So maybe people should wear masks 24/7 even when covid-19 dies down in Bangkok. But how many cities did they monitor?  The Chinese tourist should feel right at home here.

12 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

but, but, but... how can this be? surely some mistake...  bangkok has these amazing air purification machines...

 

 

One of the reason I've never found it burdensome wearing face masks to help prevent COVID is because I'd already been wearing them regularly for several years during the November to April smog season in BKK whenever away from home.

 

Even if COVID were to disappear someday in the future, it's likely I and others will still want to be wearing N95 smog stopping masks (if they can be found to be purchased) when away from home in BKK.  Because it's pretty clear that Thailand's smog isn't going away.

 

Dry season started 22nd ... smoking season starts 5mins later as the CP maize farmers light up.

I measure the AQI where I live every day and it it has been fairly good since end of May, however the last 5 days it has been quite bad. Not to the extent of March but not good. I would say an average above 40-50 AQI which is bad. I live on the country side but has seen that the official values in Chiang Rai has been significantly worse. I know before a reading a value it will be bad when it smell like a forest fire outside. This was not the case 25 years ago even if there was some casual burning then. Every year it gets worse and yet the authorities totally ignore it. Pretending to do something does not improve the air quality, and they are all useless pretenders. 

The  worry   with Thailand  cities is the amount  of  vehicles  per  population 

Nearly  as high  per head as  population

That  air  pollution will only get  worse  each year as more and more   vehicles  are on the roads

Pollution  only  effects  some poeple  short term  the problem is  over years  it can kill you  experts  say  5-10  years off your  life 

As  for the sugar  Cane  burn  your  1000,s  of  acres  is nothing in Australia  our  Sugar  cane  covers  millions  of acres

We  stopped  burning for health  reasons  30  years ago

Machines  do all the work now  ......Why  do  Thailand  not use machines  to harvest  Cane like  most other countries  in the developed  world

The   Cane  mulsh  from the  cane is re-used   as fodder for  cattle  and other  livestock also  as Garden Mulsh  and  for general  improved  soil  quality..1  Machine  is  expensive  but  could do  many  small farms  in an area  to  save burning ...Gov  could  buy machines  to help its  farmers  

1  Submarine   could buy 200   machines  or more  much  more .... All   of Thailand  would only need  50 machines  max

Good  Luck  Thailand 

It’s well documented that Thais love a fire and will burn pretty much anything combustible. Wait until the great illegal sugar burning season kicks into gear and the authority’s do nothing.

9 hours ago, NightSky said:

london has restrictions on vehicles entering the city. when j visited last year the few vehicles i saw were mostly Toyota Prius hybrid electric vehicles.

 

the most used public transport was electric tube train.

 

I doubt that is the same for Edinburgh?

Edinburgh is a relatively small city facing water and with mountainous open land spread around the centre. The city is surrounded by relatively low-density housing and farmland. The geology forces a sort of donut effect, whereby the old town and new town are separated. The most famous shopping street, Princes Street, only has buildings on one side. They have an above-ground tram system.

It does not matter what sort of controls London places on traffic, or if everyone has a Prius, the sheer density and spread of that massive conurbation means that the air quality will always be bad. If you look at any air quality index, you will see that the gap between London and another other city in the UK is large, too large to be easily overcome even by the changes wrought by the lockdowns this year.

As I said, this article is just clickbait nonsense.

 

158 reading in Pattaya last night.  Foul, ugly air.  Had to close my windows and put the fans on.

Looks like smog season is starting early this year.  That's the worst part-it starts earlier and earlier

every year now.

5 hours ago, LALes said:

158 reading in Pattaya last night.  Foul, ugly air.  Had to close my windows and put the fans on.

Looks like smog season is starting early this year.  That's the worst part-it starts earlier and earlier

every year now.

Well, we had, what, four good days without rain and with clean air. Can't ask for too much.

In a few years pics of tourists toting  oxygen packs and masks enjoying the LOS"s.