Smoke, Smog, Dust 2014 Chiang Mai

[TheScribe]

Now up to 363.91 according to aqmthai.com. Flights to CNX are turning round and going back to BKK - I assume they can't land in this smog. (See flightradar24.com.) Bad, bad, bad.

[true blue]

been here 11years,and this has got to be one of the worst days for smog or fog or whatever its called since ive been here,no wonder im coughing like a tuk tuk engine.what a shame,use to be great 5 or 6 years ago,wiill have to give some thought were one can go in thailand for some fresh air.

[T_Dog]

been here 11years,and this has got to be one of the worst days for smog or fog or whatever its called since ive been here,no wonder im coughing like a tuk tuk engine.what a shame,use to be great 5 or 6 years ago,wiill have to give some thought were one can go in thailand for some fresh air.

I think you are right. Level is up to 398.51 at the moment so we might break 400 micro grams/cubic meter. That might be a first.

[mrmillersr]

So much for fixing the problem. Levels have been high enough (PM 10 well over 300) that some of you will now have serious health issues you will have to deal with, not just in the present but also the future. I personally knew a few whose death I am sure was a result of inhaling in all these toxins. Want to take years off your life, you're in the right place.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Flights to CNX are turning round and going back to BKK - I assume they can't land in this smog. (See flightradar24.com.)

That's not the case. Just possibly the Pai and Mae Hong Son flights, but flights are arriving at CNX.

(The airport has ILS; it's no different from landing in fog)

You can check that here: http://www.chiangmaiairportonline.com/

[WinnieTheKhwai]

been here 11years,and this has got to be one of the worst days for smog or fog or whatever its called since ive been here,no wonder im coughing like a tuk tuk engine.what a shame,use to be great 5 or 6 years ago,wiill have to give some thought were one can go in thailand for some fresh air.

I think you are right. Level is up to 398.51 at the moment so we might break 400 micro grams/cubic meter. That might be a first.

First this year, yes.

[Tywais]

March 2007, probably the worse year I've seen in 20 years here had a 24-h PM10 of 390. I remember there being essentially brown out visibilities.

Source - Integrated Air Quality Management: Asian Case Studies

[MESmith]

I made a rare trip into town today, and road works somewhere on the south side of the moat were causing near gridlock up Thapae Rd, along Kotchasarn and onto the southside. I headed down Sridonchai so didn't see what the cause was. Hope it was essential work & not just painting road markings causing all that stationary traffic spewing fumes on the worst smog day so far this year.

[MMan]

Iroad works somewhere on the south side of the moat were causing near gridlock up Thapae Rd, along Kotchasarn and onto the southside. I headed down Sridonchai so didn't see what the cause was.

Yes traffic very bad in that area this afternoon. They were paving one lane with about an inch of new blacktop. Probably do the other lane tomorrow or soon.

[MMan]

Where exactly do you find the 'current' PM10 readings. I went to the aqmthai.com website and it only shows a 24 hour moving average, which has about doubled in the last few hours. I've tried the links at the beginning of this thread but didn't find a good source.

The weather forecast shows a 60% chance of scattered overnight storms Saturday night / early Sunday morning. Hope that comes true and it becomes not so scattered.

Edited March 21, 2014 by MMan

[brownrabbit]

Flights to CNX are turning round and going back to BKK - I assume they can't land in this smog. (See flightradar24.com.)

That's not the case. Just possibly the Pai and Mae Hong Son flights, but flights are arriving at CNX.

(The airport has ILS; it's no different from landing in fog)

You can check that here: http://www.chiangmaiairportonline.com/

According to the Bangkok Post at least 7 flights turned back or were diverted this morning due to the haze - now that must be a first.

[Chicog]

TG102 went all the way back to Bangkok, refuelled and went again.

[mania]

I made a rare trip into town today, and road works somewhere on the south side of the moat were causing near gridlock up Thapae Rd, along Kotchasarn and onto the southside. I headed down Sridonchai so didn't see what the cause was. Hope it was essential work & not just painting road markings causing all that stationary traffic spewing fumes on the worst smog day so far this year.

You know it was a nutty thing but they are re-paving the road at the Sridonchai corner

Nuts traffic

Then later even if you try to cut thru the center of the inner moat to get around it....more paving heheh

So yes was quite a bit of fumes 3 ways...smog....cars....paving machines

[chiang mai]

March 2007, probably the worse year I've seen in 20 years here had a 24-h PM10 of 390. I remember there being essentially brown out visibilities.

Capture.JPG

Source - Integrated Air Quality Management: Asian Case Studies

I remember that, it was the year I went to live in Phuket and that was the reason why..

[kilkus]

Hi all

Me and the wife are currently in Koh samui and where hoping to visit chiang Mai towards the end of the month to do some treking tours and sight seeing. Having seen the local news and read the forum here is it advisable to visit with the current smog levels or stay away?

Thanks

Stu

[Tywais]

Where exactly do you find the 'current' PM10 readings. I went to the aqmthai.com website and it only shows a 24 hour moving average, which has about doubled in the last few hours. I've tried the links at the beginning of this thread but didn't find a good source.

The weather forecast shows a 60% chance of scattered overnight storms Saturday night / early Sunday morning. Hope that comes true and it becomes not so scattered.

Someone posted this link earlier that goes direct to the report section - http://aqmthai.com/public_report.php

Select 35t for City Hall and 36t for Yupparaj for in town. Select PM10 from the list and hit Graph to see the same graph that is being posted here or Table for the raw data.

[Tywais]

The CM moon and effect of haze. Taken just now on 21st March

[onthedarkside]

TG102 went all the way back to Bangkok, refuelled and went again.

Yes, see this report ---> http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/712849-smog-in-north-worsens-as-flights-cancelled-due-to-poor-visibility/

[chooka]

Hi all

Me and the wife are currently in Koh samui and where hoping to visit chiang Mai towards the end of the month to do some treking tours and sight seeing. Having seen the local news and read the forum here is it advisable to visit with the current smog levels or stay away?

Thanks

Stu

I would say stay away and enjoy the beach. You may be swimming in sewage down there but the air can kill you up north. Thailand is destroying itself.

[naboo]

Dropped below 200 for one hour of the last 24.

Hoping this forecast rain roles in.

[daveAustin]

Hi all

Me and the wife are currently in Koh samui and where hoping to visit chiang Mai towards the end of the month to do some treking tours and sight seeing. Having seen the local news and read the forum here is it advisable to visit with the current smog levels or stay away?

Thanks

Stu

As chooka, stay away. If you must visit, certainly don't do any activities like trekking. It's gross and you only realize how bad when you're not in denial. Hold off til June,,, Dec is best but.

[chiang mai]

Hi all

Me and the wife are currently in Koh samui and where hoping to visit chiang Mai towards the end of the month to do some treking tours and sight seeing. Having seen the local news and read the forum here is it advisable to visit with the current smog levels or stay away?

Thanks

Stu

As chooka, stay away. If you must visit, certainly don't do any activities like trekking. It's gross and you only realize how bad when you're not in denial. Hold off til June,,, Dec is best but.

The rains come most years around mid-April, it will be fine from that point onwards.

[blueyeshk]

In an amazing effort the north does everything g to let feel their Chinese visitors at home

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[TheScribe]

Not much activity here this morning. I suppose everyone is angry and disappointed at just how bad the pollution is this year. So much for solving the problem. Hah. As chooka wrote, Thailand is destroying itself. The govt. squabbles seem to be about nothing but who's hi-so/top-dog, but the authorities are unable to execute any policy to bring about any real changes. On any level. The prime responsibility of a democratic state is to protect its citizens from harm and abuse. Big fail.

Like, maybe the rice subsidy could have been contingent on the farmers updating their methods so they don't poison everyone else in the region. Couldn't it? And pigs will fly.

[chiang mai]

It's easy for newbies to be glib about this subject but a little more thought reveals the subject is very complex hence the solutions are not readily apparent.

Much of the airborne pollution we see currently in CM province is imported from Southern China, Laos and Myanmar, a quick look at the fire maps tells the story. And the problem is of course centuries old and now so ingrained in local cultures that any changes to farming practices will take decades to implement and may indeed never be totally successful.

So no, Thailand is not destroying itself, it's living with and working on solving a centuries old major logistical problem for which there is little rural support, the biggest proponents for this change are likely to be westerners who've had their stay here spoiled and don't really understand the issues anyway.

[T_Dog]

It's easy for newbies to be glib about this subject but a little more thought reveals the subject is very complex hence the solutions are not readily apparent.

Much of the airborne pollution we see currently in CM province is imported from Southern China, Laos and Myanmar, a quick look at the fire maps tells the story. And the problem is of course centuries old and now so ingrained in local cultures that any changes to farming practices will take decades to implement and may indeed never be totally successful.

So no, Thailand is not destroying itself, it's living with and working on solving a centuries old major logistical problem for which there is little rural support, the biggest proponents for this change are likely to be westerners who've had their stay here spoiled and don't really understand the issues anyway.

Check out the weather charts and you will see that our wind flow over the last three weeks has been predominantly from the south. It stopped about three days ago to virtually no wind. My guess is that all the smoke we are breathing right now in Chiang Mai comes from burning within Thailand's borders. Last week, our area was surrounded by visible forest fires, but the winds carried it all north. Not so this week, as we can't any mountains or fires at any time as the visibility is so poor.

[true blue]

what with pollution, hand grenades,traffic congestion,building chaos,rising prices,im feeling a bit sad this morning,need a pick me up and something positive now,help.

[chiang mai]

It's easy for newbies to be glib about this subject but a little more thought reveals the subject is very complex hence the solutions are not readily apparent.

Much of the airborne pollution we see currently in CM province is imported from Southern China, Laos and Myanmar, a quick look at the fire maps tells the story. And the problem is of course centuries old and now so ingrained in local cultures that any changes to farming practices will take decades to implement and may indeed never be totally successful.

So no, Thailand is not destroying itself, it's living with and working on solving a centuries old major logistical problem for which there is little rural support, the biggest proponents for this change are likely to be westerners who've had their stay here spoiled and don't really understand the issues anyway.

Check out the weather charts and you will see that our wind flow over the last three weeks has been predominantly from the south. It stopped about three days ago to virtually no wind. My guess is that all the smoke we are breathing right now in Chiang Mai comes from burning within Thailand's borders. Last week, our area was surrounded by visible forest fires, but the winds carried it all north. Not so this week, as we can't any mountains or fires at any time as the visibility is so poor.

Myanmar is South and West. And looking at the fire maps for the past 48 hours, it would seem that Mae Hong Son and then Myanmar are the usual culprits.

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/firemap/?x=99.14999999999998&y=18.684375000000003&z=7&g=g&v=2&r=5&i=er&l=ad,ct

Edited March 22, 2014 by chiang mai

[dutchkev]

I live behind Doi Sutep , their burning right now , some nights I can see fires on Doi Sutep hundreds of meters long , they do this for a better mushroom harvest , the local government do absolutely nothing , a few signs around saying stop burning , with the picture of some politician , it's a joke to say this is coming from china lap Burma

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[chiang mai]

I live behind Doi Sutep , their burning right now , some nights I can see fires on Doi Sutep hundreds of meters long , they do this for a better mushroom harvest , the local government do absolutely nothing , a few signs around saying stop burning , with the picture of some politician , it's a joke to say this is coming from china lap Burma

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Look at the fire map!