About 90% of the hotspots in northern Thailand are caused by humans and PM2.5 atmospheric pollution in the region is expected to increase before it gets any better, said Director-General of the Pollution Control Department Pinsak Suraswadi.

 

According to the IQAir website today (Friday), Chiang Mai has the second worst air quality of any city in the world, with the quality measured at 177 on AQI, which means that the problem is affecting the health of everyone in the province.

 

Pinsak said that 90% of the hotspots were detected in conserved forests, with humans being the main culprit, adding that the problem trends worse from tomorrow until next Friday, with higher levels of dust reported in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Sukhothai and Phitsanuloke.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/90-percent-of-hotspots-in-northern-thailand-caused-by-human-activity/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-03-03

 

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Declare them terrorists ... and act accordingly.

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

About 90% of the hotspots in northern Thailand are caused by humans and PM2.5 atmospheric pollution in the region is expected to increase before it gets any better, said Director-General of the Pollution Control Department Pinsak Suraswadi.

Hold the governors and head men responsible... 

if the fores continue they're sacked.

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Pinsak said that 90% of the hotspots were detected in conserved forests, with humans being the main culprit

...in other words, it's no scoop

Report the same or similar every year and do nothing about it . 

Fires now , drinking driving new year , songkran .

Helmets now and then.

Instead of getting better , it becomes worse ... Human Nature ?

It would be interesting to learn just how many people are prosecuted for illegal burning of crops over the last year.

Year 98729347190423743248327   and NOTHING has been done.

 

Enjoy the death air, smoke to kill your brain, lungs, heart, life!!!!   

 

and remember, you PAY for this experience!!!!!!  with your money and your time.

 

Note:  I'm now in Hawaii!!!!!!!!

Given the presently lower temperatures it can be assumed, that the "90%" is more than just a conservative estimate. As long as the law is not enforced ...... 

In the past (and I am talking 30 - 40 years back), farmers would plough their fields, keep microorganism of the soil intact and the air breathable.

Unless seriously stiff fines (six digits) on land owners are imposed and executed, nothing will happen. If the culprits (in their thousands) cannot cough up the fines, then confiscate the title deed and auction it off for social welfare and slap a juicy jail sentence of at least six months to get the message across. Go seriously public and within weeks you will have eliminated the Thai side of the burning and have set an example of how to keep your people out of the smoke. 

The money for 500 ridiculously less than those submarines without engines, so what on Earth are you waiting for? Ah, I forgot, the semi-divine Thais rather die a slow coughing death than possibly stepping onto the toes of the "phuyays". 

It might take a Royal Thai Airforce toy to crash-land in Chiang Mai or anywhere else due to the haze to re-inforce my point! 

Here we go with a visualization some ten minutes ago (Saturday, 4 March 2023 at 09h20 Thai time). So, for once they cannot blame it on the Khmer, Lao or Burmese ..........

6 hours ago, edwinchester said:

It would be interesting to learn just how many people are prosecuted for illegal burning of crops over the last year.

Both of them.......

7 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Given the presently lower temperatures it can be assumed, that the "90%" is more than just a conservative estimate. As long as the law is not enforced ...... 

In the past (and I am talking 30 - 40 years back), farmers would plough their fields, keep microorganism of the soil intact and the air breathable.

Unless seriously stiff fines (six digits) on land owners are imposed and executed, nothing will happen. If the culprits (in their thousands) cannot cough up the fines, then confiscate the title deed and auction it off for social welfare and slap a juicy jail sentence of at least six months to get the message across. Go seriously public and within weeks you will have eliminated the Thai side of the burning and have set an example of how to keep your people out of the smoke. 

The money for 500 ridiculously less than those submarines without engines, so what on Earth are you waiting for? Ah, I forgot, the semi-divine Thais rather die a slow coughing death than possibly stepping onto the toes of the "phuyays". 

It might take a Royal Thai Airforce toy to crash-land in Chiang Mai or anywhere else due to the haze to re-inforce my point! 

In the past (and I am talking 30 - 40 years back), farmers would plough their fields, keep microorganism of the soil intact and the air breathable.

 

you are talking here from Thailand?

 

From experience of 25+ years in the sticks, I can tell you that nobody has plowed their fields before all residue was burned off.
How you think they would have done the plowing with only a Khway and a single plow or if they were lucky an iron buffalo.

 

Now slowly they get the hint and start to bail the straw because they can sell it but still they'll burn the stubbles. Thereby the air quality has inproved significantly but is still far away from good.

Even to get one to plow the fields right after harvest to start the decomposing process is an impossible task and I do provide all neccessary machinery.

The problem lies in the lag of agriculture education and I can fully understand it. Who wants to be a farmer in Thailand only the ones with no other options. There is no money to make in this profession and as long this will be the case you will see no improvement.