Thailand's Most Polluted Air Is In The North

[WinnieTheKhwai]

About a month. Usually March. But that's a shit month anyway, very hot and dry.

[cloudhopper]

have visited chiang mai/rai only one time and really loved it up there,but this pollution thing comes up every year and would put me off living in the area.how long does this thing on for per year

From mid Feb until the first rains around Songkran (mid April) up here.

[tigerbeer]

its horrible today ! .. eyes itchy, sinus problem. gotta have some beer tonight

[ajarnpim]

its horrible today ! .. eyes itchy, sinus problem. gotta have some beer tonight

agree.

the air is truly horrible already.

you couldnt see doi suthep most of the day.

or for the last week.

dont care what the reliable air monitoring devices say. What the pathetic graphs or pathetic perusers of said graphs promote.

dont care if its not the worst nearly the worst or if its improving.

IT IS AWFUL.

I AM MOVING.

Edited February 18, 2009 by ajarnpim

[el jefe]

I AM MOVING.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

I was out all day today and everyday this week. Doi Suthep is still visible. The air has definitely gotten worse but please don't make it sound worse than it really is.

Where ar you moving to? Sara Buri?

[ajarnpim]

I AM MOVING.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

I was out all day today and everyday this week. Doi Suthep is still visible. The air has definitely gotten worse but please don't make it sound worse than it really is.

Where ar you moving to? Sara Buri?

maybe by the sea. You stay here and enjoy!!!!

Maybe Ill move near the free flowing Mekong. OOps the mekong doesnt exist anymore.

[sriracha john]

DDC warns of air pollution in North

The Department of Disease Control has warned citizens in the northern region of their susceptibility to respiratory and heart ailments due to high level of air pollution, suggesting the use of hygienic masks or wet cloths to protect themselves.

Director-General of the Department of Disease Control Dr. ML Somchai Chakrabhand traveled to Chiang Mai province today (February 23) to launch a meeting on disease prevention from air pollution caused by frequent forest fires in the region.

He indicated that 8 northern provinces have been threatened by smoke particulates, posing danger to the residents’ health.

If breathed in, dust particles smaller than 10 microns can remain within the upper respiratory system causing infections in the nose, throat, windpipe, and lungs as well as other potentially fatal ailments.

A survey of air pollution conducted from February 13-18 found that Lampang, Lamphun, and Phrae provinces have unacceptably high levels of dust particles.

Dr. ML Somchai then suggested citizens in risky areas to protect themselves from air pollution by covering their noses and mouths with hygienic masks or moist cloths. He stated that anyone experiencing eye, nose, or throat irritation should immediately seek medical care.

- ThaiNews / 2009-02-23

Edited February 24, 2009 by sriracha john

[WinnieTheKhwai]

So Dr. Somchai recommends wearing a medical face mask against PM-10 particles? Good luck with that.

Sorry, but what an idiot.. I wonder if he's ever seen a PM-10 mask and it does not resemble a little white piece of medical cloth that he'd wear being a doctor..

PM-10 masks are actually pretty hard to breathe through, so much so that it's uncomfortable and won't work when doing any kind of exercise like biking, etc. (i.e. when you'd need it most)

Personally I'd just recommend not biking or other exercise in March.

[sriracha john]

Chiang Mai Kicks Off Campaign against Smoke Pollution

A parade of cars in Chiang Mai province are being used to bring attention to preventing smoke pollution and to create awareness, urging people to help solve the problem.

Deputy Chiangmai Governer Pairot Saengpuwong presided over the ceremony that consisted of a parade of cars campaigning for smoke prevention.

The Deputy Chiang Mai Governer said the campaign should create awareness so that people will see the importance of the issue of smoke pollution and help prevent future incidents that effect themselves and society.

The Chiang Mai Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Prachon Pratsakun said the campaign for pollution prevention in Chiang Mai has been in effect since November 1, 2008. There is also a center to monitor smoke and that it is open to receive reports 24 hours a day.

When compared to last year, the reports show a decrease from January 1 onwards with a total of 60 reported cases. As for other concerns, the province's rescue teams have been given the additional task of being responsible for putting out forest fires, which should help lower forest fires in this dry season.

- TOC / 2009-02-24

[john b good]

As the sun came up this morning it was just a red blob through the haze.

You could smell the smoke in the air.

Not nice at all, and sadly nothing much will change any time soon.

[cloudhopper]

The vis here in Pai is less than 500 meters in the morning but by the afternoon winds seem to clear it out enough for 10km vis. Then the fires are lit again at sundown and burn through the night. My pool was covered in ashes this morning and the air is very polluted now IMO.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Right because it's mostly morning FOG, for chrissakes.. John B, you didn't notice a pretty chilly night? Then you get fog in the morning, as well as added condensation to whatever particles there are in the air.

[Mapguy]

Right because it's mostly morning FOG, for chrissakes.. John B, you didn't notice a pretty chilly night? Then you get fog in the morning, as well as added condensation to whatever particles there are in the air.

So, Winnie, where can you lead the conversation productively with something authoritative on humidity and suspended particulate matter? Without an appeal for divine guidance, I hope. Fully cited references are welcome!

Edited February 25, 2009 by Mapguy

[HeyNow]

The link to the PCD website is helpful, but has anyone come across data that tracks air quality in CM through the course of a day?

If the trend here is anything like it is where I'm from, then CM's air quality is worst in the daytime and best in the wee hours of the morning and late evening. Then again, this might not hold true; the burning smell seems to be quite strong in the evening, roughly between 7 PM and 9 PM.

Comments (and links to hard data, in particular) are very welcome!

Cheers,

HeyNow

[sriracha john]

A veil of fine particle dust yesterday covers Lampang provice, where motorists have been warned of possible accidents because of poor visibility and people advised not to exercise outdoors.

The Nation

[sriracha john]

North chokes from dense smog

A thick haze and dense micro dust particles from bush fires blanketing northern provinces have raised fears air quality in the North is poised to reach danger levels.

On Wednesday, the level of dust particles, technically called particulate matter (PM-10), which is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic substances, in several upper northern provinces was found to be beyond an acceptable limit.

It was measured at 201 microgrammes per cubic metre (ug/cu m) in Lampang against a health standard of 120 ug/cu m. The province was the worst hit. The level of PM-10 in Chiang Mai was measured at 129 ug/cu m.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...from-dense-smog

[cloudhopper]

Right because it's mostly morning FOG, for chrissakes.. John B, you didn't notice a pretty chilly night? Then you get fog in the morning, as well as added condensation to whatever particles there are in the air.

Whenever the temperature drops to near the dew point water vapor will certainly condense around particulate matter and this is what often happens around sunrise in the cool season here. This is a particularly unhealthful brew however (check out the killer fog in London 1952) and tends to get trapped under a temperature inversion layer that doesn't dissipate until later in the day due to convection and mixing with gradient winds. This morning reeks of smoke inside my well-sealed house and the vis here is only about 100 meters - the worst I've seen to date.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Right because it's mostly morning FOG, for chrissakes.. John B, you didn't notice a pretty chilly night? Then you get fog in the morning, as well as added condensation to whatever particles there are in the air.

So, Winnie, where can you lead the conversation productively with something authoritative on humidity and suspended particulate matter? Without an appeal for divine guidance, I hope. Fully cited references are welcome!

Please don't be unnecessarily insulting. I'm not responding to flames; The PCD link is out there.

Edited February 26, 2009 by WinnieTheKhwai

[sendbaht]

I still road my bicycle up Doi Suthep this morning. Left at 5:30AM not many cars passed. Still lots of riders riding up and down. Great time in the morning. Monks walking around looking for a meal.

Dogs laying in the road sleeping, the birds waking up. You can hear the waterfalls as you pass. Nothing like a bike ride early in the morning.

I will admit, I did not stop to view the city below as I do other days.

[hhper]

I still road my bicycle up Doi Suthep this morning. Left at 5:30AM not many cars passed. Still lots of riders riding up and down. Great time in the morning. Monks walking around looking for a meal.

Dogs laying in the road sleeping, the birds waking up. You can hear the waterfalls as you pass. Nothing like a bike ride early in the morning.

I will admit, I did not stop to view the city below as I do other days.

Nothing like a bike ride in the morning...............can't believe you didn't stop to look at the crap in the air....blind?

Thailand will surely will kill any tourism attracted to this part of the land with the mai ben rai attitude.

[john b good]

Right because it's mostly morning FOG, for chrissakes.. John B, you didn't notice a pretty chilly night? Then you get fog in the morning, as well as added condensation to whatever particles there are in the air.

I have seen fog before. It was not fog. Fog does not turn the rising sun bright orange / red.

It was a smoke haze.

I have seen smoke haze before (in NZ) when the sky is a burnt orange from bush fires in Victoria.

I have seen the effects of smoke in Singapore (from burning off in Kalimantan) I have seen the same effects in Irian Jaya from the same burning off in Kalimantan.

The same effects (conditions) were seen in Phuket.

I have seen fog in Christchurch NZ (due to an inversion layer) over subsequent days.

Your name is at least partly appropriate "for chrissakes"

[lannarebirth]

I still road my bicycle up Doi Suthep this morning. Left at 5:30AM not many cars passed. Still lots of riders riding up and down. Great time in the morning. Monks walking around looking for a meal.

Dogs laying in the road sleeping, the birds waking up. You can hear the waterfalls as you pass. Nothing like a bike ride early in the morning.

I will admit, I did not stop to view the city below as I do other days.

Nothing like a bike ride in the morning...............can't believe you didn't stop to look at the crap in the air....blind?

Thailand will surely will kill any tourism attracted to this part of the land with the mai ben rai attitude.

I don't think its a mai bpen rai attitude at all. I think the burning is done with purpose. For anyone who gets around much there is far far less burning going on in Chiiang Mai province than in years past. In Lampang however it looks like a depiction of hel_l.

People who have been observing the phenomena for years will note that tracts burned 2 years ago are now growing corn and rubber trees. Tracts burned last year have had fences magically appear around them. We're talking about HUGE tracts of land here, not villagers staking a claim. Many of these large pieces of land are on highways and they share a common characteristics that they are mostly flat and suitable for large scale farming.

The same is going on in SukoThai and Nan. Unfortunately CM skies connect to all these places and it is more than just my feeling that that is the pollution we are currently experiencing in Chiang Mai. I saw more rai on fire in Lampang this weekend than I have seen in 7 years total in Chiang Mai.

[hhper]

I still road my bicycle up Doi Suthep this morning. Left at 5:30AM not many cars passed. Still lots of riders riding up and down. Great time in the morning. Monks walking around looking for a meal.

Dogs laying in the road sleeping, the birds waking up. You can hear the waterfalls as you pass. Nothing like a bike ride early in the morning.

I will admit, I did not stop to view the city below as I do other days.

Nothing like a bike ride in the morning...............can't believe you didn't stop to look at the crap in the air....blind?

Thailand will surely will kill any tourism attracted to this part of the land with the mai ben rai attitude.

I don't think its a mai bpen rai attitude at all. I think the burning is done with purpose. For anyone who gets around much there is far far less burning going on in Chiang Mai province than in years past. In Lampang however it looks like a depiction of hel_l.

People who have been observing the phenomena for years will note that tracts burned 2 years ago are now growing corn and rubber trees. Tracts burned last year have had fences magically appear around them. We're talking about HUGE tracts of land here, not villagers staking a claim. Many of these large pieces of land are on highways and they share a common characteristics that they are mostly flat and suitable for large scale farming.

The same is going on in SukoThai and Nan. Unfortunately CM skies connect to all these places and it is more than just my feeling that that is the pollution we are currently experiencing in Chiang Mai. I saw more rai on fire in Lampang this weekend than I have seen in 7 years total in Chiang Mai.

I seem to remember that when we last had such bad air 2 years ago. The authorities were going to clamp down on burning across all of the North. The burning goes on still and there is no control......Mai ben rai???? I think so as there is not the will by the people who burn or the authorities to stop it.

I've seen in the last few days whole fields on the road to Sankamphang from the airport, say 3-5 kils from the airport totally burnt and these fields are not used for agriculture. I was in Lamphun today and apart from the smog that was was there for all to see you could smell the smoke in the air.

Lets face it nobody burns fields for no purpose but the fact is we were all promised regulation and control after the smog we had 2 years ago and nothing has changed, there is zero regulation.........sadly therein lies the mai ben rai attitude.

[scotbeve]

Welcome to THAILAND... a developing country. :-) Try living in BEIJING... MAMBAI... JAKARTA... you will be thankful for air quality in Thailand :-)

Ashtonite,

You have a point there... There is also places such as Mexico City, Los Angeles, Trinidad, and many more.... BUT man-made fires are just NOT ON!!! See below...

Same view though slightly different focal range. Clear pic in Nov. 2008 and smoggy pic 18 Feb. 2009 (it's worse today....)

[sriracha john]

Dust masks sent to polluted North

A consignment of 200,000 dust masks has been sent to Chiang Mai to be further distributed to people in areas of the eight Northern provinces with higher than average dust and smoke levels, Public Health Witthaya Kaewparadai said on Sunday.

The minister said that in parts of the northern region the count of particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10) in the air was above the healthy level.

The air pollution problem in the region was fluctuating.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...-polluted-north

[scotbeve]

See below post and pics (mine) of Nov. 08 (clear), 18 Feb. 2009(smoggy), and 2 new pics today. Ya' gotta laugh at the daft microlite pilot across the highway 107 at the Special Forces Group 5 flying in this cr_p smog!!! BTW the pilot is approx 600m from my view point, the mountain range is 1.9 km mid-way up the "peaks".... If you look carefully enough, you'll see a plume of smoke blowing in a ENE direction on top of the mountain.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2564750

[sriracha john]

Smog has blanketed Chiang Mai province on Monday, causing breathing problems for people. Chiang Mai authorities failed to convince people not to destroy garbage by burning.

The Nation

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm so happy to have The Nation to tell me these things.

And.. "failed to convince people not to destroy garbage burning" ... Their grammar must be improving because I almost can't understand what that doesn't mean!

Factually it's also iffy because it seems to imply that the smog is caused by garbage burning.. I thought we established in this topic that it's a regional condition, so not specifically related to Chiang Mai but to the whole North, and also not primarily caused by garbage burning. (No points though for stating the obvious, that garbage burning MUST also be curbed to not add to the problem, that goes without saying)

Edited March 2, 2009 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Mapguy]

Want to do something constructive? Lots of different sorts of things can be done. Here are a few ideas and contacts to get you started:

1. Report fires when you see them. (This will usually require learning enough Thai to do it and knowing how to read a map or describe a location, but English speakers are normally available during office hours). The numbers are: 199 or 053409345.

2. Talk to neighbors about the problem, expressing concern for good health and showing alternatives. Excellent leaflets are available available from the Urban Studies Section of the Social Research Institute, Chiang Mai University.

3. Follow recycling techniques. Promote regular garbage pickup, which is not yet consistently available outside of Chiang Mai City. Contact scavengers regarding recyclable material which is profitable. (Quite a lot is.) There is also promotional material at the Social Research Institute with contact information for entrepreneurial firms who are manufacturing products from recycled materials:

Urban Studies Section

Social Research Instititute

Chiang Mai University

053.94.2564

www.sri.cmu.ac.th

Email: [email protected]

This office is located on the right-hand side of the road which is the first major left-hand turn through the CMU entrance on the Canal Road. There is a sign about 150M down the road on the right. Park and go to the 2d floor office.

4. Be persistent in writing letters to officials at province level, especially the governor and the deputy governor, and contacting national as well as local news media. Don't forget to contact TAT where some tourism officials seem to be in denial about pollution. There is a TAT official in Chiang Mai. Persistently ask municipal and police officials why they don't enforce existing pollution laws. Join and support the efforts of the UDIF (Urban Development Institute Foundation). The web site is www.udif.or.th. Email is [email protected]. Phone: 053.27.4817. Visit UDIF most any Saturday. It is located in the very large building directly west of and across the road of the Governor's residence on the SW corner of Taepae Bridge. Lots of parking off Taepae Road.

[sriracha john]

Public Health Ministry Hands out 200,000 Masks

The Public Health Ministry has sent 200,000 masks to northern provinces to help alleviate the effects of air pollution in the area following reports of haze.

Public Health Minister Wittaya Kaewparadai revealed concerns about public health in the eight northern provinces, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Payao, Prae, Nan, and Mae Hong Son, which are being affected by haze and smog.

The Disease Control Department has sent 200,000 masks to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Chiang Mai, in order to help residents there.

Director of the Department of Disease Control Doctor Somchai Chakrapan said the department has created a handbook on basic health care and 50,000 copies have been distributed to villages.

- TOC / 2009-03-02