Smoke, Smog, Dust 2014 Chiang Mai

[cloudhopper]

Air quality perceptibly worsening in Pai due to numerous small fires. No forest fires seen yet.

[DaamNaam]

Plenty of folks around my area burning off dead leaves / grass already. It's going to be a hazy next few months with the morons already starting early.

Edited January 23, 2014 by DaamNaam

[Jose]

Visibility down to about 2km this morning in Sansai. Nasty burning smell permeating the air - this is a March kind of CM air quality.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

^ No, it isn't.

March is region-wide and might smell dusty, but won't smell like burning.

You're experiencing local burning.

Which can definitely be uncomfortable when you're in that area, but as opposed to March this could actually be addressed. (I typically call the fire dept.)

[Jose]

You're experiencing local burning.

No, I'm not.

I'm experiencing madness.

[blueyeshk]

Link for fire map?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Tywais]

Link for fire map?

Please look at my post #2 in this topic. That is a dynamic image to their site and is updated automatically every 8 hours on Thaivisa.

[Tywais]

I'll periodically put a snapshot of the Thailand area of the firemap in order to freeze it in the topic timeline to see the changes as the map in post #2 is constantly updating automatically. Night views though are difficult to see border delineation.

[tangcoral]

My unscientific way of judging air quality but the view of Doi Sutep looks clearer than it has in a couple weeks.

[Jose]

My unscientific way of judging air quality but the view of Doi Sutep looks clearer than it has in a couple weeks.

I rely on the same unscientific methodology to try and determine CM visibility.

However, having just returned from Doi Pui and Doi Suthep, I can tell you that the blanket of thick gray/brown smog is still enveloping the CM valley - visibility at about 7-8km from up there (5pm) today.

[T_Dog]

Is it really the third of February? It is stellar blue sky in Mae Taeng with visibility over 40 miles. Not a smoke column in sight. Best weather of the year......

[Jose]

Is it really the third of February? It is stellar blue sky in Mae Taeng with visibility over 40 miles. Not a smoke column in sight. Best weather of the year......

Shhhh.... Don't jinx it!

Edited February 3, 2014 by Jose

[Rinrada]

Nice evening in Mae-on....blue skys...

Still cold at night but getting warmer during the day. Even had a fan on this afternoon for the first time in months so summer is on its way.

Couple pics taken outside Bann about 30 minutes ago..

[MESmith]

Is it really the third of February? It is stellar blue sky in Mae Taeng with visibility over 40 miles. Not a smoke column in sight. Best weather of the year......

Perhaps the arrival of warmer weather has stopped any temperature inversion conditions that were trapping pollution?

Hope it lasts a while.

[FolkGuitar]

7am and I can clearly see the mountains on the east side of the valley, watching the sun jump up over Chiang Mai.

[MESmith]

7am and I can clearly see the mountains on the east side of the valley, watching the sun jump up over Chiang Mai.

10am I could see Doi Suthep from the mountains on the east side

The city looked a bit hazy though....

[cloudhopper]

Is it really the third of February? It is stellar blue sky in Mae Taeng with visibility over 40 miles. Not a smoke column in sight. Best weather of the year......

Perhaps the arrival of warmer weather has stopped any temperature inversion conditions that were trapping pollution?

Hope it lasts a while.

Hmmm that's an interesting theory and makes sense. Viz has recently improved in Pai as well.

[connda]

It's been nice. I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

[Mapguy]

So many farmers have been stiffed by the government's rice subsidy program that one wonders if burning and planting new crops will be as widespread as last or most years. Many farmers are in debt from previous plantings.

One set of numbers I have seen indicates that the cumulative debt of the program over two years is 700 billion baht, and the government has a real problem providing farmers the promised subsidy.

Otherwise, the usual meetings and rallies of provincial leaders against burning seem to be in full swing.

[connda]

Am new to Thaivisa and posted on this topic in general forum.

FWIW:

Masks of various ratings available from 3M store LH side Wualai Road going away from the moat.

Store has large PHILLIPS sign on front.

See : aqicn.org/map/thailand/

This gives real time pollution levels including two Chiangmai sites.

Site also gives info on masks.

Cloth surgical masks worse than useless.

Hope this helps

Hey, thank much for this info. I went down today and bought some N95 masks for my family. The girls at the counter we're friendly and one of them speaks excellent English. Much better selection then Home Pro. Thumbs up!

[fellig]

Hi folks, longtime lurker, first time poster. I arrived in CM on Sunday, this is my second time here. I'd love to stay for about 6 weeks, but am wondering about the smoke problem. Maybe this question is impossible to answer--no one can predict the future and discomfort is subjective--but I'm wondering how bad does it get? Nearly unbearable? Dangerous to breathe?

I'm staying near the NW corner of the moat if that has any bearing. I don't plan on any long hikes or anything like that; mainly doing laptop work and walking around the city. If anyone has feedback I'd appreciate hearing it.

[fellig]

P.S. I haven't been bothered by smoke or air pollution since I've been here (arrived last Sunday), but I assume it's going to get a lot worse than it is now? Also, I don't have asthma or allergies that I'm aware of.

[Awk]

If you read some of the old threads, you will see that there are people who are completely oblivious to this unfortunate phenomena. This includes me, who in earnest would probably have never known, even today,. That even though I used to exercise quite hard outdoors during the worst of it. Unfortunately, there appears to be no doubt that the health consequences of this pollution is very bad in the long term, though I personally probably wouldn't worry if just visiting, unless I had previous health/lung problems.

Currently I am experimenting with 3M's filtrate material, regular air conditioner filtering, and one of the supposedly best personal use air purifiers (from the Blueair company), measuring the effect with a particulate counter from Dylos Corp. Hopefully it will let me make some educated guesses as to what is needed to hopefully reduce the problem in my family's home at least.

[fellig]

Thanks for the reply, Awk.

[connda]

If you read some of the old threads, you will see that there are people who are completely oblivious to this unfortunate phenomena. This includes me, who in earnest would probably have never known, even today,. That even though I used to exercise quite hard outdoors during the worst of it. Unfortunately, there appears to be no doubt that the health consequences of this pollution is very bad in the long term, though I personally probably wouldn't worry if just visiting, unless I had previous health/lung problems.

Currently I am experimenting with 3M's filtrate material, regular air conditioner filtering, and one of the supposedly best personal use air purifiers (from the Blueair company), measuring the effect with a particulate counter from Dylos Corp. Hopefully it will let me make some educated guesses as to what is needed to hopefully reduce the problem in my family's home at least.

Post your results. Thanks!

[cloudhopper]

Just drove South and the smoke was already bad from Lampang to Kampeng Phet. Really surprising. Saw lots of burned areas as well.

[naboo]

Crossing the river out of town at Holiday Inn, I looked right and saw a plume of smoke, figured a house in Nong Hoi had gone up.

Got through Nong Hoi, it was still to the south, looked like Techno Asia on fire.

Got onto the railway line road, it was still some way in the distance.

The photos below don't do it justice, driving past the field that was on fire, it was as loud a fire as I've ever heard.

http://s2.postimg.org/x39k0j88p/IMG_20140208_130542.jpg

http://s23.postimg.org/t6for17mj/IMG_20140208_130758.jpg

http://s12.postimg.org/rhlv2ws4d/IMG_20140208_130811.jpg

[EnlightenedAtheist]

There is a good PDF document that explains the situation: www.ec.oita-u.ac.jp/isf2011/pdf/proceedings-93-103.pdf

According to the document, mountainous terrain make the use of machines (to make fertilizers) difficult. Any ideas?

From what I am reading, the use of corn is in reaction to a demand and a need. "Corn is important in Asia as a livestock feed and a staple food, as well as a raw material for starches and sugars used in food processing and other industries." (http://www.agnet.org/library.php?func=view&style=type&id=20110725095646)

We need solutions. We know that there is a problem.

[Rob8891]

Out for lunch at Huai Manaos. Lovely views except for.....

[cloudhopper]

There is a good PDF document that explains the situation: www.ec.oita-u.ac.jp/isf2011/pdf/proceedings-93-103.pdf

According to the document, mountainous terrain make the use of machines (to make fertilizers) difficult. Any ideas?

From what I am reading, the use of corn is in reaction to a demand and a need. "Corn is important in Asia as a livestock feed and a staple food, as well as a raw material for starches and sugars used in food processing and other industries." (http://www.agnet.org/library.php?func=view&style=type&id=20110725095646)

We need solutions. We know that there is a problem

Composting? Ploughing under? I notice that the average rice production per rai here is half of what other countries yield, yet no one seems interested in changing methods...