PCD pours in more efforts to control wildfires and haze in Thailand

[webfact]

PCD pours in more efforts to control wildfires and haze

By The Nation

 

 

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) plans to accelerate efforts to control and extinguish fires and ensure strict monitoring of forest fires in order to solve the haze crisis.

 

PCD director-general Pralong Dumrongthai said that the number of hot spots in Thailand had been reduced by more than 50 per cent.

 

However, hot spots and haze are still found in neighbouring countries. As a result, the upper northern region, which has been influenced by the prevailing winds, continues to face a crisis of increasing dust pollution.

 

He said particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter in 17 northern provinces at 8am on Sunday (March 15) averaged 32-340 micrograms per cubic meter over a 24-hour period. The standard value is not more than 50mcg per cubic metre.

 

Chiang Rai (Mae Sai station) had the highest dust level affecting health (red zone) among the nine provinces in the upper northern region. In the lower northern region, the weather has improved due to the southern winds blowing and pushing the dust to the upper North besides rains in some areas.

 

Nine provinces in the upper northern region are continuously seeing a worsening of the haze problem due to the dramatic increase in hot spots in the Mekong Sub-region on March 13, resulting in very dense haze in the area, although on Saturday the hot spots in Thailand had decreased by more than 50 per cent.

 

Therei s still smog coming from neighbouring countries Myanmar and Laos, including haze from the lower northern region, which was continually blown by the wind into the upper area.

 

All departments continue to strictly control wildfires to quickly reduce the dust problem in Thailand. The PDC will coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to consider the possibility of bilateral negotiations with Myanmar and Laos to build cooperation in solving haze issues urgently, Pralong said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30384125

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-16

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[Yadon Toploy]

Chiang Rai had an AQI of 517 yesterday, Chiang Mai 471, which is classified as hazardous. 

 

Thailand is now by far, the most polluted country in the World in terms of air quality. 

 

Humans should not live in those conditions and should not breathe in that poor quality of air without respiratory protection. 

 

To put it in perspective the next World's worst was Riyadh in Saudi with an AQI of 173.

[lockyv7]

My misses said the locals told her they have another 5 days of burning around Chang Mai so they will be ready for the mushrooms. 

 

[SoilSpoil]

Make those mushrooms illegal. How difficult can it be?

[mtls2005]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

PCD director-general Pralong Dumrongthai said that the number of hot spots in Thailand had been reduced by more than 50 per cent.

Amazing results. How was this done? Bigger amulets?

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The PDC will coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to consider the possibility of bilateral negotiations with Myanmar and Laos to build cooperation in solving haze issues urgently, Pralong said.

It's Committee time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cardinalblue]

It’s incredible that the government can’t stop the intentional burning and mindset of the local people...

 

stop calling then wild fires - these are intentional burns...

 

string up a few for the locals to see....drastic measures for incredible Criminal stupidity

 

nothing but a shell game that the gov actively supports and plays along...

 

why aren’t numbers like personnel and equipment posted on fighting these intentional sets...

 

again, a PR stunt to protect country’s image of activity but no achievement 

[legend49]

4 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

Make those mushrooms illegal. How difficult can it be?

Spray the areas with a Monsanto product so no more mushrooms. Farmers grow mushrooms in designed buildings and dont burn the forest.

[Titan1962]

After living here in Chiang Mai for 4 yrs with my Thai partner,I am slowly coming to the conclusion that Thai people just accept this as. Normal. My wife just gets on with business as usual,it’s that time of the year. She is looking forward to the jungle mushrooms becoming available. So the only people that really give a <deleted> are the people that have lived in towns,cities and countries that don’t have a burn off season. Things are never going to change up here in the north,it’s part of life. The decision you have to make is do you want to stay or leave,it’s your choice.

[Lacessit]

Chiang Rai visibility was down to about 300 metres yesterday. I'm holed up in my condo with one air purifier that is getting me down to 80, another arriving in two days. Leave the air purifier off, and the meter shoots up to 250.

Don't these numbnuts in Bangkok and in the mountains realise they are killing their fellow Thais? It's like being a two-pack a day smoker outside.

Edited March 16, 2020 by Lacessit

[SoilSpoil]

4 minutes ago, legend49 said:

Spray the areas with a Monsanto product so no more mushrooms. Farmers grow mushrooms in designed buildings and dont burn the forest.

Trading one evil for the other. We need natural forests for oxygen, water retention and bio diversity. Monsanto is an evil corp

[Wavel]

1 hour ago, Yadon Toploy said:

Chiang Rai had an AQI of 517 yesterday, Chiang Mai 471, which is classified as hazardous. 

 

Thailand is now by far, the most polluted country in the World in terms of air quality. 

 

Humans should not live in those conditions and should not breathe in that poor quality of air without respiratory protection. 

 

To put it in perspective the next World's worst was Riyadh in Saudi with an AQI of 173.

Amazing isn’t it the local Amphur knows where the fires are & knows which farmers owns what land. Yet nobody gets fined, nobody cares. A few weeks ago I burnt some leaves in the garden, all finished in two minutes. Then the “Pho Yai Ban” came round & told me off saying the area is a “ Hot Spot”. Always the foreigners fault, never the people who alight thousands upon thousands of hectares. TIT 

[tonray]

48 minutes ago, Titan1962 said:

After living here in Chiang Mai for 4 yrs with my Thai partner,I am slowly coming to the conclusion that Thai people just accept this as. Normal. My wife just gets on with business as usual,it’s that time of the year. She is looking forward to the jungle mushrooms becoming available. So the only people that really give a <deleted> are the people that have lived in towns,cities and countries that don’t have a burn off season. Things are never going to change up here in the north,it’s part of life. The decision you have to make is do you want to stay or leave,it’s your choice.

Not just up north...here in Nonthaburi....4 Kilometers away from Central Westgate Mall.....we have rice crop just harvested across the street from MooBaan...and yes...today they burn the stubble....3 times a year...the local staff just tells me "Mai Bpen Rai...it's Thai Culture" and grin

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

PCD pours in more efforts to control wildfires and haze

Locals don't give a fig about pollution.. just their way of life, which doesn't seem to be able to change.

[geriatrickid]

Thailand will eventually be forced by  the markets it sells to, to address the problem. 

Want to sell  agricultural products to the west, or electronics, or  seafood? Then stop the burning.

[Sambotte]

They will do something when the tourism market, and the real estate market, will go severely down.

News of this health-threaten massive pollution just start to be in the media (since last year only), so tourists and investors are aware since not so long, but the impact will be severe. Nobody with his mind would buy a condo in the north, now over polluted 6 months a year.

 

They have satellite, they have army, they could control the criminals farmers, starting with prison time, etc.

 

The bigger picture is to get the same from Myanmar, Laos, China (and Indonesia in the south, not often impacting Thailand but serious problem too, for Singapoor, etc.).

 

Those farmers have no respect for whatever, kids, eldery include, and they look primitive by doing that.

But gouvernements, as usual, will act only when business is affected. Will be soon though.

Who will plan a tourist, not to mention a treck, tour over there ? Nobody soon from mid-december to mid-june.

And worst : who will buy a estate in these area ?

Next 5-10 years will be damn for business there.

Unless army can finally control life-ennemies farmers. Not kidding, i think it would take army power to fix this primitive huge problem.

[Misterwhisper]

So it's "wildfires" now. Interesting.

 

What about the "not-so-wild fires", the routine burning of sugarcane and paddy fields that is happening every <deleted> year on an incredible scale... although it's illegal. I have never heard or read of anyone who has actually been held liable and slapped with a heavy fine for burning their fields.

 

And then of course it's those bad, bad neighboring countries whose "haze" is contaminating Thailand's otherwise pristine air. How convenient that the wind is blowing eastwards (as far as Myanmar is concerned), but southwards or westwards (in the case of Laos), and yet "haze from the lower northern region... was continually blown by the wind into the upper area", which suggests that northwards winds currently prevail.

 

It's high time to finally wake up and do something against a situation that has been recurring for decades and is getting progressively worse. And it also is necessary to finally name the main culprits and spring into action against them. The true problem is thousands over thousands of farmers setting their fields alight "because we have always done it that way". Oh, yes, "and we need those mushrooms." Doesn't matter if half the country is choking to death as long as those mushrooms sprout, right?   

[Sambotte]

Still far from any result. They do not seriously think anyone will believe or be ok with the guy pretending a 50% decrease ? Easy to check the pollution level with aqicn or airvisual, looks like it's worst this year, even after the very bad last year.

 

Reminder : pollution kills and affect health more than anything. But more slowly.

Terrorism, road carnage, even the virus, or even smoking, are way behind in term of health hasards.

[worgeordie]

As usual, too little,far too late, this is not something that is unforseen,

a natural disaster,they know when it's going to happen and where,so

what do they do, create an App, and turn the fountains on in the moat,

buy more leaf blowers !.

 

They only way to stop this is have boots on the ground up in the hills

and forests,don't think the Army are busy, and Police off the road blocks

any volunteers, camping out if necessary,arrest any arsonists,Yes that's what

they are,put them on trial if guilty ,stiff prison sentence,let them know

it is no longer going to be tolerated,that they cannot  affect people's health

and livelihoods.........BUT once again another year where nothing has changed.

regards Worgeordie

 

   

 

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by worgeordie
correction

[Toany]

7 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

So it's "wildfires" now. Interesting.

 

What about the "not-so-wild fires", the routine burning of sugarcane and paddy fields that is happening every <deleted> year on an incredible scale... although it's illegal. I have never heard or read of anyone who has actually been held liable and slapped with a heavy fine for burning their fields.

 

The government sets the limit on how much sugar cane can be burnt and processed.  I think it is currently 50%. If it is illegal this should be set at 0%.

If you can't sell burnt rice, it won't be burnt.

[sup3r1or]

These officials are complete retards. They keep pointing fingers at neighboring countries like Thais don't burn, so they don't have to accept the responsibility. I see people setting stuff on fire all the time here from rubbish to forrests. The data from fire map shows a lot of fires here in Thailand. So is it the Burmese who crossed the border and traveled 400 km to start a fire near me? Chiang rai for example 3 days ago 20 fires and a day later close to 300.

[saengd]

3 minutes ago, sup3r1or said:

These officials are complete retards. They keep pointing fingers at neighboring countries like Thais don't burn, so they don't have to accept the responsibility. I see people setting stuff on fire all the time here from rubbish to forrests. The data from fire map shows a lot of fires here in Thailand. So is it the Burmese who crossed the border and traveled 400 km to start a fire near me? Chiang rai for example 3 days ago 20 fires and a day later close to 300.

Maybe not so retarded as you think!

 

 

[Forza2002]

Thais the master of deflection ???????????? never their fault. Yesterday there were more than a dozen fires in the foothills surrounding Chiang Mai. Quelle surprise there are no fires today following the PCD statement on how they are going to control the burning. Just the usual annual lip service, give it a couple of days and the burning will be back to normal...????????????

[saengd]

1 minute ago, Forza2002 said:

Thais the master of deflection ???????????? never their fault. Yesterday there were more than a dozen fires in the foothills surrounding Chiang Mai. Quelle surprise there are no fires today following the PCD statement on how they are going to control the burning. Just the usual annual lip service, give it a couple of days and the burning will be back to normal...????????????

You should read what Greenpeace has to say about that, in the link above.

[trainman34014]

2 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Thailand will eventually be forced by  the markets it sells to, to address the problem. 

Want to sell  agricultural products to the west, or electronics, or  seafood? Then stop the burning.

No chance; the buyers at the other end don't care, they only care about profit and not people's lives !

[justin case]

thai style : blame others

 

isn't there a hot map of all the thai fires ?

[Greenhill]

This is just more blah, blah, blah from another Thai 'authority' who do no positive action - just talk!  It's more than a scandal but does anyone in authority REALLY care??

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

The PDC will coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to consider the possibility of bilateral negotiations with Myanmar and Laos

 

Blah blah blah... consider the possibility of......

[BobbyL]

This government has been spoon - fed so many possible easy wins over recent years such as this. If they had been seen to be doing something proactive against the crop burning (it isn't wildfires) they would win support.

 

However, these guys are such an incredible bunch of charlatans that even when they are given ample opportunities to help raise their profile they can't even do it. 

[Chazar]

7 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

It’s incredible that the government can’t stop the intentional burning and mindset of the local people...

 

stop calling then wild fires - these are intentional burns...

 

string up a few for the locals to see....drastic measures for incredible Criminal stupidity

 

nothing but a shell game that the gov actively supports and plays along...

 

why aren’t numbers like personnel and equipment posted on fighting these intentional sets...

 

again, a PR stunt to protect country’s image of activity but no achievement 

same  round by me Prachuap,  people  still burning from pineapples to sugarcane, when we  were about to replant head of  village asked us  not to so we complied, cost us  more  money to  plough etc,    neighbours  ignored and carried  on burning,  nice to  know the locals care so  much!

[Laza 45]

8 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Amazing results. How was this done? Bigger amulets?

 

It's Committee time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and a crackdown...