Air purifiers are running out fast in Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Rai, as wealthier residents scramble to acquire the devices to ease the impacts of the choking air pollution from local and cross-border forest and farm fires.

 

A Thai PBS reporter in Chiang Rai conducted a random survey of electrical appliance shops and was told that they have run out of air purifiers and do not know when they will be available again.

 

One shopkeeper said that customers had bought the machines both online and in person, adding that many other people have posted on social media asking where they can find air purifiers, which cost over 10,000 baht each.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/chiang-rai-running-out-of-air-purifiers-as-pollution-increases/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-03-30

 

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Pai, the popular backpacker destination, has now a record high of AQI 727 | PM2.5 844.4 µg/m³ which is hazardous to your health if you don’t wear a full face gas mask. Foreign embassies should urgently release travel advice against going to Northern #Thailand. #ฝุ่นPM25

 

A few years ago, the government closed all the schools in Bangkok when the AQI reached 150. Today Chiang Mai is the most polluted city in the world and Pai is 727. What are they doing about it? Nothing Why? Because Bangkok has good air quality today and so they don’t care.

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1641304198016012289

 

1 minute ago, anchadian said:

Today Chiang Mai is the most polluted city in the world and Pai is 727. What are they doing about it? Nothing Why? Because Bangkok has good air quality today and so they don’t care.

Or because there is nothing they can about air pollution from another country????

 

The Phu Chi Fa fire(s) was started by embers from Laos, so not the Thai's fault. We've had a bit more helicopter action of late so they are doing something.

probably too stoned in PAI to care

having suffered Bangkok's recent pollution issues, i really can imagine what living in the north must be like.  

23 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Or because there is nothing they can about air pollution from another country????

 

The Phu Chi Fa fire(s) was started by embers from Laos, so not the Thai's fault. We've had a bit more helicopter action of late so they are doing something.

Where are the good old days when everyone here blamed China !! Now it is Laos, Cambodia or Myanmar  take your pick    In Thailand there is no corruption ,no manipulation and certainly no pollution .

6 minutes ago, chaila said:

Where are the good old days when everyone here blamed China !! Now it is Laos, Cambodia or Myanmar  take your pick    In Thailand there is no corruption ,no manipulation and certainly no pollution .

It's deluded to try and make the answer only one thing or another, the reality is the problem is caused by a combination of things. Yes there is burning in Thailand but yes, inbound smoke from Myanmar and Laos are a big problem. If this is not true, why is Mae Sai in the golden triangle running at 700+ whereas further South is running around 200? Of course, neither one is anywhere close to the WHO's guideline of 50 but it does start to explain some things. PM10 is heavier than PM2.5, PM10 falls to the ground nearer to the source of the burning, PM 2.5 is lighter and travels further. Trying to introduce bribery and corruption into a discussion about this is nothing more than lazy thinking and an excuse to avoid looking for real answers.

Edited March 30, 20233 yr by nigelforbes

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

A few years ago, the government closed all the schools in Bangkok when the AQI reached 150. Today Chiang Mai is the most polluted city in the world and Pai is 727. What are they doing about it? Nothing Why? Because Bangkok has good air quality today and so they don’t care.

Utterly disgraceful.

A tired troll post has been removed.

Jonathan Head

@pakhead

No-one should travel to northern Thailand right now. The air quality is a serious health threat. It’s obviously an emergency and equally obvious that little will be done by governments in the region.

 

https://twitter.com/pakhead/status/1641401009074479104

 

Quote Tweet

 

Ok, this is not a good look. A message to me from a tourist visiting northern #Thailand from Europe. 734?! “Hi Curtis! Great experience … but I had to leave earlier because the smoke became unbearable” #airpollution cc: @pakhead @karmanomad @suilee @MayWongCNA @SaksithCNA

We were supposed to be in Chiang Mai a week ago,got to about 75km away and seeing how bad the smog was we turned round and drove south east to get away from it,we are not looking forward to tomorrow as we have to go to Chiang Mai as we are flying out of CNX on Saturday,I feel so sorry for those people who can't leave.