Why is the air so bad?

[jimgilly]

Did a quick check of the air pollution rates for PM 2.5 and found the air was just as bad in places like Khon Kaen and Roi Et as they are in Chiang Mai.  Anyone know why this is? 

 

[tonray]

People burning #$$% that ends up as particulate matter in the air...it's not rocket science

[PatOngo]

Slash and burn season!

[Sophon]

[ThailandRyan]

Many gross polluting buses, trucks, cars and motorcycles as well in Bangkok.  Today, when I made the morning drop off run to Bang Na and back I was gassed out by a black smoke belching Bus, a smoke belching dump truck, and old pick-up that every time the man accelerated spewed the black exhaust out, and then an old lady on a old MC with a sidecar bellowing blackness as well.  It does not take much to see that when you add that to the burning and the breeze the PM 2.5 carries everywhere.  My meters in my condo are reading 25 now and the air purifiers are running in all rooms. The Chulalongkorn Air Pollution app shows the PM 2.5 is 102 where we live.  Glad I ran at 5 am this morning it was only a PM 2.5 of 55, still enough to kick in my allergies.  The GF wonders why when she cleans the floor every morning and wipes down the counters the wipes are black.....looks like I may be selling and moving to the beach.....

[tonray]

5 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Many gross polluting buses, trucks, cars and motorcycles as well in Bangkok.

not to mention the morning Moo Ping grillers

[Moonlover]

There's a lot of sugarcane around Khon Kaen @jimgilly and now 'tis the season for the illegal burn off.

[KeeTua]

27 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

There's a lot of sugarcane around Khon Kaen @jimgilly and now 'tis the season for the illegal burn off.

I'm in the Khon Kaen area and most of the major burning has stopped around this area since the end of February when the local sugar cane plant stopped receiving cane.

A look at AirVisual Earth shows wind patterns across Cambodia and Laos pushing smoke into central Issan. Unfortunately even if Thailand could get the burning under control here we still have our neighbors to deal with.

https://www.iqair.com/earth

[McTavish]

Scrub fires occur every year in Burma and Thailand due to drought + farmers burn off rice, corn and cane waste which exacerbates the problem.  Human activities stir up dust and high temps lift the particles to mix with smoke (and vehicle emissions in city areas). 

Don't despair, rains will soon come to clear the air. 

[KeeTua]

[rwill]

Rice and Sugar Cane

[Isaan sailor]

Thailand is sandwiched between two of the world’s biggest polluters—China and India.  Add to that the slash and burn, plus dirty trucks and cars.

[kennw]

One poster mentioned Bang Na Trad road. Around Km 15 there are several construction sites, land filling and site leveling underway, trucks entering and leaving are leaving kilometer long trails of land fill on the road. Passing traffic is causing a huge dust problem (Pm2.5 not only from vehicle exhaust). Where are the pollution control authorities? Controlling it at source is the most sensible method. Most good construction contractors require covered loads and wheel washing facilities for all trucks plus dust control on the site. Where are the pollution control authorities, maybe sitting in their air conditioined offices?

[Aomelia]

I just drove from a Pattaya to Udon , disgusting the whole way , and of course burning fields on the  way up , they just don’t care Selfish Society 

[SiSePuede419]

Biggest reason?

 

No rain.

6 years ago it was so bad, I was making plans to leave Northern Thailand and chill on Koh Chang. 

In one day, the AQI dropped dramatically, presumably because of rain in Myanmar had drenched the slash & burn fires.

If you can afford it and live in Issan or Northern Thailand, I'd plan on shooting down to the islands for some fresher air this time of year. ????

[hotchilli]

On 3/15/2021 at 8:11 AM, tonray said:

People burning #$$% that ends up as particulate matter in the air...it's not rocket science

Add to that smoke belching, factories, trains, buses, cars, motorcycles, construction sites, a million morning BBQ's lighting up... you start to get an idea.

[elgenon]

I'm sure it's due to the farangs. If they would just send their money to the Thai government, and not actually come, it would help.

[Lacessit]

The air is actually not too bad in Chiang Rai at present, I'm reading PM 2.5 81. Last year, there were counts of 450.

I just crank up one of my two air purifiers at low speed so I sleep in clean air at night, that gets the readout back to 35.

[NCC1701A]

12 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Thailand is sandwiched between two of the world’s biggest polluters—China and India.  Add to that the slash and burn, plus dirty trucks and cars.

Cambodia would be one of the pieces of bread. 

[metisdead]

Posts using trolling images have been removed.

[Speedo1968]

I live about 50km south of Khon Kaen never known the air quality to be so bad, guess we have to "blame it on the weather" sic.

[Yom]

On 3/19/2021 at 9:01 AM, Lacessit said:

The air is actually not too bad in Chiang Rai at present

The Times They Are a-Changin' ...

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1212153-excessive-pm25-chiang-rai-with-430-microns-reported-in-wiang-pang-kham/

https://www.iqair.com/thailand/chiang-rai

 

But northern Isaan not much better

                   https://aqicn.org/here

            

 

[Yom]

On 3/19/2021 at 9:02 AM, NCC1701A said:

Cambodia would be one of the pieces of bread. 

... and Laos the other one.

[Yom]

Just to confirm this:

There might be fires in Isaan too, but ...

April 7  -  9:00        https://aqicn.org/here

                   ***********

[Armmine]

I work at a weather station and I actually think we have no idea. Some say the cars, some say China, some say farmers burning sxxx up but I'm not convinced. And I ain't gonna dig deeper into this because it seems nobody don't wanna fund my research.

Edited April 8, 2021 by Armmine
correct typo

[VocalNeal]

How do I detect air quality if I don't have a smoke alarm with a digital readout? ????

[mahtin]

On 4/8/2021 at 5:30 PM, VocalNeal said:

How do I detect air quality if I don't have a smoke alarm with a digital readout? ????

https://www.accuweather.com/en/th/mueang-khon-kaen/1-318585_1_al/air-quality-index/1-318585_1_al

and supply your location.