Chiang Mai Chokes From Burning Farms

[webfact]

Chiang Mai chokes from burning farms

By The Nation

CHIANG MAI -- The thick haze blanketing the North for days has forced Chiang Mai International Airport to turn on its runway lights and the Northern Royal Rainmaking Operations Centre to attempt more cloud-seeding flights.

Surapol Leelawaroros, director of the 16th conservation area's forest-fire operation division, said this year has already seen 1,502 wildfires damaging 10,695 rai of forestland.

Doi Saket district fought the most fires at 167, followed by Hot district at 166 and Chom Thong at 158.

This figure was slightly up from last year's 1,335 fires ruining 9,215 rai of forestland in the same period, he said.

Bush fires were not as worrisome as the outdoors fires lit intentionally by people for slash-and-burn farming, which was their way of life. These practices blurred the authority's anti-smog campaign.

Although Chiang Mai City residents could not see the summit of Doi Suthep mountain clearly as usual, airport director Wisit Eiwprapha said the haze didn't interfere with landings and takeoffs or cause flight cancellations.

The visibility was still regarded as normal. However, runway lights were turned on to improve aviation visibility.

Song Klinpathum, chief of the Northern Royal Rainmaking Operations Centre, said his office has followed the smoke situation intensely and plans to make artificial rain to alleviate the problem.

Their operation since March 11 managed to produce only drizzles in Chiang Rai and Phayao on March 15 since the high humidity and updrafts were not conducive to precipitation, he said.

Because Chiang Mai was smothered in smog yesterday, the centre would adjust the flight zone to better cover Chiang Mai, Lampang and Lamphun so there should be some showers later in the day to wash down the fine dust.

Environmental Office Region 2 in Lampang said all six of its automated air quality measuring stations - four in Lampang, one each in Phayao and Phrae - had detected fine particle dust exceeding the standard of 120 milligrams per cubic metre.

In Lampang, the station at the City Pillar Shrine measured 180mcgs and the other in Mae Mo district registered 156.5mcgs.

While Phrae had only 80mcgs, Phayao showed up to 259.8mcgs, he said.

-- The Nation 2010-03-17

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[ChiangMaiFun]

Yes it's a disgrace! same same every year and they do?????????? nothing. One might think that as history repeats itself annually those inpower might have some sort of strategy?

[Thai at Heart]

Spoke to some friends up there yesterday and apparently the smog is as bad as it has ever been.

This is killing the reputation of the city, and still nobody appears able to do anything to stop it.

[Thailand]

Same this morning. Heavy haze and you can not only smell the burning you can taste it. My wife who suffers from bronchial problems is leaving for a couple of weeks.

We live in the suburbs of Chiang Mai and all the normal views,Doi Suthep etc are blotted out. Really seems to be getting worse each year. If you don't need to come this way for a few weeks then I would recommend that you don't.

[bikerjoy]

it's a disgrace. why don't they tell every farmen with posters and media campains to stop burning?

[Thai at Heart]

it's a disgrace. why don't they tell every farmen with posters and media campains to stop burning?

Then you will have a countryside covered in posters which they will probably use for a bonfire.

Big fines, big fines and more big fines is all that will work.

[scotbeve]

Where did the Nation get the Chiang Mai numbers from????

16-Mar-10

Site SO2 NO2 CO Ozone PM10 AQI

Ayutthaya 4.0 17.0 0.4 38.0 69.3 113.0

Chacherngsao 3.0 10.0 0.4 23.0 36.1 72.0

Chiang Mai 3.0 15.0 1.0 59.0 220.5 144.0

Chiangmai 117.8 99.0

Chiangrai 2.0 31.0 245.9 155.0

Chiangrai(MaeSai) 2.0 31.0 2.1 27.0 311.0 183.0

Chon Buri 2.0 11.0 10.0 43.1 52.0

Hatyai 5.0 6.0 0.2 17.0 32.6 41.0

Khon Kaen 2.0 35.0 1.0 15.0 64.8 66.0

Lampang 1.0 29.0 1.6 180.0 126.0

Lumpoon 21.0 1.3 41.0 261.1 161.0

Maehongson 2.4 40.0 292.5 175.0

Nakorn Sawan 4.0 16.0 1.1 35.0 91.9 82.0

Narativas 0.2 24.9 31.0

Nhan 1.0 9.0 1.3 44.0 159.3 117.0

Nonthaburi 5.0 19.0 0.6 7.0 28.3 35.0

Pae 5.0 25.0 0.9 23.0 80.2 75.0

Pathum Thani 5.0 19.0 0.6 20.0 51.1 64.0

Payao 3.0 16.0 2.0 259.8 161.0

Phuket 0.0 14.0 0.3 25.0 34.8 44.0

Ratcha Buri 3.0 8.0 0.5 25.0 45.4 63.0

Rayong 2.0 8.0 0.3 24.0 39.8 73.0

Samut Prakarn 2.0 24.0 0.9 11.0 43.0 52.0

Samut Sakorn 4.0 21.0 0.7 15.0 33.4 42.0

Sara Buri 3.0 21.0 0.7 39.0 91.5 105.0

Surat Thani 1.0 9.0 0.4 21.0 54.1 59.0

Uparaj Collage (Chiangmai 36T) 2.0 40.0 1.1 41.0 227.5 147.0

Yala 0.5 37.4 47.0

Standard 120 * * * 120 100

Note

[Donnyboy]

sad situation up here

[tigerbalm]

Looking out over the rice fields in Doi Saket Chiang mai this morning i would say the visibility is down to less than a kilometer very little wind if any.

I think if it gets any worse up here they will be shutting the airport

[Frenske]

Every year the farmers here in the village are told at local meetings not to burn down their rice fields or to start fires in the mountains, but they just don’t listen and they don’t care. They do what they always did and that is to burn down everything and never take responsibility.

[scotbeve]

Every year the farmers here in the village are told at local meetings not to burn down their rice fields or to start fires in the mountains, but they just don’t listen and they don’t care. They do what they always did and that is to burn down everything and never take responsibility.

The only way to stop them would be to give them free organic fertilizer - do you think the present govt. could accommodate with some of that Thai Khem Kang budget that is still around (?) un-allotted?

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

Did they start their artificial rain operation already? Did the pilots go to the correct area?

It's pissing cats and dogs here in Bangna/Bangkok since about an hour.

Regards.......

Thanh

[scotbeve]

Hi.

Did they start their artificial rain operation already? Did the pilots go to the correct area?

It's pissing cats and dogs here in Bangna/Bangkok since about an hour.

Regards.......

Thanh

Send those planes up here please!!! Looking at several weather forecasts, it looks like there may be a sprinkle or 2 around Chiang Mai!

[Rideau]

Thailand keeps losing forests and arable land while the farmers just don't heed the government's advice.

Same things happen in Bangkok and elsewhere in the country. Many Thais from rich to poor disregard the law by doing whatever they want to do no matter how it encroaches on others' rights. Officials don't care to enforce the law either. That's why you see polluted rivers, dirty beaches, eroded coastline, garbage, high accidental deaths, toxic waste etc on a regular basis.

[hmj]

One category of forest fires can best be prevented and/or stopped by paying (give an income to) those who light them: the villagers. Swidden agriculture is an integral part of life here and some field burning has to be done. But many forest fires are caused by field fires getting out of control. Bribe the villagers to prevent their field fires getting out of control. Punishing does not seem to work, these people have nothing anyway.

Another category are the forest fires lighted by the cow herders. During the dry season the cows are grazed on the rice fields. When the rice planting season start these cows are moved to the mountains. To have a fresh supply of vegetation available at the switch over, the herders burn the mountains. This should be simple to solve: ban all cattle from the forest (and enforce the ban). But you deprive the villagers from earning income. Ten years ago there were no cows in the forests. As more villagers start keeping cows the problem will increase.

The most difficult ones to stop from burning the forests are the hunter-gatherers. There are still many hunter-gatherers living with the farmers in the villages.

Population increase, rural poverty and not understanding the long term consequences, are the backgrounds of the smoke problem. If the weather patterns do not change the smoke problem will get worse in the future.

[cm das]

I agree that simply ordering farmers & villagers to stop burning & threatening them with fines will not work. They don't burn for fun, they have good reasons to burn connected directly to their livelihood. Some of these reasons are listed above and there are more, such as clearing corn stubble and roadside brush. Until someone (the gov't?) provides the locals with an alternative means of meeting their real needs, the burning will continue no matter what the laws are.

[scotbeve]

I agree that simply ordering farmers & villagers to stop burning & threatening them with fines will not work. They don't burn for fun, they have good reasons to burn connected directly to their livelihood. Some of these reasons are listed above and there are more, such as clearing corn stubble and roadside brush. Until someone (the gov't?) provides the locals with an alternative means of meeting their real needs, the burning will continue no matter what the laws are.

And of course, the worst form of burning is the burning of rubbish

[Thai at Heart]

Apparently part of the issue is that the authorities responsible for enforcing the fire control are voted for by those in the local area. I presume these are tessabahn people.

If they enforce the ban, the local constituents (farmers) will vote them out. Now if ever there was a threat to the people that deserved intervention from the national government, air quality would be an important issue.

[StevieH]

Same this morning. Heavy haze and you can not only smell the burning you can taste it. My wife who suffers from bronchial problems is leaving for a couple of weeks.

We live in the suburbs of Chiang Mai and all the normal views,Doi Suthep etc are blotted out. Really seems to be getting worse each year. If you don't need to come this way for a few weeks then I would recommend that you don't.

yeah it's bad today. i live less than a kilometre from the base of doi suthep and the mountain was completely gone from view this morning.

[ThailandLovr]

I rented a house in a village outside of Sa Kaeo last August. I put up with the early morning noise, snakes, centipedes, drunken neighbors and other frustrations, but in late November the burning started. I couldn't believe it (not living in burning areas before). Every morning I was awakened at 5am by smoke seeping into our bedroom.

That did it. We moved out the next day.

Last weekend we visited family in that village again. 4 months later and still field burning.

Thais may accept living in smoke 4-5 months each year, but no f@cking way I will. Unfreakingbelievable.

[cardinalblue]

typical Thai press coverage..very weak..it is not fine dust particles as stated in the article but 120 standard measures less than PM 10. The more accepted standard for fine particles would be a standard less than 2.5..

I love it their description of Doi Suthep is not as clear as usual from the city. No shit Sherlock...

Thais just aren't honest with themselves hos serious problems can become so they take their usual non-confrontational approach by wishing the problems just goes away with the passage of time..kind of like every year...

One important question.. The artilcle mentions 1,500 forest fires averaging ten rai per burn. I am assuming these are mother nature started.. But how? there is no lighting or storms causing these...

Again, I will question these are really started by nature or man-made intentional clearing of land or by accident (get out of hand, cigettes, camp fires, garbage, etc). I have seen their fire dept trucks/machinery. We are talking hand me downs from the west..equipment 30 to 50 years old...

When I made my trek to Phayao province last week, i saw dozens of fires in the forest but not one single fire truck in sevn hours of a round-trip...

I really question their categorization of fires and the qyt of land being burned and who and what are the causes....

I sure would like to see accuarate numbers of to garbage burning, crop burning, natural forest burning, planned forest burning, etc...

To the poster mentioning garbage burning..a whole different issue since some nasty man-made chemicals are being released into the air...Totally preventable granted the gov has done nothing to assist the rural farmer with alternatives...

CB

[TAWP]

Every year the farmers here in the village are told at local meetings not to burn down their rice fields or to start fires in the mountains, but they just don’t listen and they don’t care. They do what they always did and that is to burn down everything and never take responsibility.

Give them handouts and tell them to dress in red, they seem to listen to that...

[harrry]

Every year the farmers here in the village are told at local meetings not to burn down their rice fields or to start fires in the mountains, but they just don’t listen and they don’t care. They do what they always did and that is to burn down everything and never take responsibility.

Give them handouts and tell them to dress in red, they seem to listen to that...

Was in the DD Hotel today and the fire brigade was setting huge very smokey fires in the bottom floor of the car park then using their expertise to extinguish them much to the amusement of the attending hotel staff.

[Khruumaiyai]

Apparently part of the issue is that the authorities responsible for enforcing the fire control are voted for by those in the local area. I presume these are tessabahn people.

If they enforce the ban, the local constituents (farmers) will vote them out. Now if ever there was a threat to the people that deserved intervention from the national government, air quality would be an important issue.

A friend told me that in Mae Hong Son Province, the burning situation is much better this year - apparently the Provincial Governer has been around to the biggest trouble spots, sitting down with the Kamnans and village heads and asking directly for their help to reduce the burning. The local pressure that's created has had a big impact. Not sure if that's true - anyone living up there could comment maybe?

I agree with some of the posts here - a certain amount of burning is vital for the rice farming - especially in areas where the villagers can't get tractors into the fields, they need a way to clear the remains of last year's crop. Also, lots of villagers have told me they're scared of uncontrolled fires if the forest floor isn't burned each year - so they continue to set the fires.

Actually I was wondering this morning cycling through Chiang Mai city centre whether there shouldn't be an equivalent effort at this time of year to reduce factory and vehicle emissions - surely they make a big contribution to the problem too?

[IvanDobsky]

Actually I was wondering this morning cycling through Chiang Mai city centre whether there shouldn't be an equivalent effort at this time of year to reduce factory and vehicle emissions - surely they make a big contribution to the problem too?

come to Nan, number one tourist destination for Thai people last year, and see the lack of industry and traffic.

90% of this crud in the air is from farmers.

you can smell it, taste it, no matter what time of day or night.

thank god my family and I are shortly off to europe for a month. It seems much worse than last year. I pity everyone who has to live through this because of farmers who have the same intellect as a _____(insert noun of choice)

[scotbeve]

Kruumaiyai,

Indeed, the vehicle emissions should be tested annually. There's a "crackdown" every now and then in Bangkok where the "Highway" Police (Boys in Lt. Brown or tan and not the BIB...) get out the exhaust test equipment and actually pull buses and other ill-maintained vehicles off the streets. Be nice to see that in CM!

[toybits]

Either people never learn or they are just selfish. Cycling to work this morning, some people were STILL burning trash. I was telling my kids, if the authorities really got serious and started penalizing people that burned trash or agricultural waste, we would not have this kind of problem. Then, Thais can legitimately blame its neighbors in the north for all of the smoke pollution.

Until then, it's better to just shut up.

[Loaded]

Apart from affluent moobahns I don't think there are organised rubbish collections outside of the city. This would be a start but it won't happen.

Last year the lady mayor installed 6 fans on the southern end of Nawarat Bridge to solve the problem - I am not f@@@@@@ kidding.

In Thailand the most basic functions are nearly always ineptly and incompetently carried out. Maybe a better education system would help, but I don't know really how they are ever going to develop in to a fair, just and well-functioning society. It just isn't going to happen. It's a shame as Thai people are generally such nice people to be around.

[swain]

Its nice not to hear its our imagination as I always seem to get from the hard line "Chiang Mai is wonderful guys" Staying inside next to my ionizer and air con. Nasty stuff out there!

If your thinking about visiting here now.. well I guess thats not going to happen... Bangkok and the reds shirts, Chiang Mai and its burning.

Edited March 17, 2010 by swain

[Rob5060]

What a chance for the Government to try and do something however small

Go a little way to showing they think outside Bangkok occasionally