What is the story with this air quality?

[12DrinkMore]

What happens over in Isaan?

Don't they burn as well?

[scotbeve]

They are burning some rice fields already.

Went up the Somoeng Road from the Canal Road on Thursday and there was a lot of burning and no fog.

Yes hmi.... correct, there was a lot of smog yesterday in San Pi Suea area. Couldn't see the mountains forming Mae Sa Valley... not good as that's only 3.5 km away. Shut all the windows and fired up the room filters. It rained during the night and smog was gone this morn.

[scotbeve]

My two baht input would be that ChiangMai is in a basin surrounded by mountains. Similar to Los Angeles. ChiangRai area, on the other hand, just has burning everywhere, so there is no escape! Humankind is determined to make the planet uninhabitable. Good job so far. On the mountain hignway between ChiangRai and ChiangMai, they love to burn the sides of the road up the steep, rocky, mountainsides. No way you could farm or plant anything there. Why are people spending the effort to burn it back all the way up the unfarmable mountainside? Unfathomable. (Today must be my "un" day.)

Longtooth,

Same along Rt. 107 (Chiang Mai-Fang Hwy.)... cough splutter.

[cloudhopper]

The viz has been very poor in Doi saket with a mixture of mist and smoke. One thing I have been observing is that the harvesting machines spew a ton of dust into the air that probably has mold etc on it and I suspect that is a significant contributor to the pollution, along with the burning.

[marko kok prong]

just wait until they start burning heaped rice husks to make charcoal,my nieghbours had a smoulder going all night,2 nights ago ,the stink permeated the whole house and made it very difficult to sleep,but this is part and parcel of living here[we live in a small village],and it's not all the time,try going to Mexico city after 2 days your nose and throat will be sore and dry,and not from burning vegetation,but car fumes,rather have smoke from natural vegetation any time.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

I also do not believe this was fog yesterday.

I know pollution when I see it. And, it looked quite a bit like what you see on the better days of pollution in Shanghai, almost exactly the same in fact.

I thought that it was the worst air quality day I haver seen in Chiang Mai.

Unfortunately, I do not think that anyone is operating a very reliable air quality measuring station in several areas thoughtout CM.

Or, are these being well maintained and operated properly?

It would be nice to look at a few years of historical accurate data so that we can see what is trending.

Thanks for any info if anyone can find and post it.

[skills32]

Relax and breath it is only (mostly) fog. When the smoke comes, you will smell it.

Unfortunately this isn't fog. It's smoke and we are getting it much too early. I can't imagine what it will be like in March. :-(

I don't think so.

[Mapguy]

To return to the topic, the burning season is mid-December - mid-April. One relatively new tactic of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to advise farmers to burn earlier in the season to even out the misery and lessen the potential for extreme days mid-February - mid-April. By the way, that ministry can't really enforce anything. It basically recommends and sets standards, monitors the situation, and provides general reports as well as investigating complaints. It can recommend, not enforce. That is up to other government agencies.

Look here for a continuing discussion of several aspects of air pollution:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/611721-smoke-smog-dust-2013-chiang-mai/

Look here for a suggestion for air conditioner filters:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/611721-smoke-smog-dust-2013-chiang-mai/page-23#entry7163052

The thread topic really ought to focus on the season rather than the calendar year. Perhaps Admin will launch a new thread dedicated to the 2013-2014 season.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Mapguy

[Rimmer]

A number of posts have been removed along with the quoted replies :

In using Thai Visa I agree:

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

A number of posts have been removed along with the quoted replies :

In using Thai Visa I agree:

8) Not to post extremely negative views of Thailand or derogatory comments directed towards all Thais.

This should go without saying.

It is incredible how some people will travel halfway around the Earth just to criticize and express overly negative views about the new land and culture they are supposed to be enjoying and learning from.

I just cannot understand how they might feel this way, after my being here and feeling exactly the opposite.

I am glad that moderators here are paying attention to this rule "8)", because it is important, and it raises the quality of the discourse.

[scotinsiam]

And Dew

Made a right bogs dollocks of that post.

Sent via tin can and string after pigeon shot

LOL - had a laugh low dog and few in the air. Got your meaning but more fun the way you typed it

[puukao]

common sense tells you this air quality is not good for you, especially kids. it could ruin your life. which is sad, since CM Is such a great place. remember chicago in the 1900's.....horrible air quality which resulted in lots of deaths, but this was the price for "advancement". same in many other cities. now everywhere in china. anyhow, why destroy your health if you can simply leave and go to another place in thailand? no question, this is, to me, the worst thing about thailand. clean air = happy puukao.

[Thomas33399]

In central northern Thailand (Uttaradit, Phitsanulok etc) there are many fires every day visible in every direction. Enourmous amounts of smoke are generated from these small fires. The mountains are difficult to see through the smoke - they are just dark shapes in the distance. The sunlight is a filtered yellow, especially later in the day, from smoke and not from other sources. There is virtually no breeze and very little rain to dissipate it. The breeze is ineffectual and rain only falls on rare occasions.

When the rain comes you get a wonderful reminder of what blue sky and the scenery look like... the green colours and scenic beauty that can be seen and the uplifting effect that blue sky has upon people.

This lasts about one day before the burning replaces the clear air. These fires generate very fine particles of pollution that penetrate deeper into the lungs and are carried very long distances (they have been shown to travel at least as far as China).

I do not remember the air quality being this bad at this time of year.

[villagefarang]

Wow! What a beautiful cold winter morning!

[daoyai]

Wow! What a beautiful cold winter morning!

Rain washed breath deeply.

[dave2]

re

Wow! What a beautiful cold winter morning!

hes right

pic taken of doi suthep an hour ago !

dave2

[DeeMockMark]

It's definitely not good for your lungs.People with asthma have problems

You telling me?????

[scotbeve]

12 degrees this morning near Faharm and San Pi Seua - nice crisp, clear morning and day (it's after mid-day now!).

[Thailand]

Gorgeous morning, until-

Farm behind the 3rd tee at HD golf course, regular occurrence this time of the year, one of 3 fires I could see this morning.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Thailand

[cloudhopper]

12 degrees this morning near Faharm and San Pi Seua - nice crisp, clear morning and day (it's after mid-day now!).

9 up here in Pai this morning and crystal clear too. Heard it's forecast to be colder tonite.

[MrGaoMungGawn]

12 degrees this morning near Faharm and San Pi Seua - nice crisp, clear morning and day (it's after mid-day now!).

9 up here in Pai this morning and crystal clear too. Heard it's forecast to be colder tonite.

You are lucky to be there.

But we are lucky also to be here in Chiang Mai.

The temps are going down to 9 here tonight.

The air is super sharp, clean, dry, just like an Asahi.

Only better.

Today, I talked to a few people, and everyone has on huge winter jackets in the office.

The people walking in the bright sunshine say they don't like it.

A little cool, crisp Autumn weather is good for everyone.

learn to appreciate it, Chiang Mayans!

[scotbeve]

12 degrees this morning near Faharm and San Pi Seua - nice crisp, clear morning and day (it's after mid-day now!).

9 up here in Pai this morning and crystal clear too. Heard it's forecast to be colder tonite.

You are lucky to be there.

But we are lucky also to be here in Chiang Mai.

The temps are going down to 9 here tonight.

The air is super sharp, clean, dry, just like an Asahi.

Only better.

Today, I talked to a few people, and everyone has on huge winter jackets in the office.

The people walking in the bright sunshine say they don't like it.

A little cool, crisp Autumn weather is good for everyone.

learn to appreciate it, Chiang Mayans!

9 degrees here this morning! Good for a long walk!