Bangkok’s children gasp for air amidst pollution nightmare

[webfact]

 

Children in Bangkok suffer daily from heavy air pollution, battling constant coughs and other possible respiratory illnesses.

 

Pupils at Suan Lumphini School confront the harsh reality of their environment each morning as they assemble under coloured flags denoting the day’s air quality: a distressing routine with red signalling the worst and blue the best.

 

Thailand grapples annually with dire air pollution levels, its cities topping global pollution charts for days on end last year. Amongst those most vulnerable are the children, facing heightened risks of long-term respiratory damage.

Lalipthat Prakham, a maid, laments how her eight year old daughter has already fallen ill due to the polluted air.

Despite promises from Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to address the issue, tangible solutions remain elusive. Residents like Nanthnan Hajiub witness firsthand the toll it takes on their children, with his 11 year old son now battling a sporadic cough.

 

Yet, not all children suffer equally. While Bangkok’s elite private schools boast air purifiers and filtration systems, public institutions like Suan Lumphini School are left to fend for themselves.

 

In a glimmer of hope, Chulalongkorn University initiated a pollution study, providing a clean room equipped with purifying air-conditioning units in schools situated in highly polluted areas. This initiative aims to mitigate some of the harmful effects on students’ health.

 

Protecting children’s health

 

Suphatpong Anuchitsopapan, the school’s head, stresses the urgency of the situation, advocating for better measures to combat pollution’s adverse effects on students.

 

According to Teerachai Amnuaylojaroen from the University of Phayao’s School of Energy and Environment, children face heightened risks due to their still-developing bodies and faster breathing rates, exposing them to more pollutants.

 

The World Health Organisation echoes these concerns, highlighting the grave risks pollution poses to children’s health and development.

 

While clean rooms offer temporary respite, they are not a panacea for the pollution epidemic. The lack of concrete data on children hospitalised due to pollution underscores the severity of the issue.

 

Back at Suan Lumphini School, teacher Jiraporn Sukpraserd finds solace in her classroom’s clean room, acknowledging its vital role in safeguarding her young charges’ health, reported VN Express.

 

However, for parents like Bounleua Boriharn, whose daughter is not afforded the same protection, the anguish persists. With Bangkok often shrouded in fog, his concern for his child’s well-being intensifies.

 

by Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of NDTV

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-03-16

 

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[flyingtlger]

Experts are predicting that Thailand's population will decrease by half in 60 years.

The current air pollution situation will only exacerbate the situation......

[Celsius]

Livin' the dream

[loong]

I am not in Bangkok, but every day I see parked vehicles left with engines running. Numerous people who do not switch off their engines when buying stuff from roadside stalls. Add in the ridiculously long unnecessary waits at red lights with engines running, that is a lot of pollution that could be avoided. I am guessing that it is much the same in Bangkok.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Children in Bangkok suffer daily from heavy air pollution, battling constant coughs and other possible respiratory illnesses.

While Srettha is globe trotting trying to find sponsors to keep Thailand the hub of all things, and now fine dining in CM

He doesn't give a rats fo the people, he and Thaksin are making plans for Thailands future.

A fugitive on parole is pulling the strings, get Sis back into Thailand and they will take over the PTP and have a cabinet reshuffle.

Back to the old way of doing things.

[JoePai]

Bangkok has nothing on Chiang Mail

[brianthainess]

5 hours ago, loong said:

I am not in Bangkok, but every day I see parked vehicles left with engines running. Numerous people who do not switch off their engines when buying stuff from roadside stalls. Add in the ridiculously long unnecessary waits at red lights with engines running, that is a lot of pollution that could be avoided. I am guessing that it is much the same in Bangkok.

I have been saying this for years about the long waits at red lights, in the UK for example underground computer systems ( I believe magnetic counters) control the flow of traffic, not stopping 6 lanes of traffic to allow just 2 cars out, from a side road then waiting minuets till its green again, also in many places not allowed to turn right unless the green arrow shows, in the UK if safe you can turn and pull to the center until it is safe to turn. Even 50+ years ago they had pads in the road that counted traffic flow. Roundabouts another one.  Swindon was an interesting one, keep to the 30mph speed limit and you hit every green light, go faster Red light. Sadly Thai driving skills are CRAP and always will be.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 minute ago, brianthainess said:

I have been saying this for years about the long waits at red lights, in the UK for example underground computer systems ( I believe magnetic counters) control the flow of traffic, not stopping 6 lanes of traffic to allow just 2 cars out, from a side road then waiting minuets till its green again, also in many places not allowed to turn right unless the green arrow shows, in the UK if safe you can turn and pull to the center until it is safe to turn. Even 50+ years ago they had pads in the road that counted traffic flow. Roundabouts another one.  Swindon was an interesting one, keep to the 30mph speed limit and you hit every green light, go faster Red light. Sadly Thai driving skills are CRAP and always will be.

 

    These days in th UK, car engines switch off automatically when the car stops .

Even buses have to restart their engines every time they stop 

[bigupandchill]

Diesel is up there among the worst pollutants - it disperses slowly in air and is highly toxic. Putting the price up to reduce it's use would help, but would also increase inflation.

[brianthainess]

10 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

    These days in th UK, car engines switch off automatically when the car stops .

Even buses have to restart their engines every time they stop 

Some buses had a hydromantic flywheel when the bus stops it stores energy from idle, so on pulling away accelerating it just moved off with no clouds of smoke Decades ago. Perth in OZ gas buses all with wheelchair access also decades ago.

[Rampant Rabbit]

Thank  goodness  its only the children, Im over 20! problem solved.

[rexpotter]

Amazes me that Thai's will sit a red light in the middle of nowhere and without any traffic cameras there. I blast off screw it, why waste my money the fuel and kill the dam planet.

[Emdog]

Whew, only affects children so being a geezer I've nothing to worry about!

"Thailand grapples annually with dire air pollution levels,..." "Grapple" to me implies some sort of tussle, struggle, effort.... I haven't seen any serious efforts made to lower pollution here. I like to check daily levels in Bangkok and Pattaya. As often as not numbers are higher for Pattaya... more to pollution than just vehicles I reckon

[Tropicalevo]

15 hours ago, webfact said:

Yet, not all children suffer equally. While Bangkok’s elite private schools boast air purifiers and filtration systems, public institutions like Suan Lumphini School are left to fend for themselves.

And that sums up most of Thailand's problems today.

Rich  - OK.

Poor - DGAF

[daveAustin]

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Suphatpong Anuchitsopapan, the school’s head, stresses the urgency of the situation, advocating for better measures to combat pollution’s adverse effects on students

Stop the F burning and ban all those disgusting tuk-tuks for starters!!

[thesetat]

13 hours ago, loong said:

I am not in Bangkok, but every day I see parked vehicles left with engines running. Numerous people who do not switch off their engines when buying stuff from roadside stalls. Add in the ridiculously long unnecessary waits at red lights with engines running, that is a lot of pollution that could be avoided. I am guessing that it is much the same in Bangkok.

Although you are correct about your comments. I think that has been happening for decades here. The root of the automobile problem is that there are so many failing the exhaust pollution content allowed and are bypassing the inspection done yearly. More so do I see cars puffing out black smoke than I see engines idling at lights and on the sides of roadways. The same goes for trucks although I had noticed there are a lot less spitting out visible smoke from their exhausts. 

Whatever the exact cause is, the noticeable increase in smoke and reduction even in visibility has increased enormously this year compared to others. I am just grateful I am living far from that smoke. 

[brewsterbudgen]

Not really just a Bangkok problem - most parts of Thailand are affected at cetain times of the year, as is most of Asia.  Still, keeps social media busy.

[aseanfan]

Where is the analysis of the pollution?  That would then lead to the culprits, no?

 

I've been in Bangkok for the last 8 months and there seems to be no issue at all with pollutionmthat I can see, nor smell or taste....

 

[persimmon]

I often see trucks loaded with sugar cane heading for the local factory churning out huge amounts of dirty black smoke from the exhausts , nobody seems to care . Then there`s the burning of crop residues and general rubbish . The GF wanted to get rid of an old 3 piece suite - solution , burn it generating unpleasant smoke . Nobody seems to care though ,nobody complained .

[it is what it is]

4 minutes ago, persimmon said:

I often see trucks loaded with sugar cane heading for the local factory churning out huge amounts of dirty black smoke from the exhausts , nobody seems to care . Then there`s the burning of crop residues and general rubbish . The GF wanted to get rid of an old 3 piece suite - solution , burn it generating unpleasant smoke . Nobody seems to care though ,nobody complained .

 

indeed, street vendors have smoky fires on pavement stall all around my area, everyone complains about the pollution but no one stops or challenges those who cause it.

[GammaGlobulin]

Sometimes, the smoke and dust burns my eyes.

 

I feel sorry for the elephants of Thailand that must endure this smoke through no fault of their own.

 

Of course, through their back hole, they emit a ton of CO2, which is a pollutant.

Still, I feel sorry for them, especially when they have indigestion due to Anthropogenic Smoke.

 

 

[john donson]

lat krabang, opened recently a robinson, homepro, makro, index mall,   but town hall does not want to build a passenger bridge to cross the road safely...have to run for your life...   thailand....  TIT 

[NorthernRyland]

Thailand is a joke. They can't enforce basic emission laws. If they say they're care they're lying. It's been years this way and they haven't even taken the first steps.

[cmjl]

15 hours ago, bigupandchill said:

Diesel is up there among the worst pollutants - it disperses slowly in air and is highly toxic. Putting the price up to reduce it's use would help, but would also increase inflation.

I was told that the particulates from petrol vehicles are finer so go further into the lungs than diesel particulates but why just blame diesel vehicles,the whole of Thailand is one huge mass of pollution especially in the North and until those in charge make it their business to enforce burning and emission laws nothing will change.

[arithai12]

23 hours ago, hotchilli said:

While Srettha is globe trotting trying to find sponsors to keep Thailand the hub of all things, and now fine dining in CM

He doesn't give a rats fo the people, he and Thaksin are making plans for Thailands future.

A fugitive on parole is pulling the strings, get Sis back into Thailand and they will take over the PTP and have a cabinet reshuffle.

Back to the old way of doing things.

So, let's follow your political angle. Srettha is in CM to inspect personally the situation re: forest fires (which is btw quite different from the problem in BKK), but in reality he is fine dining. Now, also Pita arrived in CM exactly for the same reason, but in his case of course he is skipping dinner and working hard. Right? Ah yes, and Yingluck is part of the equation re: pollution in Bangkok. Right? Brilliant analysis.

[spidermike007]

 

There is a very simple solution to this problem. If the authorities were interested in solutions. The burning has to stop. There are alternatives, to this 19th century technique of burning after the sugar cane harvest. Either the government starts to encourage farmers to switch to more environmentally friendly crops, or they start to penalize farmers for burning. The refiners must be punished too, but since this is Big Agra, the coward leaders don't have the guts to stand up to them. This heinous burning, is leading to a tremendous degree of environmental degradation, and alot of lung disease. So here is what I propose-

 

1. Fine the farmers 5,000 baht for a first offense, and give them a stern warning, that burning is now prohibited, and the second fine will be very harsh.

2. For a second offense, fine the farmer 100,000 baht, payable within 15 days, or a lien will be out in their land, and warn them that if the burning continues, their land will be confiscated, on the next offense. 

3. On the 3rd offense, confiscate their land. Period. No questions. No legal proceeding or appeals on the part of the farmers. Allow others to come in and purchase the land at a fair price, with the caveat that sugar is prohibited as a crop to be grown on that land.

 

The news would travel faster than the toxic smoke, and farmers would change their ways overnight, and move into the 21st century.

[spidermike007]

9 hours ago, persimmon said:

I often see trucks loaded with sugar cane heading for the local factory churning out huge amounts of dirty black smoke from the exhausts , nobody seems to care . Then there`s the burning of crop residues and general rubbish . The GF wanted to get rid of an old 3 piece suite - solution , burn it generating unpleasant smoke . Nobody seems to care though ,nobody complained .

In addition the trucks absolutely tear up the local roads, and do not seem to be responsible for fixing or even making a contribution towards the repair of these local roads, they are absolute parasites. 

 

The entire sugar industry is heinous and should be eliminated entirely from the landscape there are far more progressive crops that these farmers could be growing. 

[hotchilli]

47 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

So, let's follow your political angle. Srettha is in CM to inspect personally the situation re: forest fires (which is btw quite different from the problem in BKK), but in reality he is fine dining. Now, also Pita arrived in CM exactly for the same reason, but in his case of course he is skipping dinner and working hard. Right? Ah yes, and Yingluck is part of the equation re: pollution in Bangkok. Right? Brilliant analysis.

We all have our views, you are welcome to yours, as I am to mine...

have  a great day

[stoner]

On 3/16/2024 at 3:27 AM, webfact said:

Children in Bangkok suffer daily from heavy air pollution, battling constant coughs and other possible respiratory illnesses.

 

good. if thai do not want to take care of their own children its their own choice. 

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

We all have our views, you are welcome to yours, as I am to mine...

have  a great day

Well I think most of us have the same opinion about Sretta. He loves fine dining, he loves fine wine and travel, and he doesn't much care for the process of running a country, nor does he particularly care for the Thai people, much less the common man. He is a do nothing PM. By contrast the nation had a real chance for progress with Pita as a leader.