webfact Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Man charged with burning forest in Chiang Mai By The Nation Police arrested a suspected arsonist in Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai province on Thursday (April 9), as part of a clampdown on forest-burning that has seen air pollution spike in the northern region. Patrols conducted by Chom Thong Police Station, Doi Inthanon National Park and Chong Thong district administrative organisation led to the arrest of a 29-year-old suspected fire-setter. The suspect was found with seven lighters, a knife and drugs in his possession. Police charged him with committing arson in the forest in violation of the Forest Act and possession of drugs (methamphetamine). Deputy police spokesman Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen said that the wildfire problem in the northern region had to be dealt with seriously as it was severely affecting residents’ health. Levels of the most hazardous PM2.5 air pollution have soared over the North in recent weeks. The spokesman said that if anyone noticed activity that might lead to fire, they could contact the police via the 24-hour 191 hotline. Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385732 -- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-10 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post donnacha Posted April 10, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 10, 2020 In a very real sense, this guy is a mass-murderer. The lives of almost everyone in the North will, to some extent, be shortened by the air pollution. He is, of course, not responsible for all of it, but he has certainly added to the catastrophe. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sweatalot Posted April 10, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 10, 2020 Long hoped for. Let this be a start. And punish them severely 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Antonymous Posted April 10, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 10, 2020 According to the other thread running here https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1158643-chiang-mai-hotspots-down-but-pm25-still-shrouds-north? "Meanwhile the Forest Fire and Smog Centre informed Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Warawut Silpa-archa on Wednesday that ... 419 fires had been put out and 454 people had been prosecuted for setting them." So why is the capture of this ONE guy so significant? Anyway, its a start. Can only hope that the same enforcement will take place in the other 30 provinces in north, north-east, central and eastern provinces also badly affected at this time EVERY YEAR. And as I wrote in the other thread: When will the Nation and other news sources start to investigate and report the real news - that up to 34 million citizens of Thailand are suffering right now and every year from unhealthy levels of air pollution caused by preventable arson? 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phuketshrew Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 500 baht and a Wai, then off to the temple ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Hank Gunn Posted April 10, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 10, 2020 1 hour ago, Antonymous said: So why is the capture of this ONE guy so significant? Because he's the perfect scapegoat? He's not connected to big agribusiness (i.e. sugarcane farming) and he's a loser meth-head; so he's the perfect target to show the authorities are actually doing something (even though they've done nothing about the 100s of other fires). 12 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailand Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Maybe he has been setting all the fires? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Antonymous Posted April 11, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 11, 2020 I would like to recommend that anyone interested in how the government is dealing with (covering up) the air pollution crisis to read this article in Chiang Mai CityLife published yesterday 10 April. https://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/citylife-articles/breathing-fire-chiang-mai-breathe-council-excoriates-minister/ 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFishman1 Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 The pollution in Chiangmai is just terrible TIT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VocalNeal Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 10 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said: The pollution in Chiangmai is just terrible TIT Well at least it keeps some people at home. I've heard there is a nasty virus about. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post cardinalblue Posted April 11, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 11, 2020 He is not the problem why CM has air pollution... focus on the relationships between gov and companies and gov and farmers/village chiefs 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hotchilli Posted April 11, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 11, 2020 21 hours ago, donnacha said: In a very real sense, this guy is a mass-murderer. The lives of almost everyone in the North will, to some extent, be shortened by the air pollution. He is, of course, not responsible for all of it, but he has certainly added to the catastrophe. He might also be a vagrant living rough in the forest, while all the farmers who do all the real damage go free. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borzandy Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 finally a scapegoat 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 They actually caught one !,in reality if found guilty he should be given say 10 years,they have to make an example of a few Aronists to show they are really serious about stopping the burning......we will never learn what sentence he was given,as there is never any follow up on stories like this,but i am sure having the Meth will be a bigger worry for him. regards worgeodie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnacha Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 35 minutes ago, hotchilli said: He might also be a vagrant living rough in the forest, while all the farmers who do all the real damage go free. I suppose he might have been set up but, in general, if you are found with seven lighters, a knife and drugs in your possession, you probably are a firebug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apophyss Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 ONLY ONE ? How they cannot see other farms burned and proceed owner ? (and if in forest, come next year find who use it for farming, and proceed him) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post BritManToo Posted April 11, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 11, 2020 (edited) 22 hours ago, Hank Gunn said: Because he's the perfect scapegoat? He's not connected to big agribusiness (i.e. sugarcane farming) and he's a loser meth-head; so he's the perfect target to show the authorities are actually doing something (even though they've done nothing about the 100s of other fires). I don't think many of the mountain forest burners in CM are connected to big business. Mostly mushroom hunters and a few slash and burn hilltribe farmers. Nobody would really miss any of them. Edited April 11, 2020 by BritManToo 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tich Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 A public hanging may deter others Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venom Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 On 4/10/2020 at 1:40 PM, Antonymous said: So why is the capture of this ONE guy so significant? It's not other than to pretend they are cracking down, so they find and blame some sorry ass meth addict with seven lighters????? Hint: They use lighters to smoke meth in Thailand! Total BS in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammieuk1 Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Start the next fire with him on top of it ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaan sailor Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Show no mercy. Lock him up and throw away the key. People have to understand what a serious offense burning a national forest has become. And it’s not just in Thailand for this problem. Illegal forest fires happen in Myanmar and Cambodia too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasmus5150 Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 3 hours ago, donnacha said: I suppose he might have been set up but, in general, if you are found with seven lighters, a knife and drugs in your possession, you probably are a firebug. All the meth-heads in the US are arsonists and not druggies. Using meth or yah-bah requires you to hold an open flame to your pipe/tinfoil while smoking. And that means lighters are being used a lot. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Theory Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 ???????? He is just an Addicted who does this for drugs. Who pays for the fire is not hanging around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJRS1301 Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 2 minutes ago, rhyddid said: Send him to death sentence as example for everybody! Perhaps give him a trial first? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacovl46 Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Suspected fire starter to me sounds like they have no evidence other than him being in the forest. Unless they actually caught him in the act of fire starting I strongly believe that the 7 lighters were for the consumption of meth and the guy is innocent! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanuman2543 Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 (edited) 5 hours ago, BritManToo said: I don't think many of the mountain forest burners in CM are connected to big business. Mostly mushroom hunters and a few slash and burn hilltribe farmers. Nobody would really miss any of them. You are thinking wrong. The following article is from 2016 so the main culprits are known for a long time already. Read it and broaden your horizon: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/chiang-mais-headache-corn-fed-smoke-haze Edited April 11, 2020 by hanuman2543 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Monday Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 9 hours ago, worgeordie said: They actually caught one !,in reality if found guilty he should be given say 10 years,they have to make an example of a few Aronists to show they are really serious about stopping the burning......we will never learn what sentence he was given,as there is never any follow up on stories like this,but i am sure having the Meth will be a bigger worry for him. regards worgeodie Did they catch one in the act? Really? If I was smoking crack in the mountains I would have lighters also. Mountain burning is another problem but I have always argued they should jut go to the fields where agricultural burning is found, research the land owner and throw them in jail. Simples. HI So Lo So, no discrimination. Problem solved quite quickly, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 Some inflammatory posts and replies have been removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorecard Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 On 4/10/2020 at 4:19 PM, donnacha said: In a very real sense, this guy is a mass-murderer. The lives of almost everyone in the North will, to some extent, be shortened by the air pollution. He is, of course, not responsible for all of it, but he has certainly added to the catastrophe. Add, and my guess there's a 50% chance he's been paid to light the fires. So who paid him? Some good police work should be able to get that answer very quickly. But.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Garvie Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 (edited) On 4/11/2020 at 7:07 PM, hanuman2543 said: You are thinking wrong. The following article is from 2016 so the main culprits are known for a long time already. Read it and broaden your horizon: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/chiang-mais-headache-corn-fed-smoke-haze Yes that is an interesting and informative piece of writing. It certainly ties in with the generally held view (To my knowledge) that the problem has been getting worse over the past 10 years. As understandably strong as the emotions aroused by those suffering this smoke are, the "String them up" brigade appear to be missing the point. This picture looks like the perfect set up. Who believes that an obvious fall guy was found so conveniently by the cops/army with all the evidence on him. Best solution would be to round up the bosses and staff of the corn buying consortium and send them to the mountains to fight fires. Sadly that will never happen. Like we never tire of saying, "Follow the money". or "Money doesn't talk it swears" (Dylan). The tragedy is that whereas a few superannuated and surplus to requirements falang pensioners may lose their lives, the hill farmers are dramatically shortening the life expectation of their own children, and those in the valleys. Ignorance is certainly not bliss. As Chiang Mai tourism is losing millions, with it's reputation as "Jewel of the North" burnt to a crisp, you wonder when the Thais in this and other Northern valleys are going to start fighting back. Delhi has essentially the same problem with crop burning in Rajasthan. Edited April 13, 2020 by Nigel Garvie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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