Chiang Rai Haze Remains Critical

[webfact]

Chiang Rai haze remains critical

CHIANG RAI, March 5 – Haze in Thailand's northern province of Chiang Rai continues unabated with local authorities mobilising fire engines to sprinkle water to ease the haze problem on Tuesday.

Although the levels of smaller than 10 micron dust particles in Chiang Rai have slightly fallen, suspended particulate matter in this northern province remains at a critical level and can acutely impact people’s health.

Chiang Rai has recorded the highest level of dust particles in the northern region. The dust particle level in Mae Sai district remains at 327 microgrammes per cubic metre, exceeding safety standards set at 120 microgrammes per cubic metre, while visibility has dropped to only 300-500 metres.

Chiang Rai Governor Thanin Supasaen ordered local agencies to use the provinces 50 fire engines to spray water and to embark on a new community education campaign to urge local residents to refrain from outdoor burnings. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-03-05

[harrry]

At least in Chiangrai the air seems almost clear. 0700 PM10 was "only" 210

[cmjantje]

Here in Donsila it is not so bad.

[ThaiSold]

How about increased fines and jail time for those starting fires!

[Carl64]

Just came back from a nice weekend away in the hills near Chiang Mai. I had to leave early because i was finding it difficult to breathe. Fires are being started every night there. The locals say "they burn and then pick mushrooms when it starts to rain".

Sooooo they kill any animal that cant run away or get underground. They polute the air. Kill plants.

All for frigging MUSHROOMS!!!!

Wake up Thai government. You have a serious problem here!

[villagefarang]

How about increased fines and jail time for those starting fires!

They don’t have enough jail cells. There aren’t enough police. Everybody in the countryside burns. If the Puyai Baan does anything he won’t get reelected. These days there is so much smoke you can’t actually see the new fires being set. There are so many reasons. Just give it another generation or two and things might get better.

[belg]

why oh why they dont use the miracle technologie of thailand to make it rain when needed?

[villagefarang]

I found it a bit humorous when they tied a string around the entire village and every house in it yesterday to ward off bad luck. Perhaps if they tied a string around northern Thailand things might get better.

[newsweird]

Maybe they can employ the same concept that was used to hold back the raging flood waters in Bangkok to clear the air in Chiang Rai.

Just have all the boats on the nearby river raise their props out of the water and race the engines. Think of all those fans blowing the smog away.

[farmerjo]

Sorry not in chaing rai but to give an idea i'm in khon kaen.

The reason farmers burn is with the prices of herbicides and labour to spray them against burning is not viable with commidity prices on killing weeds.

Added the extra hectares of sugar in because its price is reasonably good and its harvest time now.

For me its the national parks doing the most damage,in my area at least,controlled burns of nothing but wet green fire breaks.

Having said that thais still need a lot of education on how to burn and when.

[Lizard2010]

Its a pity that the farmers will not use the Mulching machines the Government have supplyed.

Probably been sold to someone in another country.

[canuckamuck]

Someone needs to demonstrate the financial advantage of not burning your fields every year.

Unfortunately it requires thinking beyond the end of the week, which is too far in the future to be considered.

And it is just so darn easy to flick a lighter and clear that brush.

Edited March 6, 2012 by canuckamuck

[chiang mai]

Someone needs to demonstrate the financial advantage of not burning your fields every year.

Unfortunately it requires thinking beyond the end of the week, which is too far in the future to be considered.

And it is just so darn easy to flick a lighter and clear that brush.

(let's imagine) I'm a farmer in northern Thailand, what are the financial advantages to me of not burning, demonstration time please!

[canuckamuck]

Someone needs to demonstrate the financial advantage of not burning your fields every year.

Unfortunately it requires thinking beyond the end of the week, which is too far in the future to be considered.

And it is just so darn easy to flick a lighter and clear that brush.

(let's imagine) I'm a farmer in northern Thailand, what are the financial advantages to me of not burning, demonstration time please!

The financial advantages are improved soil quality which leads to better crops. Burning may release some nutrients back to the soil, but not as many as are carried away in the smoke. Composting has financial benefits too. But all of this requires extra effort and the long term benefits will come in to play years down the road. Your average mountain farmer will not be very interested in doing something which is harder, without seeing a payout within the season.

[cmjantje]

We were in Chiangrai today. I was glad to be back in Donsila. Even my eyes burned in CR!

Too bad for you Harry! After a trip like this I also need fresh oxygen.

[villagefarang]

Who is going to invest in mulching and composting on a steep mountainside plot that you don’t even have legal title to? Sounds nice but just so unrealistic.

[chiang mai]

Someone needs to demonstrate the financial advantage of not burning your fields every year.

Unfortunately it requires thinking beyond the end of the week, which is too far in the future to be considered.

And it is just so darn easy to flick a lighter and clear that brush.

(let's imagine) I'm a farmer in northern Thailand, what are the financial advantages to me of not burning, demonstration time please!

The financial advantages are improved soil quality which leads to better crops. Burning may release some nutrients back to the soil, but not as many as are carried away in the smoke. Composting has financial benefits too. But all of this requires extra effort and the long term benefits will come in to play years down the road. Your average mountain farmer will not be very interested in doing something which is harder, without seeing a payout within the season.

If you try to do a complete cost/analysis from the farmers perspective there is no better payback than burning, that in itself is part of the problem, and, as VF has already said, when the farmer doesn't even own the land in the first place there's no incentive to do anything that involves spending money or effort.

[canuckamuck]

If you try to do a complete cost/analysis from the farmers perspective there is no better payback than burning, that in itself is part of the problem, and, as VF has already said, when the farmer doesn't even own the land in the first place there's no incentive to do anything that involves spending money or effort.

Of course this is basically true, although I doubt you have worked out the figures. The sad truth is that the pigs are all at a different trough so farmers and their practices are basically ignored. A couple more Bangkok floods and we might see some movement in the soil and forest conservation front.

The land title issue is secondary and a real sad state of affairs it is.

Edited March 6, 2012 by canuckamuck

[chiang mai]

If you try to do a complete cost/analysis from the farmers perspective there is no better payback than burning, that in itself is part of the problem, and, as VF has already said, when the farmer doesn't even own the land in the first place there's no incentive to do anything that involves spending money or effort.

Of course this is basically true, although I doubt you have worked out the figures. The sad truth is that the pigs are all at a different trough so farmers and their practices are basically ignored. A couple more Bangkok floods and we might see some movement in the soil and forest conservation front.

The land title issue is secondary and a real sad state of affairs it is.

Not much analysis to be done I'm afraid, 35 baht for a litre of petrol in one coluum and everything else in the next, it's difficult if not impossible to beat.

[villagefarang]

Much of the mountainous farmland is inaccessible to heavy machinery and when they are finished harvesting they are left with mountains of stuff they don’t know what to do with. So it goes up in flame and we breath the results. These practices are so widespread, punitive measures just can’t be enforced.

You’re not going to make much headway telling people to stop making a living or feeding their families. I think it will take another generation or two to see much change. The following pictures show areas near Pha Tang, Phu Che Fa, Mae Chaem and my own back yard.

[canuckamuck]

[

Not much analysis to be done I'm afraid, 35 baht for a litre of petrol in one coluum and everything else in the next, it's difficult if not impossible to beat.

It appears you have achieved native accounting skills.

eg. Q: Did you make money on your corn this year? A: Yes look at all this money I got. Q: How much did it cost you to make that money? A: I don't know. Q: So how do you know you made money? A: Look at all the money I have, are you blind?

[chiang mai]

Oustanding pictures VF, are pics 3 and 4 really just piles of straw/dead growth?

Your post adds a new dimension to the debate for most of the farang city dwellers, incentives, technology and policing are largely out of the window at that level.

[chiang mai]

[

Not much analysis to be done I'm afraid, 35 baht for a litre of petrol in one coluum and everything else in the next, it's difficult if not impossible to beat.

It appears you have achieved native accounting skills.

eg. Q: Did you make money on your corn this year? A: Yes look at all this money I got. Q: How much did it cost you to make that money? A: I don't know. Q: So how do you know you made money? A: Look at all the money I have, are you blind?

I invited you at the outset to crunch the numbers and you declined, don't beat me up over my back of the fag packet job - if you think you can beat my 35 baht a litre per year job, go ahead and wear yourself out and post the results (have to show your workings) for us all to see.

[canuckamuck]

Better soil means more cash some time in the future and a longer productivity of a given piece of land. New land is nearly all at the top of the mountains now or in protected forests so the strategy of rotating fields by burning out new ones cannot be sustained perpetually. If nothing changes the crops will increasingly need to be fertilized with chemicals which are very costly.

At least that is my summation. For this to go beyond that I would have to have specific details.

I know that nothing is going to change anytime soon, and I know that the average Somchai will do what he has always done. I also know that burning stuff is a lot of fun.

I haven't got any solution outside of education, and I do agree with you guys that this will take generations to change.

[villagefarang]

Oustanding pictures VF, are pics 3 and 4 really just piles of straw/dead growth?

Your post adds a new dimension to the debate for most of the farang city dwellers, incentives, technology and policing are largely out of the window at that level.

Number four is rice straw left over after threshing. Taken from my front yard at night as a neighbor stood watch over his handiwork.

Number three is leftovers from the corn harvest near Mae Chaem which is on the list of worst places for smoke right now. It is on the road from Khun Yuem to Doi Inthanon and an alternate route to going through Mae Sariang on the Pai circle out of Chiang Mai. Here is one more picture for size perspective.

[ogb]

Anyone who thinks nothing can be done about the burning (or any other illegal acts) forgets that this is a country where people routinely get lengthy jail sentences (and are held without bail for years) for questioning the dominant narrative.

Moral of the story: Where there is a will, there is a way.

Edited March 6, 2012 by ogb

[villagefarang]

Anyone who thinks nothing can be done about the burning (or any other illegal acts) forgets that this is a country where people routinely get lengthy jail sentences (and are held without bail for years) for questioning the dominant narrative.

Moral of the story: Where there is a will, there is a way.

Anyone who thinks something can be done about the burning (or any other illegal acts) forgets that this is a country where people routinely get away with almost anything and everything, and that is the dominant narrative.

Moral of the story: Where there is no will, there is no way.

[ogb]

Anyone who thinks nothing can be done about the burning (or any other illegal acts) forgets that this is a country where people routinely get lengthy jail sentences (and are held without bail for years) for questioning the dominant narrative.

Moral of the story: Where there is a will, there is a way.

Anyone who thinks something can be done about the burning (or any other illegal acts) forgets that this is a country where people routinely get away with almost anything and everything, and that is the dominant narrative.

Moral of the story: Where there is no will, there is no way.

Well said

Edited March 7, 2012 by ogb

[villagefarang]

Anyone who thinks nothing can be done about the burning (or any other illegal acts) forgets that this is a country where people routinely get lengthy jail sentences (and are held without bail for years) for questioning the dominant narrative.

Moral of the story: Where there is a will, there is a way.

Anyone who thinks something can be done about the burning (or any other illegal acts) forgets that this is a country where people routinely get away with almost anything and everything, and that is the dominant narrative.

Moral of the story: Where there is no will, there is no way.

Well said

Just exercising my humorous-maximus muscle. Have to keep in practice you know.

[villagefarang]

People keep sending me emails asking when things will get better and they can visit Chiang Rai again. I tell them June.