Air Pollution In Bangkok Has Reached Critical Level

[webfact]

Air pollution in BKK found at critical level

BANGKOK, 2 February 2011 (NNT) – The Pollution Control Department has reported that air pollution within Bangkok has reached a critical level while a pollution reduction plan will be drawn to tackle the problem.

Dr Wijarn Simachaya, Deputy Director General of the Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, revealed statistics from a survey of the air quality in Bangkok during 1997-2010, which suggested that dust particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter were measured at 55.3 micrograms per cubic meter per year, exceeding the normal rate of 50 micrograms by 4 percent.

The ozone level was found to be higher than the standard by 0.2 percent while volatile organic compounds (VOCs) caused by burning activities were recorded at 3.6 micrograms per cubic meter per year, as opposed to the standard of not exceeding 1.7 micrograms. Excessive noise pollution was also reported in the bustling capital city.

Dr Wijarn pointed out that areas with the most severe pollution problems included Din Daeng and Lat Phrao Intersections, where traffic congestion was usually prevalent. Without proper control measures, the level of pollution in those areas could continue rising further.

Therefore, the Deputy Director General stated that the Pollution Control Department would join hands with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and related agencies in brainstorming ideas for formulating an operational plan aimed at solving the pollution problem within Bangkok during 2011-2016. It will be the country’s first concrete long-term environmental management plan.

According to Dr Wijarn, the plan will be considered during the meeting of the National Environment Board prior to its submission to the Cabinet for approval on its budget allocation.

-- NNT 2011-02-02

[trogers]

Dr Wijarn pointed out that areas with the most severe pollution problems included Din Daeng and Lat Phrao Intersections' date=' where traffic congestion was usually prevalent. Without proper control measures, the level of pollution in those areas could continue rising further.

[/quote']

Many of those new hot condo developments are mostly built a stone throw away from such traffic congestion. Which is good as we will have a first line of filtering lungs to purify the polluted air somewhat for those living inside the sois...

[powderpuff]

O boy. A fantastic pretext to be able to tell peoplke what to eat where to go & how to go there.

I am pretty sure the day is coming where eating meat will be classed as "Eco terrorism".

Too much dust? Well we could wet down construction sites OR force everone into electric cars. I wonder which choice the environmental nutjobs will choose?

Edited February 2, 2011 by powderpuff

[Soi Sauce]

So, please stop moaning about smokers. It's official. It's the drivers buggering up the air.

Get on yer feet, you murderers.

[londonthai]

"exceeding the normal rate of 50 micrograms by 4 percent. ... was found to be higher than the standard by 0.2 percent ... were recorded at 3.6 micrograms per cubic meter per year, as opposed to the standard of not exceeding 1.7 micrograms"

if "criticsl level" than "normal rate" and "the standard" should be replaced by "maximum level", "allowed rate" or other.

Deputy Director General of the Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment doesn't want to admit, that it his policies lead to that state.

start controlling fridge and air conditioner cfs gases being released into an atmosphere, burning of bushes and rubbish (including plastic), improve efficient public transport (inluding trams) and you will see a change.

deputy director of ministry must know what to do - but there is no political will to do so, as it will cost some money and efford to implement those changes and might be not popular with some voters

Edited February 2, 2011 by londonthai

[pedro01]

O boy. A fantastic pretext to be able to tell peoplke what to eat where to go & how to go there.

I am pretty sure the day is coming where eating meat will be classed as "Eco terrorism".

Too much dust? Well we could wet down construction sites OR force everone into electric cars. I wonder which choice the environmental nutjobs will choose?

Have you actually been to Bangkok powderpuff?

The air is horrendous - buses churning out black smoke, vendors cooking on charcoal and 2-stroke motorbikes are a big part of the problem.

This isn't a bunch of greeny do gooders with dubious research - this is something every Bangkok dweller has to deal with and the health implications are very real.

[OzMick]

"................ 55.3 micrograms per cubic meter per year, exceeding the normal rate of 50 micrograms by 4 percent."

Dr Wijarn Simachaya appears to be mathematically challenged. 55 exceeds 50 by 10.6%, unless they have a different form of calculation.

[geriatrickid]

...... the Pollution Control Department would join hands with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and related agencies in brainstorming ideas for formulating an operational plan aimed at solving the pollution problem within Bangkok during 2011-2016. It will be the country’s first concrete long-term environmental management plan. ...

Where to start? hand holding or hand wringing? Assuming there are some brains to brainstorm with, how do these folks plan to deal with the public that will push back at any attempt to curtail the the pollution? At least someone admits that Thailand has no environmental management plan. The country is fast becoming one big toxic sewage ditch with poisoned groundwater, soil and air. No need to worry about whether some Chinese tourists will feel at home at least.

[KKvampire]

And you know what "Bangkok residents as usual dont give a dam_n about the pollution, its like everything else, shrug of the shoulders and accept it, no wonder poiticians dont do anything.

[Macx]

...... the Pollution Control Department ...country’s first concrete long-term environmental management plan. ...

Where to start? hand holding or hand wringing? Assuming there are some brains to brainstorm with, how do these folks plan to deal with the public that will push back at any attempt to curtail the the pollution? At least someone admits that Thailand has no environmental management plan. The country is fast becoming one big toxic sewage ditch with poisoned groundwater, soil and air. No need to worry about whether some Chinese tourists will feel at home at least.

That about sums it up. After 12 yrs here, living in multiple regions and traveling to nearly every part of this country by plane, bus, car, motorcycle, and bicycle, I have to agree. Paradise has been turned into a health hazard.

[bbradsby]

I love how the official reports levels above 'normal', versus a scientifically-based safe level. Very sad indeed, as the pollution sources/solutions are already known. no brainstorming required, and surely these guys couldn't work up a cloud anyway.... reminded me of the Nation report where an asbestos-cement roofing company schill stated recently before Parliament that there's no proof asbestos is hazardous. The Politicos and industry assuredly know the realities, but put out such a stream of tripe for public consumption - makes sure everyone is kept dumb, easy to control & manipulate and with their wallets in the full-open position.

[shunima]

ummmmm, I thought this is an article about the noise and nonsense pollution that increased in frightening rates during past weeks. The air seems cool and fine since new year. It's the increase of coloured pollution at ground level that worries me a bit.

Edited February 2, 2011 by shunima

[blazes]

O boy. A fantastic pretext to be able to tell peoplke what to eat where to go & how to go there.

I am pretty sure the day is coming where eating meat will be classed as "Eco terrorism".

Too much dust? Well we could wet down construction sites OR force everone into electric cars. I wonder which choice the environmental nutjobs will choose?

Ok, Powder pouff, tell us, o great guru, what would you do about the pollution in Bkk? Sweet FA?

[dumball]

I found my own solution as none was forthcoming , especially from residents , many burn wood for cooking which is far worse than charcoal , incense is ten times more toxic than cigarettes , deisel fumes are actualy far more toxic than that presumed from two cycle engines, stray soi dogs cause far more health hazards than given credit for , people coughing and spitting in a haphazared manner , dust from clutch plates and brake material . These are just a few things missed in the evaluation of air polution , I simply moved out to where I actualy see stars at night and have become far healthier in general , some of this benifit has also come from not consuming polutants from the food I eat as in overly (mis) treated vegetable and fish farming . Yes , I woke up to just how invasive Thai air I breathed had become .

[crusader79]

Stayed at a friend's penthouse condo in Thonglor last year and was shocked at how black the bottom of my feet quickly became (he likes to leave the windows open). Have lived in Hong Kong for 30 years and never seen that effect. Am no expert on air pollution but the particulants must be very different.

[ndw]

The air quality in Bangkok is so bad that my students choose to filter their air through a lit cigarette.

[anon467367354]

O boy. A fantastic pretext to be able to tell peoplke what to eat where to go & how to go there.

I am pretty sure the day is coming where eating meat will be classed as "Eco terrorism".

Too much dust? Well we could wet down construction sites OR force everone into electric cars. I wonder which choice the environmental nutjobs will choose?

Actually the meat industry is a major cause for more than pollution, but mostly directly polluting the body with pharmaceuticals, the ground water and the depletion of the ozone layer. It's a poor return on investment considering the energy put in compared to what you get out. The cooking of meat is very toxic. I find these street vendors that constantly pump chemical laden smoke into the air worse and far more prevalent than second hand cigarette smoke, plus it stinks. Until there is a vehicle inspection system, I can't see much change, nor do I see the Thai government invoking any "hardships" like regulation upon the Thai people. Not sure I saw mentioned above the accepted practice of burning trash, nor the evaporation of petrol chemicals from any of the shops that sprawl onto the sidewalks that deal with working on motors. Sabai sabai does have it's consequences, everybody can acceptably do as they please, especially if it means making money.

[pacovl46]

how about retiring all those public busses and trucks from the stone age that are everywhere in town??? that might be a good start!!!

[anterian]

I grew up in London at a time when "smog" was a common occurence. In a sense we were lucky, the fog revealed the presence of the smoke. In time the government was forced to act.

In Manila and Bangkok there is no such direct evidence, just a cough that gets steadily worse. The locals don't seem to notice it but everytime I visit these cities I can feel the back of my throat getting seared by the acid fumes.

[w11guy]

start controlling fridge and air conditioner cfs gases being released into an atmosphere, burning of bushes and rubbish (including plastic), improve efficient public transport (inluding trams) and you will see a change.

I think they are already working on the efficient public transport part. Skytrain is being expanded, 6-8 monorail lines are on the way, the metro is being expanded. This is a big investment for such a poor country. The skytrain and metro lines are much cleaner and much more efficient than London Underground and New York Metro, and those are two very rich cities. I'm not saying things are perfect in Bangkok, but things are improving. These things take time and won't happen overnight. Yes, I agree that much more could be done, but it needs to be done within the budgets that are available.

The air pollution in London also exceeds safetly limits in parts of the capital on a regular basis. It's not an easy thing to fix. And most fixes tend to be very unpopular. People want clean air but they also want to keep their current polluting lifestyles.

Edited February 2, 2011 by w11guy

[exbelg]

just wondering as some aholes keep on burning plastic or something just outside our moo-bahn, informed police and they pretend they ask the polluter to keep burning stuff as minimal as possible, no fines or nothing

and they just keep burning stuff with big black clouds that come our way every time

as a result = sick for many weeks per year, because of the smoke with no cure or solution

thank you men in brown and politicians

i look out for rainy season as then they seem to stop pollution for a while

[BkkMikey]

This comes as no surprise. Most can be attributed to a lack of education. Thais just don't know that burning foam, plastic and all other things they can find to burn produces toxic smoke.

Next to my apartment building is a plot of vacant land on which some dwellers set up camp. Daily they burn whatever they can to cook on. Since I have no patience and sympathy for this kind

of invasive polluting I throw some well aimed water balloons after which they extinguish their fires. To be fair I made a sign in Thai explaining the health hazards, after two days the sign was down and

used to fuel yet another fire. The authorities do not care, since they are just as uneducated as their fellow citizens and the Thai neighbors are brainwashed to the "kreng jai" culture in which even if it bothers them or hurt their health they would never speak up.

Secondly it can be blamed on a lack of intelligence. The signals that would connect black faulty smelling acrid smoke to a part of the brain that triggers coughing and nausea seems to be missing in most Thais. To tackle this problem requires a well thought out strategy involving public media campaigns, mandatory exhaust filters, prohibiting open fires and heavy fines on violators.

It sounds simple, but then again to implement this in Bangkok is impossible simply because the only ones who care are foreigners and we all know how valued our opinions are...

[bbradsby]

Ah, they're going to brainstorm & formulate a plan for this phenomenon of pollution... like the study group put together this last rainy season to study the new issue of BKK flooding.

[Emster23]

Oh good. Develop a plan. Forget about actually doing anything. That would take political will, responsibility and making hard choices. Plans are a much better plan.

[asiawatcher]

Have these people EVER looked at what causes a lot of the pollution? Cars that sit for 20 minutes do to the stupidity of the people changing the lights are a great contributor....

[Bakseedaa]

O boy. A fantastic pretext to be able to tell peoplke what to eat where to go & how to go there.

I am pretty sure the day is coming where eating meat will be classed as "Eco terrorism".

Too much dust? Well we could wet down construction sites OR force everone into electric cars. I wonder which choice the environmental nutjobs will choose?

Have you actually been to Bangkok powderpuff?

The air is horrendous - buses churning out black smoke, vendors cooking on charcoal and 2-stroke motorbikes are a big part of the problem.

This isn't a bunch of greeny do gooders with dubious research - this is something every Bangkok dweller has to deal with and the health implications are very real.

Try Jakarta, and then come back to Bangkok for a breath of fresh air......

[NowImEasy]

I must be clueless! I've been visiting and traveling in Thailand for 5 years now, and I tell my friends back home how much the pollution seems to be getting better. In those years, I've seen the proliferation of LNG powered vehicles, which cuts the air pollution greatly. But I smoke, so I'm pretty much immune to pollution.

Trying to educate people about, and making laws against burning of trash would be one big step in the right direction. But don't try to stop the street vendors from cooking, that will never happen. Then if they can get the farmers to stop burning the sugar cane in Issan... but I'm dreaming.

[TimC]

Living off Soi 4, Nana for going on 2 years. It's near the freeway and I addressed at least the dust pollution by the following:

1) Sealed all doors with weather stripping and keep them closed as much as possible.

2) Converted an evaporative cooler to be a crude air filter and placed in balcony window, intake side on balcony.

Runs, filters 24/7 unless too hot outside. If too hot outside, switch to A/C mode (4, below)

3) Crude air filter is used to keep a positive, clean-air pressure on room as well as bring cooler air from outside.

4) In A/C mode, although not used much this winter, ALL external openings are closed, installed augmenting filters

on A/C room unit evaporator.

Did it help the dust levels? A little, but I feel the approach is sound: Allow only cleaned air into the room so that when

doors/windows are temporarily opened, the room's positive pressure prevents unclean air from entering.

[bitterbatter]

I love how the official reports levels above 'normal', versus a scientifically-based safe level. Very sad indeed, as the pollution sources/solutions are already known. no brainstorming required, and surely these guys couldn't work up a cloud anyway.... reminded me of the Nation report where an asbestos-cement roofing company schill stated recently before Parliament that there's no proof asbestos is hazardous. The Politicos and industry assuredly know the realities, but put out such a stream of tripe for public consumption - makes sure everyone is kept dumb, easy to control & manipulate and with their wallets in the full-open position.

I was wondering if that was true about roofing being made of asbestos. There are plenty of victims that they can call to find out the truth from.

Personally, I think that the paint they use here is a big contributor. I used to paint houses and have a high sensitivity to it. In California they passed laws making oil based paints almost completely illegal. Now paint companies have created water based formulas for paints, varnishes, everything. And they work much better, especially against mold. I see painters using these toxic paints and it pi**es me off every time.

[somtampet]

And you know what "Bangkok residents as usual dont give a dam_n about the pollution, its like everything else, shrug of the shoulders and accept it, no wonder poiticians dont do anything.

The farangs wont accept that the place is a total shithole,as i have been saying for years.These are the people who knock Pattaya,a paradise compared to that dreary polluted sess pit.Every time i go to Bangkok my eyes are streaming within 20 mins and i get headache,so carry on hi-so Bangkok farangs,carry on telling lies and pretend u havent got a massive problem.

I would even suggest that Bangkok has got to be the number 1 sess pit in the world,a disgusting pathetic excuse of a city.

Edited February 2, 2011 by somtampet