Chiang Mai’s air quality worst in the world

[Yorkshire Tea]

16 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

 

 

Local farmers need to be educated on how to manage their crops without burning the residues - or be flung in jail. And so should the local government officers.

 

 

The problem now is caused by mushroom hunters burning the forests, in the hills.  Farmers were burning their fields earlier in the year.

[stephenterry]

1 minute ago, transam said:

It is against the law to burn the residue, the farmers know it, those who control stuff know it, but the practice carries on regardless.

No matter what problems LOS has, nobody fixes anything. 

Exactly my point. There has to be a sea change in attitude at all levels of government to protect the environment. And it needs a 'saviour' in a high place to enforce this.

[stephenterry]

1 minute ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

The problem now is caused by mushroom hunters burning the forests, in the hills.  Farmers were burning their fields earlier in the year.

As I said - it has to stop polluting the atmosphere, whether it's crop residues or mushroom farming.

[CGW]

2 hours ago, sanuk711 said:

Especially if you were an older person you would have to give some serious thought to living somewhere else........

It's hardly a new event, just gets more "air time" seven years ago when I was looking to build a retirement home my first choice was CM, a little research soon revealed that was not a wise choice!

[marko kok prong]

As i read this they have been clearing land around the north end of my house,maybe 300 metres away,guess what they are doing now burning it,and thier fire control system ,a guy with a branch.

[TheFishman1]

Pm now in CM is 73 and that seven times higher then good the air here is at 235 we need help stop the fires TIT

[sanuk711]

8 minutes ago, CGW said:

It's hardly a new event, just gets more "air time" seven years ago when I was looking to build a retirement home my first choice was CM, a little research soon revealed that was not a wise choice!

Sure CGW, I have read other reports down the years---- but just can not remember it making number 1--"The worst in the world"...look at some of those industrial cities in Pakistan / China etc....... to be worse for breathable air then those.....wow... Its hard to uproot when you have invested in a life some place, but but life is short enough already with out breathing in dirt every day.

[CGW]

9 minutes ago, sanuk711 said:

I have read other reports down the years---- but just can not remember it making number 1--"The worst in the world"..

AQI monitoring stations were rarities in years gone by, now with apps etc people are able to monitor the air they are breathing.

Temporarily CM was worst in the world, I have just looked now and it is #2, terrible still but when you look for consistent information on AQI it is difficult at best, my point was the air quality in CM has always been bad this time of year.

The first AQI monitor I saw was when I was working in Beijing in about 2008, the USA embassy installed a huge monitor on the roof of the embassy to let people know how bad the AQ was, & it was bad back then 400 - 650 not unusual, now everyone has access to monitors, which can only be a good thing, people are now becoming more aware of the air they are breathing.

[Odysseus123]

Jeez..they have even beaten Kathmandu..there must be a promotion in that for somebody.

[RichardColeman]

You'd have to wonder about Thai tourism if holiday brochures actually said what Thailand was like

[jak2002003]

3 hours ago, Antonymous said:

The hills are alight.

 

This is a photo of a section of the Sri Lanna National Park forest taken yesterday early evening. The vast forest area that lies north of Chiang Mai city. It is difficult to judge the scale and perspective from the photo. The distance from the left fire to the fire on the right is several kms. What appear to be dark 'unlit' patches in between the obvious flames are also ablaze, but obscured from camera view by very heavy smoke.

 

This fire has been raging all day and all night for days. The smoke billowing up into the atmosphere no doubt descends on CM city and all around. I don't know how the fires started, but can tell you that they occur regularly every year.

 

But, we are told that the pollution is blowing in from neighbouring countries... and Thailand is not making pollution.... 

 

2 hours ago, transam said:

I find it a bit odd that farangs actually relocate to CM, the cr_p air quality there has been known for years...???? 

We moved here 20 years ago.  The air quality problems were nowhere near as bad as they are now, and when there was some air pollution it was only for a few weeks a year, now it is several MONTHS and year!  

 

It was at a level we could tolerate it before, knowing it would be over pretty soon.  However, it's got to the point that were are seriously considering moving away, which will be a real sadness for us to leave our home and friends.  

 

[Isaan sailor]

General Cha-Cha will soon recommend CM residents to visit mother China—for fresh air relief...

[CGW]

35 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

You'd have to wonder about Thai tourism if holiday brochures actually said what Thailand was like

Indeed! dry & sunny (drought) breathable air (sometimes) clean sea, value for money, white knuckle rides (Taxi's) beautiful women (many larger specimens available) the TVF guide to holidaying in Thailand would indeed be interesting!

[Forza2002]

It's bad enough that the Chinese are responsible for the CV, they are also partly responsible for all the burning to get the rich mushrooms. Watch the video, all will be clear...

 

[Forza2002]

I'm not on facebook, but if somebody could post the video over there, spread the word... The people at the top who could do something about this burning are no doubt turning a blind eye in favor of nicely padded brown envelopes...

Edited March 1, 2020 by Forza2002

[473geo]

19 minutes ago, Forza2002 said:

I'm not on facebook, but if somebody could post the video over there, spread the word... The people at the top who could do something about this burning are no doubt turning a blind eye in favor of nicely padded brown envelopes...

Yeah right farmers scratching a living to pay for food clothes and education providing 'brown envelopes'

 

Meanwhile in this fantasy world the health conscious rich are leaving their polluting vehicles at home and Chiang mai is a veritable sea of bicycles

[Destiny1990]

Chiang Mai’s air quality worst in the world !!

 

I wonder how is it to sell your property in Chiang Mai?

[SoSoCNX]

Pray for Chinese.  I sold BKK condo and CM property to Chinese at my price and without agent. 

I will Never buy any property in Thailand. 

[mickey rat]

What I find amazing is that the locals don't even notice, much less complain. Every evening you will see literally dozens of them out running in the park, totally clueless as to what they are exposing themselves to. The government has done a great job of keeping the citizenry safe and informed ????????

[Forza2002]

Come on Chiang Mai arsonists you are down to No.2 in the world, good luck getting back the No.1 tomorrow... total scumbags..  

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1, 2020 by Forza2002

[mickey rat]

4 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

However, it's got to the point that were are seriously considering moving away, which will be a real sadness for us to leave our home and friends.  

Unfortunately it seems you have no other choice. I would not even subject my dog to such horrendous toxic environment much less my wife and children! To hell with that! But I do potty the poor uneducated, and uninformed that have no choice. 

[Maxwadd]

8 hours ago, DLock said:

Groundhog news. Nothing will ever change.

 

Let the virus and AQI and value baht and state of Thailand's environment obliterate tourism and GDP in Thailand...

 

Money is the only thing they care about. 

 

Sadly, even then, they would find a scapegoat to blame and still do nothing.

 

 

Unfortunately you are 100% accurate! 

[ChakaKhan]

Bringing Happiness to the people..cough

 

And mushrooms to the Chinese..seems their obsession with eating everything in site is causing a double whammy...

[spidermike007]

There are a dozen measures this inept administration could be doing, if they were competent and if they cared about the people. So, what measures are being taken to tackle this dire situation? None. Precisely zero. The people need to awaken and  rise up. 

[webfact]

Chiang Mai air quality improves, but still the third worst in the world

By The Nation

 

 

Chiang Mai’s air quality saw a marginal improvement as of 9am on Sunday (March 1), moving from worst city in the world on Saturday to the third worst.

 

Reading on the application Air Visual showed Bangkok’s average pollution level at 85, while Chiang Mai registered 172 compared to 193 on Saturday with particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) at 137.8 micrograms per cubic metre.

 

PM2.5 in Bangkok was 24.4mcg per cubic metre and in Chiang Mai it was 96mcg per cubic metre on Sunday.

 

According to the Air Quality Index (AQI), a reading between 0 to 50 is healthy, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 is very unhealthy, and 301 to 500 is dangerous.

 

Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Department informed via the website Air4thai.pcd.go.th that at 7am on Sunday, the air quality in Chiang Mai and nearby areas were at moderate to unhealthy levels. PM2.5 dust particles were at between 36 to 89mcg per cubic metre.

 

Meanwhile, PM 2.5 in Bangkok was between 16-46mcg per cubic metre.

 

The PM2.5 situation is predicted to get better in most areas on Monday with the high chance of rains and storm.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30383105

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-02

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[Tarteso]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Chiang Mai air quality improves, but still the third worst in the world

From first to third?   Then that’s ok. No problem.

 

 What hells improves?

[hotchilli]

On 3/1/2020 at 6:59 AM, Creasy said:

I love the smell of PM2.5 first thing in the morning.

As a million BBQ's light up for breakfast !

[malibukid]

161 this morning

[Thian]

And what did Prayuth do to stop this??

[botti]

I'm a little amazed, like it is the case for the Coronavirus, about the figures given by the authorities. I would advise you to install the App AirVisual on your mobile phone if you wish to have a good picture of the pollution levels in this country. Many independent people, hospitals, and factories and myself, have bought this air monitoring device. If you look at the situation right now, Pai is at 328, Chiang Mai between 160 to 190, Phitsanulok at 158, Nakhon Ratchasima 155 and so on. Incredible !

The authorities are well aware about the source of this pollution. The main polluters are, at this time of the year, the farmers and big sugarcane producers who are intensively burning their fields. The government is not reacting to this situation since the big producers are representing a strong lobby at all levels of the power. And, of course, the health of the citizens of this country is far not the priority.