Thousands hospitalized due to air pollution in Thailand

[webfact]

 

by Miabell Mallikka 

Severe air pollution in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has led to more than 12,000 people being admitted to Maharaj Chiang Mai Hospital since the New Year.

 

“Now, the hospital it is overcrowded,” says Dr. Bannakit Lojanapiawat to The Nation Thailand.

 

Forest fires and burnt rubbish have led to air pollution by dangerous particles. The pollution in Chiang Mai is described as the worst in the world and is considered dangerous according to IQAir.

 

Full story: https://scandasia.com/several-thousand-hospitalized-due-to-air-pollution-in-thailand/

 

-- © Copyright ScandAsia 2023-04-03

 

- 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.

 

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[webfact]

Three villages in Chiang Mai declared pollution disaster zones

 

 

Three villages in Mueang and Hang Dong districts of Chiang Mai have been declared disaster zones by the provincial administration, as people in the northern capital are being choked by PM2.5 dust, the level of which is many times higher than Thailand’s safety level of 50-microns in many areas.

 

Deputy Governor Chatchawarl Panya, acting on behalf of the governor, issued an announcement on Friday declaring Village 7 in Bang Pong sub-district of Hang Don district, Village 3 in Mae Hia sub-district and Village 12 in Suthep sub-district of Mueang district to be disaster zones.

 

According to the Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Act, the government and local government agencies and relevant parts of the private sector will now step in to provide help to the residents of the three villages within three months.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/three-villages-in-chiang-mai-declared-pollution-disaster-zones/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-04-03

 

- 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.

[webfact]

Thailand seeks cooperation from neighbours to address cross border pollution

 

 

Thailand is seeking cooperation from neighbouring countries to address cross-border air pollution, which is seriously impacting the northern provinces of Thailand.

 

Spokesperson for the Thai Foreign Ministry, Kanchana Patarachoke, said that Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has coordinated with his ASEAN counterparts and sought help to solve the problem within the framework of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

 

She added that Don also instructed the Thai ambassador in Myanmar to raise Thailand’s concerns over the forest fires in that country with their Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-seeks-cooperation-from-neighbours-to-address-cross-border-pollution/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-04-03

 

- 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.

[madmitch]

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has coordinated with his ASEAN counterparts and sought help to solve the problem within the framework of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

That's all very well but how about Thailand getting its own house in order? 

 

It's not just the neighbours. 

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm…. Why would this be new news. Chiang mai has had polution problems for a least a decade. Maybe someone just woke up?

[nigelforbes]

25 minutes ago, madmitch said:

That's all very well but how about Thailand getting its own house in order? 

 

It's not just the neighbours. 

Yes, they do need to do that. But you have to wonder about the scale of the problem when northern provinces have AQI numbers in the 5, 6 and 7 hundreds yet the rest of the country is substantially lower. Do the bad burners only live in the North or does pollution from the neighboring countries play a more important role in the North than in the South. As a northern resident of two decades, I believe the North suffers from proximity problems that are mitigated elsewhere in the country by distance and wind currents.

[nigelforbes]

5 minutes ago, bbbbooboo said:

Hmmm…. Why would this be new news. Chiang mai has had polution problems for a least a decade. Maybe someone just woke up?

Because the problem today is far far greater than it was one decade ago and massively worse than it was two decades ago.

[Celsius]

Livin' the dream!

[Expat68]

38 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

Yes, they do need to do that. But you have to wonder about the scale of the problem when northern provinces have AQI numbers in the 5, 6 and 7 hundreds yet the rest of the country is substantially lower. Do the bad burners only live in the North or does pollution from the neighboring countries play a more important role in the North than in the South. As a northern resident of two decades, I believe the North suffers from proximity problems that are mitigated elsewhere in the country by distance and wind currents.

Majority of farmers live in the North/North East. Poorer people also, which means less educated. I pay for rubbish collection, they never come past my home and I presume many others in my city

[nigelforbes]

4 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

Majority of farmers live in the North/North East. Poorer people also, which means less educated. I pay for rubbish collection, they never come past my home and I presume many others in my city

That is not correct, rice production for example is spread fairly evenly throughout the country, except in the southern provinces which are dominated by other crops such as rubber and palm. The central plains are heavily concentrated rice growing areas, all the way down to the Bangkok  suburbs, yet burning and pollution levels are much lower in those areas.

 

 

https://www.nectec.or.th/ace2018/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/S01_AI_Dr.Noppadon.pdf

 

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Severe air pollution in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has led to more than 12,000 people being admitted to Maharaj Chiang Mai Hospital since the New Year.

So why do we not hear the health minister in his lofty position campaigning for the stop of all burning?

 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Three villages in Mueang and Hang Dong districts of Chiang Mai have been declared disaster zones by the provincial administration, as people in the northern capital are being choked by PM2.5 dust, the level of which is many times higher than Thailand’s safety level of 50-microns in many areas

I'll say it again...

Sack the governor.

[CM Dad]

I live in a village about 20 kms outside of Chiang Mai.  As far as I know, I am the only Farang in my area - at least I never see any others.  All of my Thai neighbors burn. I am the only one who does not.  

[Sig]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

Because the problem today is far far greater than it was one decade ago and massively worse than it was two decades ago.

I can't speak for Chiangmai much, but in Maehongson, it is not far greater today at all, it's just as bad as two decades ago. The only thing that has been likely to have changed is the amount of money in some particular persons' pockets who formed some sort of "Stop the Smoke!" campaign every year. I remember, I believe it was 2003, being amazed at how you could probably sit there and stare at the sun, or the direction it appeared to be in but was maybe not able to be pinpointed exactly, for an hour and it probably wouldn't bother you in the least. The smoke was so thick, it stunned me how people could live in it... then I proceeded to do just that! hahaha I've often wondered what the lifespan of the villagers is like in areas like this compared to other areas of Thailand. There is no getting away from it in Maehongson, at least for the people I work with, since many of them live in homes that are not even remotely able to be sealed... with gaps in the wood or made from bamboo and no glass in the windows and gaps between the top of the walls and the roof with no sealed-off ceiling. I'd be willing to bet that there is a statistically significant difference in life expectancy in areas like this and a MUCH higher rate of respiratory diseases/illnesses.

[4MyEgo]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is seeking cooperation from neighbouring countries to address cross-border air pollution, which is seriously impacting the northern provinces of Thailand.

The same deflecting story, every single year, we know where the smokes coming from, are they that stupid that they think we will buy their continued annual BS while they continue to get fat.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Note that, according to the OP article, being declared a Disaster Zone will trigger government aid within three months!

[nigelforbes]

3 minutes ago, Sig said:

I can't speak for Chiangmai much, but in Maehongson, it is not far greater today at all, it's just as bad as two decades ago. The only thing that has been likely to have changed is the amount of money in some particular persons' pockets who formed some sort of "Stop the Smoke!" campaign every year. I remember, I believe it was 2003, being amazed at how you could probably sit there and stare at the sun, or the direction it appeared to be in but was maybe not able to be pinpointed exactly, for an hour and it probably wouldn't bother you in the least. The smoke was so thick, it stunned me how people could live in it... then I proceeded to do just that! hahaha I've often wondered what the lifespan of the villagers is like in areas like this compared to other areas of Thailand. There is no getting away from it in Maehongson, at least for the people I work with, since many of them live in homes that are not even remotely able to be sealed... with gaps in the wood or made from bamboo and no glass in the windows and gaps between the top of the walls and the roof with no sealed-off ceiling. I'd be willing to bet that there is a statistically significant difference in life expectancy in areas like this and a MUCH higher rate of respiratory diseases/illnesses.

I will be extremely surprised if the AQI numbers in places such as Maehongson today are similar to what they were twenty years ago. The reason for this in part is because during the past two decades, use of contract farming in Shan State and Laos has increased exponentially year on year, mostly as a result of a ban on Maize cultivation in Southern China. Some where out there is a Greenpeace report on this aspect which suggests that burning has increased as a result, by over 1,000% during that period. By contrast, agriculture in Thailand as a percentage of  GDP has decreased over the same period as ex-agri. workers have moved into tourism services. This means there has almost certainly been a transfer of the source of burning, from upcountry Thailand, to neighboring countries. 

[patman30]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

yet the rest of the country is substantially lower.

All depends what time and day you look at the map

[patman30]

5 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

Note that, according to the OP article, being declared a Disaster Zone will trigger government aid within three months!

in 3 months all the fields will have been harvested and waste burned
and the politicians will be claiming victory (till next Jan)

[nigelforbes]

6 minutes ago, patman30 said:

All depends what time and day you look at the map

Yes I agree, time of day is seriously important, which underpins the role the inversion layer plays since the colder dense air warms and rises in the course of the day. And also, Friday and Saturday nights are by far the worst, for obvious reasons.

[Sig]

9 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

I will be extremely surprised if the AQI numbers in places such as Maehongson today are similar to what they were twenty years ago. The reason for this in part is because during the past two decades, use of contract farming in Shan State and Laos has increased exponentially year on year, mostly as a result of a ban on Maize cultivation in Southern China. Some where out there is a Greenpeace report on this aspect which suggests that burning has increased as a result, by over 1,000% during that period. By contrast, agriculture in Thailand as a percentage of  GDP has decreased over the same period as ex-agri. workers have moved into tourism services. This means there has almost certainly been a transfer of the source of burning, from upcountry Thailand, to neighboring countries. 

I couldn't say anything about AQI numbers, I just remember my experience in those years and it seemed pretty much the same in the past recent years as it was then. This season, I'm thankfully out of town and have no idea, other than what friends tell me. One thing that always amazes me is how, both then and now, I can be driving along the back-country roads for kilometer after kilometer of fires and it would seem like the fires never go out! The same places burn for days! Agriculture in Thailand, as a percentage of the GDP may have decreased over time, as you mentioned, but in the area I'm talking about it has increased dramatically. As the roads out into the countryside improved and electricity has been brought in, more and more land was and continues to be cleared for agriculture in those areas that previously were all forested. Interestingly enough, it seems like the tourism sector has dropped if anything. Of course, it's only anecdotal, but I see a lot fewer tourists now (in the areas I'm relating to) than I did in the past. But then again, in other areas of Maehongson, tourism has exploded (as has agriculture in those same areas). Any transfer of burning from upcountry Thailand to neighboring countries must be coming from a different upcountry part of Thailand than where I'm familiar with. Kayah and Shan States may be burning more, I don't know, but I don't think there has been much of a transfer. I honestly can't say that I've noticed anything get better at all in the past 20 years in terms of burning in the areas I'm familiar with in Maehongson. And I would not be surprised in the least if it is actually worse, being that I've seen a lot more land converted to agricultural use over the years.

[stix40]

Needs addressing pronto!

[nigelforbes]

1 hour ago, CM Dad said:

I live in a village about 20 kms outside of Chiang Mai.  As far as I know, I am the only Farang in my area - at least I never see any others.  All of my Thai neighbors burn. I am the only one who does not.  

Where's your community spirit, get with the program and go burn something. ????

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, bbbbooboo said:

Hmmm…. Why would this be new news. Chiang mai has had polution problems for a least a decade. Maybe someone just woke up?

Doubt it, and I doubt anything wconstructive will be done for the 10 or even 15 years.

 

 

[koolkarl]

There are several ways  this annual burning and cancer causing problem can end.

The Thai people take matters into their own hands. Serious rioting.

And/or the politicians get cancer or a heart attack from this incredible air pollution

and no more tourists. 

[nigelforbes]

1 minute ago, koolkarl said:

There are several ways  this annual burning and cancer causing problem can end.

The Thai people take matters into their own hands. Serious rioting.

And/or the politicians get cancer or a heart attack from this incredible air pollution

and no more tourists. 

My wife and I discussed this yesterday, we both agreed that the identity of virtually ALL the burners is known to local villagers yet nobody is prepared to do anything. Dont expect serious rioting or local people taking matters into their hands soon.

[Henryford]

"Raise concerns", is that all these incompetent fools can do ?

[nigelforbes]

My guess is that it will take a serious loss of tourist revenue before somebody is forced to act, increased bad health and deaths probably wont be enough.

[spidermike007]

Yes the lazy, lethargic, ineffective, indifferent, pathetic, so called leaders do nothing. They are not stopping the farmers from burning crops, even though the law was passed. They likely continue to accept massive payoffs from the sugar industry. Thailand continues to be one of the few countries continuing to promote filthy diesel vehicles. So much could be done. Wildfires and pollution from neighboring countries are an issue. But, it is only part of the problem. The lack of leadership is a huge problem. 

[jesimps]

I'm so pleased that I chose to live in Pattaya. I went to Chiang Mai once, before I knew about its pollution problems and thought it would be a boring place to live. Now since I've been reading about the smog they have to contend with for long periods, I can't understand why any farang would want to live there.