Air Pollution Crisis Escalates with Hotspots Surge

[brewsterbudgen]

It's disgusting but just something people have always had to take precautions (masks, air purifiers) against and live with.  In the past we were none the wiser as there was no social media publicity; now every time it hits red, there's a panic!

[KhunLA]

Definitely a crap day down here / PKK 😷

Don't need a meter to tell me that, as can't see the headlands of the bay from the house, <5kms away, or the hills to the west, <10kms away.

 

Rest of the province is a bit worse:

We're a bit better at & in the house:

[Puccini]

[Puccini]

I am on my fourth day of treatment for acute bronchitis and think I will stay indoors today.

[Puccini]

The new Check The Dust app gives an even higher value for PM2.5 for the same location (but time stamp one hour later)

 

 

[Simon1287]

6 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It's disgusting but just something people have always had to take precautions (masks, air purifiers) against and live with.  In the past we were none the wiser as there was no social media publicity; now every time it hits red, there's a panic!

But is that really the case.

 

I know the memory plays tricks as the years go by but I really do not remember anything like the current levels of pollution say 20 or 25 years ago or I would never have stayed in Thailand so long.

 

Maybe in the far north in the burning season (I can't remember) but in Pattaya etc it never used to be like this. (did it?)

 

I well remember telling my mother I was off back to Thailand again just before Christmas, maybe 25 years ago, where it would be "just about solid sunshine for a few months"  There is nothing in my head about "but air pollution so bad you can't even see Ko Larn sometimes"

 

If it is really farmers burning rice fields to blame I don't see much will have changed there in 25 years.

 

The huge amount of sugar cane burning that goes on nowadays, which was on a much smaller scale years ago, is a major culprit but mega money interests do a lot of it so don't expect a solution anytime soon, for obvious reasons.

 

I can't remember if I am allowed to post an external link so if the following link vanishes just do a Google for "think global health Thailand sugar cane burning" where the very interesting article is at the page top.

 

https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/tangled-problem-sugarcane-burning-thailand#:~:text=Sugarcane Bane,black carbon into the air.

 

 

[JGon]

You just have to look where are the winds coming from... and right now the winds are from the East. In other words... Cambodia... and there are a lot of fires there. There's nothing you, the government, or anyone can do to stop this... You are at the mercy of the winds.

[Northstar1]

On 2/13/2024 at 3:25 PM, spidermike007 said:

Many of us really like it here. For a dozen good reasons. The The air is horrific. And nothing is being done about it. The regressive politics are annoying too, but these days I try not to think about politics much, as it tends to be a worldwide sewer.

 

Some of us have been fortunate enough to find an outstanding woman, who is delightful to be around, on a daily basis, always has our back, and is fun, smart, and lovely. For me, that likelihood of finding that back in the US, would be very low. So, that is a big factor for me. The second factor is just the quality of life. Sure, I miss alot of the culture back home. The theatre, independent film (which I can download here with no issues at all, and a super fast 1 gbps fiber optic connection, at under 700 baht per month!), stand up comedy, live jazz, etc. But I have a lovely home that I rent, for about 10% of what I would pay in California, I live very well on an income which is not huge, have access to great health care, at a tiny fraction of what it costs in the US, and do not have to put up with alot of the aggravation that I had to when I lived back there.

It is a very personal choice. I have friends who seem to be dropping like flies. I could be dead next year. You just don't know. I am not extravagant, but I live very, very well. A nice house, a new car every few years, new motorbikes for my gal and I every few years, a great art collection, plenty of good wine in the wine cooler, a new 77" OLED TV, a world class home theatre, plenty of international travel, etc. For me, it is a great lifestyle, that I could only dream of in the US. Well worth the expense and very easy to justify. Life is way too short. I have never been a person of extreme thrift. To each his own.

I used to have more issues than I do now. I worked on my attitude, which was getting in the way of appreciating Thailand for what it is, and was clouding my experience here. Used to stress over stupid stuff, as you can see from some of my past posts. Used to allow the politics to make me angry. Now it is not something I take seriously, just something I comment on, without anger or an emotional investment. Now, I just tend to laugh it off. Spent some real time back in the US recently, and it allowed some clarity and perspective, that I am very grateful for. Now, I just chuckle at most of the nonsense. Water off a duck's back, so to speak.
 

So your sacrificing your life?

that makes perfect sense!

 

[brewsterbudgen]

22 hours ago, Northstar1 said:

So your sacrificing your life?

that makes perfect sense!

 

Along with 70 million other people...

[spidermike007]

22 hours ago, Northstar1 said:

So your sacrificing your life?

that makes perfect sense!

 

 

Could you please explain how expats in Thailand are sacrificing their lives, or are you just engaging in nonsensical rambling? 

[brewsterbudgen]

19 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Could you please explain how expats in Thailand are sacrificing their lives, or are you just engaging in nonsensical rambling? 

The latter...

[DPKANKAN]

8.00 am it was 151 here. Now look at it ffs!!

232🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

[Furioso]

I think A/C and an Air Purifier is a must this time of year.

 

With my A/C and Purifier turned on my air quality is 14 ug/m3. If I turn them off and open the windows it goes up to at least 22 ug/m3. 

[John Drake]

48 minutes ago, DPKANKAN said:

8.00 am it was 151 here. Now look at it ffs!!

232🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

 

Looking at the prevailing winds this is what is blowing down into western Bangkok for the past three or four days. The entire Bangkok region to the north, west, and south is solid red for AQI (unhealthy). A line of fires running along the entire western border area. I don't think that's rice burning.

[JGon]

The fires intensify in Cambodia... a few more spring up in Laos as well. Last year I bought myself an air purifier. Best product I bought all year.

[ikke1959]

According to WHO the airquality of Bangkok is 15 times more than being accepted... They advise to stay indoors, wear masks outside ... Why did the Governemnt the last years nothing about it?? blacksmoke cars still driving around, almost no electric cars and charge points, no push for private solar panels, etc etc..but overcrowded roads, with outdated cars, burning  leaves and garbage  by farmers and households and temples, and nobody cares..More imporatnt issues than blowing a horn   

[clearance]

I can understand why PM 2.5 and PM 10 is high, but where Ozone comes from?

[brewsterbudgen]

20 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

According to WHO the airquality of Bangkok is 15 times more than being accepted... They advise to stay indoors, wear masks outside ... Why did the Governemnt the last years nothing about it?? blacksmoke cars still driving around, almost no electric cars and charge points, no push for private solar panels, etc etc..but overcrowded roads, with outdated cars, burning  leaves and garbage  by farmers and households and temples, and nobody cares..More imporatnt issues than blowing a horn   

Why should Thailand be any different to all the other countries in Asia affected by pollution?  India and China have it a lot worse.

[ikke1959]

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Why should Thailand be any different to all the other countries in Asia affected by pollution?  India and China have it a lot worse.

According to the WHO  Bangkok is most polluted city in SE Asia 

[Northstar1]

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Could you please explain how expats in Thailand are sacrificing their lives, or are you just engaging in nonsensical rambling? 

From the air pollution Einstein!

 

[Northstar1]

9 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

The latter...

 

I thought you moved from bangkok because of the pollution?

 

 

[mommysboy]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

According to the WHO  Bangkok is most polluted city in SE Asia 

 

And it's not exactly good optics for a tourism hub, hoping to regain its position.

[DonniePeverley]

Where does the air indoors come from ?

[Puccini]

2 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

Where does the air indoors come from ?

 

1. From outside.

 

2. From the exhalation of the of people and animals on the inside.

[Gknrd]

4 hours ago, mommysboy said:

 

And it's not exactly good optics for a tourism hub, hoping to regain its position.

Let`s see a BJ , easy women. or breathing polluted air.  I can wear a mask.  Se ya soon..

[DonniePeverley]

13 hours ago, mommysboy said:

 

And it's not exactly good optics for a tourism hub, hoping to regain its position.

 

Tourism are oblivious to the problem as it doesn't make international news 

[mommysboy]

11 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

Tourism are oblivious to the problem as it doesn't make international news 

 

They (I assume you meant 'tourists') are in for a shock then! 

 

Bad news always travels, usually fast imo.

[kwilco]

On 2/13/2024 at 1:04 AM, DPKANKAN said:

8.00 this morning already!!

THat's my road trip up in smoke - literally

[kwilco]

14 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

Tourism are oblivious to the problem as it doesn't make international news 

I don't know where you get that idea from - last year there was a huge amount of coverage in the European press.

[kwilco]

23 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

Where does the air indoors come from ?

aircon can reduce the concentration of particles. THe government would like you to think they are better than they are. you can get air purifiers and wear masks (N95/FFP2)