Dear General

[sceadugenga]

We need to get a panel of experts for an online Q & A session from Thaivisa members.

Nominate the experts of your choice ...

My services are available if it's a paid position.

Or even expenses.

[sylviex]

We need to get a panel of experts for an online Q & A session from Thaivisa members.

Nominate the experts of your choice ...

My services are available if it's a paid position.

Or even expenses.

You get an environmentally friendly robe from Olly, sponsored by me .

Please describe your (relevant) expertise.

[davidgtr]

I must say that I always find it intriguing why so many posters on this forum so often blame journalists and reporters for unclear or downright false information. It is like they accuse writers of deliberately distorting facts and sensationalising them.

Well I know some of them would never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

My favourite all time example was the long neck hilltribe village hidden in the jungles of North Thailand, (a few kms north of Tha Ton.)

There was a 3 x 4 metre sign beside the highway pointing to the hill tribe village 130 metres off the highway.

But that's another story.

I do feel though as some people have nothing better to do but crow about the pollution. Surely they must be getting a sore throat by now.

I agree it is bad & is a problem at times, but come on guys let's get on with our lives. It is not going to go away in the near future, & more than likely there will be much worse peaks in the coming years; but for me the deciding factor is going to be adverse weather conditions of the day / week, that will trap the bad air in the valley; & there wont be a great deal we can do about that. Last year was bad but so were the extreme weather conditions - early end to wet season / poor wet season.

The locals have been burning off rubbish for generations & it they all won't stop overnight, unless there is an alterative rubbish disposal system in place for them.

Most people want a car - there's too many vehicles on the city roads, but what is the alternative provided by the govt?

Unless education & realistic solutions to these problems are provided by the govt, the pollution will continue to get worse before it gets better.

It's price we are going to have to pay for such uncontrolled rapid development. And Chiang Mai is not alone.

[sylviex]

Fair points, david.

The locals have been burning off rubbish for generations & it they all won't stop overnight, unless there is an alterative rubbish disposal system in place for them.

Education can cure this. In Australia ( and many other places), people have learnt to use seatbelts, not drive drunk, not litter etc. In China, Mao had all the flies killed . It can be done, if there's a will ...

Most people want a car - there's too many vehicles on the city roads, but what is the alternative provided by the govt?

I manage without a car or motorsai. Don't want one of either, at all. It's really not very difficult. However, one of CM's greatest and most glaring deficiencies is indeed the lack of public transport. Again, needs the will ...

In other countries, these problems have been dealt with; effectively and often quite imaginatively.

I do believe that we should not just shrug our shoulders and say "This is Thailand", though. Do your best as an individual and communicate the importance of this to others, without preaching. Hard to say this without sounding condescending, but simply not knowing how to do otherwise is a problem.

BTW - anyone know much about the power station in Lampang ? Have they cleaned up their act at all ?(cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-70432.html is the first to come up on google; you can follow from there if interested. )

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Sorry Priceless, didn't mean to be flip. 'The charming Priceless' will do?

[davidgtr]

I do believe that we should not just shrug our shoulders and say "This is Thailand", though. Do your best as an individual and communicate the importance of this to others, without preaching.

Yeah well my guess is that most of the farang on his forum are aware of the problem & already doing their best. So many complainers are simply preaching to the converted & I find that it does get a bit tiring.

BTW I wonder has anyone counted how many threads there about this subject on the forum?

[Priceless]

Sorry Priceless, didn't mean to be flip. 'The charming Priceless' will do?

That's OK

/ Priceless

[sylviex]

Yeah well my guess is that most of the farang on his forum are aware of the problem & already doing their best. So many complainers are simply preaching to the converted & I find that it does get a bit tiring.

BTW I wonder has anyone counted how many threads there about this subject on the forum?

Though there are always newcomers, and new information, too. If you are thinking about coming here for a holiday or to settle down, it's definitely something you need to take into consideration. I don't know if the travel agents ever bring it to their clients' attention .

Many people read these forums without ever joining up or posting, in fact I believe such people would be the great majority. I will bet thaivisa comes up early and often in Google searches. I'd certainly find the comments of people who live here of more interest than the information on a commercial website.

And I'd certainly never advise anyone to take their long-awaited and long-saved-for annual holiday here in March -- it might be okay, but would you want to risk it ? If I were planning a holiday somewhere and found the air could be unsafe (or even unpleasant) for me or my family, I'd be very grateful for the info.

Edited March 20, 2008 by sylviex