All choking aside, is Thailand making progress in battle with air pollution?

[webfact]

The World Bank estimates that air pollution-related healthcare expenses are equivalent to 4 percent of a country’s GDP. (Photo by Mladen Antonov / AFP)

 

Many Thais have developed a habit of checking the air quality index daily so they can take steps to protect themselves against lung-busting PM2.5 dust. However, the quest for clean air and easy breathing is costing them up to Bt1.67 billion per year in masks and medical expenses.

 

And this trend shows no sign of blowing over. Most citizens as well as experts reckon the Thai government is doing little or nothing to clean up the air.

 

“People may think the National Environment Board [NEB] has the power to order relevant parties to fight smog, but in reality, it’s a paper tiger,” said Dr. Sonthi Kitchawat, an environmental and health academic.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/all-choking-aside-is-thailand-making-progress-in-battle-with-air-pollution/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-01-19

 

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[Capella]

Air quality in Bangkok is better than it was, now that they've phased out two stroke motorcycles and more trucks are using CNG. 

 

Still lots of room for improvement though. Farmers burning off stubble are the worst culprits but nothing seems to stop them. 

[Thailand]

I think they need many more committees to solve the problem. 

 

Each committee member to be issued with a fire extinguisher which is designed to give them a clue as to where the root of the problem may be.

Further committees need to be formed to decide where to buy the extinguishers from.

 

etc etc.

[BritManToo]

It's been raining every night in Chiang Mai so no air pollution at all.

I can't remember it every raining like this in January before.

Very strange, the air should be choking me by now.

Edited January 19, 2022 by BritManToo

[spidermike007]

Less than zero. There is a very simple solution to this problem. If the authorities were interested in solutions. The burning has to stop. There are alternatives, to this 19th century technique of burning after the sugar cane harvest. Either the government starts to encourage farmers to switch to more environmentally friendly crops, or they start to penalize farmers for burning. This heinous burning, is leading to a tremendous degree of environmental degradation, and alot of lung disease. So here is what I propose-

1. Fine the farmers 5,000 baht for a first offense, and give them a stern warning, that burning is now prohibited, and the second fine will be very harsh.
2. For a second offense, fine the farmer 100,000 baht, and warn them that if the burning continues, their land will be confiscated.
3. On the 3rd offense, confiscate their land. Period. No questions. No legal proceeding or appeals on the part of the farmers. Allow others to come in and purchase the land at a fair price, with the caveat that sugar is prohibited as a crop to be grown on that land.
The news would travel faster than the toxic smoke, and farmers would change their ways overnight, and move into the 21st century.

Then they can move on to tackle the sale of diesel vehicles, and the government's enthusiastic support of such. It is inane in this day and age. Most nations are moving away from diesel for good reasons. When they are not well maintained, they foul the air, with large, nasty particles. And who properly maintains their vehicle here?

 

Lastly they can convert all of the 10 remaining diesel and coal fired power plants. Thailand has already done a very admirable job with renewable power plants. There are over 50 powered by hydro, geothermal, wind, solar and biomass. That is impressive. 

The government should offer incentives, for the farmers to switch crops. This is 2021. Rice and sugar worked in previous centuries. Now, they do not make any sense. Too labor intensive, too much degradation of the land, water, air, and resources. Let's get with the times. Let us move forward. 
 
I know I am dreaming. It takes a progressive administration to do these kinds of things, and Prayuth and his gang are as regressive as they come. The youth must prevail.

[Forrests Father]

It’s not only the farmers and old diesel trucks. Nobody wants to listen to any advice. Department of Land and Transportation is burning the grasslands between the tarmac on major roads. Temples, Army etc are cleaning up and burn the leaves and whatever they find worth burning. No garbage collection in most villages upcountry so the guys are forced to burn their plastic waste and so on…it’s just the time of the year that the smog does not get dispersed over other areas. It just stays where it originated.

[Srikcir]

All (j)oking aside, not in Bangkok Province.

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

It's been raining every night in Chiang Mai so no air pollution at all.

I can't remember it every raining like this in January before.

Very strange, the air should be choking me by now.

Called the Mango rains I believe.

 

But yes, very refreshing. Although whilst on the golf course this morning in the drizzle could still see 3 plumes of smoke just below the mountains.

[arithai12]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

It's been raining every night in Chiang Mai so no air pollution at all.

I can't remember it every raining like this in January before.

Very strange, the air should be choking me by now.

Really?? It must be your British touch. Where we live it has rained only twice in January, once lightly a few days ago and a big one yesterday. We usually see quite a few smoke plumes around us from our high balcony in January, so far almost none. Let's hope it keeps.

[The Hammer2021]

The absence of traffic, tourists and especially tour buses has contributed  to the quality of the air here in Pattaya.

[trainman34014]

2 hours ago, Thailand said:

I think they need many more committees to solve the problem. 

 

Each committee member to be issued with a fire extinguisher which is designed to give them a clue as to where the root of the problem may be.

Further committees need to be formed to decide where to buy the extinguishers from.

 

etc etc.

Yes; and the Fire Extinguishers have to be bought from the 'right' people; relatives and friends of Government Ministers and the like, most likely 'connected' to the Committee Members themselves !

[trainman34014]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

It's been raining every night in Chiang Mai so no air pollution at all.

I can't remember it every raining like this in January before.

Very strange, the air should be choking me by now.

According to my notes the last rain we had like this in Chiang Mai in January was 2008.

[trainman34014]

59 minutes ago, Forrests Father said:

It’s not only the farmers and old diesel trucks. Nobody wants to listen to any advice. Department of Land and Transportation is burning the grasslands between the tarmac on major roads. Temples, Army etc are cleaning up and burn the leaves and whatever they find worth burning. No garbage collection in most villages upcountry so the guys are forced to burn their plastic waste and so on…it’s just the time of the year that the smog does not get dispersed over other areas. It just stays where it originated.

Agree with you to a certain extent.   However; Many Villages have been offered Bin Men to collect once a week but it will cost each family 50 Baht a month and countless times they have refused to pay.  It's high time they were told if they don't pay they will be fined for every Bonfire, as a Community, or the Government has to decide to give the service free.  When you look around the Countryside and see the filth i think the latter idea would be best, a much better idea than buying useless Submarines, High Speed Trains and Vertical Take-Off Military Aircraft !

[The Hammer2021]

48 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

Yes; and the Fire Extinguishers have to be bought from the 'right' people; relatives and friends of Government Ministers and the like, most likely 'connected' to the Committee Members themselves !

Do you really think it works differently elsewhere. I can categorically assure the same corruption exits in the UK with the governing classes enriching each other. The latest bent contract scandals concerned PPE.

[Gold Star]

The air has been very clean up north here in Chiang Rai so far, with excellent visibility allowing yo to see the spectacular views from the mountaintops.

 

Seasonal burning in Myanmar (the main source of our smoke) and Thailand has been delayed due to wetter conditions, and the NASA fire map compared to last year shows it.

 

Here is the NASA site link: 

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#t:adv;d:2021-01-16..2021-01-17;l:noaa20-viirs,viirs,modis_a,modis_t,countries;@99.0,19.4,8z

 

Last year vs this year:

 

 

 

 

[Gold Star]

Compare that with March 4, 2021. Thanks Myanmar....

 

 

[Cake Monster]

2 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

The absence of traffic, tourists and especially tour buses has contributed  to the quality of the air here in Pattaya.

And the Air Quality is still classed as " unhealthy "

[The Hammer2021]

1 minute ago, Cake Monster said:

And the Air Quality is still classed as " unhealthy "

Some people are never happy unless they have something to complain about. lol The air is fine where I am most of the time but sometimes the weather is too hot

[Gecko123]

Sugar cane burning has been outlawed where I live in Central Thailand. Factory won't accept cane which has been burned before harvest. They're using this mechanical harvester which chops the cane into foot long lengths, and shreds the leaves into a fine mulch. A member of the work crew told me it wasn't necessary to burn the debris left in the field (not sure if that was 100% true), but absolutely no sugar cane burning burning. Very noticeable improvement in air quality. The sky is circa 1950's blue.

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Gecko123

[kuma]

2 hours ago, Gold Star said:

The air has been very clean up north here in Chiang Rai so far, with excellent visibility allowing yo to see the spectacular views from the mountaintops.

 

Seasonal burning in Myanmar (the main source of our smoke) and Thailand has been delayed due to wetter conditions, and the NASA fire map compared to last year shows it.

 

Here is the NASA site link: 

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#t:adv;d:2021-01-16..2021-01-17;l:noaa20-viirs,viirs,modis_a,modis_t,countries;@99.0,19.4,8z

 

Last year vs this year:

 

 

 

 

That explains a lot possibly. Here is the ESE the air this year is as good as we can recall in years (touch wood)...hope it continues

[realfunster]

2 hours ago, Gold Star said:

delayed

Perhaps being the key word !

 

I had to laugh the other day when I saw on TV a Thai minister blaming neighbouring countries for air quality.

 

People in glass houses should not throw stones....

[ClaySmc]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

The air is fine where I am

Yes, I see what you mean, the air is much better today: