Smog 'red alert' for Thailand's northern residents.
By Digital Media

MAE HONG SON, March 18 - Illegal 'slash and burn' agriculture in Thailand's North has worsened the air quality in this northern province where dust particles have reached the record level of 200 microgrammes per cubic metre, a health official said today.

Mae Hong Son health officer Paisal Tanyavinitkul said the smog and dust from forest fires has covered this northern province for over a week and the health office has provided 30,000 masks for distribution to people.

People have been told to wear masks when they leave homes and refrain from outdoor exercise, said the doctor.

An air quality survey by the Office of Natural Resources and Environment found 31 hot spots throughout Mae Hong Son, including the tourist town of Pai where an average 24-hour dust level was measured at 205 microgrammes.

Children and elderly people at risk at this dust level, according to the office. The standard level is 120 microgrammes.

During March 3-10, hospitals in Mae Hong Son treated 1,049 patients for heart and coronary artery diseases, and 923 people with respiratory diseases. (MCOT online news).

-- TNA 2013-03-18

Great can we have a yellow, pink, green, and violet alert later?? I like all the colours, means nothing as usual . and nothing will change.

What are us mugs up here in the North mean`t to do about it?

Walk about in a giant bubble? Hold our breaths for the next few months?

What's it like in Chiang Mai and Phayao? Heading there soon..

What are us mugs up here in the North mean`t to do about it?

Walk about in a giant bubble? Hold our breaths for the next few months?

Move?

We were considering moving further north but are heading SE instead now; no smog, flooding or Tsunami.

Daresay something else will get us instead :-)

What's it like in Chiang Mai and Phayao? Heading there soon..

I have seen it a lot worse but its impossible to miss now and in the unhealthy range

You can check this site for latest AQI readings

http://aqmthai.com/

Not that bad this year in Chiang Mai. Today a nice breeze came into the valley and most smog disappeared and the wind has changed to southern directions.

Edited March 18, 201313 yr by Joop50

What are us mugs up here in the North mean`t to do about it?

Walk about in a giant bubble? Hold our breaths for the next few months?

Air con

Or is your health not worth it?

The smog hasn't been quite as severe this year as, say, last year. 2010 was pretty bad and 2007 was ridiculous. Thanks to a few lucky rains at the start of this month the air got clearer, but since around mid last week the haze has picked up considerably. All we need is another decent rain or even some nice wind and it should improve. Most years it clears out by end of March as farmers stop burning and start planting, hopefully in conjunction with the onset of rainy season. You can check pollution levels on http://aqmthai.com.

...can someone point out the normal or safe level so we can have some perspective here.....

...can someone point out the normal or safe level so we can have some perspective here.....

They did in the article: they said 120 microgrammes was average

...can someone point out the normal or safe level so we can have some perspective here.....

Wait until the rains start, then the hill/mountain sides will be too wet to burn and your area will be smoke free again. The only way because no one will stop the firing of land--CRAZY

Here is a reference article: http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqibasics.aqi

0-50 good

51-100 moderate

101-150 unhealthy for sensitive groups

151-200 unhealthy

201-300 very unhealthy

over 300 hazardous

...can someone point out the normal or safe level so we can have some perspective here.....

They did in the article: they said 120 microgrammes was average

The article is TOTALLY WRONG . 120 is the maximum safe level published by the Thai government and is considerered to be unsafe - - 120 is the level above which there are health problems. A level of 200 will cause many severe problems for young children and seniors.

'Normal ? A reading of 20 to 40 would probably be considered normal in Chiang Mai, for a day with no wind or rain.

By the way, the masks being disributed by the Health Ministry are only minimal assistance, and cloth masks are almost useless, unless dampened frequently. Go to a good pharmacy or private hospital pharmacy and ask for N95 masks or better - N95 is an international standard of filtration which is recognized in Thailand.

We're up in Fang and the smoke is awful. Hillbillies are walking

around starting random fires where ever they like. Not only air pollution

but the effect it has on wildlife especially birds in this the breeding

season. All ground nesting birds that where unlucky enough to lay eggs

in the wrong place lose their family. It kills all insects which in turn

means birds have trouble finding food.

Until the authorities can be bothered to get involved, nothing will get done.

The word conservation means very little here.

Edited March 18, 201313 yr by Pui

I can´t imagine that airco helps, rather it blows the particles directly into your lungs. Or do you know if ,e.g. the addition of 3M filters provides for an effective filtering?

stop being so negative

Another chance for a smiling Yingluck on a huge poster saying 'stop burning'!

Wonder if she thinks it's for the benefit of Thailand (and her supporters are in the North don't forget), or whether she just sees it as a chance to get her face on a poster.

Edited March 18, 201313 yr by Noistar

...can someone point out the normal or safe level so we can have some perspective here.....

Please take a look at the pinned topic in the CM forum. Lot's of technical info there - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/611721-smoke-smog-dust-2013-chiang-mai/

We're up in Fang and the smoke is awful. Hillbillies are walking

around starting random fires where ever they like. Not only air pollution

but the effect it has on wildlife especially birds in this the breeding

season. All ground nesting birds that where unlucky enough to lay eggs

in the wrong place lose their family. It kills all insects which in turn

means birds have trouble finding food.

Until the authorities can be bothered to get involved, nothing will get done.

The word conservation means very little here.

Well said. I wish someone (higher up) would listen to you!

I don't know measurements, but eyes are watering badly and coughing up some nice grots, mountain has been out of view for about a week and the water tower in the moobaan across, is starting to fade, Canal road, Maehia!

"The standard level is 120 microgrammes"

That's wrong, 120 (micrograms of sub-10-micron particles per cubic meter of air) is where it gets unhealthy. Above 200 you should stay indoors. In the past 10 years I've seen Chiang Mai go over 300 (in 2010) and Mae Hong Son hit 520! (in 2007). Today's PM10 reading in Chiang Mai is 110, so while it's bad it could be (has been) far worse. I have land in Mae Rim surrounded by rice fields and do photos every now and then to document the air quality.

Edited March 18, 201313 yr by Captain_Bob

stop being so negative

Another chance for a smiling Yingluck on a huge poster saying 'stop burning'!

Wonder if she thinks it's for the benefit of Thailand (and her supporters are in the North don't forget), or whether she just sees it as a chance to get her face on a poster.

The poster of a smiling Yingluck only had "Stop Burning" in English, so it only applied to us, not to those who can only read Thai.

Thanks Capt Bob - the pic = 1000 words proves true again.........

Pgrahmm took the words out of my mouth, Capt Bob- wow.

Is it still that bad around Songkran time? Was thinking of heading up thereabouts in April, but maybe not such a good plan...

stop being so negative

Another chance for a smiling Yingluck on a huge poster saying 'stop burning'!

Wonder if she thinks it's for the benefit of Thailand (and her supporters are in the North don't forget), or whether she just sees it as a chance to get her face on a poster.

The poster of a smiling Yingluck only had "Stop Burning" in English, so it only applied to us, not to those who can only read Thai.

Just the north? How about Kanchanaburi? Pichit? I've been to both places recently and the pollution problem appears to be the same.

Then they talk about Slash and burn as the main culprit. Poppy cock!

How about all the roadside burning that is not limited to leaves and grass but all the human flotsam and jetsum flung out of cars along the highways.

Today massive burning by the road side up towards Samoeng.

Official Tambon offices are also involved in this. It must be their workers alongside the roadside burning the plastic and aerosol cans along with the leaves!

No good having posters in English or Thai, or Latin for that matter.

It needs legal enforcement. It needs fire engines on standby putting the flames out the moment they are seen.

And I would include all the fires that I see inside Temple compounds. Are these Buddhist monks really caring for the environment?

Edited March 18, 201313 yr by ianf

Why here no one talk about the different

Standard and quility types of a good breathing mask system ?

What kind have good protection?

I bought a 3 m breathing mask for 70€ 3 m company and always when the pesticide car cone in Isaan to kill Miskito

I run and take the mask!

I not believe that a 20 bath farmacy mask realy help!..

I live S/E of Udon Thani, in the rice fields there. The smog and smoke are now so thick in the evenings, That you can actually look directly at the sun with no ill effects. Very little of the suns rays are able to penetrate it because of no winds to move it away. The locals, of course are not helping either, they have torched everything for klicks in all directions. Been like this as long as I have been here. Nothing has changed nor will it........

Why here no one talk about the different Standard and quility types of a good breathing mask system ? What kind have good protection? I bought a 3 m breathing mask for 70€ 3 m company and always when the pesticide car cone in Isaan to kill Miskito I run and take the mask! I not believe that a 20 bath farmacy mask realy help!..

Purchase N95 or better masks......

What are us mugs up here in the North mean`t to do about it?

Walk about in a giant bubble? Hold our breaths for the next few months?

Go south or leave the country are two obvious choices.

(would suggest you don't look towards the sun especially if it doesn't hurt your eyes, as the ultraviolet could still be getting through- same reason you shouldn't look at the sun during eclipses).