Chiang Mai Steps Up Law Enforcement To Reduce Burning.

[MESmith]

OK PC Plod, you seem to be having problems catching firestarters, so here's an educational video to help you.

They must be easy to spot......

Edited March 22, 2013 by MESmith

[KhunHehe]

Lollipop news: Lip service and lots of burning.

[hellodolly]

In some strange way, all that is "wrong" with Thailand is what's "right" about it...... meaning that in a 1st-world country,obsession with rules and regulations at every turn, is exactly the liberating reason why I live in Thailand.

Yes, of course one would like to see some focus on fundamental issues for the future sake of the country and people, but as a farang living in a parallel-reality to that dynamic,I would say,and in quoting the ex-BKK post - icon,Trinks page........"I don't give a Hoot"!

You are right. It is amazing the number of expats who leave a nanny country to come live inThailand and complain that it is not a nanny country.

I am not condoning the burning but I am not out to crucify people who break the law and the ones who don't uphold it. Besides as I have said earlier it is more than rice field burning in Chiang Mai it is also forest fires all over the region. I note no one seems to concerned about that, I guess just not enough room to cry and whine about. Stick with some thing they can point fingers at.

[hellodolly]

Not second world. Third world, positively, and definitely. The one area that sets Thailand apart from the second world is the legal system, the police, the judiciary, and the govt. In a second world country, there is an effective judiciary. Thailland does not have one, as there is very, very little here in the way of an effective judiciary.

Some examples:

1. Thailand is one of the few countries in Asia that is virtually free of a war on corruption. Virtually nothing of consequence of being done to prosecute and jail corrupt politicians, or police officials. Remember the transport minister who was caught with 2,000,000,000 baht (yes, 2 billion!) cash in his living room? Did he go to prison? No. Was he even arrested? No.

2. Lack of a deterrent factor. Why do the police, tuk tuk, taxi drivers, etc behave like they do? No consequences to their hooliganism. When is the last time a policeman was tried and convicted on corruption charges? When was the last time a taxi driver lost his car, due to refusing to use his meter in the nearly lawless zones of Phuket or Samui, especially.

3. Crony politics. In second world countries politicians are appointed based on qualifications. Here, they are appointed based on who they know, and how much assistance they gave to the elected PM. Not an effective way to run a country. Not a sign of progress.

4. Education. A second world country has an effective educational system. Most international studies place Thailand very low on that scale. Little seems to be done to improve that. Are the elite trying to keep the masses dumbed down? What other explanations are there for such a poor system? Why are most Thais who study English unable to speak much English? Why can't they add in their head? How can they compete with their neighbors who are putting alot to time, effort and money into improving their educational systems? Will the country continue to lose their place in the world due to this lack of effort?

5. Infrastructure. Laos has 3G throughout the country. I have traveled to many areas of Bangkok that still do not have it. While many places are installing 4G systems, Thailand is still sorting through this, and is years behind the curve. They just installed a new electric cable from the mainland to Samui. They have not completed paving of the main road on the island. This kind of amateur hour politics is reminiscent of the third world.

6. Ineffective government. One of the primary issues with Thailand, is the ability to follow thought on the initiatives of previous administrations. How do you grow a country if you cannot maintain the momentum from one administration to the next? How do you continue progress? That is a third world mentality.

7. Ineffective regulation of policy. The parliament seems to be quite busy creating law, on a daily basis. But, once this law is created the govt. seems to have little ability to implement it. Much is being made of the upcoming ASEAN summit and Thailand's leadership of it. Well, they may be unqualified to do so. During the 6th ASEAN summit Thailand agreed to participate in a campaign that allowed the free transfer of all alcoholic beverages manufactured throughout all of the ASEAN nations, within the region. They signed the pact, and it went into effect as of Jan. 1st, 2011. How much Laotian, Vietnamese, I

Indonesian, and Burmese beer have you seen on your supermarket shelf lately? It is quite obvious someone bought off a senator, who then prevented the implementation of this policy to this day. So, how do you lead an organization, who's very policy you ignore daily? Why is the govt. so inept at enforcing these charters that it signs? Why don't they care? Why wasn't the senator who prevented the implementation of this policy arrested, jailed and his impressive assets seized? How very third world of them.

8. Foor safety. The lack of a health safety campaign, an effective health department, that inspects restaurants, supermarkets, distribution chains, etc, prevents the country moving forward to improve its health standards.

9. Pollution and the environment. While the Philippines, and some other countries in ASEAN are making strides in eliminating the use of plastic boxes and bags, Thailand is doing NOTHING. Absolutely nothing is being done to curb the use of plastic. How about a littering campaign? In the US littering really stopped after a fine of $1,000 was imposed on the highways. Imagine the reaction of the average Thai, if they were fined 30,000 baht for throwing a plastic bag out the window? Entire regions of Issan have no trash pickup! So, they either bury their trash, burn it, or dump it. In the case of waste, the sanitary standards are at the bottom of the third world. Though the average Thai person is very conscious about keeping their environment clean, the govt. is doing little. In Koh Samui alot of toilet waste is piped directly into the sea. So is alot of the sewer runoff. After all these years, not one sewer plant has been built to treat waste water. Not one. Is that a result of apathy? Here is a multi billion dollar tourist island, where all of the reefs have been completely destroyed due to govt. apathy and negligence. And the water continues to be fouled to this day. Tests show a frightening level of bacteria in the water, in the local beaches. The local mayor refuses to establish a litter collecting campaign on the beaches, despite years of pressure to do so. He has been effective in improving the roads, and there is slow progress in improving the place, but this kind of work should have been done a decade ago.

I could go on and one filling up many pages with this kind of detail. I could spend a week listing all of the things that are not happening here. But you get the point. Let us call a spade a spade. Thailand is definitely not second world. They have accomplished alot, in very little time. Alot of what they have done is impressive. But, so many details have been cast aside. Much attention needs to be paid to the details, before Thailand can be awarded second world status.

Yada, yada, yada, if you didn't know these things before you came you shouldn't have come in the first place, begone with you.

Thanks for not only your compassion, but also your wit, and your stunning intellectual prowess.

Makro is working on eliminating plastic bags they don't have them.

Come off your soap box you only have entertainment value.

[worgeordie]

Its not only the burning that causes this problem ,but also pollution from cars,trucks,

motor bikes,ect. as Chiang Mai lies in a bowl with mountains around it,so if there is

no breeze,wind as is happening now,it just builds up.

Nothing going to change as Govt does not know how to solve the problem,(the

solution with the huge fans !!) did not take off, selling cars at discount did and

just added to the problem.

regards worgeordie

[MILT]

Not second world. Third world, positively, and definitely. The one area that sets Thailand apart from the second world is the legal system, the police, the judiciary, and the govt. In a second world country, there is an effective judiciary. Thailland does not have one, as there is very, very little here in the way of an effective judiciary.

Some examples:

1. Thailand is one of the few countries in Asia that is virtually free of a war on corruption. Virtually nothing of consequence of being done to prosecute and jail corrupt politicians, or police officials. Remember the transport minister who was caught with 2,000,000,000 baht (yes, 2 billion!) cash in his living room? Did he go to prison? No. Was he even arrested? No.

2. Lack of a deterrent factor. Why do the police, tuk tuk, taxi drivers, etc behave like they do? No consequences to their hooliganism. When is the last time a policeman was tried and convicted on corruption charges? When was the last time a taxi driver lost his car, due to refusing to use his meter in the nearly lawless zones of Phuket or Samui, especially.

3. Crony politics. In second world countries politicians are appointed based on qualifications. Here, they are appointed based on who they know, and how much assistance they gave to the elected PM. Not an effective way to run a country. Not a sign of progress.

4. Education. A second world country has an effective educational system. Most international studies place Thailand very low on that scale. Little seems to be done to improve that. Are the elite trying to keep the masses dumbed down? What other explanations are there for such a poor system? Why are most Thais who study English unable to speak much English? Why can't they add in their head? How can they compete with their neighbors who are putting alot to time, effort and money into improving their educational systems? Will the country continue to lose their place in the world due to this lack of effort?

5. Infrastructure. Laos has 3G throughout the country. I have traveled to many areas of Bangkok that still do not have it. While many places are installing 4G systems, Thailand is still sorting through this, and is years behind the curve. They just installed a new electric cable from the mainland to Samui. They have not completed paving of the main road on the island. This kind of amateur hour politics is reminiscent of the third world.

6. Ineffective government. One of the primary issues with Thailand, is the ability to follow thought on the initiatives of previous administrations. How do you grow a country if you cannot maintain the momentum from one administration to the next? How do you continue progress? That is a third world mentality.

7. Ineffective regulation of policy. The parliament seems to be quite busy creating law, on a daily basis. But, once this law is created the govt. seems to have little ability to implement it. Much is being made of the upcoming ASEAN summit and Thailand's leadership of it. Well, they may be unqualified to do so. During the 6th ASEAN summit Thailand agreed to participate in a campaign that allowed the free transfer of all alcoholic beverages manufactured throughout all of the ASEAN nations, within the region. They signed the pact, and it went into effect as of Jan. 1st, 2011. How much Laotian, Vietnamese, I

Indonesian, and Burmese beer have you seen on your supermarket shelf lately? It is quite obvious someone bought off a senator, who then prevented the implementation of this policy to this day. So, how do you lead an organization, who's very policy you ignore daily? Why is the govt. so inept at enforcing these charters that it signs? Why don't they care? Why wasn't the senator who prevented the implementation of this policy arrested, jailed and his impressive assets seized? How very third world of them.

8. Foor safety. The lack of a health safety campaign, an effective health department, that inspects restaurants, supermarkets, distribution chains, etc, prevents the country moving forward to improve its health standards.

9. Pollution and the environment. While the Philippines, and some other countries in ASEAN are making strides in eliminating the use of plastic boxes and bags, Thailand is doing NOTHING. Absolutely nothing is being done to curb the use of plastic. How about a littering campaign? In the US littering really stopped after a fine of $1,000 was imposed on the highways. Imagine the reaction of the average Thai, if they were fined 30,000 baht for throwing a plastic bag out the window? Entire regions of Issan have no trash pickup! So, they either bury their trash, burn it, or dump it. In the case of waste, the sanitary standards are at the bottom of the third world. Though the average Thai person is very conscious about keeping their environment clean, the govt. is doing little. In Koh Samui alot of toilet waste is piped directly into the sea. So is alot of the sewer runoff. After all these years, not one sewer plant has been built to treat waste water. Not one. Is that a result of apathy? Here is a multi billion dollar tourist island, where all of the reefs have been completely destroyed due to govt. apathy and negligence. And the water continues to be fouled to this day. Tests show a frightening level of bacteria in the water, in the local beaches. The local mayor refuses to establish a litter collecting campaign on the beaches, despite years of pressure to do so. He has been effective in improving the roads, and there is slow progress in improving the place, but this kind of work should have been done a decade ago.

I could go on and one filling up many pages with this kind of detail. I could spend a week listing all of the things that are not happening here. But you get the point. Let us call a spade a spade. Thailand is definitely not second world. They have accomplished alot, in very little time. Alot of what they have done is impressive. But, so many details have been cast aside. Much attention needs to be paid to the details, before Thailand can be awarded second world status.

It is because Thailand IS a "second world country"(whatever that means) is why I love it here. May it even go back to third world country one day one can only hope. Using fear mongering tactics with terms like "hooligans" is not funny sir/madam?

[taotoo]

Second world = Warsaw pact or eastern bloc afaik.

[chiang mai]

Second world = Warsaw pact or eastern bloc afaik.

Please don't inject fact into this discussion, it undermines it's whole purpose.

[SteveH]

Flew into Suvarnabhumi from Singapore yesterday and saw at least 6 field fires while coming in. It's not just Chiang Mai that needs to do something.

[Thailand]

You know it's bad when the gardener who is Karen is complaining of a sore throat and eyes AND blaming the burning!

There is a major golf tournament in Chiangmai in the coming week which will be televised worldwide. If there is no improvement by the end of the week a large part of the world will see it for themselves. Interesting to see how the international players cope with the smog and what comments they will have.

Not the smartest decision to hold such a tournament at this particular time of the year.

[scotbeve]

having done 10,000km around the north west since dec i was very shocked at the amount of fires at the sides of the roads, some spread well into the surrounding countryside. are these started by discarded cigarettes?

God grow up man

what? it was a straight forward question. ive ridden through dozens of roadside fires and have not seen anyone else in the area starting them so i asked how they are started. if you cant give me a civil reply then shut the <deleted> up or go run and tell a mod.

I'm not sure this was meant to be serious and it's possible that ableguy thought your post was sarcastic. It's easy to get the wrong impression on here.

As another poster stated (sorry, I don't have the time to look up the post...), he traveled up through Chiang Dao - I assume on RT. 107 - he saw people lighting fires along the road... I've seen this on many occasions. I stopped the car each time and asked why they were starting the fires (nicely) and all I usually got was a shrug or a single word response "Food". Took some pics a few times and got the hell out of there quickly. Reported it to a police major friend of mine in Fang and he says it's real difficult to apprehend these folks... I know why, and he knows why.... THEY ARE NOT TO BE TOUCHED when it involves agriculture.... This is an order from higher above.... This is no bull$hyte.

[Chicog]

Mods can you please move this thread to the Jokes forum where it belongs.

And I might go to Alpine to see how Ernie Els and Michael Campbell are dealing with it.

[chooka]

Mods can you please move this thread to the Jokes forum where it belongs.

And I might go to Alpine to see how Ernie Els and Michael Campbell are dealing with it.

Who are Ernie Els and Co?

[Chicog]

Mods can you please move this thread to the Jokes forum where it belongs.

And I might go to Alpine to see how Ernie Els and Michael Campbell are dealing with it.

Who are Ernie Els and Co?

Professional golfers that have been bought here at great expense to embarrass the hell out of Thailand when they refuse to play in absurd conditions...

[freedom4life]

From the centre of chaing mai you can't see doi supthep.

Doi Supthet is a bloody mountain with chiang mai at its base..

Bugger this, I 'm off to Singapore till it rains.

Chin chin chaps

Great way to push for change...you'd make a great politician.

[freedom4life]

In some strange way, all that is "wrong" with Thailand is what's "right" about it...... meaning that in a 1st-world country,obsession with rules and regulations at every turn, is exactly the liberating reason why I live in Thailand.

Yes, of course one would like to see some focus on fundamental issues for the future sake of the country and people, but as a farang living in a parallel-reality to that dynamic,I would say,and in quoting the ex-BKK post - icon,Trinks page........"I don't give a Hoot"!

You are right. It is amazing the number of expats who leave a nanny country to come live inThailand and complain that it is not a nanny country.

I am not condoning the burning but I am not out to crucify people who break the law and the ones who don't uphold it. Besides as I have said earlier it is more than rice field burning in Chiang Mai it is also forest fires all over the region. I note no one seems to concerned about that, I guess just not enough room to cry and whine about. Stick with some thing they can point fingers at.

Forest fires that start, for the most part. with some idiot throwing a cig. outside of his pick-up truck etc...

[chooka]

Mods can you please move this thread to the Jokes forum where it belongs.

And I might go to Alpine to see how Ernie Els and Michael Campbell are dealing with it.

Who are Ernie Els and Co?

Professional golfers that have been bought here at great expense to embarrass the hell out of Thailand when they refuse to play in absurd conditions...

Fair enough, I wouldn't know the difference between a baseball bat and a golf bat. I have heard of Tiger woods tho, isn't he number 1 and Thai? Anyway walking around for 5 or 6 hours in this think smoke will knock them down a few pegs.

[Chicog]

Mods can you please move this thread to the Jokes forum where it belongs.

And I might go to Alpine to see how Ernie Els and Michael Campbell are dealing with it.

Who are Ernie Els and Co?

Professional golfers that have been bought here at great expense to embarrass the hell out of Thailand when they refuse to play in absurd conditions...

Fair enough, I wouldn't know the difference between a baseball bat and a golf bat. I have heard of Tiger woods tho, isn't he number 1 and Thai? Anyway walking around for 5 or 6 hours in this think smoke will knock them down a few pegs.

If they're walking around for 5 or 6 hours, then I'd imagine they have the same Golfing ability I do.