I dont know about you but lung cancer isnt exactly on my christmas wish list this year

 

Nope.  We've never felt the need to leave.  It doesn't make my eyes burn or cause me any noticeable breathing issues. It does LOOK awful when we look into the distance across the valley, but it doesn't physically bother us. Two air purifiers in the house keep the AIQ numbers in single digits inside, and an N95 mask for the 2-3 weeks when the numbers are awful have been all we've needed when we go outside. We are comfortable with it.

 

BUT...  if I were 29 instead of 79, we'd probably leave.

 

There is no doubt that exposure to poor air quality is not conducive to good health. If I had small children, I wouldn't want them to be exposed to this year after year. I've only got a few years left, and the air pollution doesn't seem to bother my wife or me.

It's just not an issue for us.
No, in fact, we almost 'like' Burning Season as so many people leave, traffic jams become a memory, and it makes living here in town that much nicer.

Never left but every year we rent a beachfront place for the month of April to get away from the burning season here in Chiang Mai…

No, live 100+ kms below Hua Hin, so only get a couple months of AQI in 75-100 range.   Which is bad enough and really couldn't deal with some of the numbers north of us.

 

We'd go further south, but don't want to be that far from daughter (bkk), as 4+ hrs is far enough already.

 

When living at Udon Thani, use to go south during school break, March, April, early May.

Depends on how bad it gets. Leaving for a month is hard, don't know where to go even.

 

One thing for certain is I will 100% leave during Songkran. Last year they pissed me off for the last time. I'm buying the cheapest ticket to anywhere and staying for 4 days. Don't care where it is, just anywhere besides Thailand. 

1 hour ago, angryguy said:

 

Are you leaving Thailand for the burning season?

 

 

Nope, why would I ?

Leave for a couple few weeks every year around March or April, not because of the air quality which really isn’t a bother.

Trang is looking better and better...

I did not renew my Visa during the burning season about 6 years ago.

Nope, flying back next month.....

 

Years ago the soot and black particles use to fall like snow.....

 

It seems less and less impactful as the years pass by.....The fields around our Mu-baan are harvested, plowed under, and reseeded again, = no burning - so somebody's getting the memo.....

We live in San PaTong....I watch the aqi readings and plan my activities accordingly.....

 

Only thing I've got to do now is sort out my dog conundrum....

 

 

 

I'm in Laos, having retired from in-class teaching in Myanmar.  Next month I'll fly to stay in the Philippines for about 2 months, thus hopefully avoiding the worst of the burning season 🙂

Moved to an island down south after dealing with this for years, best part is I even pay the same rent as I did i CM, we never have pollution issues here. Even raining season the worst is maybe 2-3 weeks constantly per year and that is even nice at that point. 

 

Same no uptight immigration, no police to constantly bother what time you drink or drive around. Beers are cheaper too, often 60-70 in places with promotions.

Waterfalls, beaches and mountains in one too. Not even live in a tourist area. Even realistically not everyone can live in the same place, I feel stupid I delayed this 5+ years, same I feel others being stupid to also still ignore it.

 

 

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

I'm in Laos, having retired from in-class teaching in Myanmar.  Next month I'll fly to stay in the Philippines for about 2 months, thus hopefully avoiding the worst of the burning season 🙂

I have a bro in Vientiane, he is loving it despite the Chinese influence.

1 hour ago, Celsius said:

 

 

 

That's smokin' hot .... 😎

Are you leaving Thailand for the burning season?

 

Nope.  Never do.  The house will well sealed and insulated and we run HEPA filters.  Air in the house stays reasonable.  Then we just wait it out.  Gotta admit, over the last 18 years, last year in Northeastern Lamphun province was the best year we have had since I moved here.  The government edicts seems to have some effect on the overall burning of the forests.  Contrary to popular (farang) belief, the rice farmers in our Amphur don't burn their fields.  They grazes them out with ox.  🐂

4 hours ago, Celsius said:

 

 

thats good reasons to stay and endure

9 hours ago, Yagoda said:

I have a bro in Vientiane, he is loving it despite the Chinese influence.

Funky buildings

What burning season ? 

 

I plan to make a new gym and «wintergarden» with air purifier and aircon.  Tried to make some AI pics of the new gym seen from inside, but need a bit more work. 

 

 

 

Leaving ? The point is that many are just not comming to Thailand for the winter break, despite owning property. The excessive immigration rules, red tape all over, fussing for this or that form just to make a small change on a bank account, all the hassles for driving licences....at one point the rich retirees from farang lands will get fed up, loose it, sell their property in Thailand and just never come back. 

19 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

I've only got a few years left, 

Your a Realist Sir , good on you ,some on this board are in denial 

 

18 hours ago, simon43 said:

I'm in Laos, having retired from in-class teaching in Myanmar.  Next month I'll fly to stay in the Philippines for about 2 months, thus hopefully avoiding the worst of the burning season 🙂

Beautiful life 

Thankyou for your service Simon 

4 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Your a Realist Sir , good on you ,some on this board are in denial 

 

Lol, I'm years younger than FolkGuitar, but still probably also have just a few years left, thanks to my lung illness, which is not helped by the air pollution.  Moving to the PI not only unfreezes my UK state pension, the air quality is better...

We get a lot more smoke from cooking fires than field burning. I'm staying home.

33 minutes ago, cjinchiangrai said:

We get a lot more smoke from cooking fires than field burning. I'm staying home.

I am by CM border so it is not a problem here. Locals burning nearby sucks.

Get a decent air purifier or two - put filter paper in the air cons - when it is really bad then stay inside or go to a mall etc.  Those figures on the air quality map are BS - they are not live - they are aggregated over the last 24 hours (at least) and many are based upon estimates from previous readings and other 'readings'. 

 

I became suspicious when the one in our local Uni gave very high readings, so I drove there with a portable air quality measurer - the website said it was 92 but my meter said it was 14.  Then I did some research and found that the websites use averages and estimates, and they are funded by the 'climate science industry' and therefore high CO2 and Pollution readings fit their narrative.  I decided to recheck the Uni meter several times over a few weeks, and they were always way higher than the real meter reading. One day it was raining, but the meter still showed a very high number - total scam IMO.  Yes there is smoke pollution of course, but it only takes a small amount of smoke or a dirty truck or bus driving by, to make a meter reading to go way over the top for a day or two. 

Can hardly wait until March when the perennial 'Are you leaving Thailand during Songkran' topics come to life. Again.

Been through 39 of them , every year I hope they are going to do something

serious to stop , the burning , over the years they have come up with some

crazy solutions , like putting giant fans on top of Doi Suthep and blow the

smoke to Burma , made by a MP , buying leaf blowers from China , one year

they had a machine blowing mist in the air in centre of Chiang Mai.all sticking

plaster solutions , when I think it would be better if they sent the army, police,

volunteer's  up in the hills catch a few arsonists ,give them stiff sentence's , 

to let people know this is not acceptable , harms health ,and tourist industry.

 

regards worgeordie

On 12/9/2025 at 1:33 AM, FolkGuitar said:

Nope.  We've never felt the need to leave.  It doesn't make my eyes burn or cause me any noticeable breathing issues. It does LOOK awful when we look into the distance across the valley, but it doesn't physically bother us. Two air purifiers in the house keep the AIQ numbers in single digits inside, and an N95 mask for the 2-3 weeks when the numbers are awful have been all we've needed when we go outside. We are comfortable with it.

 

BUT...  if I were 29 instead of 79, we'd probably leave.

 

There is no doubt that exposure to poor air quality is not conducive to good health. If I had small children, I wouldn't want them to be exposed to this year after year. I've only got a few years left, and the air pollution doesn't seem to bother my wife or me.

It's just not an issue for us.
No, in fact, we almost 'like' Burning Season as so many people leave, traffic jams become a memory, and it makes living here in town that much nicer.

 

Yah, same here. It doesn't really bother me. I've even stopped running the air purifiers. Didn't notice much difference. 

 

Good point about less people, an upside to everything.

Yesterday a neighbor lighting it up…