What makes people choose to live in bad air?

[LarryLEB]

Cameroni posted on this topic:  

"I have two air quality monitors in my house. Both of them have consistently throughout this whole burning season read "good air quality".

 

Sure there was some measurable effect, visibility clearly less, however, as far as burning seasons go this one was exceptionally mild. I never even ran the air purifiers once. That's how mild it was."

 

????

The above chart was captured on March 25, 2025, 6:40 pm.  Notice that the top 10 CLEANEST cities in Chiang Mai are all over 90 AQI.  The dirtiest top 10 hit 208.

[Baht Simpson]

10 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

PS. I still have memories of London's winter smog when I was a kid, when one had to careful not to bump into a lamp post when walking down the street. Thailand, not even Bangkok can bear comparison with that!

Indeed. I remember going to school in London in the early 1960's and having to wear a full-face balaclava because of the smog. So many kids had bronchitis.

 

The smoke here is seasonal and if you take precautions the problems can be mitigated. 

 

I'm much less happy with the rainy season, living upcountry.

 

 

[connda]

You make a gross assumption that the air is like this all year - it's not, it's cyclical.  This summer all those reds and dark reds will move over to Canada and California.  Then you will need to ask: "What makes people choose to live in bad air?"

Really?  You know the answer.

 

10 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I prefer warm weather with occasional bad air quality to cold, wet and windy weather with clean air.

Yeah - England and the US Pacific Northwest share that commonality: Cold, wet, fog, grey - too often.

[hotsun]

3 hours ago, connda said:

You make a gross assumption that the air is like this all year - it's not, it's cyclical.  This summer all those reds and dark reds will move over to Canada and California.  Then you will need to ask: "What makes people choose to live in bad air?"

Really?  You know the answer.

 

Yeah - England and the US Pacific Northwest share that commonality: Cold, wet, fog, grey - too often.

Maybe california will be on fire this year, you say that like its a certainty. They dont do it on purpose like thailand

[harryviking]

IGNORANCE is the first word that came to mind. It take time before you feel the problems and that could be to late to fix. I sadly therefore is reducing my stay here to just a few months and stay in healthy air in Scandinavia for most of the year. ☹

[harryviking]

21 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Western snowflakes whining about a bit of smog. Pathetic.

 

If you are tough like me you just suck it up like a real man. 
 

 

That must be the dumbest I have heard. Wait until you lie down with all kind of lung diseases! Ignorance is a sad thing.

[brewsterbudgen]

I don't have a choice.  So after living here for 20+ years, how much has my life expectancy been reduced from what it would have been if I'd stayed in the UK?

[Thingamabob]

I've lived mainly in Bangkok for the last 40 years. Now 83 years old and, so far, no ill effects whatsoever from pollution.

[Presnock]

17 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

Bangkok is a disaster of pollution at toxic levels.  and nothing is done to enhance public transport and mainly to discourage people from taking their private cars. Same in other places like Hua Hin where public transport is a disaster and no proper connections between Hua Hin and surrounding villages like Hin Lek Fai that have large communities living and commuting to Hua Hin center.

Did you forget that week of free train rides as the government knew of predicted high pollution levels and advised people to forgo vehicles - trains were packed daily! but pollution still reigned.  Until all the nations in S. Asia can stop the burning it will continue!  Just saying, I see the govt issuing high pollution alerts daily or as needed in each of the provinces, plus high temperature readings, and possibility of summer storms so at least they are aware of this problem but I think they also realize that unless all of S. Asia agrees to stop all the burning, there is little else the government can do.  BUT, masks N95, N99 and others can block out most of the 2.5 micron pollutants but I see very few westerners wearing them while my family does use the air purifiers in all rooms of our house plus whenvever we go outside we wear our masks.  I so see a few Thais wearing them but a lot of that is because they are required to wear them at work.  Funnuy how many on this forum complain bout this problem but how many actually wear masks when outside and use air purifiers in their abodes?

[CharlieH]

Usual situation: NO real enforcement, NO real consequences to an action, so there won't be any significant change.

That applies to almost EVERYTHING in this country. Too many snouts in the trough.

[brewsterbudgen]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

I've lived mainly in Bangkok for the last 40 years. Now 83 years old and, so far, no ill effects whatsoever from pollution.

 

And long may it continue!  Perhaps you will die at the age of 99, but had you lived somewhere with better air you would have lived to 100!

[Thingamabob]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

 

And long may it continue!  Perhaps you will die at the age of 99, but had you lived somewhere with better air you would have lived to 100!

Fair point !

[malibukid]

i am rescuing animals here and unfortunately i can't find anyone to replace me.  all the kids can't put down their phones

[Cameroni]

16 hours ago, LarryLEB said:

Cameroni posted on this topic:  

"I have two air quality monitors in my house. Both of them have consistently throughout this whole burning season read "good air quality".

 

Sure there was some measurable effect, visibility clearly less, however, as far as burning seasons go this one was exceptionally mild. I never even ran the air purifiers once. That's how mild it was."

 

????

The above chart was captured on March 25, 2025, 6:40 pm.  Notice that the top 10 CLEANEST cities in Chiang Mai are all over 90 AQI.  The dirtiest top 10 hit 208.

 

That's right Larry, that is exactly what I said. I guess we are learning about the difference between real world and app info based on single location measurements.

 

The first thing to note is that AQI air quality measurements are based on a limited number of measuring points. I am not located in a busy city centre location or next to a region prone to sugar cane burning.  So whilst indeed AQI measurements may be accurate for that particular location where the measuring device is located, it is not accurate for all areas close to that general location.

 

I am not saying air quality was not impaired this season, it clearly was because I could see visibility to the mountains was impaired. However, despite using not one, but two, air quality measuring devices inside the house, I could not once find air quality being anything less than "good" using those monitors.

 

Again, this year the burning season has been exceptionally mild and the effects were minimal compared to other burning seasons. I never had to run the air purifiers this year, which is unheard of frankly.

[JensenZ]

On 3/25/2025 at 5:29 AM, hotsun said:

Thanks for your input. Enjoy breathing that fresh canadian air

I'll take bad air in Pattaya over your clean, cold Canadian air any day. 

 

If so many people weren't whinging about it on this forum, I'd hardly notice the air because I'm enjoying living in Thailand too much to care. You only live once.

 

I'm not filing tax returns, but thanks for your concern. Enjoy Canada.

 

[LarryLEB]

6 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

That's right Larry, that is exactly what I said. I guess we are learning about the difference between real world and app info based on single location measurements.

 

The first thing to note is that AQI air quality measurements are based on a limited number of measuring points. I am not located in a busy city centre location or next to a region prone to sugar cane burning.  So whilst indeed AQI measurements may be accurate for that particular location where the measuring device is located, it is not accurate for all areas close to that general location.

 

I am not saying air quality was not impaired this season, it clearly was because I could see visibility to the mountains was impaired. However, despite using not one, but two, air quality measuring devices inside the house, I could not once find air quality being anything less than "good" using those monitors.

 

Again, this year the burning season has been exceptionally mild and the effects were minimal compared to other burning seasons. I never had to run the air purifiers this year, which is unheard of frankly.

Out of curiosity, what is your definition of "good" on your monitors?

[Cameroni]

5 minutes ago, LarryLEB said:

Out of curiosity, what is your definition of "good" on your monitors?

0 to 799 PPM.

 

More here

 

https://www.temu.com/th-en/1pc-advanced-6-in-1-air-quality-monitor-with-co2-co-pm2-5--hcho-tvoc-sensors-usb-rechargeable-lcd-display-real-time-gas-analyzer-for-home-office-polymer-lithium-battery-g-601099796472236.html?top_gallery_url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.kwcdn.com%2Fproduct%2Fopen%2F9762f7149da446c19b7c5d4459991973-goods.jpeg&spec_gallery_id=2979728032&share_token=ySLiUBbQBuQhmoHBkKm0C56N7b6R8-el_4OxbyQ8wcTdOv5aFNWyM_nYyH4kwfa3HgfslFL9VB3dG6yAi4TnhANL3Jdp35dd0Bet6xNttEBYgYbVsiE-j_mgV-pO6GE3&refer_page_el_sn=209279&_x_vst_scene=adg&_x_ads_sub_channel=shopping&_x_ns_prz_type=-1&_x_ns_sku_id=17592412173752&_x_ns_gid=601099564950751&_x_ads_channel=google&_x_gmc_account=5402856431&_x_login_type=Google&_x_ads_account=6711393496&_x_ads_set=22377508051&_x_ads_id=179730486409&_x_ads_creative_id=741482516379&_x_ns_source=g&_x_ns_gclid=Cj0KCQjwy46_BhDOARIsAIvmcwNfZWymyh-yzAaiKEkZGe4_g2gRf-KC-Ro9zCVtTv5KnrdMFDn44RAaAqQyEALw_wcB&_x_ns_placement=&_x_ns_match_type=&_x_ns_ad_position=&_x_ns_product_id=5402856431-17592412173752&_x_ns_target=&_x_ns_devicemodel=&_x_ns_wbraid=Cj4KCAjwqIm_BhBvEi4ARrOCiEg0SBcklxNgTfy8H2fSLdzoBaKEXDlDv4IU0B3dqPYizGmc5142-auaGgKthw&_x_ns_gbraid=0AAAAAo4mICHIvzTNTuV-Ojtk5iZaCght_&_x_ns_targetid=pla-2406890494020&_x_sessn_id=r6vw770bud&refer_page_name=kuiper&refer_page_id=14004_1742986427830_o0grmitrye&refer_page_sn=14004

[JensenZ]

On 3/25/2025 at 6:03 AM, hotsun said:

 The point is not to get sick though. Alot easier to be healthy with crisp air

 It's easier to be happy with a bit of pollution in Thailand than miserable and bored in the fresh air back at home. Depression will kill much faster than air pollution. One must also consider the quality of life.

 

Having said that, I've lived in Pattaya for 20 years and suffered no ill effects from this foul air everyone is telling me I should not breathe or I'm gonna die. I have no nasal or bronchial irritation whatsoever.

 

Of course, if the pollution is making you sick, go back home and breathe crisp air until you expire in a retirement home.

[JensenZ]

11 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I don't have a choice.  So after living here for 20+ years, how much has my life expectancy been reduced from what it would have been if I'd stayed in the UK?

Does it matter how many years you've lived? It's the quality of the years that count rather than quantity..

[brewsterbudgen]

13 hours ago, JensenZ said:

Does it matter how many years you've lived? It's the quality of the years that count rather than quantity..

Indeed, but that doesn't answer my question.  The quality of my years so far have been fine.  I'm just hoping I'll have a lot more of them despite living in a smog zone!

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Indeed, but that doesn't answer my question.  The quality of my years so far have been fine.  I'm just hoping I'll have a lot more of them despite living in a smog zone!

Indirectly, it does answer your question, but that depends on what life would have been like if you had stayed at home, breathing clean air instead of the polluted air you've been breathing in Thailand.

 

My life over the last 25 years would have been miserable back in my home country for many reasons. Being happy with pollution was probably healthier for me as the mental state is more important for health. Even if it doesn't mean more years ultimately, it's better years.