Bangkok air pollution

[unblocktheplanet]

Daily air pollution in Bangna has been through the roof recently.

 

AQI is 156, mainly PM2.5 (65.5).

 

No smog during the cool season, why now?

 

(Yep, we did not buy an air purifier. Especially in the hot season, we like the doors open to the garden. But tonight my throat is scratchy, nose plugged, eyes burny.)

 

If this is from agricultural burning, it won't even let up over Songkran. Jeez, FIX THIS already!

[brewsterbudgen]

No easy fix. And it's not just a Bangkok problem. Be thankful you don't live in China, India or Chiang Mai!

[KhaoNiaw]

I'm in the same area and it's very high in the red today. But just a few days ago it was the lowest I've ever seen it, right down in single digits.  

[Tom H]

Phaya Thai Area over 200 AQI, PM 2.5 of 135. purple color!

[SooKee]

I was wondering if it was down to all the jams with the Songkran traffic exodus, the sudden spike a couple of days ago did seem strange, unless a weather change has brought a load of muck in and / or lack of wind dispersing it.  Just lucky it's not stiflingly hot, still muggy though ????

[unblocktheplanet]

Yes, no wind. Even higher in the red today when I got up than at bedtime! If anywhere in the capital (Phyatai) is into purple, that's life-threatening and/or -shortening...and not a pretty way to go.

 

Too high to be just traffic. I don't agree there's no fix. But there's no political will for public health.

 

Ag-burning could be stopped today if there was enforcement.

 

 

[Caldera]

Truly horrible since a few days.

 

Earlier this year, I was actually surprised by how relatively good the air was, compared with previous years.

[bigupandchill]

Air quality was not something I ever thought of 'back home'. However se asia has some of the dirtiest air in the world, and I do not see things improving any time soon. This means if you want to try and avoid it you have to stay indoors with the a/c on and an air cleaner running full time on the days pm 2.5 is above about 30. Who want's to live like that? 

 

[ThailandRyan]

Constant construction on the big sites in Bangkok is one of the reasons unfortunately.  The air seems to clear up when they stop working for a day.

[bigupandchill]

Diesel is the main problem here. Do yourself a favor and don't read about just how bad (especially older) diesels are: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_exhaust

[bigupandchill]

7 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Constant construction on the big sites in Bangkok is one of the reasons unfortunately.  The air seems to clear up when they stop working for a day.

This would not explain the high levels of no2 around bangkok.

[KhunLA]

22 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Constant construction tion on the big sites in Bangkok is one of the reasons unfortunately.  The air seems to clear up when they stop working for a day.

Think it's a wee bit more than construction dust.  We're giving China a run for the top spots of late.  Hua Hin & north of is one giant red blotch.  

 

 

Amazingingly, somehow we're / PKK still under 100, with 150+ around us.  The headlands of the bay are a blur, and if you didn't know the hills were to the west, you wouldn't notice their outline, as that's about all you can see.  Air purifier is keeping the bedroom in the teens.  Now if I could get the dog to stop opening the door.  Might have to break out a N95 when taking her for a walk.????

 

 

Now that's embarrassing ... 

 

 

 

[michael888]

Agri burning.  Its not "the wind", like Thai officials would like you to believe.

 

Or vehicles, factories, etc..

 

 

 

Thailand is now basically a  giant sugar plantation.   Its on fire, and we are living in the center of it.

[KhunLA]

 

[soi3eddie]

Not alpine fresh today but hardly "smoggy". Air quality always varies here depending on weather and seasons. Agreed that emissions controls would help say for example implementing Euro 6 standards for diesel vehicles and banning worst polluting vehicles completely.

 

View from my pool right now where the tall buildings are Phaya Thai. Doesn't look "purple" to me.

[KhunLA]

32 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

Not alpine fresh today but hardly "smoggy". Air quality always varies here depending on weather and seasons. Agreed that emissions controls would help say for example implementing Euro 6 standards for diesel vehicles and banning worst polluting vehicles completely.

 

View from my pool right now where the tall buildings are Phaya Thai. Doesn't look "purple" to me.

You might try comparing that to a photo you took on a clear day.  The smoggy one is AQI 160 (5 Feb 2021), clear one was 3 Feb 2022

 

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, bigupandchill said:

This would not explain the high levels of no2 around bangkok.

Diesel use by the Cement Trucks, the Trucks hauling away dirt, The cranes working and the digging equipment that keeps kicking up the dirt into the air.  I wash my car and motorbike 2 times a week because they are continually covered by the grime kicked up from the construction site across the street from me and to the rear of my Condo.

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Diesel use by the Cement Trucks, the Trucks hauling away dirt, The cranes working and the digging equipment that keeps kicking up the dirt into the air.  I wash my car and motorbike 2 times a week because they are continually covered by the grime kicked up from the construction site across the street from me and to the rear of my Condo.

I couldn't live in Krung Thep, or metro area.  We get away with washing the car every 2 weeks to a month ????

[soi3eddie]

12 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You might try comparing that to a photo you took on a clear day.  The smoggy one is AQI 160 (5 Feb 2021), clear one was 3 Feb 2022

 

That's quite a stark contrast of view. It's never going to look like that in Bangkok even with AQI zero 

[michael888]

Anyone who thinks this is from anything other than agri burning is either not paying attention or obtuse.

[KhunLA]

On street level, you'll have your particle dust, and that's very localized. 

 

Or, it will be clear on street level, for about 1/2 km, and why many don't think the smog isn't that bad, until you get a bit of a vista, or a comparison of photos.  Then reality sets in.

 

Com on rainy season ... another month of this c r a p ????

[ThailandRyan]

3 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

That's quite a stark contrast of view. It's never going to look like that in Bangkok even with AQI zero 

Really this was just a week or so ago.

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, michael888 said:

Anyone who thinks this is from anything other than agri burning is either not paying attention or obtuse.

Sorry but it is a mixed combination here in BKK.

[unblocktheplanet]

I've been here 30 years. This was not a problem I noticed until just some years ago. More burning? All the building construction blocking the wind?

[TropicalGuy]

Move To Phuket. Tropical island Lifestyle. Couldn’t PAY me enough to live /work/ retire in Bangkok or CM.

Seems Absolute HELL. Pre-Covid weekend fun was fine. Like Pattaya. Just Why come to Thailand to live in a City like Bangkok ??

Air Pollution, Traffic, Covid, No Relax, Movement, Taxis, Parking, No Beach / Swim/ Hills / Sailing, Congestion; for what, 40-50k baht monthly ? 

[Tom H]

On 4/10/2022 at 9:28 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Constant construction on the big sites in Bangkok is one of the reasons unfortunately.  The air seems to clear up when they stop working for a day.

No, its mostly the weather inversion. Google to understand „inversion layers“. 

Thats the reason whereby the cause is the CO2 etc. of course.

 

How to protect?

Herpa filter in an air purifier and stay in closed sealed rooms and watch TV or move away to New Zealand.

[ThailandRyan]

51 minutes ago, Tom H said:

No, its mostly the weather inversion. Google to understand „inversion layers“. 

Thats the reason whereby the cause is the CO2 etc. of course.

 

How to protect?

Herpa filter in an air purifier and stay in closed sealed rooms and watch TV or move away to New Zealand.

Air pollution from belching diesel engines and the millions of vehicles emitting exhaust into the air that create a black soot that covers everything including my vehicles is not because of an inversion layer. This is carried upwards and is airborne, so look a little harder.  Outside of Bangkok, I rarely see the clouded sky's and the smog is not noticeable.