Thailand's extreme air pollution: 'I feel sorry for my daughter'

[webfact]

Thommamoon Khowasat is worried about the lingering poor air quality in Chiang Rai

 

By Tossapol Chaisamritpol & Joel Guinto
in Bangkok and Singapore

For the past few weeks, Thommamoon Khowasat has painstakingly explained to his four year-old daughter that the yellow cloud they see outside their window - which has tickled her imagination - is actually a danger to her health.

 

It's a scare that has gripped northern Thailand where millions of people are currently finding it harder to breathe.

 

Widespread farm burning and forest fires have created a smog that's even thicker than usual, which is choking communities and exposing them to respiratory disease.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65120502

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2023-03-31

 

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[Gknrd]

Anyone thinking of retiring or even visiting Thailand needs to think very seriously about this.

I didn't realize how serious this was until I was there and lived threw it. It is life threatening. And absolutely miserable.  Just a horrible place to be this time of the year.

[Henryford]

I still find it hard to believe that the Thai people and the Thai Government are happy to let the crop farmers burn what they like even though it is killing thousands. In the West they would be having a fit. There must be some serious brown envelopes changing hands.

[Celsius]

Chiang Mai..... every day

 

 

[SoilSpoil]

This smog is nothing less than a crime against humanity. Thailand has 'evolved' into a country where a 15 year old risks a 7 year prison sentencecfor some grafity, but arsonists responsible for thpusands of deaths are ignored. Thailand has turned into a smog and plastic garbage  wasteland, only worth visiting from June to November. 

[racket]

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

I still find it hard to believe that the Thai people and the Thai Government are happy to let the crop farmers burn what they like even though it is killing thousands. In the West they would be having a fit. There must be some serious brown envelopes changing hands.

The west needs to ban people from entering these areas, perhaps even sanctioning north eastern part of thailand by closing down western businesses and all forms of tourists going there. 

 

That would immediately kill their economy, and only then, will the local governments wake up to the fact. Thais are complacent and don't seem to care much, but when it comes down to the economy and money - that's when they will finally make the uncomfortable decision. 

 

Literally no respect for human life in these areas..

[mania]

What is amazing is Thailand closed its doors & wrecked its economy over Covid which had a total of 33k deaths.

Yet this bad air has in just a year been liable for  29,000 deaths across 31 Thai provinces in 2021— Greenpeace

[NorthernRyland]

 

[tomazbodner]

16 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

Close the windows! Else vacuum sensor at the back. This is not normal for filter running in (seems Air Purifier Pro) up to 60m2 space, if 450 AQI outside it should bring it down to 30-50 AQI inside with leaky Thai windows...

[sherwood]

This week in my area (rural Korat) has not been to bad. Most of the burning has finished apart from the charcoal kilns that seem to operate 24/7.

The old fella two doors up has hopefully run out of fuel for a while, my family has been coughing for months as has most of the village. 

Sure he makes a living but is killing people slowly to do so. 

 

[h90]

2 hours ago, Gknrd said:

Anyone thinking of retiring or even visiting Thailand needs to think very seriously about this.

I didn't realize how serious this was until I was there and lived threw it. It is life threatening. And absolutely miserable.  Just a horrible place to be this time of the year.

Well in Bangkok the air is as always...not brilliant but improving over the years.

And the tourist spots like Hua Hin, Phuket, etc don't have that problem. So it is not everywhere

[SoilSpoil]

4 minutes ago, h90 said:

Well in Bangkok the air is as always...not brilliant but improving over the years.

And the tourist spots like Hua Hin, Phuket, etc don't have that problem. So it is not everywhere

Bangkok's air quality has detoriated since Prauth came to power and started subsidising sugar farmers, and Hua Hin also suffers from the burning of sugar from December until March ( source Airvisual)

 

The only part of Thailand that is not heavily polluted, except for 2 to 3 weeks a year is the south. South of Phuket that is. 

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

55 minutes ago, mania said:

What is amazing is Thailand closed its doors & wrecked its economy over Covid which had a total of 33k deaths.

Yet this bad air has in just a year been liable for  29,000 deaths across 31 Thai provinces in 2021— Greenpeace

For you to believe only 33k Died in Thailand shows you believe the reported government statistics.

[NorthernRyland]

40 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Close the windows! Else vacuum sensor at the back. This is not normal for filter running in (seems Air Purifier Pro) up to 60m2 space, if 450 AQI outside it should bring it down to 30-50 AQI inside with leaky Thai windows...

This was before I shut the doors downstairs in the morning. It's sealed up now but it still can't get below 150 in this area. I've ordered another one as I only have 2 and one is at work with the wife.

[mania]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

For you to believe only 33k Died in Thailand shows you believe the reported government statistics.

Actually no I do not believe most anything any government says but..........

 

Using reported numbers as a general baseline for comparison is ok & that is what I find

A number for reported covid related deaths & a number for reported air pollution related deaths

 

Remember your knife cuts both ways. Other countries over reported covid deaths because of funding options

available based on how many recorded "covid related" deaths they could tally

Truth is many were "covid related" deaths ....even if actually killed by many other things but patient "had" covid at some point

 

Lastly what is your point anyway? Your saying what? Thailand has no air pollution related deaths?

Try to concentrate your drifting...????

[vandeventer]

4 hours ago, Gknrd said:

Anyone thinking of retiring or even visiting Thailand needs to think very seriously about this.

I didn't realize how serious this was until I was there and lived threw it. It is life threatening. And absolutely miserable.  Just a horrible place to be this time of the year.

This has been the worst in the 20 years I have been here, hopefully when the rains come it will be gone. 

[dinsdale]

The bigger picture....

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:2023-03-30..2023-03-31,2023-03-30;@102.8,20.3,6z

 

[motdaeng]

25 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

This has been the worst in the 20 years I have been here, hopefully when the rains come it will be gone. 

after the rain it will be gone and forgotten ... but next year it will be the same again ... it is a human made desaster, and no one is ashamed of it ...

[vandeventer]

22 minutes ago, motdaeng said:

after the rain it will be gone and forgotten ... but next year it will be the same again ... it is a human made desaster, and no one is ashamed of it ...

So how do you fix it?

[Rimmer]

A troll post amounting to a personal attack has been removed

[SoilSpoil]

38 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

So how do you fix it?

Arrest people who burn garbage, farm land, leaves, forest for mushrooms? Not rocket science, is it?

[Robert Tyrrell]

Good afternoon,

 

I feel sorry for everybody in Thailand, Your Government is 30-40 Years behind compared to the Western World in Environmental Pollution Control and Regulations, Question is does anybody care about your beautiful paradise you currently have enough to tell your Government to pull up there boot straps and help save Thailand ???????? And the Planet ???? !!?? 

[Robert Tyrrell]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

For you to believe only 33k Died in Thailand shows you believe the reported government statistics.

Nobody wrecks anything with common sense and brain ???? During covid !! Stupid people are the same as arrogant people and the reason why since man started walking upright, Human Ignorance is always what spreads disease ???? And sickness.

[h90]

3 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Bangkok's air quality has detoriated since Prauth came to power and started subsidising sugar farmers, and Hua Hin also suffers from the burning of sugar from December until March ( source Airvisual)

 

The only part of Thailand that is not heavily polluted, except for 2 to 3 weeks a year is the south. South of Phuket that is. 

 

 

yes Prayuth himself polluted Bangkok......You shouldn't believe every propaganda....
Somewhen at Thaksins time they started to check trucks and normal cars, and that got better every year....20 years downtown the houses were black from the truck smoke and normal cars got way more modern....that is like 90% improvement. Probably on the edges of Bangkok the smoke from burning fields enter....which is a problem since long before Prayuth I remember that often airports had to be closed because of the smoke. It might got worse over the years or maybe the people just got more hysterical.....it was unbearable bad in the past as well

[brommers]

If anyone thinks that the government will listen to the people they don't know this country. When you come to power holding a gun you listen to know one even when you pretend you are democratically elected. And Thai people have been indoctrinated for centuries to accept their lowly position. In Chiang Mai an attempt at a class action was quashed by a judge who decided the situation is not an emergency! He knows which side his bread is buttered on and it is not the side representing the people. No political party hoping to be elected in May is even making pollution a part of their policies so that shows what everyone is up against. And after that they will all be scrambling to get their noses in the trough. Next year will be no better but many deaths in 2023 will be quietly brushed under the carpet and ordinary folk must just accept their fate. 

[SoilSpoil]

36 minutes ago, h90 said:

yes Prayuth himself polluted Bangkok......You shouldn't believe every propaganda....
Somewhen at Thaksins time they started to check trucks and normal cars, and that got better every year....20 years downtown the houses were black from the truck smoke and normal cars got way more modern....that is like 90% improvement. Probably on the edges of Bangkok the smoke from burning fields enter....which is a problem since long before Prayuth I remember that often airports had to be closed because of the smoke. It might got worse over the years or maybe the people just got more hysterical.....it was unbearable bad in the past as well

I have also lived here for more than 20 years and yes the pollution from traffic is indeed less, be it visually or in measurable.  The heavy smog we see the last couple of years, however, are new. Thaksin economics promoted the multiple rice crops, which heavily  pollutes the Central Plains, but the sugar cane burning is the icing on the xake. The entire East, West snd central parts of Thailand are suffering because of it. 

 

Just look at the pollution maps, large natural and forested areas in the west are polluted. Beach towns and resorts like Hua Hin and Pattaya are also suffering, so this problem goes beyond Bangkok or the North.

 

 

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

It's a scare that has gripped northern Thailand where millions of people are currently finding it harder to breathe.

 

Widespread farm burning and forest fires have created a smog that's even thicker than usual, which is choking communities and exposing them to respiratory disease

Vote wisely for someone who cares.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, racket said:

That would immediately kill their economy, and only then, will the local governments wake up to the fact. Thais are complacent and don't seem to care much, but when it comes down to the economy and money - that's when they will finally make the uncomfortable decision.

Good point, if the British embassy openly and very publicly told travelers to steer clear of hot-spots with daily updates on where not to go the powers to be might just do something more positive than monitor the situation until it goes away.

[koolkarl]

Serious Thai rioting against the politicians who allow this year after year is the only way.

It is the only language they understand in any country.

If there was a covid outbreak in Chiang Mai, the city would be locked up, out and down within the hour.

 

[KhunLA]

MOVE ... simple solutions to simply problems