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

[Albaby]

On 1/21/2025 at 3:13 PM, Gobbler said:

Are you trolling or just obtuse?

Democrat voter.

[rickudon]

Udon Thani usually lower than Bangkok, currently in the 130's. All particulate matter, SO2, NO2, ozone all ok. Outside of town always better. As currently staying inside most of the time (a different health issue), Particulate matter not much of an issue. Air purifier goes on if i can taste or smell the pollution.

[Hummin]

57 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

To be fair, it very seldom looks like that - and I have a similar view when I look now out of the window.

We came from Korat yesterday, and it was pretty much like this all the way, with many small fires along the road. 

 

Yesterday at arrival it looked a bit better in Silom, but pm was still around 150

 

 

[KireB]

7 hours ago, alex8912 said:

But all these horrible things you mentioned were here 30 + years ago as well. We didn't have every Tom  Dick  and somchai taking air samples daily and so many are doing ok. or maybe adapted somehow.  Things are bad but so is constant fear mongering about many things. 

20 years ago (dunno about 30) wasn't as bad as what we see today.  

[KireB]

6 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I moved to the sea but terrible here in Hua Hin now. But actually lower here than my favourite island, Koh Mak. Not sure why it's high there.

Cambodia is increasingly growing sugar for China, and Cambodia is on fire right now as is half of Thailand. Why? Profit margings, why else?

[KireB]

6 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

The pollution in Thailand is not from traffic......555555

Traffic is indeed not the main culprit, even in Bangkok.  Check the smog levels let''s say Sunday morning at 3am. No traffic, still heavily polluted.

[Will B Good]

2 hours ago, KireB said:

Traffic is indeed not the main culprit, even in Bangkok.  Check the smog levels let''s say Sunday morning at 3am. No traffic, still heavily polluted.

 

So you think the pollution from all the traffic in a major city should magically disappear between, say, midnight and 3am everyday...5555

[KireB]

12 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

So you think the pollution from all the traffic in a major city should magically disappear between, say, midnight and 3am everyday...5555

Yes, I do.  There are not a lot of cars on the road at that time. Most people sleep at that time.

 

Our friendly neighbour  likes to burn  leaves (chases mozzies away). 1 hour after she put it out, the air turns ok again.

Not rocket science.

[Gobbler]

On 1/22/2025 at 1:20 PM, KhunLA said:

Air purifier in the car works very good ...

 

Can you show me the purifier? 

[BumGun]

On 1/20/2025 at 12:50 PM, Yagoda said:

I packed my bags and moved to Siem Reap.

Any better ? Back in 2010 when I lived in Sihanoukville, every pile of stuff from leaves to dirty nappies was burnt on the side of the road. At least a sea breeze helped but no sea breeze in SR.

[GammaGlobulin]

On 1/22/2025 at 1:20 PM, KhunLA said:

Air purifier in the car works very good ...

 

 

Yes,  maybe.

But, the relative humidity is crazy high.

Don't you ever use AC in your car?

 

[KhunLA]

41 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Yes,  maybe.

But, the relative humidity is crazy high.

Don't you ever use AC in your car?

 

AC is always on, 24C ish.  Could be just us breathing, in air tight box during a 3hr drive.

 

Sensor was sitting on center console under all the controls, in direct path of us exhaling, and the heaviest particles of air.

[GammaGlobulin]

5 hours ago, KhunLA said:

AC is always on, 24C ish.  Could be just us breathing, in air tight box during a 3hr drive.

 

Sensor was sitting on center console under all the controls, in direct path of us exhaling, and the heaviest particles of air.

 

Interesting PM2.5 sensor, though.

Is that a kit that you assembled?

 

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

Interesting PM2.5 sensor, though.

Is that a kit that you assembled?

 

No, but if handy, you could build a nice one, as all the sensors, and more are available.  They all in 1 units are too inexpensive to bother.

 

Unit I have is at least 6 years old, I think.  Got it from LAZ, AliExpress or Banggood.

 

They sure have gone up in price.  Cheapest one on AE is 1170 baht.

[GypsyT]

On 1/20/2025 at 4:13 PM, Hummin said:

while a humidifier works on adding moisture to the air. 

In tropics you want to REDUCE humidity. Dehumidifier is what you need 🙂

 

[GammaGlobulin]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

No, but if handy, you could build a nice one, as all the sensors, and more are available.  They all in 1 units are too inexpensive to bother.

 

Unit I have is at least 6 years old, I think.  Got it from LAZ, AliExpress or Banggood.

 

They sure have gone up in price.  Cheapest one on AE is 1170 baht.

 

How unfortunate that pricing on simple components, Sensors, such as these, have increased in price so much. Maybe, as you say, one must now buy in quantity to get a reasonable price.

 

As a comparison, one wonders how accurate the cheap XiaoMi air purifier sensors might be. It's possible to test the machines against each other, but maybe that might tell too much.

 

[KhunLA]

8 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

 

How unfortunate that pricing on simple components, Sensors, such as these, have increased in price so much. Maybe, as you say, one must now buy in quantity to get a reasonable price.

 

As a comparison, one wonders how accurate the cheap XiaoMi air purifier sensors might be. It's possible to test the machines against each other, but maybe that might tell too much.

My sensor agrees +/-, with the 'local' numbers.   Not sure where IQair sources there numbers, but usually don't agree.

 

Not too far off though, most days.

 

I'm getting pretty good guessing the AQI, by how clear I can see the headlands at the bay from the house, and not off by that much 10-15.

 

We're usually a bit better than town / surfside, unless someone is burning nearby, rare, unless it's us, burning trash 

 

Need to make  smokeless burn barrel, though we only burn a wee bit about once a month.