Pollution In Chiang Rai

[svenivan]

Sven, fill us in on what happened to your farm!!! I remember you said that some trees got burned by careless neighbors, did all of it get destroyed? If so this is very sad and I a sorry to hear that happened.

In what general area is it?? Is it on a hillside or close to other farms??

We are talking about two fires. The first one was 20 days ago and affected 20-25 of our rubbertrees plus some but just a few of the lumjaytrees. Maybe covered 10% of the land.

The second one happened last Sunday. That one covered every sqm that the first one missed. We will have no lumjay this year and probably many of the trees will die.

Same neighbour has started this fire 3 years in a row now. They don´t cut the grass year around, just spray maybe a liter of diesel, light a match and leave. Cost them maybe 25 baht, why spend thousands of baht keeping the land clean when all you need is to have a little fire once a year. ( If your neighbours land and houses burn, who cares ?)

My wife has visited 5 puya baan, one policebox, tamboon administration and today Chiang Ray Province Policestn.

Will that help next year?

No.

[jubby]

I understand that you can get compensation if you can prove who started it. I've never taken it any further but if it was the same guy for 3 years then I would be tempted to take it further. What have the officials got to say ?

If you think nothing can be done then maybe you should think about planting some Teak instead. Its amazing how fire resistant young teak is.

[IraqRon]

I am sorry to hear this Sven, it is what is called a major bummer. Something for all of us with land to think about.

The neighbor is a shit head for being so careless but ...... good luck in whatever you do to get compensation.

[Mapguy]

There is a huge amount of information on the Chiang Mai forum about air pollution. If you start term searching with the likes of "air pollution, you find quite a lot going back quite a ways.

Not surprisingly, there is a bewildering number of threads. The one that seems to be getting most of the attention these days is: "Thailand's Polluted Air is in the North."

[svenivan]

Maybe the worst is over for this year.

According to Thai Meteorlogicals so is visibility in Chiang Rai now 6 km !

But still only 1 km in Lamphun!

Check the Firemap!

[lannarebirth]

Sven, fill us in on what happened to your farm!!! I remember you said that some trees got burned by careless neighbors, did all of it get destroyed? If so this is very sad and I a sorry to hear that happened.

In what general area is it?? Is it on a hillside or close to other farms??

We are talking about two fires. The first one was 20 days ago and affected 20-25 of our rubbertrees plus some but just a few of the lumjaytrees. Maybe covered 10% of the land.

The second one happened last Sunday. That one covered every sqm that the first one missed. We will have no lumjay this year and probably many of the trees will die.

Same neighbour has started this fire 3 years in a row now. They don´t cut the grass year around, just spray maybe a liter of diesel, light a match and leave. Cost them maybe 25 baht, why spend thousands of baht keeping the land clean when all you need is to have a little fire once a year. ( If your neighbours land and houses burn, who cares ?)

My wife has visited 5 puya baan, one policebox, tamboon administration and today Chiang Ray Province Policestn.

Will that help next year?

No.

Sven, have you cut a firebreak around your land? I've got about 113 rai here in Chiang Mai and I have a 3m firebreak around most of it. The whole perimeter surrounding our land was burned this year, but less than 1/2 rai of ours burned because of the firebreak. Additionally, you might consider burning 4-5 meters of your neighbors land next year in mid February as a preventative measure.

[goski]

You can also set his ass on fire meanwhile. That fire map must be a joke, it is highly implausbile that within 4 days time all the burning just stopped all over Thailand. Last week it was basically all red. Wow, I say with positivity!

[svenivan]

Sven, have you cut a firebreak around your land? I've got about 113 rai here in Chiang Mai and I have a 3m firebreak around most of it. The whole perimeter surrounding our land was burned this year, but less than 1/2 rai of ours burned because of the firebreak. Additionally, you might consider burning 4-5 meters of your neighbors land next year in mid February as a preventative measure.

Yes, I plowed a couple of times about 3-4 m wide so it was just plain soil.

It did not help because the "jungle" that my lovely neighbour put on fire was at least 3 m high and he probably waited until it was a good wind so he did not need more than one match!

[svenivan]

You can also set his ass on fire meanwhile. That fire map must be a joke, it is highly implausbile that within 4 days time all the burning just stopped all over Thailand. Last week it was basically all red. Wow, I say with positivity!

Back to "all red" again!

Are you happy now Goski?

[sceadugenga]

Plenty of rain coming down here at the moment.

[toybits]

Same at Tha Sai. Strong wind and decent rain. Tomorrow will be a clear day.

Plenty of rain coming down here at the moment.

[mcgriffith]

Oh, bother.

Threat of rain, lightning, smell of rain in the air...

Not a drop in poor dry CM.

[sceadugenga]

Heavy rain and marble size hail out here around 4pm.

Lasted about an hour.

[nonstopaction]

Heavy rain and marble size hail out here around 4pm.

Lasted about an hour.

I noticed today I was coughing a lot from the smoke. The haze was burning my eyes...they were watering more than usual. I felt I was gasping from the pain in my lungs...

I decided to go outside of the bar in Pattaya...the weather was much nicer outside on the beach but I still love the smokey atmosphere...looking forward to going to Chiang Rai soon.

[wileycoyote]

Hope we get more rain soon.

[sceadugenga]

Thought I'd bump this thread to give us a little hope.... heavy rain arrived in March last year!

[brahmburgers]

white skies had a touch of baby blue today. Methinks we're over the hump.

Air quality appears to be going from dreadful to very bad. Pretty soon, it will just be bad - hooray!

p.s. my solar panels were working better today than all last week - though still well below par.

[verygoodgirl]

"dumber than dumb" comes to my mind once again

TIT

burning organic matter is in a way like burning money in your bank account!

for proper soil conservation (or for saving money) its the last thing you would ever do

i am telling you most people are clueless and its dangerous because they have money and tech

but dont know what they are doing with it

[Limbo]

I never thought that Chiang Rai was even worse than Chiang Mai.

Above 120 things are getting unhealthy ...

This was the situation last year.

Limbo

Edited March 13, 2010 by Limbo

[lannaman]

A hazy orange sun rose this morning, the sky glowing a orangy/grey colour, burning pollution and stinging eyes, no morning bike exercise until we get rain wind and clean air.

[villagefarang]

My mountain bike is on an exercise stand in the living room. No more outdoor exercise for me either. Until this nuclear winter of fire and smoke ends, I stay indoors.

[sceadugenga]

The dog treats such wishy washy excuses with contempt. We walk, eyes streaming and lungs burning, along our usual trails twice daily.

Actually It's not that bad.

[lannaman]

The dog treats such wishy washy excuses with contempt. We walk, eyes streaming and lungs burning, along our usual trails twice daily.

Actually It's not that bad.

Well who's just a gnarled up old Oz? Yes I just did a turn with the dog, agree not too bad. It looked worse from my balcony at 6.30. Actually my eyes have been stinging after riding the Mbike to town each day

even invested in some eye-wash!

[sceadugenga]

Sounds like eyewash to me.

Edit: Hey, lannaman, while I think of it, watch out for that Mainland Vintage cheese in Big C. It's been left out the fridge at some stage and gone a bit funny. OK for omelettes etc though.

I got a nice piece of Gouda at the Chiang Rai Deli on Friday, a bit pricey but well worth it.

Edited March 15, 2010 by sceadugenga

[toybits]

Can you smoke bacon by leaving it outside overnight in Chiang Rai?

If you are a smoker, do you have the right to complain about the smoke pollution in Chiang Rai?

Is there any truth to the yellow shirts saying that people in the rural areas have no brains (because they burn trash and agricultural waste)?

[Limbo]

Concerning smoked bacon I am not a 'do-it-yourselver'.

I get my smoked bacon where Sceadugenga (who I from now on will call Scea, because it is

his own fault) gets his Gouda cheese.

Fun, we celebrated the 7th birthday of the little lad of the gentleman in charge of of the Deli

yesterday (veal, lamb, gratin and a not to be underrated amount of refreshing liquidities).

I am sure you all, with the necessary exception of 'those special', would have enjoyed it very much.

I think that the secret behind the quality of the products of the deli could be the fact is that its

manager is not only a gourmet, but an extremely good cook as well.

You were lucky to be in time Scea, he sold six kilo that day, almost everything he had in store!

As a smoker of the first category (from 16 to 62) I still will go on the barricades for smokers.

Smokers have in my opinion exactly the same rights as non-smokers.

I would even say that the air pollution hits smokers more than non-smokers, so that even non-smokers

should show solidarity with their smoking fellow fellows.

I remember my dilemma when living in Berlin. Pollution warnings on the radio, keep your windows closed.

I was always wondering if, by opening my window, I would contribute to the pollution or the other way around.

The yellows have brains, yes, but corrupted brains. A year ago, when we already suffered under the wisdom of

these yellow politicians, one of them had a simple solution for our problem: "stop cooking on charcoal!"

This is the arrogance of the old feodal elite; this is the arrogance that created the go-ground for populist movements.

Don't forget that a lot of the land here in the north is owned by the old yellow Bangkok elite.

They let their fields be burned by local labourers.

Smoking is still a right, don't blame yourself!

Limbo

[sceadugenga]

I had plans drawn up for a smoker and a book of smoking techniques.... food, not pipes and ciggies. But when I forsook strong drink I also cut down on foods like bacon and other smallgoods so now a 250gm packet from the shop lasts me at least two weeks.

I made a bacon and tomato pasta tonight, a rasher of bacon chopped and sautéed with a little chopped onion and finally sliced chilli. Then some fresh peeled tomatoes and spring (green) onions chopped and heated through in the same pan. (Just heat, don't cook).

Stir through pasta, serve with a little grated cheese.

Wholemeal pasta, must find wholemeal pasta....

[Ulysses G.]

I think that it is pretty easy to find it Chiang Mai, but local brown rise noodles would be just as healthy and much cheaper.

Edited March 16, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[mcgriffith]

I think that it is pretty easy to find it Chiang Mai, but local brown rise noodles would be just as healthy and much cheaper.

You are scaring some of us with this, UG....

Exactly where does one come across some of these brown rising noodles?

Just kidding, kiddo....

[sceadugenga]

Indeed, and what do the Thais call them... explain yourself man!

Hang on, is that rice? OK....