Thousands hospitalized due to air pollution in Thailand

[scorecard]

2 minutes ago, Hugh Jarse said:

A vital point re leadership, but ASEAN leaders also lacking in a decisive leadership plan.. Technology exists in the form of Mulcher machines as an alternative to burning. Govt should encourage this and the sugar industry division forced to use some of their massive profits to fund mulchers. Burning is banned in Europe so why can’t Thailand do likewise to correct such dangerous practices or am I just naive?

You answered your own question.

[apophyss]

In europe, have to change cars for electric very fast,

like its our fault the pollution,

but in Thailand nobody care of pollution...

[Tropposurfer]

Good luck with the cooperation thingy LOS. Me thinks Myanmar junta is a tad busy brutalising and terrorising its people to bother about such trivial things. They have far to much to do bleeding the nation for their own ends. 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Hugh Jarse said:

A vital point re leadership, but ASEAN leaders also lacking in a decisive leadership plan.. Technology exists in the form of Mulcher machines as an alternative to burning. Govt should encourage this and the sugar industry division forced to use some of their massive profits to fund mulchers. Burning is banned in Europe so why can’t Thailand do likewise to correct such dangerous practices or am I just naive?

I would guess in Europe the cost of a life is considered of consequence. Not here. And the will of the people likely carries greater weight. Not here. At least not under this useless army regime. 

 

Burning is against the law here. Is anything being done to stop the cane farmers? Have you seen the actual burning from cane? The amount of soot and junk released into the already toxic air is astonishing. Yet, it continues. Do nothing Prayuth does nothing about it. He does not care. The health of the masses means nothing to him. My guess is, his every waking moment is spent counting his ever increasing fortune. 

[spidermike007]

When the crop burning starts to kill the population, and lowers the quality of life for those of us who don't die, isn't it time to take action? We just don't need the sugar. Shut down this toxic, heinous industry. Lock up the farmers. Sieze their land. Do whatever it takes. 

[patman30]

7 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Sieze their land. Do whatever it takes. 

Agree with the rest, but not this part.
The farmers listen and follow whatever the gov tells them
hence why the land in most parts is in such a mess

what they done before to "tackle" the burning
was ban the factories from accepting burnt sugarcane
so now the famrer must pay for manual labour to trim the sugar cane
but they then just burn the waste so it solves nothing
and just makes it slightly better for the factory
and adds extra expense for the farmer

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, patman30 said:

Agree with the rest, but not this part.
The farmers listen and follow whatever the gov tells them
hence why the land in most parts is in such a mess

what they done before to "tackle" the burning
was ban the factories from accepting burnt sugarcane
so now the famrer must pay for manual labour to trim the sugar cane
but they then just burn the waste so it solves nothing
and just makes it slightly better for the factory
and adds extra expense for the farmer

Perhaps a nationwide educational program for farmers. Guilt and shame them into changing? You are killing your countrymen and ruining the environment. Do you care one iota? 

 

 

[nigelforbes]

10 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Perhaps a nationwide educational program for farmers. Guilt and shame them into changing? You are killing your countrymen and ruining the environment. Do you care one iota? 

 

 

Have you ever sat and watched the road safety video when you renew your license in Thailand, for two hours, everyone sleeps or plays with their phone whilst the video is being screened. If locals are happy to kill their fellow countrymen on the roads and wont be educated to do otherwise, I can't imagine any form of education being successful, unless it's accompanied by a very large stick.

[Enoon]

13 hours 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.

 

You have to remember that the perceptions of many AN contributors still dwell in the 1970's!

 

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Enoon

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Perhaps a nationwide educational program for farmers. Guilt and shame them into changing? You are killing your countrymen and ruining the environment. Do you care one iota? 

 

 

 

"Guilt mister.......what that?"

 

Friend of mine quoted a novel centered on Thai detective in Bangkok, went something like this:

 

Detective: "You have to remember that, unlike you in the West,

we in the East do not have our minds and moralities pierced and fixed, as yours are, by the iron rod of Christian guilt"

 

That's what they're like.

 

So many Westerners, despite their years spent in Thailand.............STILL DON'T GET IT.

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Enoon

[SoilSpoil]

13 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

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.

Still going on about the mysterious inversion layer? Why would Sat or Sunday be worse?

[LEXUS 400]

Marihuana , is the soiution for everyting !. ( Good Luck ) ----

[Toby1947]

Cap in hand to the neighbouring countries they hate. Most racist people on the planet. I know what I'd tell em 

[Lion21]

It is not only north. Bkk and Pattaya just as bad from time to time. Air pollution in the country  is a complete and absurd tragedy.  Completely man-made.  Can be easily avoided and is completely disrespectful towards the country's citizens who suffer the most and are exposed to serious illness.  Thailand is no longer the "land of smiles", but the country where everyone wears a face mask due to extreme air pollution.  It is also completely disrespectful to the tourists who travel to Thailand and are exposed to this.  A minimum of respect and honesty towards visitors dictates that the Thai tourism industry informs about the extreme air pollution in the country.

[spidermike007]

15 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

Have you ever sat and watched the road safety video when you renew your license in Thailand, for two hours, everyone sleeps or plays with their phone whilst the video is being screened. If locals are happy to kill their fellow countrymen on the roads and wont be educated to do otherwise, I can't imagine any form of education being successful, unless it's accompanied by a very large stick.

Sugar cane itself, or long bamboo staffs come to mind. They work for monkeys. They just might work for cane farmers. 

[zzaa09]

19 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Perhaps a nationwide educational program for farmers. Guilt and shame them into changing? You are killing your countrymen and ruining the environment. Do you care one iota? 

 

 

Unfortunately, such programs - so practical in many ways - are not profitable or return any dividends to those creating/running them. Never mind about the betterment and well being of the commons. 

[patman30]

On 4/3/2023 at 5:22 PM, spidermike007 said:

Perhaps a nationwide educational program for farmers. Guilt and shame them into changing? You are killing your countrymen and ruining the environment. Do you care one iota? 

 

i have literally already suggested this to the wife
make a big picture sign on main road opposite school

[Mickeem]

On 4/4/2023 at 3:21 AM, spidermike007 said:

Sugar cane itself, or long bamboo staffs come to mind. They work for monkeys. They just might work for cane farmers. 

They don't give a monkeys ...

 

 

[JohnNThai]

On 4/3/2023 at 7:55 AM, jesimps said:

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.

Average monthly and yearly pollution in Pattaya compared to Chiang Mai is not that much lower. We’re looking at a yearly average of 18-20 μg/m3 in Pattaya (#10 in TH) and 25 μg/m3 in Chiang Mai (#6 in TH). Bangkok has 22 μg/m3 (#8), while Nan (34 μg/m3), Chiang Rai (30 μg/m3) and Khon Kaen (27.6 μg/m3) rank 1st-3rd. So unless you move to the south of Thailand, you’ll be affected by air pollution. 

[JohnNThai]

This isn't only a "Chiang Mai" problem, but very clearly a regional, southeast Asian problem. We are looking at pollution in Northern-, Northeastern-, Eastern- and Central Thailand throughout the year, with Chiang Mai not even the worst and the far south being the best. It is very important that we analyze which regions have what cause of pollution, how they affect the neighboring regions and how we can stop this madness. But change has to come from the local population and government officials. I, for one, will vote next month for a hopefully better future of Thailand, we have to start somewhere... 

Edited April 7, 2023 by JohnNThai