that reads "What kind of PM doesn´t do anything to fix PM 2,5 crisis? 

I would say: What kind of ordinary people keep on polluting and throwing their garbage everywhere without respect for general laws and the environment, and after that blame only one person because it´s convenient?

 

I am absolutely not saying that the government are doing what they can, because they not even own the knowledge needed to do that. What I am saying is that this starts with the little individual person and all the companies. Would be better to go together and do something there, instead of blaming one åerson on the streets.

Edited January 24, 2020 by Matzzon

[marc651]

The Euro6 norm forces engines to spew out about 100x less PM2.5 compared to the current Euro4 norm (new cars) sold in Thailand.  The government has planned implementation of the Euro6 norm for 2029 (in Europe implemented 2016).

 

Many cars on the road are pre Euro1 : 1 single old diesel car will pollute as much as or more than 1000 new euro6 standard cars.

Al busses, trucks and cars should be phased out for new clean engines through a subsidy program. It's that simple.

This, combined with enforcing the ban on burning fields and garbage and the air will be fresh and healthy.

[yogavnture]

sunsets in bkk now are shrouded in pollution

[DrTuner]

Go protest outside the HQ of Mitr Phol. They are the ones buying the burned sugar cane.

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, yokat said:

I bought masks, filters for the AC and another air purifier. I'll probably be able to apply for the retirement visa by the time they come up with a real solution.

Why? are you only 25 ?

[Expat Brad]

Can we please stop simply blaming the farmers? They are screwed every year on their yields by the buyers/COMPANY plus the high prices charged to them for seed, chemicals and harvesting by the same COMPANY!!!

Why don't they put pressure on THAT COMPANY to do something about it, OR face penalties???

[tomauasia]

28 minutes ago, yogavnture said:

sunsets in bkk now are shrouded in pollution

You die there glad lm not there