Thai forest fires worsen pollution that’s left 2 million ill

[webfact]

A forest fire in Nakhon Nayok province, northeast of Bangkok, on Thursday | THAI NEWS PIX / VIA AFP-JIJI

BLOOMBERG

 

Raging forest fires in northern Thailand are threatening to worsen the country’s air pollution, which has sent nearly 2 million people to hospitals with respiratory illnesses since the beginning of the year.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday ordered urgent steps to put out forest fires in Nakhon Nayok province to the east of Bangkok and those in the country’s northern region including popular tourist destination Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, according to government spokesman Anucha Burapachasri.

 

Firefighters and other officials have been deployed to monitor the affected areas, as burning of farmlands and illegal foraging occur during this time of the year, Anucha said in a statement on Thursday.

 

A mountain known as Khao Laem in Nakhon Nayok that was engulfed in flames since Wednesday has been brought under control, the government said late on Thursday. Several wildfires are also reported from protected forests in Thailand’s north, with several hotspots across the borders in neighboring Myanmar and Laos, a satellite heat map by a Thai space agency showed.

 

Full story: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/03/31/asia-pacific/thailand-forest-fires-pollution/

 

 

-- © Copyright The Japan Times 2023-04-01
 
- Cigna 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.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

[worgeordie]

2 Million + 2 , my wife and I are ill with the pollution ,and have never

been asked or counted , many more I suspect.

 

regards Worgeordie

[mania]

30 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

2 Million + 2 , my wife and I are ill with the pollution ,and have never

been asked or counted , many more I suspect.

Sadly there is only one way out for you & your wife.

If not then sadly accumulation of years of seasonal inhalation of this muck & its result

 

Because truthfully anyone who thinks this will end anytime soon is hopeful at best

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

2 Million + 2 , my wife and I are ill with the pollution ,and have never

been asked or counted , many more I suspect.

 

regards Worgeordie

You both have my utmost sympathy, the government and local officials have failed you and all the others miserably, yet they remain in office taking a handsome monthly salary along with all the perks, while the population suffer.

Remove them from office.

[Tarteso]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday ordered urgent steps

????

[vandeventer]

Not only is the air pollution making us sick but guess who maybe coming back? Mr covid-19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfTgToyxufs

 

Edited April 1, 2023 by vandeventer

[PETERTHEEATER]

Bring Sonkhran forward and let the tourists loose with their water cannons.

[ikke1959]

That are more people than with Covid.... but alas who cares?? surely not the Government who did not do anything about it in the past years, and the ones who makes the fires, forest , ricefields or sugarcanefields, don"t care either

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Bring Sonkhran forward and let the tourists loose with their water cannons.

Free beer and i think you are on to a winner

[heybruce]

In some parts of the world local people are paid to preserve the environment, usually meaning paid to not cut down forests.  Has anyone ever considered paying Thai farmers to not burn their fields and villages to not burn surrounding forests?

[LEXUS 400]

What do the fantastic  " Healt Minister " do with this , or is he just smoking Mariuana , and don`t care in such small problems !. I think he ill be a perfect PM !.

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, mania said:

Because truthfully anyone who thinks this will end anytime soon is hopeful at best

Mostly people are waiting for the weather to rescue them.. bring on the rainy season......

[mania]

5 hours ago, LEXUS 400 said:

What do the fantastic  " Health Minister " do with this , or is he just smoking Marijuana , and don`t care in such small problems !. I think he ill be a perfect PM !.

Funny you ask because on Thai social media the big joke is...

The reason there is so much more smoke this year is because Anutin legalized Marijuana ????

[Gknrd]

That whole SE Asia corridor is horrible this time of the year. Not just Thailand!

[mania]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Mostly people are waiting for the weather to rescue them.. bring on the rainy season......

Yes & if it were one year that would be hopeful

But year to wait for that year after year after year is delusional

Edited April 2, 2023 by mania

[simon43]

If you look at the satellite fire map over the past 24 hours, it's clear that most of the fires are actually in Shan State (Myanmar) and Laos - the Golden Triangle region, which is probably better renamed as The Smoky Triangle.

 

The likelyhood of Thai farmers not burning the stubble is almost zero and the likelyhood of Lao and Shan farmers not doing likewise is less than zero.

 

In other words, if you don't like smoke pollution, don't visit or live in that region, because nothing will change.

 

 

[actonion]

18 hours ago, Tarteso said:

????

Just like he promised to do something about the bad air   in Thailand at the s  global warming  meeting    in Scotland last year......just wonder when he  will start 

[Henryford]

And how many farmers have been jailed, or even fined?

[Donoff]

On 4/1/2023 at 10:32 AM, worgeordie said:

2 Million + 2 , my wife and I are ill with the pollution ,and have never

been asked or counted , many more I suspect.

 

regards Worgeordie

I ended up in the hospital this year thanks to the air pollution in Bangkok. My allergies were so bad it was like I had a perpetual cold/ sinus infection that just grinded me down until the regular over the counter medicines couldn't cut it. After about a week on the meds, I was feeling much better. But I think the end of the burning season had as much to do with my recovery as anything else.

 

Your family has my sympathies

[djayz]

On 4/1/2023 at 10:08 AM, webfact said:

Prayuth Chan-ocha on Thursday ordered

If I had a Baht ever time I've read this, not only would I be a millionaire by now, but Thailand would also be perfect. Unfortunately, neither is the case, so what does this tell us about his "orders"? 

[John Drake]

Must not complain. That would disrupt social harmony.

[vandeventer]

17 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Free beer and i think you are on to a winner

Just to let you know, Masks are getting a lot cheaper.

[vandeventer]

3 hours ago, Henryford said:

And how many farmers have been jailed, or even fined?

That's right jail the farmers, and we can live on can tuna?

[Puccini]

I wonder how the fact that the news article in the OP was published in The Japan Times will affect the number of tourists arriving from Japan.

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, Henryford said:

And how many farmers have been jailed, or even fined?

My FIL but that was a long-time ago. 10,000 baht according to my wife.

[zzaa09]

In all my years have never witnessed this magnitude of forest/bush fires in country.......most of which have origins from the traditional practice of field burning. Most will never learn.

 

I'm saddened and disgusted.

[SoilSpoil]

4 hours ago, vandeventer said:

That's right jail the farmers, and we can live on can tuna?

No only arrest farmers and people who burn rubbish, fields or forests. Replace them with machines and robots. 

[jacko45k]

Unpleasant at my place last night.... 

A senior monk at the temple nearby died some 3 years ago.... we just had the funeral and cremation over the last 3 days. Been getting noisy fireworks for  3 days, twice a day.. but the actual  cremation was done last night. As he was of high standing it was done 'traditional style', not in the big oven. Smoke and smell was none too pleasant!

 

 

[Henryford]

17 hours ago, vandeventer said:

That's right jail the farmers, and we can live on can tuna?

You would only have to jail/fine one or two. The rest would soon get the message. Burning is not to be tolerated.

[Captor]

On 4/1/2023 at 5:32 AM, worgeordie said:

2 Million + 2 , my wife and I are ill with the pollution ,and have never

been asked or counted , many more I suspect.

 

regards Worgeordie

In what area are you located?