High Smog Prompts Mask Handouts In North

[webfact]

High smog prompts mask handouts in North

By The Nation

CHIANG RAI: -- Smog density in the North has again exceeded a safe health level, prompting concerns and the distribution soon of 800,000 protective masks to local residents.

The density measured at a local pollution control office in Chiang Rai on Wednesday was 132 mg/cubic metre exceeding the recognised safety level of 120 mg/cubic metre for more than two days, officials said.

Chiang Rai governor Sumeth Saengnimnual said he had officially asked local authorities in Laos and Burma to make sure their communities did not light unnecessary fires, while local fire services have been placed on alert. Volunteer firemen are now stationed at eight districts where wildfires and manmade fires are frequent.

Deputy Public Health Minister Pansiri Kulanartsiri said the protective masks would be distributed to residents, especially young children and elders, in eight northern provinces affected by the smog.

Chiang Mai is the province hit second hardest by the smog, due to its geographical structure.

-- The Nation 2010-02-26

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[toybits]

Yes! It is always better to point your finger at your neighbors. Drove to Wiang Pa Pao from Chiang Rai and saw lots of woodland where the underbrush had been burned off. But it was probably the Burmese and Laos who did it. Ohhh those B%@!#!@#$!@DS

[sceadugenga]

Taken a couple of weeks back, it does seem to point the finger at the northern bassads.

[jubby]

Seems to be a lot more local charcoal production this year.

Time to take it easy I suppose.

[toybits]

Yes...nice photo but the wind is blowing from south to north...

http://www.tmd.go.th/programs/uploads/maps...perWind600m.jpg

Taken a couple of weeks back, it does seem to point the finger at the northern bassads.

[sceadugenga]

Maybe you've posted the wrong map, that one seems to clearly show the wind coming out of China into Burma then sweeping out of the West into Northern Thailand.

[toybits]

Which map were you referring to?

[skybluestu]

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

[sceadugenga]

Which map were you referring to?

I apologise if I'm having a particularly thick day, and I lay no claims to meteorological skills, but to me the top four arrows on the map, (which I assume indicate wind direction), which cover all of Thailand north of Phitsanulok, quite clearly appear to be coming out of China.

Which on my map is north of Thailand.

I've had a problem like this before when I couldn't see how a straight road, suggested by another forum member, could be built between Chiang Rai and Udon Thani without going through the Lao PDR, so maybe I'm not very good at this type of thing.

[lannaman]

I wouldn't call it a smog. Smog is really dense stuff that forms in cities. When I was young (long ago) coal was burnt in English towns and cities, plus gas works in most towns. That produced SMOG.

The stuff in Northern Thailand in a SMOKE HAZE.

[jubby]

Yes, Just an Haze at the moment and not too intrusive on the Lungs at the moment.

It could be just keeping the Temperature down slightly also. Keeping off the Midday Sun so to speak.

Had a few Gusts of wind this afternoon which may help to move it.

[skybluestu]

Yes, the wind was quite noticeable yesterday and was coming from the south, really noticed the difference as it cleared a lot of the smoke and the view of the mountains was back. But this morning they were hidden by the smoke again

[toybits]

Let's see what sceadugenga is going to say about this... I don't know how we can blame this on China. The smoke from China must have been carried by wind that circumnavigated the planet

[sceadugenga]

Fully agree that the wind was gusting from the south yesterday.

For the previous month, and I've eaten on my back deck every night, the wind has been steady out of the North West.

Once again, toybits map shows the wind affecting the Chiang Rai area coming out of China. They're flowing anti clockwise around an area of high pressure. The map's not big enough to show this.

We had an excellent satellite map last year showing where all the fires were in the region, and the largest areas ablaze were clearly in Burma, Laos and China.

I'm not saying that is not considerable local smoke pollution, but the thick high level stuff comes from the north.

Edited March 1, 2010 by sceadugenga

[skybluestu]

It was from the south yesterday but it cleared the smoke away, if the smoke was coming from the south it would have got worse. Of course there is burning going on in North Thailand but nothing like the amount there is in Laos & Burma.

[sceadugenga]

You only have to drive north to Mae Sai and it gets thicker all the way.

[toybits]

YUP! The wind is coming from China alright. Just look at the Map below..

Fully agree that the wind was gusting from the south yesterday.

For the previous month, and I've eaten on my back deck every night, the wind has been steady out of the North West.

Once again, toybits map shows the wind affecting the Chiang Rai area coming out of China. They're flowing anti clockwise around an area of high pressure. The map's not big enough to show this.

We had an excellent satellite map last year showing where all the fires were in the region, and the largest areas ablaze were clearly in Burma, Laos and China.

I'm not saying that is not considerable local smoke pollution, but the thick high level stuff comes from the north.

[sceadugenga]

What happened to the first map you based your claim on?

Shame there's a 30 minute limit on deleting posts eh?

[toybits]

Claiming that all this smoke is coming out of China or Burma is not right. There is a lot of smoke today. There was a lot of smoke yesterday. The attached maps shows wind direction. Draw your own conclusions.

Edited March 2, 2010 by toybits

[skybluestu]

http://www.bnionline.net/news/mizzima/7936...e-problem-.html

Sure, there is burning in North Thailand just as there is over the border in Burma & Laos but my Thai neighbours insist that the majority of the smoke drifts down from the north. Where I live in Bandu I can actually see that it's worse over the Mae Fah Luang area and northwards and on Sunday, when the wind changed direction and came from the south, it seemed to clear it. If the smoke was coming from the south i.e. Lampang, Lamphun, Chiang Mai surely it would have got worse, not better!

Here's a recent pic which shows numerous fires, many of which are just over the border near Tachilek.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHa...ew.php?id=42817

Edited March 2, 2010 by skybluestu

[sceadugenga]

Claiming that all this smoke is coming out of China or Burma is not right. There is a lot of smoke today. There was a lot of smoke yesterday. The attached maps shows wind direction. Draw your own conclusions.

OK toybits, I'll concede the argument. Not sure where I claimed ALL the smoke was from over the border though.

You realise I have to report you to the moderator as a Communist Chinese sympathiser? He's American so that should get you rubbed out for a few weeks.

[halfhead]

They love burning green stuff

[gotlost]

The red dots are fires. This is taken on 2March2010

[toybits]

Well, I do hope that the moderator DOES see this post because your reply to me is clearly a THREAT. So perhaps in the near future, you will be using a new log in name? hmmm...

Claiming that all this smoke is coming out of China or Burma is not right. There is a lot of smoke today. There was a lot of smoke yesterday. The attached maps shows wind direction. Draw your own conclusions.

OK toybits, I'll concede the argument. Not sure where I claimed ALL the smoke was from over the border though.

You realise I have to report you to the moderator as a Communist Chinese sympathiser? He's American so that should get you rubbed out for a few weeks.

Edited March 3, 2010 by toybits

[sceadugenga]

Most of us sensible chaps have several log-in names in reserve for when we get banned.

[toybits]

sceadugenga, why pick on an ACCUSED (by you but not proven) sympathiser when you can rub out real commies? Lots of commie tourists come to Thailand.

Why does the US do business with Commies? These commies you so want to have rubbed out feed you with melamine tainted milk, manufacture products using child labor but they are not the only cause of all of the smoke in Thailand.

What I am saying is that there is also a LOT of locally generated smoke and to lay the blame on only the Burmese or the Chinese is unfair.

You better watch your language dude...

OK toybits, I'll concede the argument. Not sure where I claimed ALL the smoke was from over the border though.

You realise I have to report you to the moderator as a Communist Chinese sympathiser? He's American so that should get you rubbed out for a few weeks.

[toybits]

Dude, you just admitted that you did something worthy of getting you booted out.

So long sceadugenga.

CIAO.

Next login name.

Kaching.

Most of us sensible chaps have several log-in names in reserve for when we get banned.

[OZEMADE]

Topic Closed and responses deleted as per Thai Visa policy with this subject.

Boy and they are worried about cigarette smoking laws.

[gotlost]

This is today's image. Most of the fires are not in Thailand.....

[toybits]

But the wind is blowing from southwest to northeast. So if I may ask, where is that smoke in your eyes coming from?

This is today's image. Most of the fires are not in Thailand.....