Chiang Mai haze forces four flights to turn back

[Lite Beer]

Chiang Mai haze forces four flights to turn back
The Sunday Nation

CHIANG MAI: -- Four flights were forced to return to Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports yesterday morning after being unable to land at Chiang Mai Airport due to poor visibility because of the haze, said Chiang Mai Airport director Wing Commander Lakchai Chaloeyprach.

AirAsia's Kuala Lumpur-Chiang Mai and Don Mueang-Chiang Mai planes returned to Don Mueang while Bangkok Airways' Subarnabhumi-Chiang Mai plane and Thai Airways' Subarnabhumi-Chiang Mai plane returned to Suvarnabhumi. With rainfall forecast for Chiang Mai and the upper North today, he said the situation should improve soon. Passengers who stayed on at the airport were given refunds. They understood the situation, so there was no problem, he added.

Chiang Mai's particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10) yesterday was 282 micrograms per cubic metre at tambon Chang Pheuk and 234 micrograms at tambon Sri Phum, well beyond the safety level of 120 micrograms.

Other northern provinces also witnessed their PM10 readings exceed the safe level yesterday morning - 133 micrograms in Nan; 220 micrograms in Phayao; 165 micrograms in Lampang's Muang district and 138 micrograms in Mae Mo district; 176 micrograms in Lamphun; and 270 in Chiang Rai's Muang district and 234 micrograms in Mae Sai district. Mae Hong Son reported the highest amount of PM10 at 323 micrograms.

Haze in Mae Hong Son in the past three days had prompted Nok Air to suspend its daily flights to the province while poor visibility affected land transport, lamented Mae Hong Son's Joint Public-Private Committee chairman Supoj Klinpraneet. He said the province's 4,500-room accommodation sector was directly hit and was now only about 20-50 per cent booked. The haze cost the province's tourism Bt10 million. If the problem weren't solved fast, the province's income from tourism would decline to less than Bt1 billion this year, compared to the 2013's Bt1 billion and the 2012's Bt1.5 billion, he added.

Chiang Rai's Tourism Industry Council vice president Thanwarat Sripanya said if the haze issue was not resolved soon, it could affect the province's tourism during Songkran.

-- The Nation 2014-03-23

[clockman]

Another nail in the coffin!

[chooka]

Another nail in the coffin!

Around the coast tourists are swimming amongst sewage, oil and garbage, in Bangkok they are dodging bullets and grenades and in the north they are being poisoned and suffocated. Whilst all this is going on TAT are trying to lure female office workers from Hong Kong for massages and asking honeymooners to come and work for free in the country.

Thailand is killing itself and it is sliding down the toilet all in the name of greed.

[chooka]

Another nail in the coffin!

Around the coast tourists are swimming amongst sewage, oil and garbage, in Bangkok they are dodging bullets and grenades and in the north they are being poisoned and suffocated. Whilst all this is going on TAT are trying to lure female office workers from Hong Kong for massages and asking honeymooners to come and work for free in the country.

Thailand is killing itself and it is sliding down the toilet all in the name of greed.

[noikrit]

Theres many beautiful places in thailand to live with clean air and clean water , you just have to find it !! .... Up to you where you choose to live ... Chokdee ... I'm off for a swim ...

[lee b]

Been like this for days now, rained for 10 seconds yesterday so need more to try and clear this horrible air. Who ever is setting these fires and for whatever reason have to be stopped !

[chooka]

Been like this for days now, rained for 10 seconds yesterday so need more to try and clear this horrible air. Who ever is setting these fires and for whatever reason have to be stopped !

I am sure it is the same people year after year and every year they have a crackdown but can never find the fires or the people who are lighting them. This will never stop and will continue for another thousand years or until the country is total destroyed.

[khwaibah]

Been like this for days now, rained for 10 seconds yesterday so need more to try and clear this horrible air. Who ever is setting these fires and for whatever reason have to be stopped !

I am sure it is the same people year after year and every year they have a crackdown but can never find the fires or the people who are lighting them. This will never stop and will continue for another thousand years or until the country is total destroyed.

Better include Myanmar, China, Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia.

[jphantom]

These bozos are dumb as a stick and far more stubborn. The politicians do nothing. This is a greater regional problem including Laos and Myanmar along with Thailand.

Don't expect any action. They are simply to uneducated and stubborn

[chinostar]

Stronghold of the Reds and home to Yingluck.

Instead of tackling their local problems they're too busy with 'war speeches' and shopping (Yingluck).

Yingluck where are you now?

The North suffers each year, physically, financially and socially, just because of lack of law enforcement.

BTW have you noticed more cars are driving without license plates, even police cars?

Lawlessness is the standard.

[bluebluewater]

Theres many beautiful places in thailand to live with clean air and clean water , you just have to find it !! .... Up to you where you choose to live ... Chokdee ... I'm off for a swim ...

And therein lies the point. Whereas those areas used to be everywhere, now "you just have to find it !!" Not to mention only a few people (Thai) have the where-with-all and the means to do so.

Hope a shark doesn't eat ya . . .

[laobali]

These bozos are dumb as a stick and far more stubborn. The politicians do nothing. This is a greater regional problem including Laos and Myanmar along with Thailand.

Don't expect any action. They are simply to uneducated and stubborn

The subsistence farmers of these countries are mostly simple, uneducated and stubborn.

[jphantom]

The farmers are doing what has been done for generations. It is the responsibility of the politicians to educate the farmers, teach them better ways of clearing. One cannot blame the farmers who are simple folks, but uneducated and poor.

This is a government responsibility to cure the problem and help the farmers.

[rct99q]

Another nail in the coffin!

Around the coast tourists are swimming amongst sewage, oil and garbage, in Bangkok they are dodging bullets and grenades and in the north they are being poisoned and suffocated. Whilst all this is going on TAT are trying to lure female office workers from Hong Kong for massages and asking honeymooners to come and work for free in the country.

Thailand is killing itself and it is sliding down the toilet all in the name of greed.

Yet advanced bookings from larger travel agencies in Canada - flight centre, AMA Travel and Calgary Co-op Travel - for late 2014 and early 2015 are up over previous years. They are of course a very small producers of tourists to Thailand but it may be an indication of trends in Canada. Even with all the doom and gloom Thailand will always lure travelers.

People who are currently 16, 17 and 18 years of age don't give a rats ass about the "problems" the so called older generation keep harping on. Yet in 2 to 3 years they will be leaving the safe confines of their parents homes to spend their parents hard earned money on a vacation in Thailand.

Like lemmings there is an endless supply of tourists, regardless of how many jump off the cliff....so to speak, willing to travel here.

[godden]

Perhaps if they were to borrow the boats they were going to use for pushing water down river, they could blow the smoke away, just an idea.

[bigbamboo]

Another nail in the coffin!

Around the coast tourists are swimming amongst sewage, oil and garbage, in Bangkok they are dodging bullets and grenades and in the north they are being poisoned and suffocated. Whilst all this is going on TAT are trying to lure female office workers from Hong Kong for massages and asking honeymooners to come and work for free in the country.

Thailand is killing itself and it is sliding down the toilet all in the name of greed.

Yet advanced bookings from larger travel agencies in Canada - flight centre, AMA Travel and Calgary Co-op Travel - for late 2014 and early 2015 are up over previous years. They are of course a very small producers of tourists to Thailand but it may be an indication of trends in Canada. Even with all the doom and gloom Thailand will always lure travelers.

People who are currently 16, 17 and 18 years of age don't give a rats ass about the "problems" the so called older generation keep harping on. Yet in 2 to 3 years they will be leaving the safe confines of their parents homes to spend their parents hard earned money on a vacation in Thailand.

Like lemmings there is an endless supply of tourists, regardless of how many jump off the cliff....so to speak, willing to travel here.

But it's high end tourists that Thailand needs.

[howard251]

Another nail in the coffin!

Around the coast tourists are swimming amongst sewage, oil and garbage, in Bangkok they are dodging bullets and grenades and in the north they are being poisoned and suffocated. Whilst all this is going on TAT are trying to lure female office workers from Hong Kong for massages and asking honeymooners to come and work for free in the country.

Thailand is killing itself and it is sliding down the toilet all in the name of greed.

With all this bad news going on, why is the Baht is getting stronger?

It seems as the news get's worse in Thailand, their currency is either unaffected or get's stronger.

Edited March 23, 2014 by howard251

[scotbeve]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Been like this for days now, rained for 10 seconds yesterday so need more to try and clear this horrible air. Who ever is setting these fires and for whatever reason have to be stopped !

I am sure it is the same people year after year and every year they have a crackdown but can never find the fires or the people who are lighting them. This will never stop and will continue for another thousand years or until the country is total destroyed.

Better include Myanmar, China, Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia.

Yep, looks very familiar to sat pics in the past. Zoom in a bit and it looks like hell!

[SPIKECM]

Only way down south...even Hua Hin gets the pollution.

Theres many beautiful places in thailand to live with clean air and clean water , you just have to find it !! .... Up to you where you choose to live ... Chokdee ... I'm off for a swim ...

[chooka]

Another nail in the coffin!

Around the coast tourists are swimming amongst sewage, oil and garbage, in Bangkok they are dodging bullets and grenades and in the north they are being poisoned and suffocated. Whilst all this is going on TAT are trying to lure female office workers from Hong Kong for massages and asking honeymooners to come and work for free in the country.

Thailand is killing itself and it is sliding down the toilet all in the name of greed.

With all this bad news going on, why is the Baht is getting stronger?

It seems as the news get's worse in Thailand, their currency is either unaffected or get's stronger.

Quite true with all the political conflict and deaths in the streets it is strengthening the baht. Maybe that is why they hold these demonstrations every two years. It is pure economics for Thai's the baht starts to drop so overthrow a government and boost it's value thru the roof.

I don't understand how it is getting stronger with the country on a brink of civil way but hey you have to ask thais that

[almafudd]

The farmers are doing what has been done for generations. It is the responsibility of the politicians to educate the farmers, teach them better ways of clearing. One cannot blame the farmers who are simple folks, but uneducated and poor.

This is a government responsibility to cure the problem and help the farmers.

The same thing happens in Australia - farmers burning off their stubble getting ready for their next crop.

I wouldn't call Aussie farmers "simple folks" or "uneducated" or "poor"

It probably is the quickest and cheapest way to clear their land...

[MESmith]

The farmers are doing what has been done for generations. It is the responsibility of the politicians to educate the farmers, teach them better ways of clearing. One cannot blame the farmers who are simple folks, but uneducated and poor.

This is a government responsibility to cure the problem and help the farmers.

The same thing happens in Australia - farmers burning off their stubble getting ready for their next crop.

I wouldn't call Aussie farmers "simple folks" or "uneducated" or "poor"

It probably is the quickest and cheapest way to clear their land...

How many people are hospitalized as a result of that stubble burning in good old aus? How much smog does it create? Or is it a completely different geography / meteorological picture?

Got to look at the cost of the burning. Cheap for the farmer might not be cheap for everyone else....

[bigbamboo]

Forget the red schools. It's green schooling Thais need.

[Shurup]

Perhaps if they were to borrow the boats they were going to use for pushing water down river, they could blow the smoke away, just an idea.

Better use the jet planes!

[stickylies]

it's slash-and-burn... been like this for XXX of centuries isn't it?

[arunsakda]

The ILS Minimum for VTCC is 1400 metres, for large aircraft, little more than 3/4 mile. Smoke and haze has to be pretty bad to get visibility that low.

Edited March 24, 2014 by arunsakda

[WinnieTheKhwai]

^ I noticed that it was especially the Kuala Lumpur flights that had trouble, even while flights from Bangkok were landing fine.

I think the rule is that if at a certain point you can't see the runway you need to do a missed approach and go around right? So possibly the BKK-CNX-BKK pilots who fly this route lots of times are more confident they're actually seeing the runway / runway lights as they know where it should be.

But a Malaysian pilot perhaps on his first (or fewer) flights into Chiang Mai understandably wants to make really sure that what he's looking at is the runway lights, especially with a big #ss mountain and city very close.

Which is fair enough of course.

[CNXBKKMAN]

I think individual airlines have their own landing policy for each airport. The Air Asia flight from KL was holding but the Thai Air Asia flights were landing as normal. They are two separate airlines and they may have set different criteria for landing and diverting. I think the mountain adjacent to the runway makes Air Asia ( the Malaysian air asia) more cautious with minimum visibility required.

[scotinsiam]

Thai pilots saying Mai Pen Rai then landing anyway