Chiang Mai battles extensive forest fires and severe air pollution

[webfact]

 

Chiang Mai, a city in the northern region of Thailand, is currently combating an alarming number of forest fires, with over 15 fires reported, some of which have been persisting for three days. As per the local authorities, 17 out of 153 hotspots were detected in the city yesterday.

 

Five of these hotspots are located in the Chiang Dao district, with two positioned on Doi Nang in Baan Na Lao of Tambon Chiang Dao. Forest fires have been blazing in these areas for several days now.

 

Efforts to extinguish the fires have been ongoing, led by the Protected Areas Regional Office 16, in collaboration with local communities and other state agencies. However, the difficult terrain, characterised by steep mountains and uneven geography, has been posing significant challenges to firefighting operations.

Supporting the ground team, six firefighting aircraft have been brought in from the Royal Thai Army, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. These aircraft are integral to the operations, tasked with battling the forest fires from above.

On top of the fires, Chiang Mai is also grappling with unsafe levels of PM2.5 pollutants. Yesterday, all 25 districts of the city recorded levels of these harmful ultra-fine pollutants above the safe exposure threshold for 24 hours of 37.5 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³), with concentrations ranging between 38.8 and 61.4µg/m³.

 

The situation is even more severe in the Mueang and Pai districts of Mae Hong Son, where PM2.5 pollutants were recorded at 82.7 and 92.2µg/m³, respectively.

 

Adding to the city’s woes, freak storms on April 13 evening resulted in widespread damage across large areas of the Fang district in Chiang Mai. The storms uprooted trees and caused significant damage to nearly 900 homes and 20 rai farmlands across eight districts, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Dusit Pongsapipat, the head of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, confirmed that necessary assistance is being provided to the affected households. He further added that inspections are currently underway to assess the extent of the damage and devise a recovery plan.

 

by Mitch Connor

Picture courtesy of bangkokbiznews

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-04-16

 

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[TroubleandGrumpy]

NASA fires map last 24 hours shows far less than normal now in Chiang Mai Province. There are heaps today in Laos though - unless they drop water on them by flying into their countries, then they will not get put out.  Thaiger - Hub of Quality Journalists. 

 

[ChrisY1]

And yet one day before Songkran, Pollution levels in these regions were, miraculously, down.

Now they'll to normal.....

[0815]

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@99.1,18.9,7.0z

Check on the link where most fires are !
Just for those who like bashing Chiang Mai farmers ...
Air quality index was on 205 before the rain, in the last days around 90, today on 151.

Edited April 16 by 0815

[spidermike007]

I think the bottom line is that as many qualities as Chiang Mai may have, it's become unlivable. With the air quality being as bad as it is for so many months of the year, is it worth it? I don't think so, I think it's a no-go zone, at this point in time. Time to re-locate.

[Rinato]

Maybe they can use submarine and frigate to extinguish this fires 

[Skeptic7]

Every year...due to it's own doing, negligence and failure to actually take action against it. 

[NedR69]

Are Thai people burning the ground so they can find the mushrooms later this year?  Or who/what is setting the fires??

 

[bristolgeoff]

To be fair chiang mai gets all the bad air that comes from the neighbour countries.It is hot  and some fires  do start or happen here

[hotchilli]

Chiang Mai is off my bucket list.. I don't give a rats, it can burn down to the ground.

[mogandave]

Climate change 

[kwilco]

52 minutes ago, 0815 said:

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#d:24hrs;@99.1,18.9,7.0z

Check on the link where most fires are !
Just for those who like bashing Chiang Mai farmers ...
Air quality index was on 205 before the rain, in the last days around 90, today on 151.

How do you think forrest fires get started??

[Gknrd]

Such a lovely place turned into a death camp basically. Bad thing is, majority of Thailand is not good. Issan is the pits also. It's just not a retirement destination anymore. What a shame, years ago it was so nice.  ugggg. 

Edited April 16 by Gknrd

[Tarteso]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the head of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, confirmed that necessary assistance

Blah blah blah😂

[Zack61]

Hopefully, with Songkran in the rear view mirror, the big rains are due and everyone will get an eight month reprieve. 
Bring it on. 

[Don Kaeo]

Been through 11 years of this, and not one step forward to deter or effectively combat these clowns causing so many problems. 
Leads me to surmise that either there is financial incentive not to stop anyone or the government is just too damn inept to deal with it. 
Either way, TAT is going to see it’s precious tourism revenue suffer, as the burning seasons extends itself longer and longer… 

Probably not be until the end of May that the skies will clear, so four months this year..? 
The missus and I have had enough, we’re off down south, I don’t want to but it’s ridiculous to think that this is just continue on unabated and considered a normal part of living in Chiang Mai. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Chiang Mai is off my bucket list.. I don't give a rats, it can burn down to the ground.

The OP report incudes:

 

............17 out of 153 hotspots were detected in the city yesterday.

[PETERTHEEATER]

I think a 'GoFundMe' should be launched immediately to get Tony out of Chiengmai before the flames reach his private jet. He's also down to his last 2.5 filter mask. Can any AN member local to him help out?

[Polaky]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I think the bottom line is that as many qualities as Chiang Mai may have, it's become unlivable. With the air quality being as bad as it is for so many months of the year, is it worth it? I don't think so, I think it's a no-go zone, at this point in time. Time to re-locate.

The alarming number of lung cancer victims emanating from this area is a sure sign that moving is not such a bad idea.

[lavender19]

2 hours ago, mogandave said:

Climate change 

Nah. It's all the EV's on the roads

[NorthernRyland]

3 hours ago, NedR69 said:

Are Thai people burning the ground so they can find the mushrooms later this year?  Or who/what is setting the fires??

 

I say it's mostly the hill tribes who are foraging and hunting, and yes they extend into Myanmar and Laos. Just look at who's living around the areas which are burning. It's the same places every year around the same people.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Don Kaeo said:

Been through 11 years of this, and not one step forward to deter or effectively combat these clowns causing so many problems. 
Leads me to surmise that either there is financial incentive not to stop anyone or the government is just too damn inept to deal with it. 
Either way, TAT is going to see it’s precious tourism revenue suffer, as the burning seasons extends itself longer and longer… 

Probably not be until the end of May that the skies will clear, so four months this year..? 
The missus and I have had enough, we’re off down south, I don’t want to but it’s ridiculous to think that this is just continue on unabated and considered a normal part of living in Chiang Mai. 

The Army has absolutely no business being involved in government, so you have two administrations in a row that are influenced by, or controlled by the army and that's 10 1/2 years of extremely toxic and incompetent, lazy, sluggish, unimaginative, and regressive leadership.

 

What does that result in? The worst air Thailand seen in a decade and zero reform. We are moving backwards. 

[ArtVandelay]

5 hours ago, mogandave said:

Climate change 

 

It could be making the situation worse.  Geography also is a culprit.  A similar effect to Chiang Mai happens to New Delhi, India every winter due to a naturally occurring temperature inversion. 

 

Air flowing over the Himalayan mountains to the north descends towards the south and as this air falls, it heats up (since compression is occuring due to higher pressure at lower levels), forming a "ceiling" of warmer air layer above cooler air blanketing the ground.  This polluted ground air can no longer rise and get carried away by faster-moving air in the upper atmosphere.   

[NorthernRyland]

5 hours ago, Don Kaeo said:

Been through 11 years of this, and not one step forward to deter or effectively combat these clowns causing so many problems. 
Leads me to surmise that either there is financial incentive not to stop anyone or the government is just too damn inept to deal with it. 

I simply don't see Thai people as having the spirit required to do the hard policing it would take. It's not just burning it's all the usual problems, stray dogs, littering on vacant land, dangerous driving etc... These aren't people that are willing to have ugly confrontations and do what would needs to be done. I have zero confidence this will ever change unless the people themselves decide they want to stop. 

[Northstar1]

7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I think the bottom line is that as many qualities as Chiang Mai may have, it's become unlivable. With the air quality being as bad as it is for so many months of the year, is it worth it? I don't think so, I think it's a no-go zone, at this point in time. Time to re-locate.

But the expats continue to argue that it is heaven on earth 

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, NorthernRyland said:

I simply don't see Thai people as having the spirit required to do the hard policing it would take. It's not just burning it's all the usual problems, stray dogs, littering on vacant land, dangerous driving etc... These aren't people that are willing to have ugly confrontations and do what would needs to be done. I have zero confidence this will ever change unless the people themselves decide they want to stop. 

Correct, as most don't like to be confrontational and just want everything to be easy. FACE has no place in Thailand anymore......but then that's my view

[sherwood]

2 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

 

It could be making the situation worse.  Geography also is a culprit.  A similar effect to Chiang Mai happens to New Delhi, India every winter due to a naturally occurring temperature inversion. 

 

Air flowing over the Himalayan mountains to the north descends towards the south and as this air falls, it heats up (since compression is occuring due to higher pressure at lower levels), forming a "ceiling" of warmer air layer above cooler air blanketing the ground.  This polluted ground air can no longer rise and get carried away by faster-moving air in the upper atmosphere.   

BS. Fires are caused by people in almost every instance.

Temperature inversion has nothing to do with the cause.

People start fires and they need to be held accountable, period.

 

[arithai12]

10 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I think the bottom line is that as many qualities as Chiang Mai may have, it's become unlivable. With the air quality being as bad as it is for so many months of the year, is it worth it? I don't think so, I think it's a no-go zone, at this point in time. Time to re-locate.

Are you living here? If not, as it is clear from your generally misinformed posts, why do you want to relocate? FYI, the fires are in CM province, which is the largest province in Thailand. Not in CM city, and in fact the air in the past few days has been -far from good, granted- quite breathable. But to your partial excuse I have to admit that the article is intentionally misleading.

[spidermike007]

7 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Correct, as most don't like to be confrontational and just want everything to be easy. FACE has no place in Thailand anymore......but then that's my view

The practice of face may be the single greatest weakness of Thai culture. It prevents growth, emotional development, and is the polar opposite of Buddhism, on multiple levels. It is a scourge. 

[eumenades]

13 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

I say it's mostly the hill tribes who are foraging and hunting, and yes they extend into Myanmar and Laos. Just look at who's living around the areas which are burning. It's the same places every year around the same people.

 

I was astounded during my bus trip through Laos. So many hills looked like a shaved cat.