Bangkok Air Quality - 7th Worst in the World

[Banana7]

Today Bangkok air quality is classified as "airpocalypse" with 664 AQI as shown at https://air.plumelabs.com/air-quality-in-Bangkok-6KFg

This means immediate and heavy effects on everybody, do not eat outside, do not do sports outside, do not take the baby outside.

 

Here are the readings as at 11 P.M. 22 January 2021.

AQI

• 664 PM2.5
• 599 PM10
• 80 NO2
• 25 O3

µg/m³

• 614 PM2.5
• 878 PM10
• 151 NO2
• 59 O3

 

Congratulations Thailand for having the 7th most polluted air quality city in the world. Have to love the Thai government for allowing all the Bangkok area factories to operate with little or no environmental air pollution regulation. I guess Thai people are not entitled to clean air in public spaces, especially in the biggest city in Thailand.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Banana7

[Ron jeremy]

Well said, and sorry to the people that choose to live there.

[mstevens]

Those AQI numbers are extremely high and seriously worrying!

[ezzra]

Just as well those face masks that every one is seems to be wearing now days comes handy in these times...

[MaxYakov]

On 1/22/2021 at 11:47 PM, Banana7 said:

Today Bangkok air quality is classified as "airpocalypse" with 664 AQI as shown at https://air.plumelabs.com/air-quality-in-Bangkok-6KFg

This means immediate and heavy effects on everybody, do not eat outside, do not do sports outside, do not take the baby outside.

 

Here are the readings as at 11 P.M. 22 January 2021.

AQI

• 664 PM2.5
• 599 PM10
• 80 NO2
• 25 O3

µg/m³

• 614 PM2.5
• 878 PM10
• 151 NO2
• 59 O3

 

Congratulations Thailand for having the 7th most polluted air quality city in the world. Have to love the Thai government for allowing all the Bangkok area factories to operate with little or no environmental air pollution regulation. I guess Thai people are not entitled to clean air in public spaces, especially in the biggest city in Thailand.

I agree with you in general that the air has been an "unhealthy" (>150 AQI) and above off and on for days now with local excursions into the "very unhealthy" level (>200 AQI). However, I monitor two sites that reasonably well track fairly close to each other and I have never seen a 600 AQI reading (or anywhere near it) from any Bangkok air monitoring site. I also have my own air tester that I use to measure outside air pollution and it indicates very closely with these two sites (links below). I'm in the Khlong Toey area and on the sixth floor.

 

https://www.iqair.com/thailand/bangkok

 

https://aqicn.org/city/bangkok/

 

I've never seen it much above AQI 200 lately and when I have it's been very localized according to these two sites.

 

I believe a more serious problem is the of mask that most people are wearing - the paper medical/surgical and unfiltered cloth masks which are cheap, yes, but were not designed to protect the user from air pollution - that never was their design goal. They were intended to protect medical patients from the exhaled breath of medical personnel. I don't think cloth-only masks will protect the wearer from air pollution either if they do not have a proper internal filter

 

I use a "dust/fume" mask which is specifically designed to protect the wearer from, guess what? That's right - dust and fumes. However, they will not protect anyone that is not (anti) socially distancing from the wearer of this mask since it DOES NOT filter exhaled breath. They cost about 120 baht at HomePro (when they are not sold out, that is). They have a three-layer filter, including a carbon layer. They have an easily replaced filter element and come with a spare element. They are identified as being 3 Gems dust/fume mask with a TG-50SV filter element. I've seen it advertised as good for stopping particles down .2 microns. This fineness might even stop a particle on which a virus or bacteria is riding but probably not stop a virus that is not riding on a solid or liquid particle.

 

I find the facial seal to be very comfortable even though the mask is held against the face with elastic head straps to better ensure a good seal. It also provides a level of facial protection being a hard shell respirator style. This feature has saved my nose from a severe injury once already.

 

Also, I augment the mask's filter with a single layer of 3M Filtrete filter material which is also available a HomePro and is designed to be used in air conditioner units. I change this Filtrete lawyer once a week as it gets visibly dirty. I can use one of these masks for two months before I have to go to a new one. It was intended that they be disposable, but with care their life can be extended for up to around two months (with the periodic 3M Filtrete upgrade).

 

An advertisement for this particular mask at a Safety Equipment Store: https://www.sirasafety.com/product/หน้ากากกรองคาร์บอน-tg50sv/

 

I lament the millions of residents of Thailand and elsewhere in the world that are not adequately protecting themselves and their children from air pollution. I keep my "clean room" where I spend most of time (aka bedroom) at 000 AQI or near it at all times with an air purifier and wear my TG-50SV mask just to go to my bathroom or any other part of my apartment or balcony or anywhere else in Bangkok (of course). I am not wearing my mask only when I'm in my "clean room". So, Bangkok do your worst. I'm ready and have been for over 10 years. ????

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2021 by MaxYakov

[Oldie]

The air in Bangkok was allways bad. About 20 years ago I lived for a while there and I quitted smoking because the bad air and the cigarettes were too much. I tried so much to quit smoking and nothing but the bad air of Bangkok worked. Somehow I am still grateful.

 

In the meantime I live in Pattaya. But here the air quality is far from good too. There is a lot of industry in the this area. I think most tourists don't realise that they spend their healthy holidays at such a not so healthy location. I often think to move too. Sometimes in the morning I can't open the windows because the air is so bad. You realise this especially if the aircons were running and therefore the air inside is much cleaner. And then the black dust that comes into my condo. The prior owner of my condo died of lung cancer. A friend of mine died of lung cancer and his friend died of lung cancer - all lived in Pattaya. Gives me a bad feeling... 

[patongphil]

55 minutes ago, MaxYakov said:

I agree with you in general that the air has been an "unhealthy" (>150 AQI) and above off and on for days now with local excursions into the "very unhealthy" level (>200 AQI). However, I monitor two sites that reasonably well track fairly close to each other and I have never seen a 600 AQI reading (or anywhere near it) from any Bangkok air monitoring site. I also have my own air tester that I use to measure outside air pollution and it indicates very closely with these two sites (links below). I'm in the Khlong Toey area and on the sixth floor.

 

https://www.iqair.com/thailand/bangkok

 

https://aqicn.org/city/bangkok/

 

I've never seen it much above AQI 200 lately and when I have it's been very localized according to these two sites.

 

I believe a more serious problem is the of mask that most people are wearing - the paper medical/surgical and unfiltered cloth masks which are cheap, yes, but were not designed to protect the user from air pollution - that never was their design goal. They were intended to protect medical patients from the exhaled breath of medical personnel. I don't think cloth-only masks will protect the wearer from air pollution either if they do not have a proper internal filter

 

I use a "dust/fume" mask which is specifically designed to protect the wearer from, guess what? That's right - dust and fumes. However, they will not protect anyone that is not (anti) socially distancing from the wearer of this mask since it DOES NOT filter exhaled breath. They cost about 120 baht at HomePro (when they are not sold out, that is). They have a three-layer filter, including a carbon layer. They have an easily replaced filter element and come with a spare element. They are identified as being 3 Gems dust/fume mask with a TG-50SV filter element. I've seen it advertised as good for stopping particles down .2 microns. This fineness might even stop a particle on which a virus or bacteria is riding but probably not stop a virus that is not riding on a solid or liquid particle.

 

I find the facial seal to be very comfortable even though the mask is held against the face with elastic head straps to better ensure a good seal. It also provides a level of facial protection being a hard shell respirator style. This feature has saved my nose from a severe injury once already.

 

Also, I augment the mask's filter with a single layer of 3M Filtrete filter material which is also available a HomePro and is designed to be used in air conditioner units. I change this Filtrete lawyer once a week as it gets visibly dirty. I can use one of these masks for two months before I have to go to a new one. It was intended that they be disposable, but with care their life can be extended for up to around two months (with the periodic 3M Filtrete upgrade).

 

An advertisement for this particular mask at a Safety Equipment Store: https://www.sirasafety.com/product/หน้ากากกรองคาร์บอน-tg50sv/

 

I lament the millions of residents of Thailand and elsewhere in the world that are not adequately protecting themselves and their children from air pollution. I keep my "clean room" where I spend most of time (aka bedroom) at 000 AQI or near it at all times with an air purifier and wear my TG-50SV mask just to go to my bathroom or any other part of my apartment or balcony or anywhere else in Bangkok (of course). I am not wearing my mask only when I'm in my "clean room". So, Bangkok do your worst. I'm ready and have been for over 10 years. ????

 

 

 

 

 

Why would anyone live like this?

 

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, patongphil said:

 

Why would anyone live like this?

 

 

They have no God in their life?

[brewsterbudgen]

Only 7th?  We've been top before!  Give it a few weeks and it will be another city's turn.  

[brewsterbudgen]

4 hours ago, patongphil said:

 

Why would anyone live like this?

 

Because it's where their home/family/work is.  Ridiculous question.

[Ron jeremy]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Because it's where their home/family/work is.  Ridiculous question.

Why would anyone subject their family - kids to this?

certainly they know they are killing them

time to move and a career change?

what a ridiculous answer brewman ????

[brewsterbudgen]

16 minutes ago, Ron jeremy said:

Why would anyone subject their family - kids to this?

certainly they know they are killing them

time to move and a career change?

what a ridiculous answer brewman ????

I would if I could but I can't! ????

[Yom]

2 hours ago, Ron jeremy said:

time to move

 

... but it's not easy. -  Any idea where to go? 

January 2021,  Thailand  -  Covid Age

  

best places...

                                    **********

[MaxYakov]

Please Refer to a forum comment HERE which contains a particle size comparison chart which shows particles down the sub-micron sizes as well as some info on a pollution mask that will actually protect you rather than just get you into an establishment requiring a mask (even if the mask is only, actually for show and not go). ????

[brewsterbudgen]

This thread is very out of date.  Today Bangkok is only 29th in the world - Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, not to mention Milan, Hanoi, Kuwait, Yangon and Shanghai are all far worse.  Where to go?

[MaxYakov]

7 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

This thread is very out of date.  Today Bangkok is only 29th in the world - Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, not to mention Milan, Hanoi, Kuwait, Yangon and Shanghai are all far worse.  Where to go?

Well, I'm seriously miffed that Bangkok is not a big-time air pollution hub, nowadays!

 

Maybe Sukhumvit Road can qualify for the sound pollution hub. Or a motorbike infestation/pollution hub. Or some other type of unhealthy-for-humans hub.

 

I don't like any more that 2 micrograms/meter³ in my clean room where I spend 90% of my time. Outside my clean room I will be in a N99/200-nano-stopping respirator-type mask the remaining time I'm in Bangkok (and probably elsewhere) and breathing.

 

Where to go? Start searching here: aqicn.org for green. Unbelievably, Los Angeles air is petty clean when there aren't any southern CA wildfires. BTW, aqicn.org is predicting "very unhealthy - magenta" air for next Tuesday (and part of next Monday and Wednesday). I'm curious to know how they think they can do these AQI predictions.

 

[Ron jeremy]

7 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

This thread is very out of date.  Today Bangkok is only 29th in the world - Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, not to mention Milan, Hanoi, Kuwait, Yangon and Shanghai are all far worse.  Where to go?

Only 29 th????????????????????????????‍♂️????????‍♂️????????‍♂️
what a cause for celebration 

imagine the children breathing this <deleted> 

[bwpage3]

Over the years it will continue to degrade to the point you won't be able to see across the street, like in Shang-Hai.

 

So much for all the expats who bought condo's in Bangkok.

 

 

[Ron jeremy]

Just now, bwpage3 said:

Over the years it will continue to degrade to the point you won't be able to see across the street, like in Shang-Hai.

 

So much for all the expats who bought condo's in Bangkok.

 

 

It’s not just in bangkok, it’s chang nobyl, and most of the land of smog!

 Yes I couldn’t imagine anyone buying a condo there or raising a family there

[mstevens]

On 1/24/2021 at 5:49 PM, brewsterbudgen said:

I would if I could but I can't! ????

 

You could relocate if you wanted to, but you choose not to.

[Ron jeremy]

2 hours ago, mstevens said:

 

You could relocate if you wanted to, but you choose not to.

Spot on, if he was so qualified - specialized-as he states he should be able to find employment elsewhere.

I left to take a lower salary occupation.

I found it to be of minimal loss when compared to what I gained.

air quality today was 2, yes 2 not 200

my children can play outdoors, yes outdoors!

without a mask on, drink tap water, quality of life, food etc etc

is so much better, as education, and they will no doubt get a better occupation, and live longer to enjoy it.

sitting in a condo apartment with air filters on is not what I want my children growing up doing. No life living in a concrete jungle.
glad I made the move and so are the kids.

 

[Yellowtail]

4 hours ago, Ron jeremy said:

Spot on, if he was so qualified - specialized-as he states he should be able to find employment elsewhere.

I left to take a lower salary occupation.

I found it to be of minimal loss when compared to what I gained.

air quality today was 2, yes 2 not 200

my children can play outdoors, yes outdoors!

without a mask on, drink tap water, quality of life, food etc etc

is so much better, as education, and they will no doubt get a better occupation, and live longer to enjoy it.

sitting in a condo apartment with air filters on is not what I want my children growing up doing. No life living in a concrete jungle.
glad I made the move and so are the kids.

 

 

So where did you move to?

 

 

[brewsterbudgen]

23 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

So where did you move to?

 

 

Unsurprisingly he never states that!!

[brewsterbudgen]

4 hours ago, Ron jeremy said:

Spot on, if he was so qualified - specialized-as he states he should be able to find employment elsewhere.

I left to take a lower salary occupation.

I found it to be of minimal loss when compared to what I gained.

air quality today was 2, yes 2 not 200

my children can play outdoors, yes outdoors!

without a mask on, drink tap water, quality of life, food etc etc

is so much better, as education, and they will no doubt get a better occupation, and live longer to enjoy it.

sitting in a condo apartment with air filters on is not what I want my children growing up doing. No life living in a concrete jungle.
glad I made the move and so are the kids.

 

I'm happy for you.  Like millions of others, I'm prepared to remain in Thailand.  Thank you for your concern.

[brewsterbudgen]

6 hours ago, mstevens said:

 

You could relocate if you wanted to, but you choose not to.

Find me IELTS/TEFL work paying around 100,000 baht a month outside Bangkok and I'll take it!  My age (60) counts against me, unfortunately.   In a few years, hopefully I will retire, but even then most places in Thailand are the same, or worse, than Bangkok.

[VocalNeal]

On 1/22/2021 at 11:47 PM, Banana7 said:

This means immediate and heavy effects on everybody, do not eat outside, do not do sports outside, do not take the baby outside.

 

Just for the record Bangkok Hash House Harriers runs every Saturday at 5.00pm. Rain/shine/Covid/bad air quality/et al.

Some of the members have been running every Saturday for 30 years. If their mouth/throat gets contaminated with PM 2.5/10 particles they wash them away with beer. 

[brewsterbudgen]

10 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Just for the record Bangkok Hash House Harriers runs every Saturday at 5.00pm. Rain/shine/Covid/bad air quality/et al.

Some of the members have been running every Saturday for 30 years. If their mouth/throat gets contaminated with PM 2.5/10 particles they wash them away with beer. 

Do they run in masks?

[VocalNeal]

4 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Do they run in masks?

 

No . Many months ago/last year the Minister of Sport recommended running with no mask (Covid) as running with a mask interferes with expelling CO2.  This can lead to Hypercapnia.

 

A few of the 30 year runners also smoke.????

Edited February 6, 2021 by VocalNeal

[Yom]

45 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Hypercapnia

...there are many causes of Hypercapnia  -  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320501#causes

 

Then, if you have read all this:

and you like Pete Seeger and Judy Collins?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qURAnrk30ng

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRg9NkIdjVs

with The Seekers 

or the Byrds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiprqeaydik

 

55 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

A few of the 30 year runners also smoke.????

By the way, I was smoking 42 years.

What an idiot I've been.

And if you don't understand this.

What a BS.

                       ************

 

 

[VocalNeal]

13 hours ago, Yom said:

By the way, I was smoking 42 years.

 

What decision you have made in life don't concern me. I was simply stating facts.