Smog covers southern Thai provinces
By Digital Content



SATUN, Sept 19 -- Thick white smog, believed caused by bush fires in neighbouring Indonesia, has covered a number of southern Thai provinces, causing poor visibility and preventing small boats from leaving shore, officials said Friday.

The smog continues to cover Satun province despite rainfall on Thursday evening.

It covers meadows, mountains and roads, especially near the Puyu and Yao islands, causing poor visibility. Ferry boat operators said the smog enveloped the region for the third day Friday and they had to pilot their boats with great care.

Ferry boat operators said they believed the smog was caused by bush fires, while skippers of small boats avoid travelling at night.

A Satun hospital is warning the public, especially those suffering from respiratory ailments, to wear face masks to protect themselves from the smog.

In Trang province, the haze has covered the province for second day, forcing motorists to turn on headlights.

Residents of four districts along the seacoast were also affected, but visibility was only partially limited as ferry boats are still providing services.

People living in the four coastal districts believe that that the haze resulted from bush fire from a neighbouring country. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-09-19

It's convenient and customary to blame it all on Indonesia, but the Thais need to consider their own knee-jerk, fire-starter habits as well.

Even here on the Gulf coast in the north of Songkhla the air quality is poor -- and you can see the major source of the pollution first hand: burning garbage (including plastics and other toxic elements).

Flying into Hat Yai a few days back, all the smoke signals were from closer than Indonesia. A lot closer.

Yesterday morning the sun was completely blocked. The smoke lay like a shroud over the eastern part of the city (I can only see the east). It may have been my imagination, but I kept getting whiffs of smoke smell, and it was bushfire smoke smell, ....actually quite nostalgic of my Dad's farm in Queensland.