Chiang Mai haze: Thai media report that more than 31,000 affected people seek treatment this year

[webfact]

Picture: Sanook

Sanook reported that more than 31,000 people have gone to state hospitals so far this year with health conditions related to the haze from crop burning that has gripped the province. 

These include people with respiratory, heart, blood vessel, brain vessel, eye and skin problems. 

In January there were 22,554 patients, February 9,084 and 150 so far this month. 

They reported that conditions had eased a little in the last two days but haze that has been bad over all districts for ten days remained. 

The view from Doi Suthep was murky with housing only indistinct in the distance. 

The average across the city of PM 2.5 particulate matter was 70-90 micrograms per cubic meter, still above acceptable levels.

It was 81 at the provincial administration center for pollution control. 

Dr Chakkrit Chotamornsak at the Chiang Mai University said things had improved slightly after weather conditions had been very bad. 

The authorities would continue to need to monitor the situation though he appeared hopeful weather conditions may improve.

Sanook reported in their headline that hopes for improvement depended on the airstream.  

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-16

 

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[Thailand]

It's under control. 

Just bought some more eye drops to help clear the <deleted> from the highly polluted air. Deep breathing exercises are on the back burner (pun intended).

Simply don't see any gov, military or otherwise, doing anything at all about this disgrace any time in the foreseeable future.

[rumak]

Your "we care for you"  governments.   Your inattentive girlfriends.    Your shut in their rooms children with their social media excuse for life.    Your diminishing assets as health costs and insurance take your life savings ..... all with a smiling young face on the brochures.

They are all blowing smoke in your face.   They don't care !  Be nimble,  be quick.... if you want to survive .   

" come here Spot"  .     good dog.      I love you too

 

[Surelynot]

That guy on here from last week must be livid........"stop talking about air pollution in Chang Mai"...."every time Chang Mai is mentioned you all go on about the pollution".........and now it is in the news every week!!!

[Venom]

Welcome to chiang mai, hell on earth, tourist and retirement destination. ???? 

[rumak]

1 minute ago, Venom said:

Welcome to chiang mai, hell on earth, tourist and retirement destination. ???? 

Latest TAT    slogan  :     "ever wonder what hell is like ?   come to CM  and try it out "

Ablazing Thailand 

[Antonymous]

3 hours ago, Surelynot said:

That guy on here from last week must be livid........"stop talking about air pollution in Chang Mai"...."every time Chang Mai is mentioned you all go on about the pollution".........and now it is in the news every week!!!

I wasn’t that guy, but I can say that I agree with him that Chiang Mai is demonized in the news and particularly it seems by TV members.

One reason is that people commenting are ill-informed about the scale and nature of the problem. Another seems to be nothing other than schadenfreude on the part of some very bitter people!

I urge everyone to read the fairly comprehensive report below to get a proper overview of the issues:

https://prachatai.com/english/node/9122

I will highlight a few paragraphs:

“The haze problem in Thailand is mostly situated in the upper northern region in 9 provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, Mae Hong Son and Tak. It occurs from January to April of every year and is not a new problem for residents in the area.”

“Two myths created from the media’s emphasis caused misunderstandings among the people. One is that Chiang Mai faced the most severe problem, and the second is that this problem is likely to increase in severity every year. However, statistics over the past 24 years, ever since the establishment of the Chiang Mai and Lampang air quality monitoring stations in 1998, indicate otherwise.”

“Thai media often refer to the rankings in IQAir’s ‘AirVisual’ application. Headlines like “Chiang Mai haze ranked 1st worldwide” or “at 1st place nationally” were used, but in reality, this was based on real-time data from a point of time, not a 24-hour average as in the ‘Air4Thai’ application reported by the Pollution Control Department. It also only included less than 100 major cities in the world. For Thailand, only Chiang Mai and Bangkok were listed in the network.”

 “From the 2019 World Air Quality Report by IQAir AirVisual [https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities] which ranked the worst average air quality in the world and regions, Chiang Mai is not the city with the worst air quality in ASEAN (this is South Tangerang, Indonesia) or in Thailand (this is Nakhon Ratchasima). Chiang Mai was ranked 372nd in a total of 4,680 cities worldwide.”

“Data from the Pollution Control Department’s website [air4thai.pcd.go.th] for the 5 years between 2015-2018 show that for Chiang Mai, the year with the highest amount of PM2.5 was 2015 at 266 µg/m³ while the year with the highest number of days with PM2.5 values exceeding the standard was 2014 with a total of 86 days.”

[worgeordie]

It's not like a natural disaster ,that cannot be foreseen, it happens

every year at this time, lots of talk , but nothing ever happens, they

need to get the Police,Army and volunteers up in the hills, they know

where the fires are going to be set,catch the Arsonists and make

an example of them with a stiff prison sentence ,let them know 

this will no longer tolerated, people's health,livelihoods are at

risk, once again too late this year............

regards Worgeordie

[RichardColeman]

4 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

need to get the Police,Army and volunteers up in the hills, they know

Don't be daft, takes them a month to send a letter for the fire starters to come in for an interview

[Brickbat]

It’s simple. Put up or find another parking spot. Leopards don’t change their spots!

Dopey locals accept “ why you complain? Impolite!”

So what makes you think we’ll  get results as outsiders?

[cardinalblue]

Not only poor people are affected; wealthy as well so need to add all private hospital visits to the number...my guess this would be higher in proportion as wealthier people would seek treatment sooner and in greater numbers adjusted per capita than poor people for AP related illnesses and diseases 

 

[jrward42]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Dr Chakkrit Chotamornsak at the Chiang Mai University said things had improved slightly after weather conditions had been very bad. 

It must suck that for 4 months a year things get better when the weather is really bad.

Obviously that isn't always the case. I was there a month ago in mid-February for 10 days and it was really pleasant with relatively ok air, cool mornings, etc. It started getting worse on our last day.

[TheFishman1]

The air and Chiang Mai is terrible

[Surelynot]

1 hour ago, Antonymous said:

I wasn’t that guy, but I can say that I agree with him that Chiang Mai is demonized in the news and particularly it seems by TV members.

One reason is that people commenting are ill-informed about the scale and nature of the problem. Another seems to be nothing other than schadenfreude on the part of some very bitter people!

I urge everyone to read the fairly comprehensive report below to get a proper overview of the issues:

https://prachatai.com/english/node/9122

I will highlight a few paragraphs:

“The haze problem in Thailand is mostly situated in the upper northern region in 9 provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, Mae Hong Son and Tak. It occurs from January to April of every year and is not a new problem for residents in the area.”

“Two myths created from the media’s emphasis caused misunderstandings among the people. One is that Chiang Mai faced the most severe problem, and the second is that this problem is likely to increase in severity every year. However, statistics over the past 24 years, ever since the establishment of the Chiang Mai and Lampang air quality monitoring stations in 1998, indicate otherwise.”

“Thai media often refer to the rankings in IQAir’s ‘AirVisual’ application. Headlines like “Chiang Mai haze ranked 1st worldwide” or “at 1st place nationally” were used, but in reality, this was based on real-time data from a point of time, not a 24-hour average as in the ‘Air4Thai’ application reported by the Pollution Control Department. It also only included less than 100 major cities in the world. For Thailand, only Chiang Mai and Bangkok were listed in the network.”

 “From the 2019 World Air Quality Report by IQAir AirVisual [https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities] which ranked the worst average air quality in the world and regions, Chiang Mai is not the city with the worst air quality in ASEAN (this is South Tangerang, Indonesia) or in Thailand (this is Nakhon Ratchasima). Chiang Mai was ranked 372nd in a total of 4,680 cities worldwide.”

“Data from the Pollution Control Department’s website [air4thai.pcd.go.th] for the 5 years between 2015-2018 show that for Chiang Mai, the year with the highest amount of PM2.5 was 2015 at 266 µg/m³ while the year with the highest number of days with PM2.5 values exceeding the standard was 2014 with a total of 86 days.”

Had an asthma attack reading that......

[Isaan sailor]

I don’t think they start with the cleanest of air in the north.  Look at air pollution maps of Eastern Asia.  You’ll see some of the worst air over China.  And it drifts south southwest into northern Thailand.  And of course agricultural burning adds most of the pollution.

[atpeace]

1 hour ago, Antonymous said:

I wasn’t that guy, but I can say that I agree with him that Chiang Mai is demonized in the news and particularly it seems by TV members.

One reason is that people commenting are ill-informed about the scale and nature of the problem. Another seems to be nothing other than schadenfreude on the part of some very bitter people!

I urge everyone to read the fairly comprehensive report below to get a proper overview of the issues:

https://prachatai.com/english/node/9122

I will highlight a few paragraphs:

“The haze problem in Thailand is mostly situated in the upper northern region in 9 provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, Mae Hong Son and Tak. It occurs from January to April of every year and is not a new problem for residents in the area.”

“Two myths created from the media’s emphasis caused misunderstandings among the people. One is that Chiang Mai faced the most severe problem, and the second is that this problem is likely to increase in severity every year. However, statistics over the past 24 years, ever since the establishment of the Chiang Mai and Lampang air quality monitoring stations in 1998, indicate otherwise.”

“Thai media often refer to the rankings in IQAir’s ‘AirVisual’ application. Headlines like “Chiang Mai haze ranked 1st worldwide” or “at 1st place nationally” were used, but in reality, this was based on real-time data from a point of time, not a 24-hour average as in the ‘Air4Thai’ application reported by the Pollution Control Department. It also only included less than 100 major cities in the world. For Thailand, only Chiang Mai and Bangkok were listed in the network.”

 “From the 2019 World Air Quality Report by IQAir AirVisual [https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities] which ranked the worst average air quality in the world and regions, Chiang Mai is not the city with the worst air quality in ASEAN (this is South Tangerang, Indonesia) or in Thailand (this is Nakhon Ratchasima). Chiang Mai was ranked 372nd in a total of 4,680 cities worldwide.”

“Data from the Pollution Control Department’s website [air4thai.pcd.go.th] for the 5 years between 2015-2018 show that for Chiang Mai, the year with the highest amount of PM2.5 was 2015 at 266 µg/m³ while the year with the highest number of days with PM2.5 values exceeding the standard was 2014 with a total of 86 days.”

I think most are not commenting on the annual averages. It is the January through April burning on top of a very bad base level that puts Chiang Mai near the top polluted cities during this period. Lived there for 8 years and finally threw in the towel.

[Ventenio]

death air allows me to rant 10 months out of the year!!! yes!!!

what, you think I came to CM to have fun?  no way, i'm trying to kill myself.  suffer because of all my wrongdoings in my past life.  punish myself and my brain and my future because I want people to feel bad for me as my last 30-years are horrible as my organs are ruined.  

to be clear, I'm only in CM in heart.  you thought I was really there?  lol.  I'm not that dumb.  lol

[atpeace]

34 minutes ago, jrward42 said:

It must suck that for 4 months a year things get better when the weather is really bad.

Obviously that isn't always the case. I was there a month ago in mid-February for 10 days and it was really pleasant with relatively ok air, cool mornings, etc. It started getting worse on our last day.

very true.  This year seems to the best in the last few decades.  Great weather and manageable polution .

[TheFishman1]

The air in Chiangmai is just terrible

[SwampyThai]

2 hours ago, Antonymous said:

I wasn’t that guy, but I can say that I agree with him that Chiang Mai is demonized in the news and particularly it seems by TV members.

One reason is that people commenting are ill-informed about the scale and nature of the problem. Another seems to be nothing other than schadenfreude on the part of some very bitter people!

I urge everyone to read the fairly comprehensive report below to get a proper overview of the issues:

https://prachatai.com/english/node/9122

I will highlight a few paragraphs:

“The haze problem in Thailand is mostly situated in the upper northern region in 9 provinces: Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, Mae Hong Son and Tak. It occurs from January to April of every year and is not a new problem for residents in the area.”

“Two myths created from the media’s emphasis caused misunderstandings among the people. One is that Chiang Mai faced the most severe problem, and the second is that this problem is likely to increase in severity every year. However, statistics over the past 24 years, ever since the establishment of the Chiang Mai and Lampang air quality monitoring stations in 1998, indicate otherwise.”

“Thai media often refer to the rankings in IQAir’s ‘AirVisual’ application. Headlines like “Chiang Mai haze ranked 1st worldwide” or “at 1st place nationally” were used, but in reality, this was based on real-time data from a point of time, not a 24-hour average as in the ‘Air4Thai’ application reported by the Pollution Control Department. It also only included less than 100 major cities in the world. For Thailand, only Chiang Mai and Bangkok were listed in the network.”

 “From the 2019 World Air Quality Report by IQAir AirVisual [https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities] which ranked the worst average air quality in the world and regions, Chiang Mai is not the city with the worst air quality in ASEAN (this is South Tangerang, Indonesia) or in Thailand (this is Nakhon Ratchasima). Chiang Mai was ranked 372nd in a total of 4,680 cities worldwide.”

“Data from the Pollution Control Department’s website [air4thai.pcd.go.th] for the 5 years between 2015-2018 show that for Chiang Mai, the year with the highest amount of PM2.5 was 2015 at 266 µg/m³ while the year with the highest number of days with PM2.5 values exceeding the standard was 2014 with a total of 86 days.”

 

[Greenhill]

Thai Visa and much of the other media use the seemingly benign word 'haze'.    Why don't they use the correct word - pollution?!!

[spidermike007]

A completely inept administration, in way over their heads, devoid of talent, skill, expertise, a desire to do the right thing, total apathy towards the masses and possessing  conventional, ancient, low quality, backward minds. 

 

Thailand is moving backwards at a pace that is stunning. Woe is the nation under the regressive dinosaurs. They must go. The youth must prevail. It is the only way forward. 

[Surelynot]

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

A completely inept administration, in way over their heads, devoid of talent, skill, expertise, a desire to do the right thing, total apathy towards the masses and possessing  conventional, ancient, low quality, backward minds. 

 

Thailand is moving backwards at a pace that is stunning. Woe is the nation under the regressive dinosaurs. They must go. The youth must prevail. It is the only way forward. 

I imagine Thailand's progress is inversely proportional to the number of watches the top brass can afford.

[Tarteso]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

31,000 people have gone to state hospitals so far this year with health conditions related to the haze

31,000?  Plus those who have attended at Private HospitalsI with emphysema pulmonary... like me. 
 

Well done Thailand !

[chrisbangkok]

Was in CM this weekend , has Doi Suthep been sold to the Chinese ?? It wasn't there anymore mind you nor was anything more than 20 feet away from me at any time.

Tasty air too definite smokey barbeque flavour. Only advantage was I needed extra beers to wash it away and the pubs are open (those that are left of course) ???? .

[mr mr]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The authorities would continue to need to monitor the situation

zzzzzzzz

[hugocnx]

I dare say Covid has some nasty competition. Only problem is government isn't as panicked over pollution as over Covid. Why can lots of people die in Thailand and no government is doing anything firmly about it and when it comes to 'Covid the Flue' a whole host of measures are issued and even a country, or better it's people, can be ruined. Why is the WHO not more outspoken/interested you might ask.

[rumak]

1 minute ago, hugocnx said:

I dare say Covid has some nasty competition. Only problem is government isn't as panicked over pollution as over Covid. Why can lots of people die in Thailand and no government is doing anything firmly about it and when it comes to 'Covid the Flue' a whole host of measures are issued and even a country, or better it's people, can be ruined. Why is the WHO not more outspoken/interested you might ask.

Actually,  some great progress has been made regarding the pollution....... thanks to the lessons learned from Covid :

The Thai authorities,  after numerous meetings and reports,  have now come out with this:

All citizens during these months of pollution haze are reminded to observe SOCIAL DISTANCING  as a way to insure not as much pm2 can enter one's bloodstream as there will be more air circulating . 

huh ?

[Thailand]

13 minutes ago, hugocnx said:

I dare say Covid has some nasty competition. Only problem is government isn't as panicked over pollution as over Covid. Why can lots of people die in Thailand and no government is doing anything firmly about it and when it comes to 'Covid the Flue' a whole host of measures are issued and even a country, or better it's people, can be ruined. Why is the WHO not more outspoken/interested you might ask.

It must be fairly obvious why there is no action from the ptb.

The deadly smog kills Covid, job done.

Next up from WHO, burn everything, Covid will be gone!

[hugocnx]

Just now, rumak said:

Actually,  some great progress has been made regarding the pollution....... thanks to the lessons learned from Covid :

The Thai authorities,  after numerous meetings and reports,  have now come out with this:

All citizens during these months of pollution haze are reminded to observe SOCIAL DISTANCING  as a way to insure not as much pm2 can enter one's bloodstream as there will be more air circulating . 

huh ?

You're kiddin' me