Chiang Mai: Life coach in the firing line over donations for fighting forest fires

[webfact]

Life coach in the firing line over donations for fighting forest fires

By The Nation

 

 

Sean Buranahiran, a famous life coach and social media influencer, could find himself in legal hot waters after a firefighter in Chiang Mai province claimed that they had not received any money from Sean's campaign for donations to help put out wildfires in Chiang Mai on March 30.

 

The life coach had recently found himself heavily criticised after he praised Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who is disliked by many Thais for political reasons.

 

Netizens then tried to dig up his past and alleged that he had not disclosed the money that he had raised through donations to fight the wildfires near Doi Suthep.

 

A firefighter then contacted the administrator of the popular Mam Pho Dam web page and said that they had not received any financial aid. After the story was revealed, Sean then revealed that the donations amounted to about Bt800,000.

 

The web also said that Sean had used the money to buy face masks for hospitals, which was not the stated purpose of the donations, and he had receipts only for 8,000 units while he claimed 30,000 units had been bought.

 

Srisuwan Janya, the Association to Protect the Thai Constitution’s Secretary-General, posted on his Facebook account explaining that Sean’s donation campaign was open from March 30 to May 1 and he reportedly spent Bt254,516.53 of the total Bt875,741.53 for his public relations.

 

The association sent a complaint letter to the Department of Provincial Administration to inspect if the donations had violated the law.

 

Revenue Department director-general Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the statement of donated money had to be revealed for tax exemption.

 

“The department can inspect the money,” the director said. “If the money was donated, all of it should be given for the donation.”

 

Pol General Krisana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said Sean's action might be a case of fraud and asked all affected people to report to the officers.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30390445

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-29

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Venom]

They should cancel the burning season that causes the horrendous air pollution and turns Chiang Mai into the world's most polluted city for six months of the year. That would go a long way to end the so called "forest fire" issue. Eben better fine the greedy multinational agro corporations that take advantage of Thailand at the expense of the local peasantry's health and quality of life. 

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Venom said:

They should cancel the burning season that causes the horrendous air pollution and turns Chiang Mai into the world's most polluted city for six months of the year. That would go a long way to end the so called "forest fire" issue. Eben better fine the greedy multinational agro corporations that take advantage of Thailand at the expense of the local peasantry's health and quality of life. 

Would point out the burning in CM is almost entirely hill tribe farmers and local yokel mushroom hunters.

No greedy corporations involved.

Edited June 29, 2020 by BritManToo

[jak2002003]

15 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Would point out the burning in CM is almost entirely hill tribe farmers and local yokel mushroom hunters.

No greedy corporations involved.

Sure about that?

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

Sure about that?

100%, I can see the fields and mountains from my house (That's Doi Suthep).

Never any clouds of smoke from the fields, it's always the forests on the mountains being burned.

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by BritManToo

[jak2002003]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

100%, I can see the fields and mountains from my house.

Never any clouds of smoke from the fields, it's always the forests on the mountains being burned.

 

You say no greedy corporations involved. May i suggest you do a little research before thinking you have the faces by just looking out your backyard. 

 

According to a many  Thai agronomists the increased smoke over the last 10-15 years comes from the growth of contract farming of corn for animal feeds. The big agribusinesses create incentives quick monocropping.  They have also encouraged farmers to plant corn after rice harvests.. leading to more pollution from clearing the land to plant it.

 

It's also normal for these companies to refuse to buy sugar cane that has not been burnt when they come to transport it 

[Thailand]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

100%, I can see the fields and mountains from my house (That's Doi Suthep).

Never any clouds of smoke from the fields, it's always the forests on the mountains being burned.

 

Seen plenty of fields burning more than six in just one area of fields on the ChiangMai Lamphun border area recently.

[Antonymous]

43 minutes ago, Venom said:

They should cancel the burning season that causes the horrendous air pollution and turns Chiang Mai into the world's most polluted city for six months of the year. 

 

Absolute utter nonsense. Not the first time you've stated this lie. Please desist.

 

 

Link: https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities

 

Chart above is the average PM2.5 for the whole of 2019. Korat was the most polluted city in Thailand last year.

 

Historically the high level of air pollution in Chiang Mai is from mid-Feb to mid-May (three months) depending on the arrival of rainfall. This year 2020 it was shorter than usual as the rain came early. CM can hit the top spot during some of this time.

 

Air pollution is both a regional and a national problem that requires a concerted effort by regional and Thai governments. Your attempts to demonise Chiang Mai are silly and unhelpful.

 

[spiekerjozef]

Fill your own pockets, nothing new...

[stephenterry]

8 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

 

 

Chart above is the average PM2.5 for the whole of 2019. Korat was the most polluted city in Thailand last year.

 

Historically the high level of air pollution in Chiang Mai is from mid-Feb to mid-May (three months) depending on the arrival of rainfall. This year 2020 it was shorter than usual as the rain came early. CM can hit the top spot during some of this time.

 

Air pollution is both a regional and a national problem that requires a concerted effort by regional and Thai governments. Your attempts to demonise Chiang Mai are silly and unhelpful.

Not if you reside in Chiang Mai, as I have suffered for the last few years - and still NOTHING has been done to resolve this annual air pollution. NOTHING...

 

Sometimes I despair at the lack of government involvement to lockdown the province during this period even if it means employing the army to ensure compliance. Burning crops is not the only solution, and as for burning forest areas for mushrooms, words fail me.   

[smedly]

49 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

 

Absolute utter nonsense. Not the first time you've stated this lie. Please desist.

 

 

Link: https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities

 

Chart above is the average PM2.5 for the whole of 2019. Korat was the most polluted city in Thailand last year.

 

Historically the high level of air pollution in Chiang Mai is from mid-Feb to mid-May (three months) depending on the arrival of rainfall. This year 2020 it was shorter than usual as the rain came early. CM can hit the top spot during some of this time.

 

Air pollution is both a regional and a national problem that requires a concerted effort by regional and Thai governments. Your attempts to demonise Chiang Mai are silly and unhelpful.

 

showing the year round pollution rate hides the issue, it is the 3 month a year that it is well over 100 and at that time presents clear and present danger and permanent health damage

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, jak2002003 said:

According to a many  Thai agronomists the increased smoke over the last 10-15 years comes from the growth of contract farming of corn for animal feeds. The big agribusinesses create incentives quick monocropping.  They have also encouraged farmers to plant corn after rice harvests.. leading to more pollution from clearing the land to plant it.

Never seen much corn around Chiang Mai, most of the little there is, being on the Hill Tribe farms.

Loads of people like to comment who don't ever get out and about in Chiang Mai.

Edited June 29, 2020 by BritManToo

[RichardColeman]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who is disliked by many Thais for political reasons.

Many ? I think 'most' would be more applicable 

[jak2002003]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Never seen much corn around Chiang Mai, most of the little there is, being on the Hill Tribe farms.

Loads of people like to comment who don't ever get out and about in Chiang Mai.

I live in rural Chiang Mai and have been here 13 years full time, living in the countryside in 4 different villages over the years ???? we go biking for miles regularly too, so get to see a lot of countryside.

 

Plenty of corn around my area I can assure you. And plenty of big corporations buying the crops...including the rice. So your statement about no large corporations being involved is not accurate. 

 

Maybe you stay in one small area of CM. You know the province is very large, right? 

 

Check out this link to see how much corn is produced here if you don't believe me ..

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60532-2

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by jak2002003

[BritManToo]

25 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

Maybe you stay in one small area of CM. You know the province is very large, right? 

If I post about Chiang Mai it's the town, and a 15k circle around it, I don't care about the province.

(Chaila added to my ignore list, for being the reincarnation, of a previously ignored member)

Edited June 29, 2020 by BritManToo

[bodga]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

social media influencer

I reserve  my  biggest  most sacred  buckets for these????

[chaila]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

showing the year round pollution rate hides the issue, it is the 3 month a year that it is well over 100 and at that time presents clear and present danger and permanent health damage

 

[Burma Bill]

3 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Sure about that?

Yes indeed!. For many years I lived in the hills and mountains of neighboring Lampang Province and during the dry season it was the forests on the slopes that were set alight for one eventual commodity - MUSHROOMS. In season, when driving from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, Phayao and beyond, you could see many stalls lining the roadsides with local villagers selling a vast range of mushrooms. 

[spiekerjozef]

3 hours ago, stephenterry said:

Not if you reside in Chiang Mai, as I have suffered for the last few years - and still NOTHING has been done to resolve this annual air pollution. NOTHING...

Not true, they shut the city down for 3 months to fight the pollution.

[Forza2002]

3 hours ago, Antonymous said:

 

Link: https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities

 

Chart above is the average PM2.5 for the whole of 2019. Korat was the most polluted city in Thailand last year.

 

Historically the high level of air pollution in Chiang Mai is from mid-Feb to mid-May (three months) depending on the arrival of rainfall. This year 2020 it was shorter than usual as the rain came early. CM can hit the top spot during some of this time.

 

Air pollution is both a regional and a national problem that requires a concerted effort by regional and Thai governments. Your attempts to demonise Chiang Mai are silly and unhelpful.

 

Dam site longer than 3 months, we have to put up with breathing unhealthy air AQI > 50 for 9 months or more https://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/

Edited June 29, 2020 by Forza2002

[webfact]

Social media star ‘had no permission’ to launch wildfires campaign

By The Nation

 

 

Popular social media influencer Sean Buranahiran has attracted more flak over his charity campaign to fight wildfires in Chiang Mai.

 

Mueang district chief Sarawut Worapong has sent a letter to the province’s governor complaining that Sean did not request permission from local authorities to launch his campaign for donations.

 

Permission is required under the Fundraising Control Act BE2487 (1944).

 

The district chief took action after police deputy spokesman Krisana Pattanacharoen suggested that people affected by the case report their concerns to the police.

 

Krisana was reacting to complaints from Sean’s followers that donations to the campaign had been misspent on raising his own profile rather than fighting the fires.

 

Sean responded on Facebook by saying the campaign had gathered Bt875,741.53 in public donations from March 30 to May 1.

 

He added that Bt254,516.53 of that money was spent on making social-media videos aimed at raising awareness of the fires.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30390471

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-29

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[keith101]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

Sean responded on Facebook by saying the campaign had gathered Bt875,741.53 in public donations from March 30 to May 1.

 

He added that Bt254,516.53 of that money was spent on making social-media videos aimed at raising awareness of the fires.

And what was done with the other 621,225 baht ?

[Dap]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Never seen much corn around Chiang Mai, most of the little there is, being on the Hill Tribe farms.

Loads of people like to comment who don't ever get out and about in Chiang Mai.

Who are the hill tribes growing the corn for?

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Dap said:

Who are the hill tribes growing the corn for?

They sell it in local markets.

[from the home of CC]

'life coach' lol - folks today almost need a portal into the womb so someone can hold their hand prior to birth..

[Dap]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

They sell it in local markets.

I agree that is likely for the smaller farmers around and between yourself and Doi Suthep but as I travel extensively throughout the Northern reaches of this country, I see (as far as the eye can see) mountain ranges denuded of forests and replaced by corn grown for major agribusiness and pretty much done so by hill-tribe folk, it is certainly not for sale in local markets and when they burn ... whew!  I have driven for hours through the burning.

[RobFord]

All of Southeast Asia ( including Thailand ) burns, and they burn at every agricultural level. 

The only way it could be controlled locally is is to hit them in the pocket book with fines that are enforced. This will never happen as the party in office would soon be very unpopular and voted out. And losing those seats would make Bangkok very unhappy as well. Expect the same platitudes next year folks.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asian_haze

[jak2002003]

6 hours ago, Dap said:

I agree that is likely for the smaller farmers around and between yourself and Doi Suthep but as I travel extensively throughout the Northern reaches of this country, I see (as far as the eye can see) mountain ranges denuded of forests and replaced by corn grown for major agribusiness and pretty much done so by hill-tribe folk, it is certainly not for sale in local markets and when they burn ... whew!  I have driven for hours through the burning.

This is also what I see every year ..and it's more land used each passing year 

 

Get ready to be added to a certain persons ignore list lol