Wildfire strikes Thai National Park, sparks regional eco-disaster

[webfact]

A helicopter trying to control fire on Khao Tabaek mountain in Nakhon Nayok province. (Picture courtesy of Public Relations Department)

 

by Mitch Connor

A ferocious wildfire has broken out in Khao Tabaek mountain in Nakhon Nayok province, and it’s not backing down. This hungry hellscape has crossed over into Khao Yai National Park, threatening the area’s lush greenery and its resident creatures.

Park ranger Chaiya Huayhongthong sent out an SOS to nearby national parks, asking for reinforcements to help 200 rangers and two helicopters tame the blaze. With the fire feasting on the steep terrain’s dry bamboo and leaves, Chaiya fears it’ll take at least another day to save the park from further destruction, reported Bangkok Post.

The danger doesn’t stop there! The Suomi NPP satellite has spotted more smoke signals in the northern region. With almost 2,000 hotspots detected in forest reserves throughout the country, it looks like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Nan are next up for a game of “Whack-A-Mole with Fire.” Add Myanmar and Laos to the mix, and Southeast Asia’s hots spots are blazing the region with a whopping 21,000+ hotspots.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/wildfire-poses-threat-to-khao-yai

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-04-13

 

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[Gold Star]

It is a dry hot tinderbox out there, after 2 relatively wet years of fuel buildup, in Thailand and neighbouring countries.

 

The smoke accumulates up in the northern bowl with stagnant winds, and is a complex problem to solve.

 

Seasonal land burning adds to the problem, but is not all to blame. 

 

Thailand bears so many hidden costs from it, in terms of health, the economy, and tourism.

 

It is the poor and the children that can't escape the smoke by staying in filtered homes, and must work in the outside air who suffer the most.

[marioc]

Jeez.... it is freaking endless... it will never stop, won't it?????

[worgeordie]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Suomi NPP satellite has spotted more smoke signals in the northern region.

It's a pity it could not spot some of the arsonists ,

 

regards Worgeordie

[cardinalblue]

What about 2,000 men and 20 helicopters? 
 

though fire retardant cargo planes are more effective which I doubt thailand even has…put the damn military to ude

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The danger doesn’t stop there! The Suomi NPP satellite has spotted more smoke signals in the northern region. With almost 2,000 hotspots detected in forest reserves throughout the country, it looks like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Nan are next up for a game of “Whack-A-Mole with Fire.”

So it's not all the neighbours, but I do acknowledge they burn the same way.

Time to change the government and get people in who are interested in the country and not just themselves.

People of Thailand... Vote wisely this time around.

[Pink Mist]

A troll post has been removed.

[dinsdale]

32 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

It's a pity it could not spot some of the arsonists ,

 

regards Worgeordie

Maybe some of this is down to arsonists but we don't know this. There is also the chance of idiots throwing disgarded cigs out of their car or disgarding anywhere else. Doesn't take much to get bushires (Australian lingo) going. Broken bottles magnifying sunlight and setting brush alight?  My guess would be idiots. 

[Drop the dead donkey]

If this is a military country as we see so often with the military government.

Why do they not use their military might and call in the soldiers to start beating and building firebreaks?

What are all these garrisoned soldiers doing in this country. Or do they not have enough of those either, due to ever disappearing funds?

[kwilco]

Dry season - good for burning....but agriculture plays a big part.

THe problems in the forests are multiple - many of the fires are man-made - locals set up fires to clear undergrowth to help in seasonal mushroom gathering. I was in the WFC recently and was surprised to see patches of burning everywhere.

Another problem is that the National parks are grossly underfunded so not only are not enough resources to deal with the fires, the local rangers are so badly paid that they engage in burning to make extra money from mushrooms etc.

As for neighbours - they may have forest fires but they agricultural burning is much smaller than the industrial scale burning engaged in by rice and sugar farmers in Thailand..

 

the problem is that 10s of thousands of people are getting sick and this may also turn into chronic illnesses - it is costing the nation a lot of monet=y and this will increase exponentially unless something is done - they need to see further than the next harvest figures...

The cost of fire pollution in Northern Thailand can be difficult to quantify precisely, as it depends on various factors such as the severity of the pollution, the duration of the pollution, and the impact on different sectors such as health, tourism, agriculture, and the environment. However, studies have estimated that the economic cost of fire pollution in Northern Thailand can be significant.

For instance, a study published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health in 2018 estimated that the economic cost of the 2016 fire haze in Northern Thailand was approximately 2.2 billion baht (about 70 million USD). The study considered various factors such as health impacts, tourism losses, and agricultural damage.

Another study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2020 estimated that the economic cost of air pollution from biomass burning in Northern Thailand was approximately 11 billion baht (about 350 million USD) per year. The study considered various factors such as health impacts, crop damage, and reduction in labor productivity.

Overall, the cost of fire pollution in Northern Thailand is likely to be significant, and efforts to reduce or prevent the pollution can have significant economic benefits in addition to improving public health and the environment..

then one has to factor in the cost to the tourist industry. March in many parts of Central and Northern Thailand is now closed season.

[phetphet]

More forest and wildlife loss.

 

What a juxtaposition. Forest fires burning while people spray water at each other on the streets.

 

 

[John Drake]

Not even a mention of what started the wildfire???

[Aussie999]

24 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Not even a mention of what started the wildfire???

Could be because they don't know.... however, Thais usually make some sort of assumption/s.

[Gknrd]

When I was living in the sticks. The tribes people and locals set the fires. Common every year.  Actually it spurs growth. And the tribes people and locals would set the fires for financial reasons. The real problem I saw was clear cutting the forests and burning. Cambodia was.a nightmare. There are not any forests left in SE Asia. Most low land forests have been clear cut years ago. Thailand , other than the few parks has not had any forests in many many years.

As a side note, after living threw some of the worst years of pollution. I would not set foot in Thailand for six months a year. Thailand is one of the worst, if not the worst country I have ever visited as a tourist or resident six months a year.

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, marioc said:

Jeez.... it is freaking endless... it will never stop, won't it?????

If you are talking about the current heat, humidity and lack of rain , then I agree 

[zzaa09]

This is a result of casual and indiscriminate aggie burning. 

Is anyone getting it yet?

[Derek B]

Fly anywhere at night and on take off & landing you can see all of the small homestead fires in addition to the fields.

Even the central reservations on some sections of dual carriage ways have scorched earth signs.

[kwilco]

4 hours ago, phetphet said:

More forest and wildlife loss.

 

What a juxtaposition. Forest fires burning while people spray water at each other on the streets.

 

 

It does bring home the idea that there is plenty of water but no will to throw it in places it will do most good.

[kwilco]

4 hours ago, John Drake said:

Not even a mention of what started the wildfire???

yes there is - it is often people trying to clear undergrowth to collect mushrooms.

[Hawaiian]

15 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

What about 2,000 men and 20 helicopters? 
 

though fire retardant cargo planes are more effective which I doubt thailand even has…put the damn military to ude

They are only useful for shooting unarmed civilians.

[SoilSpoil]

35 minutes ago, Hawaiian said:

They are only useful for shooting unarmed civilians.

If they are armed with lighters, then they have my blessing.