Chiang Mai gets tough on burners! Two areas off limits and threats of prison

[webfact]

Daily News Thai Caption: Up to ten years in prison

 

Daily News reported that the authorities in Chiang Mai were getting tough on people who burn fields and other areas causing the nothern province to splutter annually. 

 

After liaising with forestry officials the provincial governor Prajon Pratsakul has issued an order banning people from enagaging in any activity in two protected areas.

 

Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe

 

These are known as Pa San Sai and Pa Mae Orn. 

 

Particularly restricted is any burning.

 

Fines of us to 200,000 baht and a prison term of 1 -10 years are in place for offenders. 

 

Aetna Platinum+ Light on premium, great on coverage

 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-03-25

 

- Aetna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[edwinchester]

The emptiness of the annual threats of punishments for burning is precisely why this activity goes on year after year meaning tens of thousands of Thai's will continue to die of respiratory disease as a consequence. 

[Pedrogaz]

Empty threats.

[GroveHillWanderer]

27 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

Empty threats.

Exactly. They threaten to punish offenders every year, but never actually do so.

[malibukid]

typical

[Jimbo2014]

Wow! - seems effective not at all.  Empty words indeed.  The open burning has been a disaster for Thailand.  I know of many people contributing to the northern economy who have just packed up and left because they refuse to live in a cloud of toxic smoke for 6 months a year.

 

 

[lordblackader]

1 hour ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Wow! - seems effective not at all.  Empty words indeed.  The open burning has been a disaster for Thailand.  I know of many people contributing to the northern economy who have just packed up and left because they refuse to live in a cloud of toxic smoke for 6 months a year.

 

 

Are you actually here at the moment or are you just providing commentary from afar? We're currently going through the best March on record with the lowest numbers fires. Does help that it keeps raining

 

As for six months of the year, you're delusional. 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

After liaising with forestry officials the provincial governor Prajon Pratsakul has issued an order banning people from enagaging in any activity in two protected areas.

[ThaiFelix]

Blah blah blah!  Rinse....repeat!  Ok bye, see you all again next year!

I heard the Thai government has developed a system now which is tied to Yahoo Calendar where these press releases are saved and the default set so they are automatically released to the media on set dates every year to save them having to type them up every year.

[spidermike007]

This would be quite effective, if they bothered to enforce it. 200,000 baht fines, with a permanent lien against the land, if not paid, and additional fines for non payment. Word would get around fast, and the centuries old traditions of fouling the air, would disappear quickly. 

 

But, we all know the authorities here are all talk and no action. And if there is action, it lasts 2 weeks, then all is forgotten.

 

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?

[Lacessit]

I have noticed in Chiang Rai the pollution is definitely less than it was last year at the same time. I don't even need to run my air purifiers, API readings of 50 - 60. Last year, we were nudging 500 occasionally.

Whether that is due to increased enforcement, or the sporadic rainfall we seem to be getting, is anyone's guess.

[Thailand]

Huge fines on the landowners not those that simply work the land, sadly  the landowners are the elite and those in power so that won't happen

 

Thankfully the last 3 years have not been too bad thanks to unseasonal rainfall but the minute it stops the burning starts again.

[jchfriis]

18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Either the government starts to encourage farmers to switch to more environmentally friendly crops, or they start to penalize farmers for burning.

Why should it be either or? Wouldn't it be best to do both? Then maybe the farmers would change their way and move into the 21st century.

[Jimbo2014]

On 3/25/2022 at 3:21 PM, lordblackader said:

Are you actually here at the moment or are you just providing commentary from afar? We're currently going through the best March on record with the lowest numbers fires. Does help that it keeps raining

 

As for six months of the year, you're delusional. 

Im not sure whether its me who is delusional or you are just use to sucking in the good old camp fire smell.  I have friends who live there and they report very differently to you, albeit this year is much better, it would still be considered toxic in most developed countries.  Previous years have been unlivable.  Chaing Mai has topped the most polluted city list for several years in a row.   This was a recurring article the last few years:  https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2080855/chiang-mai-the-most-polluted-city-on-earth

[puck2]

On 3/28/2022 at 2:46 PM, Jimbo2014 said:

Im not sure whether its me who is delusional or you are just use to sucking in the good old camp fire smell.  I have friends who live there and they report very differently to you, albeit this year is much better, it would still be considered toxic in most developed countries.  Previous years have been unlivable.  Chaing Mai has topped the most polluted city list for several years in a row.   This was a recurring article the last few years:  https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2080855/chiang-mai-the-most-polluted-city-on-earth

I don't need friends to confirm, if there is a burning or not.

 

Here in the Mae Hong Son area it is total diferent to many years before. You can breath a fresh air, see the mountains in the background very clear after the fog has disapeared in the early morning hours. All the years before we had to flee the smoke and relaxed in Hua Hin until the burning stopped.

 

Market people of our village reported already that Chiang Mai was clear this year, and the same happened here. The officials had given a stronger, serious warning. In addition we had rain on same days. Within the last 3 nights only 1 minute! I said to my wife, better than no rain. The tookay under our roof also tells us every late evening that he likes the clean air and the insects!

[Mac Mickmanus]

On 3/28/2022 at 8:46 AM, Jimbo2014 said:

Im not sure whether its me who is delusional or you are just use to sucking in the good old camp fire smell.  I have friends who live there and they report very differently to you, albeit this year is much better, it would still be considered toxic in most developed countries.  Previous years have been unlivable.  Chaing Mai has topped the most polluted city list for several years in a row.   This was a recurring article the last few years:  https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2080855/chiang-mai-the-most-polluted-city-on-earth

That is just for a few days per year though .

For a few days per year CM has the worst pollution in the world .

If the figure were for the whole year , then CM wouldn't be the Worlds most polluted city , because the pollution is bad for just a few days/weeks per year

[Jimbo2014]

10 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

That is just for a few days per year though .

For a few days per year CM has the worst pollution in the world .

If the figure were for the whole year , then CM wouldn't be the Worlds most polluted city , because the pollution is bad for just a few days/weeks per year

Its been way more than a few days.  The image below is from this morning, a random day in April.  The big burn was suppose to end around March.  The big burn now goes from November to April.  Like I said previously, I think you have just normalized it and can no longer tell... but your body can! Cancer rates are through the roof in Thailand now, likely a result of pollution and excess sugar.  Studies estimate 32000 premature deaths annually from pollution in Thailand.  That's way more than the sum total of deaths attributed to Covid over 2 years of a pandemic and look at how the government has panicked over that.  Yet the pollution issue goes largely unaddressed.    

 

[Jimbo2014]

10 hours ago, puck2 said:

I don't need friends to confirm, if there is a burning or not.

 

Here in the Mae Hong Son area it is total diferent to many years before. You can breath a fresh air, see the mountains in the background very clear after the fog has disapeared in the early morning hours. All the years before we had to flee the smoke and relaxed in Hua Hin until the burning stopped.

 

Market people of our village reported already that Chiang Mai was clear this year, and the same happened here. The officials had given a stronger, serious warning. In addition we had rain on same days. Within the last 3 nights only 1 minute! I said to my wife, better than no rain. The tookay under our roof also tells us every late evening that he likes the clean air and the insects!

Pictured below... pollution Chaing Mai today.  I cant see how you can say this is clear.

[Mac Mickmanus]

20 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Its been way more than a few days.  The image below is from this morning, a random day in April.  The big burn was suppose to end around March.  The big burn now goes from November to April.  Like I said previously, I think you have just normalized it and can no longer tell... but your body can! Cancer rates are through the roof in Thailand now, likely a result of pollution and excess sugar.  Studies estimate 32000 premature deaths annually from pollution in Thailand.  That's way more than the sum total of deaths attributed to Covid over 2 years of a pandemic and look at how the government has panicked over that.  Yet the pollution issue goes largely unaddressed.    

 

Thats not extremely bad though .

Extremely bad and worst in the World is when it gets into the 300's

[Jimbo2014]

7 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Thats not extremely bad though .

Extremely bad and worst in the World is when it gets into the 300's

Ive just picked a random day. Remember the bush fires in Australia - people were freaking out when it hit over 150 in Sydney.  Chaing Mai has normalized this level of pollution to the point of you calling it not bad.  I appreciate that this year is better than last year, I appreciate your comment that it is not all year, but I think you are not being objective in your assessment of the level of pollution you are experiencing.  I would also intimate that this year may have been less because of the Chinese Olympics, and the usual sludge emanating from the industrial belt during the winter southern air flows was less this year.

[DezLez]

On 3/28/2022 at 2:46 PM, Jimbo2014 said:

Previous years have been unlivable

Which previous years have been unliveable?

I have lived here in CM for 22 years have never left the area in Feb-May and as far as I know I am still alive as are my neighbours and friends!

Please curtail the hyperbole as it just makes a mockery of the rest of your post(s)!

[Sambotte]

On 3/25/2022 at 5:13 AM, Lacessit said:

I have noticed in Chiang Rai the pollution is definitely less than it was last year at the same time. I don't even need to run my air purifiers, API readings of 50 - 60. Last year, we were nudging 500 occasionally.

Whether that is due to increased enforcement, or the sporadic rainfall we seem to be getting, is anyone's guess.

I saw that too, good news.
March-april are usually the very worst... Let's see what will be this month.
If authorities start to really enforce the law, there is hope.

If Thailand could be the first to fix this HEALTH BIG PROBLEM (pollution kills more than smoking), then Myanmar, Laos, China, and Indonesia, maybe could follow ?...

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, Sambotte said:

I saw that too, good news.
March-april are usually the very worst... Let's see what will be this month.
If authorities start to really enforce the law, there is hope.

If Thailand could be the first to fix this HEALTH BIG PROBLEM (pollution kills more than smoking), then Myanmar, Laos, China, and Indonesia, maybe could follow ?...

 

[Lacessit]

42 minutes ago, Sambotte said:

I saw that too, good news.
March-april are usually the very worst... Let's see what will be this month.
If authorities start to really enforce the law, there is hope.

If Thailand could be the first to fix this HEALTH BIG PROBLEM (pollution kills more than smoking), then Myanmar, Laos, China, and Indonesia, maybe could follow ?...

It rained most of yesterday, quite cold south of Chiang Rai. IMO it's probably unseasonal rain is clearing the air, not many try lighting fires when it is wet.

[Tarteso]

Amazing today !!

 

[Jimbo2014]

On 4/1/2022 at 9:08 AM, DezLez said:

Which previous years have been unliveable?

I have lived here in CM for 22 years have never left the area in Feb-May and as far as I know I am still alive as are my neighbours and friends!

Please curtail the hyperbole as it just makes a mockery of the rest of your post(s)!

I really think you have normalized and have become oblivious to it.  I understand that my arguments cannot and will not persuade someone as determined as you.  You have somehow filtered out the numerous articles and research available on it and prefer to rely on your sunrise assessment.  therefore I post for you a proper analysis of Chaing Mai pollution by a researcher.

https://www.chiangmaidoctor.com/burning-season