Chiang Mai Air Quality & Pollution

[Mapguy]

It has been suggested that air quality and pollution in Chinag Mai be a separate topic, as opposed to generating some comments on the thread "Three Good Things About Chiang Mai" where there have been a number of comments regarding the problem. Okay, borrowing from a post that I found elsewhere on the site using "pollution"and "air quality" as keywords, here is a starter. After reading this, the question is what can and should be done and how does one go about doing it?

{QUOTE}

FYI: Here's my story in [sic] CM's air pollution from The Bangkok Post early in the year:

Is Chiang Mai Habitable by Humans?

Given its famed air pollution levels, is Chiang Mai habitable by humans? I'll let you read the below and answer the question for yourself.

All urban air is 'dangerous' to some degree: civilisation produces air pollutants, and these damage health. However for a significant portion of the year Chiang Mai's air is more polluted than that of most cities. This is because of the high level of burning around the city and beyond, and the northwestern Suthep Range, which blocks the northwesterly and southeasterly winds – winds which would otherwise wash out air pollution - during the cool and rainy seasons respectively. In addition, a drier dry season in the north means there is less rain to settle pollutants.

Thus, according to one study, in 6 of the 7 categories of air pollution measured in both cities, Chiang Mai had higher concentrations than Bangkok – in most cases far higher concentrations.

More specifically, Chiang Mai's level of particulates of less than 10 microns (<PM10s – the small particles from burning grass and leaves, and from cooking fires) is usually higher than most other cities in Thailand, including Bangkok.

Because of their size, the <PM10s more readily lodge in the lungs. They carry a potent carcinogen - polycydic aromatic hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons also cause more severe attacks in asthmatics and heart disease patients.

In 1999, 45% of Chiang Mai residents suffered from respiratory problems, according to Duangchan Charoenmuang, who has long studied Chiang Mai's air at the Urban Development Institute Foundation.

As for ultra-small particles – the <PM2.5s – an informal, one-day measurement taken by the Unit for Social and Environmental Research found them to be double the US EPA standard. "The effects of breathing air with a high <PM 2.5 concentration," says the Unit's Po Garden, "can include premature death, increased respiratory symptoms and disease, chronic bronchitis, and decreased lung function particularly in children and individuals with asthma."

The broader Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measure of most known air pollutants. The AQI is frequently elevated above dangerous levels in Chiang Mai, on and off, for several months of the year – usually the January-March 'burning season', but frequently longer. The city's AQI readings are more often than not higher than those of other Thai cities including Bangkok.

Some of Chiang Mai's smog is carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide from industrial and vehicle emissions and cooking fires; and dust from building projects. The levels vary across the municipality – e.g. they're much higher at Wararot Market and in Thapae Road.

But most of the 'smog' is smoke, and this comes from the deliberate burning of crops and other vegetation, and of forests (often by villagers to trigger the growth of wild 'throb' mushrooms, or by poachers to flush out game); and also from non-deliberate forest and grass fires. These smoke sources are local (Chiang Mai province), regional (northern Thailand) and international (Burma and Laos; but also the 'Asian Brown Cloud' stretching from eastern China through Southeast Asia to Pakistan). No-one knows proportionally how much smoke comes from each area.

(As lowland agriculturalists in the north allegedly only burn selectively, and because so many forest fires are raging in the highlands - many deliberately lit - the current theory is that these highland forest fires – coupled with an abnormal cold front from China that is trapping haze in the northern valleys - are the prime source of Chiang Mai's recent pall of smoke. However there is a certain capacity for denial and misattribution of blame in Thai officialdom, so this theory needs to be taken with a grain of salt for the moment.)

In the short term Chiang Mai's smoke gives residents coughs, headaches, sore throats, red, streaming eyes, sneezing fits and more serious bronchial illnesses. It caused dozens of heart attacks in 2007.

In 2003 there were 704,800 hospital cases of respiratory disease recorded in Chiang Mai province – roughly twice that of ten years earlier. Dr Duangchan Apawatcharut Jaroenmuang, head of the Chiang Mai-Lamphun Air Pollution Control Project, states that patients with general respiratory diseases in Chiang Mai outnumber those in Bangkok.

Over the three days to March 20, the number of respiratory patients in Mae Hong Son rose from 416 to 3,541; in Chiang Rai, from 1,780 to 11,148; and in Chiang Mai from 1,370 to 4,514.

In the longer term, Chiang Mai's smoke raises the rates of lung cancer and other chronic or fatal ailments. Chiang Mai has the second-highest lung cancer rates in the world, according to Prof Sumittra Thongprasert from the Medical Ecology Department of Chiang Mai University – and higher than any other region of Thailand. The city's 139 lung cancer cases per 100,000 population is almost 6 times the world average.

An academic study, and a separate news report citing an academic expert, both claim that Chiang Mai, despite its vastly smaller population, has a higher number of lung cancer patients than Bangkok.

[http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/02/national/national_30028253.php and http://www.chiangmainews.com/indepth/details.php?id=625 ]

Other studies have found Chiang Mai's 'total suspended particulate' (TSP) concentrations to be higher than those of Bangkok, Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Public Health Bill of 1992 prescribes that any person who violates the bill by burning their garbage "can be imprisoned for up to six months or fined up to 10,000 baht or both, and will be fined 5,000 baht each day if they continue polluting the environment".

But the failure of Chiang Mai's provincial government to attack the problem of air pollution – or even recognise it – has been close to absolute, recent sabre-rattling notwithstanding. Activists and academic experts have been hammering away at the government for nearly a decade, to little avail.

The above-cited Dr Charoenmuang, who has spent a number of years studying air pollution in Chiang Mai, and who has discussed the problem with the Mayor among other civic leaders, believes the city authorities have no intention of doing anything about the problem. Dr Charoenmuang believes politicians are afraid that publicly acting against air pollution might lose the city tourists; but more generally she adds:

"Frankly they are just not clever enough to combat such a vast problem."

Chiang Mai City Clerk Ken Santitham has commented: "I think that the academics exaggerate… Our air problems are not that severe." Regarding the action taken to date, Santitham states: "I think that our record has been impressive."

The City Clerk employs an environment department of one. This employee, Rongrong Duriyapunt, takes a different view: she believes her department's budget (400,000 baht) is far too small to achieve anything much.

The Thai media are on the case, but are credulous and prone to print wild inaccuracies. The Bangkok Post, at the height of the recent emergency, reported straight-faced a government claim that a major source of the smoke was Korean barbeque restaurants.

No media outlet has yet asked why no fire-starters have been charged, fined or gaoled; or whether there is any science behind the government-ordered practice of spraying water out of planes, or having fire trucks hose the streets to 'raise humidity and induce rain'. No Thai reporter has answered for us the $64,000 question: exactly where does the smoke come from?

In January-March - the same three-month period that firebugs were not arrested, fires were not systematically fought, and Korean restaurants were being ordered to douse their barbeques – www.thaivisa.com posters reported deliberately lit fires all over the north of Thailand. Satellite fire maps showed more than 4000 fires throughout the north in the first half of March.

More than half the time, Chiang Mai's dangerous levels of air pollution begin in January and end late March or early April. However they have begun as early as August and ended as late as late June.

It's not clear if the smoke problem is getting worse – 1999 had more 'dangerous' <PM10 days than the present year, at least so far - but Chiang Mai's mid-March 2007 AQI reading of 180 was the highest since records began.

These are the number of days per year <PM10s were above the safe maximum of 120, in Chiang Mai, 1999 to 2007:

1999: 52

2000: 10

2001: 2

2002: 9

[2003: records missing]

2004: 41

2005: 24

2006: 5

2007: 28 (to Mar 28)

(Includes the tail end of the previous year, to keep seasons together. Also, 2007 is not over and there will probably be worse to come.)

4 bad years out of 8 suggests a 2:1 probability of getting a bad year in any given year. But even if there were two or three 'good' years in a row, averages assert themselves in time: a Chiang Mai resident will inevitably end up with a higher bodily load of carcinogens and general pollutants than residents of other Thai cities, and of most other places in the world.

We don't need to guess about this, or extrapolate from the daily pollution readings: it is borne out by the city's extraordinary lung cancer and respiratory illness rates.

In a nutshell, the Chiang Mai resident faces:

• two of Thailand's most entrenched cultures - rural burning and government apathy

• no concrete proposal to change either (talk notwithstanding)

• on average, dangerously high pollution levels, on-off, through about 25% of every second year

• an elevated probability of lung cancer, respiratory ailments and other illnesses (children and the elderly being the most vulnerable)

• frequent media misinformation as to the causes and extent of the problem, and a failure to identify wrongdoers

In light of the above, does one keep one's self and one's family in northern Thailand, or does one move to somewhere like Surat Thani, which – from a quick scan of ten years of data – has never had a day where <PM10s were above the safe maximum?

That's up to you.

Notes:

1. The above information is taken from publicly accessible government data, academic studies, and media reports which quoted air pollution experts. (Various dates going back about 8 years.) Apart from the raw government pollution data I studied directly, which I'm fairly sure is accurate, I can only assume the rest is accurate. As no-one is paying me to do this, I haven't verified most of the claims and quotes with primary sources.

2. The above is written for the 'average' resident, who cannot afford to live in Chiang Mai part of the year (the non-burning part) and move elsewhere when the smog mounts.

3. The worst air pollution years previous to this one were 1999 and 2004. If 2007 follows the 2004 pattern, the serious pollution will finish in the next couple of weeks. If 2007 follows the 1999 pattern, we will have dangerous levels of air pollution through till late June.

4. A superb Thai government website where you can monitor air pollution anywhere in Thailand, view past data, bring up tables and graphs, etc, is:

http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regional/Default.cfm

{END QUOTE}

[Hugh Jarse]

Thankyou MApguy for your posting on the pollution/air quality issues in CM.Really very helpful, especially to those like myself who are seriously contemplating a move to CM with a young family. We are now reconsidering . Perhaps Chiang Rai prov. but are there any decent schools that have English language programmes? (A seperate thread perhaps but follows as reason for move to CM is the choice of International schools)

Thanks again

Hugh

[Ulysses G.]

Perhaps Chiang Rai prov. but are there any decent schools that have English language programmes? (A seperate thread perhaps but follows as reason for move to CM is the choice of International schools)

Isn't Chiang Rai worse than Chiang Mai?

It certainly was last year during the week or so of very unusual weather patterns that have made Chiang Mai's pollution problem so well known.

[whopper]

thanks for the reminder. It will be here soon, And it will be time to leave. Last year was horrible.

[Ulysses G.]

Last year was also completely abnormal!

[whopper]

1999: 52

2000: 10

2001: 2

2002: 9

[2003: records missing]

2004: 41

2005: 24

2006: 5

2007: 28 (to Mar 28)

[meadish_sweetball]

The main problem seems to be burning (of rice husks, garbage, and deliberate forest fires) and it affects the entire North which is quite clear to anyone who has ventured out of town in December - May.

Not sure to what extent localized pollution from traffic within the city would matter.

It's quite possible the lung cancer rates are higher here than in Bangkok as suggested by academic studies, but it would be even more interesting to see comparative data with for example Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phrae, Lamphun, Lampang and Nan.

[lannarebirth]

Perhaps Chiang Rai prov. but are there any decent schools that have English language programmes? (A seperate thread perhaps but follows as reason for move to CM is the choice of International schools)

Isn't Chiang Rai worse than Chiang Mai?

It certainly was last year during the week or so of very unusual weather patterns that have made Chiang Mai's pollution problem so well known.

I hear Bangkok is nice. Chok Dee!

[DavidOxon]

What's the air like just now?

I will be arriving with my oldish athsmatic father on Thursday.

Is Wang Tan far enough from down town to benefit from

any better air quality? What precautions do other folk take?

David

[Ulysses G.]

The air right now seems fine to me. Of course, that is what I feel pretty much all of the time, other than maybe a few days per year.

Can't argue with those gizmos and statistics though, I guess.

[PeaceBlondie]

I live within sight of Doi Suthep, and gauge the air quality by how easily I can see the summit. At 9 AM now, there's a fair bit of haze that wasn't there yesterday afternoon, so maybe it's fog. Like UG, I'm almost immune to bad air. My partner, however, gets seriously ill during the entire season (he calls it allergies; it's respiratory, and disabling). I wouldn't invite an asthmatic patient to visit here during the late dry season, Feb-April.

I suppose inhalants and masks would help a patient with poor breathing.

[Ulysses G.]

The funny thing is that my lungs are quite easily irritated in polluted places like Manilla which I have visited several times, but I only have a slight problem in Chiang Mai and only from time to time.

[Bananaman]

I'm the eternal harbinger of doom on this topic unfortunately (guilty as accused!) and have spent five years moving to different parts of the city in a bid to find somewhere where the air quality might be slightly better. I started out in the city centre and have gradually moved out into the environs. Now in my 4th different location I'm inclined to think that in spite of the traffic fumes, that living within the city is actually preferable on account of there being less patches of dry flora for the local pyromaniacs to set fire to. I moved out of the city into a more rural area foolishly thinking that the air would be cleaner but alas less buildings = more fields = more burning. The locals in my area start setting things alight at around 6pm every evening and by the time I arrive home at 8pm, the air is thick with acrid smoke. When I recently started experiencing marked respiratory symptoms I went and spoke to the poo-yai ban about it and he just shrugged his shoulders and said that he too sets fire to the leaves that he brushes up every evening!

[Ricardo]

2007: 28 (to Mar 28)

Given that the bad-smoke season ran through much of April this Spring, the total for 2007 must be in the 40s, or even 50s, making it the worst year since 1999. Do we need a 'coughing-smilie' especially for Chiang Mai ?

[kurtgruen]

Move out here to Chiang Dao, that's the solution ;-) An hour away by car from Chiang Mai and hardly any pollution at all. That's what we did two years ago and we love it here.

Then of course, during burning season, you gonna' get smoke everywhere. Bad thing about CM is, you get all the car, truck tuk-tuk and diesel pollution as well.

If you really want to get away from pollution, I suggest moving to Vancouver Island, Canada, where there is always a fresh ocean breeze coming in. Sorry guys, not too many bar girls there and your Baht won't go too far, but no pollution... guess we can't have it all, eh?

Happy New Year everyone. May you have a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous New Year and may you breathe clean air, whereever you are.

Cheers

Mon and Kurt

Chiang Dao

[Ulysses G.]

If you really want to get away from pollution, I suggest moving to Vancouver Island, Canada, where there is always a fresh ocean breeze coming in.

My last home was a block from the beach in San Francisco near Highway 1 that goes down the coast of California and has the best air quality in the U.S.

I'll take the bargirls any time!

[mcgriffith]

For those of you concerned about air quality and pollution in Thailand, try this link.

It has information updated daily.

We have had some of the most glorious, clear weather the last few weeks.

Low 30's days, down to 17ish nights. Light breezes.

The haze PB sees in the morning on Doi Suthep is condensation in the air rising off the mountain; it dissipates completely by late morning.

[lannarebirth]

If you really want to get away from pollution, I suggest moving to Vancouver Island, Canada, where there is always a fresh ocean breeze coming in.

My last home was a block from the beach in San Francisco near Highway 1 that goes down the coast of California and has the best air quality in the U.S.

I'll take the bargirls any time!

Well, I'm from San Francisco, owned an oceanfront home near San Simeon and also lived in Canada on Salt Spring Island. None of those places compares to the the enjoyment I feel living here.

[Ulysses G.]

Let me guess, bargirls?

[bunta71]

No easy solution.All I ever wanted was the two palm trees, the hammock and a couple of charmers bringing me the occasional refreshments ( for hydration purposes only) .Moved to Chiang Mai four months ago and my five year old daughters cough started two months back and the burning season hasn't even begun? began? started? I do like hearing about the solutions others are suggesting as to where the post cards look better

[lannarebirth]

Let me guess, bargirls?

No, not in my case. I've never met a bargirl. At least not in Thailand in the last 15 years.

I just don't get these constant threads on air quality. I haven't seen a single day of poor air quality since last years anomaly in March, which was

immediately followed by spring rains which cleared the air.

If one feels air quality is not to their liking they need to work with the local government agencies to improve matters. I very much doubt the people on this forum are large or small scale polluters.

These threads always remind me of the outrage many Americans feel when aliens start protests for more services catered to their needs.

[bunta71]

some really are girls!

[kurtgruen]

I just don't get these constant threads on air quality. I haven't seen a single day of poor air quality since last years anomaly in March, which was

immediately followed by spring rains which cleared the air.

You must be seeing something different from the rest of us. this past spring, I rode my bike in from Chiang Dao and as soon as I got near Mae Rim, my eyes started burning and after spending half a day in Chiang Mai (I only go there when I absolutely have to), my throat was sore as well.

Yes, I realize, it was abnormally bad early this year. I had never seen it that bad, in the 6 years I have been living in Thailand.

I like the post about the two palm trees and the hammock, because that's exactly what I wanted....

Reality is, now I am married, my wife runs a busy restaurant and I am expected to mingle with the local expats and foreign tourists and that dream is slipping further and further away.

Maybe we should sell everything up here and move into a nice breezy hut on a beach on Ko Lipe or some place like that...hmmm that's a thought for the new year

At the moment, the air quality seems excellent, which is nice to see. But like anything else over here, if something good happens, it is sure to change...

Nothing is as it seems in our lovely Thailand

Cheers

Mon and Kurt

Chiang Dao

[kurtgruen]

some really are girls!

Shhht...don't tell the tourists...they are too much fun to watch, all proud, with their Katoi girlfriend, strolling arm in arm down the road.

[lannarebirth]

I just don't get these constant threads on air quality. I haven't seen a single day of poor air quality since last years anomaly in March, which was

immediately followed by spring rains which cleared the air.

You must be seeing something different from the rest of us. this past spring, I rode my bike in from Chiang Dao and as soon as I got near Mae Rim, my eyes started burning and after spending half a day in Chiang Mai (I only go there when I absolutely have to), my throat was sore as well.

Yes, I realize, it was abnormally bad early this year. I had never seen it that bad, in the 6 years I have been living in Thailand.

I like the post about the two palm trees and the hammock, because that's exactly what I wanted....

Reality is, now I am married, my wife runs a busy restaurant and I am expected to mingle with the local expats and foreign tourists and that dream is slipping further and further away.

Maybe we should sell everything up here and move into a nice breezy hut on a beach on Ko Lipe or some place like that...hmmm that's a thought for the new year

At the moment, the air quality seems excellent, which is nice to see. But like anything else over here, if something good happens, it is sure to change...

Nothing is as it seems in our lovely Thailand

Cheers

Mon and Kurt

Chiang Dao

What kind of stack scrubber do you use for the smoke your restaurant produces?

I have a piece of land in Chiang Dao too, and while I would say their isless pollution their caused by vehicles, visibility is not appreciably better.

I would love to hear why some people believe their dreams are slipping further and further away. Might it be because their dream never actually existed in the first place? Isit because everyplace undergoes change? Is it because things cost more than they had planned for? Or is it because some people can always find the negaive angle in every circumstance?

[Ajarn]

The main problem seems to be burning (of rice husks, garbage, and deliberate forest fires) and it affects the entire North which is quite clear to anyone who has ventured out of town in December - May.

Not sure to what extent localized pollution from traffic within the city would matter.

It's quite possible the lung cancer rates are higher here than in Bangkok as suggested by academic studies, but it would be even more interesting to see comparative data with for example Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phrae, Lamphun, Lampang and Nan.

If you knew how/why these statistics were kept, you wouldn't believe any of them.

[kurtgruen]

I have a piece of land in Chiang Dao too, and..

O oh, there goes the neighborhood

[bunta71]

flunked philosophy

[swain]

Traffic fumes aside, Thailand is moving in the right direction on this front with with change overs to NGV and LPG. As gas prices increase we will see more of this. Now, the air is fine and its nice out at night in and out of the city. The burning was very bad last year, and I am opening up my schedule to leave once again if it gets this bad in the up coming season. I love my life here and can even handle leaving 2-3 months out of the year. But, for the sake of my new born I hope we are able to address the problem and bring the needed attention to a situation that is out of control.

I just read what I posted and I feel like the woman in the Simpsons that keeps screaming "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" and not doing anything to help the situation. In some ways I feel powerless to effect change. I saw a while back that there was a group of expats that were gathering to try to address the problem, does anyone know anything about this?

Edited December 31, 2007 by swain

[lannarebirth]

Traffic fumes aside, Thailand is moving in the right direction on this front with with change overs to NGV and LPG. As gas prices increase we will see more of this. Now, the air is fine and its nice out at night in and out of the city. The burning was very bad last year, and I am opening up my schedule to leave once again if it gets this bad in the up coming season. I love my life here and can even handle leaving 2-3 months out of the year. But, for the sake of my new born I hope we are able to address the problem and bring the needed attention to a situation that is out of control.

I just read what I posted and I feel like the woman in the Simpsons that keeps screaming "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" and not doing anything to help the situation. In some ways I feel powerless to effect change. I saw a while back that there was a group of expats that were gathering to try to address the problem, does anyone know anything about this?

Yours is a very sensible and reasonable post. I disagree withe premise that expats can effect change however, except through the changing of their own habits. There was a thread some time ago that noted a pilot program of the Thai government to effect change through changing local burning practices. Ithink it was starting out in Mae Wang or SanPatong. Someplace down that way. I think it will be these efforts, combined with regional talks with neighboring nations that will bring about the greatest improvements in seasonal air quality.