Expats How Do You Deal With The Toxic Air Pollution in Thailand?

[roo860]

15 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Curious how most expats deal with the air pollution in their homes.

Do you have air-con in every room or a safe room to stay inside?

Do you use air purifiers also?

Name brands of air purifiers would be helpful along with prices where you purchased it and how it works in your home or room.

As much information as possible would be helpful for all those concerned.

Since the government seems totally unwilling to make any effort to clean up the air and garbage pollution.

We are all at risk including those working for the government and their families!

How many years you been living in Thailand ? 

[UWEB]

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

I packed my bags and moved to Siem Reap.

Doesn't help

 

[Celsius]

I don't care I might choke to death because girls at Nana smile at me

[KhunLA]

15 minutes ago, Celsius said:

I don't care I might choke to death because girls at Nana smile at me

So ... when are you leaving ?

[connda]

I reload my air purifiers with a new HEPA filter, and then hunker-down for the next three months staying primarily indoors.
Sucks as it may, it's just the nature of the beast up here in Northern Thailand.  It won't change.

[Yagoda]

23 minutes ago, UWEB said:

Doesn't help

 

You try that all the time, oh look, today the air is bad in Siem Reap too. Its a stupid argument. Learn to read the pollution maps and a bit about geography.

 

Sounds like sour grapes, you are either not even in SE asia or are stuck in BKK.

[Yagoda]

25 minutes ago, Celsius said:

I don't care I might choke to death because girls at Nana smile at me

I usually dont let the air stop me from performing my duties to the girls. Airplanes fly over the smog.

[fondue zoo]

16 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

High floor condominium - up here the pollution is not half as bad as on street level.

 

 

 

 

[LosLobo]

Living in the hills on the Isthmus of Kra, halfway between Chumphon and Ranong, I always thought the recent haze was just a natural weather pattern.

With the Gulf of Thailand on one side and the Andaman Sea on the other, pollution didn’t even cross my mind—especially since I’ve had no breathing issues so far.
 

But today’s AQI reading of 84 gave me pause. While still in the "moderate" range, it’s a reminder of the potential long-term effects. I’ve decided now to invest in an air purifier to stay ahead of any health risks—better safe than sorry!

[madone]

15 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

High floor condominium - up here the pollution is not half as bad as on street level.

ACs with filters.

Air purifier in the bedroom.

 

Personally, I only had a problem with the bad air when I want to sleep. With better air quality high up and the air purifier that problem is basically solved for me.

I also ride motorcycle in the bad air. But for whatever reason that doesn't really affect me.

 

 

 

You are deluding yourself, there are some differences in pm 10 levels but pm 2.5 is little better on higher floors. PM 10 is slightly reduced.
 

There may be some reduction in traffic gasses, but particularly in areas where high rises are dense the street canyons could actually increase upward movement.

All things considered, you aren't seeing much benefit unless you are 1000m up

 

 

[madone]

4 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

Living in the hills on the Isthmus of Kra, halfway between Chumphon and Ranong, I always thought the recent haze was just a natural weather pattern.

With the Gulf of Thailand on one side and the Andaman Sea on the other, pollution didn’t even cross my mind—especially since I’ve had no breathing issues so far.
 

But today’s AQI reading of 84 gave me pause. While still in the "moderate" range, it’s a reminder of the potential long-term effects. I’ve decided now to invest in an air purifier to stay ahead of any health risks—better safe than sorry!

 

those of us living in bangkok are happy with 84 lately this am it was 150+. Again,

[MalcolmB]

I just suck it up.

[metisdead]

An off topic deflection post trolling about Trump and the replies have been removed. 

[Ralf001]

Does not bother me to be honest.

Clean the house AC's every 3 months, new filter in the car AC every 6 months.

[Celsius]

46 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

You try that all the time, oh look, today the air is bad in Siem Reap too. Its a stupid argument. Learn to read the pollution maps and a bit about geography.

 

Sounds like sour grapes, you are either not even in SE asia or are stuck in BKK.

 

Siemrape

[tomazbodner]

Another one with Xiaomi here. Used to use other brands, but one thing that irritated me about those was that they would change the filter design all the time so 6 months after buying the box, and wanted replacement filters they'd say "oh, that's old model, you buy a new box better"... Xiaomi was keeping the same design of filters all up to series 4, so they are easy to get and affordable (at about 800-900 baht for genuine one for series 2/3 or about 1200 baht for series 4, lasting 6-9 months in my case).

 

The air purifiers are also quite affordable from them, at about 6000 baht for series 4 and about a third less for 3H. All internet connected, so you can control them with phone app and check inside air quality at all times.

 

In my case (high floor condo, some intentional gaps in window frames for ventilation it seems) the inside air quality is between 5 and 10% of the outside air quality, so 200 outside is between 10-20 inside. They do have displays on so it's easy to see. Right now my outside sensor says 81, with pm2.5 at 26.25 and pm10 at 30.68, AirVisual (same data as aqicn.org/IQAir) ar ground level shows 116, and inside the filters show 6. Fans are silent.

 

I use Xiaomi 2S (still running after...10? years), 3H and 4. 2S and 3 use same filter type, 4 has a slimmer and taller one.

 

Coway and LG offer subscription services for 3/5 years, where you pay a monthly service charge to company and they would come to clean and replace filters for you without charge. Both of them look pretty good and easily compete in price with brands other than Xiaomi. I think I saw 490/month (from usual 690/month) from Coway and ~400/month from LG, but it depends on model. Maybe worth considering if you don't want to invest in buying it up-front.

 

Coway (but you can see their stands at so many shopping malls, which often have better promotions than official site):

https://www.coway.co.th/th/products-list/air-purifier

 

LG - like Coway, they have physical LG Subscribe store at The Mall Ngamwongwan, Floor 3, the back near exit to parking (and probably elsewhere):

https://lgsubscribethailand.net/

 

For both of these: at the end of the contract, the product stays with you, but all maintenance and service is included in the monthly price.

 

And on Xiaomi: They have global and China versions. They share same hardware but Chinese one is all in Chinese, requires Chinese app and loads your data into cloud in China! At least filter cartridges seem not to be region coded and work in any version. Also beware of fake filters - if they write anything about resetting the box manually in change of filter it means filter is fake.

 

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

I just don´t give a s-t.

self inflicted constipation? 

[Yagoda]

27 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

Siemrape

I dont quite understand

[Captor]

17 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Live as far south as practical, for us, that's 1.5 hrs / 100 kms south of Hua Hin.

 

Cuts the bad months of pollution, to about 2-3 months instead of 6, and AQI usually <100.   PM2.5 is still an issue.

 

Air purifiers, stand alone and build into ACs at the house, and car also has purifier.  All work excellent, keeping PM2.5 to <5, and well within healthy range.

 

Minimal if any effect on body.  Unlike when living in Udon Thani, when a rough throat & cough was common for smog season, till investing in air purifiers.  

 

A rude awakening when realizing just how poor the air was before being enlightened, using PM2.5 meter.  Not much news about AQI or PM2.5 numbers at the time, 20+ years ago.  

 

Control of, hiding that news is no longer done and the facts speak for themselves.

Amazing that tourists still comes. I think if the tourists stop to come due to the air pollution THEN actions will be taken. It all about money.

[Captor]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

 

The newer Xiaomi purifiers have a display, and idiot light.  Will also cycle down automatically, when PM2.5 at healthy level.

What is the level on the HEPA filter? Last time I checked the Xiaomi Hepa filters were not up to European standard. So we only have Coway with Hepa 12 and 13 standard.

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, Captor said:

Amazing that tourists still comes. I think if the tourists stop to come due to the air pollution THEN actions will be taken. It all about money.

Ignorance is bliss.  If they've never seen the long vistas outside of smog season, then they don't know what they are missing.

 

If hang out in the city or beach location, again, they won't notice the pollution, as everything is close.  If short holiday, then they'll just assume the soar throat & cough was a minor infection.

3 minutes ago, Captor said:

What is the level on the HEPA filter? Last time I checked the Xiaomi Hepa filters were not up to European standard.

Haven't a clue.  But since they take PM2.5 from 40 ish, down to 0-5, the rating is irrelevant, and guess I'm glad I don't rely on European standards for anything.

 

They work excellently, and all that matters.

[soalbundy]

18 hours ago, Mitkof Island said:

Curious how most expats deal with the air pollution in their homes.

Do you have air-con in every room or a safe room to stay inside?

Do you use air purifiers also?

Name brands of air purifiers would be helpful along with prices where you purchased it and how it works in your home or room.

As much information as possible would be helpful for all those concerned.

Since the government seems totally unwilling to make any effort to clean up the air and garbage pollution.

We are all at risk including those working for the government and their families!

smoke less

[DaddyWarbucks]

37 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

I dont quite understand

See'um rape... maybe.

[Captor]

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Ignorance is bliss.  If they've never seen the long vistas outside of smog season, then they don't know what they are missing.

 

If hang out in the city or beach location, again, they won't notice the pollution, as everything is close.  If short holiday, then they'll just assume the soar throat & cough was a minor infection.

Haven't a clue.  But since they take PM2.5 from 40 ish, down to 0-5, the rating is irrelevant, and guess I'm glad I don't rely on European standards for anything.

 

They work excellently, and all that matters.

And are they cleaning the PM1.0? I think not.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, madone said:

You are deluding yourself, there are some differences in pm 10 levels but pm 2.5 is little better on higher floors. PM 10 is slightly reduced.
 

There may be some reduction in traffic gasses, but particularly in areas where high rises are dense the street canyons could actually increase upward movement.

All things considered, you aren't seeing much benefit unless you are 1000m up

 

I read the PM2.5 level that is shown on my air purifier. The level changes, but I don't remember seeing it over 40 when I switch it on.

I used to live in a lower floor, and I am pretty sure the air pollution was higher at that time.

I don't have any high accurate measurement devices. But it seems to me, and my logic tells me, that 100m above ground the air quality is better. How much? I don't know. But enough to notice it.

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

52 minutes ago, Captor said:

And are they cleaning the PM1.0? I think not.

What's the meter state...

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, UWEB said:

Doesn't help

 

55555

[Neeranam]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

 

ACs are not on at present, just the purifiers.

 

PM2.5 meters available online, LAZ has them, not expensive.

 

Where can you buy these air purifiers with the meter on them and how much are they, I can't seem to find any on google. 

[Thingamabob]

I spend about two thirds of my time at our home in Bangkok and one third at our place in rural Rayong. I have exercised everyday outside for over 40 years. I have never noticed the pollution in Bangkok, and  I am in good health at 83 yearsof age. So far so good...

[Will B Good]

Go back to Central London for few months.