Government addresses forest fire and haze problem in north

BANGKOK, 8 February 2014 (NNT) – The government is working to help solve the forest fire and haze problem in the north.

Mr. Chatchai Promlert, Director-General of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, made an urgent plea to people living in areas near forests to please stop burning materials between February to April as there are often serious forest fires that end up causing severe haze.

Many areas of the country experience such serious forest fires and haze, especially in the nine northern provinces, including: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Lampang, Lamphun, Mae Hong Son and Tak. Mr. Chatchai emphasized that locals should engage in rigorous management of these at-risk areas that are often harshly affected by haze.

To prepare and prevent forest fire and haze in the most vulnerable 65 provinces, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation has joined hands with relevant local authorities to focus on proactive measures and to ask people in both community and agricultural areas to stop unnecessarily burning materials.

The province will perform comprehensive management with an emphasis on unified, rapid and concrete operations, including the use of preventative technology that can help mitigate forest fires and haze.

Mr. Chatchai said that all sectors have been integrated to help restore the devastated areas and offer relief to those who are victims of forest fires and haze. In case of severe situations, emergency help will be made available for disaster victims.

Citizens of these provinces have also been instructed to take protective measures to ensure protection of the forests and to keep close surveillance to help detect any problems.


-- NNT 2014-02-08

"please stop burning"

Problem sorted

Wish they would stop doing it here in Pattaya. Last week you could barely see 1km. Many local fires including the government who's burning the grass in the highway medians.

The Thais do not understand that this burning harm their health. They burn everything, included the natural fertilizer. They have so much money that they just buy fertilizer and burn the one they get for free.

The same BS as every year from the government. Most of the burning I saw in the last 2 days driving S from Lampang was right along the highway, not in the forest. Nothing will change; nothing.

Is it really so difficult to spot the burning and to stop it? NO! But it is hard to mobilize the officials from their comfortable seats to enforce the laws.

Here we go again

Every year it is the same.....deliberate burning of mountains and nothing is/will be done to stop it. Thailand has little or no interest in environmental matters.

It's about having a coherent and long-term energy policy and making politicians of all nationalities accountable for this. Some would argue its impossible...but we never stop learning especially from examples of better practice.

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Yesterday, taking my children to school at 7.30, we passed through one village that was thick with smoke. It was a cold morning after the recent warmer ones. And it probably didn't bother anyone living in that village. They need educating as to the harm they're inflicting on themselves. An hour later, I was east of San Kamphaeng, up against the mountains. Same thing, only the smoke covered a bigger area.

Is it really so difficult to spot the burning and to stop it? NO! But it is hard to mobilize the officials from their comfortable seats to enforce the laws.

There's probably about 20,000 soldiers stationed up this way.

I'm sure they wouldn't mind a day out or 2 to put out fires and relieve the boredom.

There's unaware, there's unconcerned or apathetic, there's clueless, there's ignorance, then there's just plain stupid.

It's not like they're concerned about harming wildlife as the forest is dead and void of any life anyway. They don't care about the pollution as Tuk Tuks and Songtaews are deadly carcinogenic smoke machines and nothing is done about that... so, what are these people?

I'm betting the left nut in a vise nothing changes in my lifetime (stay) here.... however short that might be.

MESmith. I do not think there are anybody that care about educating anybody here. They will continue shitting in their own nest. The birds are much wiser, the shit outside their nests.

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Interesting about the burning here in the North. Remember how the government used to blame the Burmese?

First of all it is too late to start their campaign against burning. This is known as shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

A few weeks ago Yingluck was at the Chiang Mai Convention Centre to discuss the burning with local bigwigs. While they were doing that the sports stadium were inaugurating their new rubbish burning furnace.

This has a low chimney stack out of which emissions pour into the environment and over the nearby sports facilities. Try riding the velodrome with the putrid stench of unscrubbed burning chemicals (ie plastic bags and so on).

Is this a case of caring for the environment and the users at the sports stadium? Is this why Yingluck met the local administrators and politicians and experts at the Convention Centre.

It seems to me that this epitomises Thailand (sadly). Thousands of motocyclists die every year on the roads. Only wear a helmet when you see a policeman collecting money is the answer to that one. 40,000 people reported to the local hospitals last year with serious breathing/chest problems during the season of pollution. The answer to that one ...... too little too late. And on it goes.

No enforcement anywhere.

In my province it is all sugar cane burning before harvesting and huge amounts of motorway median and verge burning. Also with scorching of trees & power wires apparent in places because no-one appears to be there there to monitor the flames. Up and down 331 (311?) , heaps of it going on.

The Thais do not understand that this burning harm their health. They burn everything, included the natural fertilizer. They have so much money that they just buy fertilizer and burn the one they get for free.

How can you say that? Are you not aware that you are dealing with Übermensch here? The best of the best? The most educated? The ones that are the best of the best?

Interesting about the burning here in the North. Remember how the government used to blame the Burmese?

First of all it is too late to start their campaign against burning. This is known as shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

A few weeks ago Yingluck was at the Chiang Mai Convention Centre to discuss the burning with local bigwigs. While they were doing that the sports stadium were inaugurating their new rubbish burning furnace.

This has a low chimney stack out of which emissions pour into the environment and over the nearby sports facilities. Try riding the velodrome with the putrid stench of unscrubbed burning chemicals (ie plastic bags and so on).

Is this a case of caring for the environment and the users at the sports stadium? Is this why Yingluck met the local administrators and politicians and experts at the Convention Centre.

It seems to me that this epitomises Thailand (sadly). Thousands of motocyclists die every year on the roads. Only wear a helmet when you see a policeman collecting money is the answer to that one. 40,000 people reported to the local hospitals last year with serious breathing/chest problems during the season of pollution. The answer to that one ...... too little too late. And on it goes.

No enforcement anywhere.

MESmith.You are right. The authorities in Thailand do not care about the inhabitants of Thailand. Neither the precent government or their predecessor. I do not understand why they want to have power, but not want to use the power in peoples interests. Why does people vote at all?

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". I do not understand why they want to have power, but not want to use the power in peoples interests. Why does people vote at all?"

They want access to the large amounts of money they are able to syphon off from the public purse. Helping others has never been a motivating factor.

It's to do with changing people's behaviour, not enforcement. To do this you have to reward good behaviour.

And the government expects a different result this year to others? As long as they continue to see the issue as just another minor seasonal inconvenience - rather than for the major problem it is, and the serious health hazard it creates - and do damn all to control it, nothing will change.

Edited February 10, 201412 yr by Jonmarleesco

preventative technology

Interesting about the burning here in the North. Remember how the government used to blame the Burmese?

First of all it is too late to start their campaign against burning. This is known as shutting the door after the horse has bolted.

A few weeks ago Yingluck was at the Chiang Mai Convention Centre to discuss the burning with local bigwigs. While they were doing that the sports stadium were inaugurating their new rubbish burning furnace.

This has a low chimney stack out of which emissions pour into the environment and over the nearby sports facilities. Try riding the velodrome with the putrid stench of unscrubbed burning chemicals (ie plastic bags and so on).

Is this a case of caring for the environment and the users at the sports stadium? Is this why Yingluck met the local administrators and politicians and experts at the Convention Centre.

It seems to me that this epitomises Thailand (sadly). Thousands of motocyclists die every year on the roads. Only wear a helmet when you see a policeman collecting money is the answer to that one. 40,000 people reported to the local hospitals last year with serious breathing/chest problems during the season of pollution. The answer to that one ...... too little too late. And on it goes.

No enforcement anywhere.

MESmith.You are right. The authorities in Thailand do not care about the inhabitants of Thailand. Neither the precent government or their predecessor. I do not understand why they want to have power, but not want to use the power in peoples interests. Why does people vote at all?

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Suthep argues for a non corrupt government, yet although his bank accounts are frozen, he just baught ฿293,000,000 woth of land in NST province. He declines to answer where the money came from. He's just as Thai (corrupt) as the rest of them.

They want power because they want millions of corrupt baht. Secondly, the people vote because they hope thailand can change. My view, so long as the Thai government are Thais, they will always be corrupt.

Final point to note, Thai's hate Thai's but love themselves..... Stealing from their very own. Think about it.

NB. Not all Thai's are the same

Edited February 10, 201412 yr by Paangjang

I always wondered what would happen if someone were to take videos of people burning, their face, and their address and map it out. I bet you could get 200 or so over a weekend if you tried. Then drop it off with you local BIBS and say, there's 400,000B in revenue for your station, or you boys can all go get new scooters for your misses...

Why burning at this period of time? Any advantage for the farmer?

Why burning at this period of time? Any advantage for the farmer?

I saw them burning the median of the highway from Pattaya to Bangkok. They burn empty lots to clear them out for building. Happens all the time near my house. Air quality, even here in Pattaya, has been pretty dismal lately.

Don't just talk! Action! If serious action is taken with the local authorities to nab those culprits, plus heavy sentences/fines.

The air quality down in Prachuap Khiri Khan is excellent. Can see for miles and miles and when the sea breeze blows it's Magic.

john

Sea food is cheaper than Cha Am.

I always wondered what would happen if someone were to take videos of people burning, their face, and their address and map it out. I bet you could get 200 or so over a weekend if you tried. Then drop it off with you local BIBS and say, there's 400,000B in revenue for your station, or you boys can all go get new scooters for your misses...

My guess is that person collecting the evidence would be arrested for slander or some other offense against the people doing the burning.