CHIANG MAI (NNT) - Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin led a meeting in Chiang Mai province on Wednesday (Nov 29), targeting the serious environmental issues of forest fires, smog, and PM 2.5 pollution.

 

Held at the International Convention and Exhibition Center, the gathering brought together governors from 17 provinces, representatives from the private and public sectors, academia, the Chiang Mai Breath Council, and the We Love Chiang Mai Fund.

 

The focus was on developing comprehensive strategies to combat these persistent environmental challenges. The Prime Minister stressed the need for a collaborative, multi-faceted approach involving prevention, immediate response, and long-term policy planning.

 

Key discussions centered around joint efforts between government bodies, communities, and environmental specialists. The meeting also tabled the urgent need for sustainable practices and community involvement in environmental conservation.

 

By Krajangwit Johjit

 

Full story: NNT 2023-11-29

 

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Bla, bla, bla.......
So many meetings, endless talking, brilliant measures and good intentions by everybody..... but it is always the same story: we'll be choking in the smoke as usual.
Yesterday in Chiang Mai AQI has been constantly over 100, I cannot believe they have already started to burn their <deleted>.

 

Until the Thai government decide to buy plows and farm implements instead of submarines without engines or aircraft without qualified pilots... the burning will continue as usual and people will be the worse off for it.

1 hour ago, marioc said:

1 hour ago, marioc said:

Bla, bla, bla.......
So many meetings, endless talking, brilliant measures and good intentions by everybody..... but it is always the same story: we'll be choking in the smoke as usual.
Yesterday in Chiang Mai AQI has been constantly over 100, I cannot believe they have already started to burn their <deleted>.

 

 

1 hour ago, marioc said:

Bla, bla, bla.......
So many meetings, endless talking, brilliant measures and good intentions by everybody..... but it is always the same story: we'll be choking in the smoke as usual.
Yesterday in Chiang Mai AQI has been constantly over 100, I cannot believe they have already started to burn their <deleted>.

 

Bla, bla, bla.......
So many meetings, endless talking, brilliant measures and good intentions by everybody..... but it is always the same story: we'll be choking in the smoke as usual.
Yesterday in Chiang Mai AQI has been constantly over 100, I cannot believe they have already started to burn their <deleted>.

 

and they won

Just now, malibukid said:

and they won

and they are moaning about tourist numbers being down, lol

Fascinating that the man who is most responsible for pollution of the environment is pretending to care. 

 

He is a major polluter with his business and lifestyle, and comes from a family which is part of the problem. 

 

These guys just don't care. 

Just order it gone like the last muppet did problem solved 🤔

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin led a meeting in Chiang Mai province on Wednesday (Nov 29), targeting the serious environmental issues of forest fires, smog, and PM 2.5 pollution.

Easy solution.

Srettha, here's an idea.

Invite the governor, all the village headmen and any companies that burn in the province to a meeting.

Tell them straight... any burning you are out of a job or your company will be closed down.

private individuals found burning will face a huge fine and mandatory 6 month i jail.

you want to impress people mr PM

 

go to chaing mai during the smog season. set up a booth in downtown and sit in it all day......without a mask. 

 

 

Good that the PM is showing his concern about this huge problem.  Perhaps I'm naïve, but it seems to me that the first step is obvious: get the police to enforce the existing laws against burning, and make sure to publicly shame and SERIOUSLY fine (maybe even jail) some of the culprits to set a clear example.  Will this totally eliminate the smoke and pollution?  Of course not.  But it would be a huge step forward and allow Thailand some leverage to negotiate and coerce the neighbouring countries to do similar work.

Surely Prayuth solved the problem years ago when he came here by private jet, flew by helicopter to an army base and handed out 100 firebeaters and some leaf blowers.!

2 hours ago, carlf said:

Good that the PM is showing his concern about this huge problem.  Perhaps I'm naïve, but it seems to me that the first step is obvious: get the police to enforce the existing laws against burning, and make sure to publicly shame and SERIOUSLY fine (maybe even jail) some of the culprits to set a clear example.  Will this totally eliminate the smoke and pollution?  Of course not.  But it would be a huge step forward and allow Thailand some leverage to negotiate and coerce the neighbouring countries to do similar work.

You right on this. There are existing laws to reduce open burning. Bold "zero-burning' plan was introduced by the Prayut administration but political will was severly lacking. If current PM Sreetha is serious about eliminating the haze, enforcement must be stepped up with drones deployed to identify the culprits and impose heavy penalties. The Government should also look into granting incentives for large scale agriculture crop residues recycling plants businesses. 

Edited November 30, 20232 yr by Eric Loh
add word

3 hours ago, carlf said:

Good that the PM is showing his concern about this huge problem.  Perhaps I'm naïve, but it seems to me that the first step is obvious: get the police to enforce the existing laws against burning, and make sure to publicly shame and SERIOUSLY fine (maybe even jail) some of the culprits to set a clear example.  Will this totally eliminate the smoke and pollution?  Of course not.  But it would be a huge step forward and allow Thailand some leverage to negotiate and coerce the neighbouring countries to do similar work.

 

The government should offer incentives, for the farmers to switch crops. This is 2023. Rice and sugar worked in previous centuries. Now, they do not make any sense. Too labor intensive, too much degradation of the land, water, air, and resources. Let's get with the times. Let us move forward. 

 

Likely far more than that amount of people that are suffering right now. And the authorities do not seem to care, one iota. If they did, something would be done. Instead, only hollow promises. 

 

We will enforce the ban on burning. And it never gets enforced. No penalties, no nothing. 

 

We will do something about poorly maintained diesel vehicles. And nothing is ever done, because the cops are too lazy, and the highway patrol refuses to patrol the highway, and the special hotlines you set up, do not know anything about the program, or the laws. 

 

We care about the environment. Yeah right. Another bald faced lie. You care not, you see the air, you talk about the air, and you do nothing about the air. More empty words from the "do nothing men".

 

I know I am dreaming. It takes a progressive administration to do these kinds of things, and Sretta and his gang are as regressive as they come. The youth must prevail. The youth must figure out a way to lead this nation forward. Otherwise, it is nothing but darkness, that will prevail.

 

They shut down the economy due to covid. But, burning cane is ok. Can't they see the effect it is having on the air? Do they care one iota? Don't the leaders live here too? Why are they MIA? Why don't the "do nothing guys" do something for a change? 

 

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. 

 

The problem is not only the politicians, but also the people, a large part of the population, which does not care:

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/12/how-chiang-mai-became-the-worlds-most-polluted-city

 

Great article. At least they state the truth. It is field burning and predatory agricultural practices, more than wildfires, that is to blame. And the army won't touch the giant growers. Perhaps a more creative and far more drastic approach would work? 

 

Can anyone share the phone number of the worldwide well-known culprit of those "environmental disasters" with H.E. The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, who quite obviously is either completely ignorant or smoke-screening activities like all his predecessors? 

No meeting is required, just enforce the law by the police, which is under the direct leadership of who? Guessing is allowed ;-) 

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Easy solution.

Srettha, here's an idea.

Invite the governor, all the village headmen and any companies that burn in the province to a meeting.

Tell them straight... any burning you are out of a job or your company will be closed down.

private individuals found burning will face a huge fine and mandatory 6 month i jail.

Keep on dreaming.