Thousands Sought Medical Help In Northern Thailand For Smog Related Problems

[webfact]

Smog related ailments rise in North

By The Nation

CHIANG RAI: -- Amid worsening air pollution, thousands of people in the North have sought medical treatment for respiratory problems this week.

The amount of particulate matter measuring less than 10 microns has soared above safe levels in Chiang Rai, Nan, Lampang, Mae Hong Son and Phayao provinces.

"The number of patients has significantly jumped," Chiang Rai public health chief Dr Chamnarn Harnsuttivejkul said yesterday.

He said 9,000 patients a week on average sought treatment for smogrelated symptoms.

"That's up by 1,200," Chamnarn said.

His office has advised locals, especially children and the elderly, to avoid venturing outdoors if possible.

"With this smog, it's not good to work outside in the open air," Chamnarn said.

In Phayao, the number of patients seeking medical treatment because of smog has also climbed since late last month.

Dr Chalong Akarachinores of the Phayao Public Health Office said more than 7,000 people had reported smogrelated symptoms at local hospitals over the past month.

In Mae Hong Son, more than 8,000 patients in this group have sought treatment.

"Respiratory, skin and eye problems are related to smog," said provincial publichealth chief Suwat Kittidilokkul.

Phayao Governor Cherdsak Chusri said campaigns were being conducted to discourage people, especially farmers, from setting fires to remove rice stubble and weeds.

"We'll also get tough on anyone deliberately burning the forest to collect naturally grown crops," he warned.

-- The Nation 2010-03-06

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[hmj]

"We'll also get tough on anyone deliberately burning the forest to collect naturally grown crops," ...

Forestry Department has put up new signs on all access roads. And more important, fire breaks have been swept with brooms across some mountains.

Forest fire prevention and control should be a community effort organised at village level.

The perpetrators come from the surrounding villages. The Government should hold the village heads responsible.

If Forestry Department claims that the forest is their responsibility, it should hold the managers responsible for forest fires and reward them or punish them accordingly.

At this time of the year many villagers are without any kind of occupation and income.

Forest fire prevention and control can create meaningful employment and a source of income.

A few species of bamboo have flowered at the end of last year and the forest leaf litter is thicker than normal. This year forest fires in the North will burn hotter than normal.

[Thailand]

Sadly nothing new, I can see 3 fires burning from my house and I live 10 minutes from central Chiang Mai.

[somtampet]

I love Chiang Mai but would never live there due to the pollution problems.Bangkok is terrible too but no doubt the people living there will say otherwise.

[tonglen]

Sadly nothing new, I can see 3 fires burning from my house and I live 10 minutes from central Chiang Mai.

I love Chiang Mai but would never live there due to the pollution problems.Bangkok is terrible too but no doubt the people living there will say otherwise.

Ive been up to Chaiang Mai and loved it. I visited there around November, and It wasn't bad, I thought. Is it a particular time of the year or is it bad year round?

[mccw]

Sadly nothing new, I can see 3 fires burning from my house and I live 10 minutes from central Chiang Mai.

I love Chiang Mai but would never live there due to the pollution problems.Bangkok is terrible too but no doubt the people living there will say otherwise.

Ive been up to Chaiang Mai and loved it. I visited there around November, and It wasn't bad, I thought. Is it a particular time of the year or is it bad year round?

Around about now is the worst time, feb march april; but last few years anyday of the year could be a smogy one if some local land owner decides to burn his big land to clear it, coz not windy it just sit around the imediate area and slowly dissapates. Burning to clear land on these big massive areas is simple greed, not wanting to pay labour to clear it, they should check who owns land and slap em with a big fine so big that its cheaper to have labour clear it instead; should b easily done but local gov dont want to upset the rich land owners who hold sway over many. Maybe one day central gov will offer cash rewards in line with land owners bustered and fires put out, then burning stop pritty quick. all comes down to money in the end like mostly everything else.

[jubby]

Like you say, nothing new here.

A Government official spouting some hot Air without any intention of doing anything about it.

Its like Deja Vu here in my Village. Morning Bulletins, Don't start Fires, don't waste the water, don't steal all the fish.

Had our first near miss 2 days ago when a neighbour decided to clear his land the usual way with a match. Other neigbour seeking compensation for fire damage without a Cat in Hells chance of getting a satang.

I can see about three fires from where I am. clearly manmade in order to clear forest for agriculture.

I've just cleared a fire break with the Tractor on another Neigbours Land to protect mine. I had a word beforehand but it was clear he was hoping for a fire to save him the hassle of tidying up.

The Real smoke is coming from China & Burma and just about everywhere else but Thailand though

[GungaDin]

Flying south from Udon Thani on Thursday arvo, nothing but fires and smoke for the 1st 30 mins.

Idiots!

[virtualtraveller]

Been living in Chiang Mai 7 years now, only in recent years do I remember this being an issue but frankly, it's an age old habit that's never going to change, coupled with no breeze at this time of year to sweep it away, same thing in KL at certain times of the year (totally out of their control since it comes across from Sumatra) and early settlers to Australia remarked how the 'aboriginals' set fire to everything, burnt huge tracts of land annually.

I'm out alot on my bicycle ( have to since I'm training for an 8 day MTB race in mid March in South Africa), and it's hel_l on the lungs, I've got a permanent stuffy nose, wake up with a head full of snot, feeling terrible, everyone here has cold like symptoms, burning throat, hacking cough etc, presumably all the Thais have it to, which leaves me wandering why the local villagers insist of burning their leaves!!!! I can well understand a poor uneducated farmer burning his rice field as a labour saving action, but riding the other evening through San patong I just saw smoldering heaps of leaves everywhere and some of the biggest bon fires ever. It's as if it's a national habit (what to do at 6pm when you're bored).

Apparently in recent years there's been a campaign to warn villagers not to burn, but no one has ever been fined or cautioned and I don't see billboards or hear it on the village announcements. There' just no will, no one sees the hazard and health issue, everyone here in the North is simply too dumb to bother. Personally I just can't see any benefit to burning yard leaves other than to tidy up.

Still, it's a problem that lasts about 6 weeks of the year, right now the PM<10 particle count is still under 100, it's been up to 300 in the past, and Lampang and Chiang Rai have it much worse. It's not a good time to visit Chiang Mai, everything is dry and ugly anyway, I get by staying indoors for a month, but on the whole the air quality here on an annual basis is far better than Bangkok or Samut Prakarn.

Here is the webpage publishing the PM<10 figures over the past 24 hours, keep an eye on it:

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

Edited March 7, 2010 by virtualtraveller