Air Force sends plane to fight haze in Chiang Mai

[Bung]

The jet fumes coming out of the plane will only make things worse!

You don't get jet fumes from a prop plane..... Duh!

The plane they use is an old DC3 retrofitted with turbo prop engines. Basically a jet engine with propellers. I saw it come into land and it had a big red tank fitted underneath it.

I enjoyed the cool mist falling from the sky,like some bars use outside, carrying all the pollution particles with it! Not!

[canuckamuck]

The news in the OP is not exactly how it was presented on Thai language TV news. According to my wife, the TV news report said that there are a number of wild fires burning in the Mae Hia district of Chiang Mai and in the adjacent Doi Suthep National Park. That is causing much increased smoke smog in Chiang Mai city today. The plane is being sent on a fire-fighting mission to try to contain the fires and prevent them from spreading further because the fires are in fairly remote areas which are inaccessible to conventional fire fighting vehicles. The authorities know it is only 1 plane - and can't do very much - but at least it's slightly better than doing nothing at all - and they want to show that they are actually trying to do something.

Thanks for the positive post in a sea of negativity. As some of us are aware this is a developing nation without access to a 100 water bombing aircraft.

Even in well equipped countries fighting bush fires is a great challenge.

Do you know what these fires look like? They are not brush fires that need special equipment to fight. For the most part these are controlled slash and burn fires. The brush is hacked down and dried for many weeks. Then it is dragged from the perimeters of the property and often back fires are set for a fire break. Then the main fire is lit at the bottom of the slope. The fire burns hard for a while and then dies out, with hot spots that remain for a few hours.

It is pointless to fight these kinds of fires, they are over before you could get a crew in. What the government needs to do is watch the fires and then confront the landowners and charge them for illegal burning. But this is never done, as far as I have seen. On the hour drive to the highway from my place, this time of year I can see 20 fires in an evening. Certainly the forestry people also see these fires.

[FredNL]

A Basler BT-67 is the latest version of the Dakota DC-3 that was famous during the 2nd WW.

4000 liters of water, just enought to extinguish a cigarette butt. Amazing TH...

[Sparkles]

You cant hide the evidence of a fire on your property. Driving around CM this last 2 weeks there are patches of burnt ground everywhere including road sides and on farms.

Like the problem of litter all over the country its about education and that sadly is non existent.

The biggest laugh is that authorities are "monitoring" the situation..... that will really help.

This has been going on for years did no one think of using helicoptors with tanks like most countries do.

Thank heaven there is no wind or the whole north would be ablaze

[BadBouy]

If this shows improvement, next year they are going to use air freshener, au de lilac!

[Sparkles]

The news in the OP is not exactly how it was presented on Thai language TV news. According to my wife, the TV news report said that there are a number of wild fires burning in the Mae Hia district of Chiang Mai and in the adjacent Doi Suthep National Park. That is causing much increased smoke smog in Chiang Mai city today. The plane is being sent on a fire-fighting mission to try to contain the fires and prevent them from spreading further because the fires are in fairly remote areas which are inaccessible to conventional fire fighting vehicles. The authorities know it is only 1 plane - and can't do very much - but at least it's slightly better than doing nothing at all - and they want to show that they are actually trying to do something.

Thanks for the positive post in a sea of negativity. As some of us are aware this is a developing nation without access to a 100 water bombing aircraft.

Even in well equipped countries fighting bush fires is a great challenge.

These are not your typical bush fires due to the lack of wind they are spot fires and relatively easy to put out.With 100's of army personnel in the north that could be usefully employed instead of sitting around in barracks

For those of us that have been volunteer fire fighters in Oz let me tell you that a 50km + wind in combination with out natural vegetation ie eucalyptus trees that literally explode under extreme heat is a daunting experience. Wind can make fires jump a 100 m in seconds and do. Yes it is a challenge the difference is that in Oz and other countries we actually plan ahead to save property and lives

I don't know anyone can make excuses for the lack of action its the same scenario every year, at the same time, the same old promises, so predicable.They don't need 100 planes but 1 plane, laughable if it wasn't so serious to peoples health.Thai people deserve better than this but they accept mediocrity as the norm.

[lumply]

explainthatstuff.com Air Polution. Scary

[masuk]

Spitting in the wind come to mind.

That's a very polite version of what I was thinking.

The 3000 litres would have been better dropped on one of the fires.

I saw where Thae Pae gate and areas around it have been sprayed, and a great move to cut down on dust, but what else?

[givenall]

What a great idea. we should install water jets on all commercial plane so we can clean the pollution from the earth.

Thailand the HUB of idiots

[johnmcc6]

for whatever reason the smoke today was a lot less than yesterday?????????????

[Broeno]

Thailand borrows knowledge of north korea?

[Broeno]

Baron Cohen, Better known as Borat is now making a movie about Thailand?

[mutha289]

This is the DC-3 / BT-67. The first picture has a good view of the hopper that is used to hold water or fire retardant. The second picture shows the aircraft dropping fire retardant.

[Torrens54]

Maybe it's all a plot to force us to use our Airconditioners 24/7 thus bumping up the earnings of the Power Company?

[Schillaci]

Wow so its still in service. Landing in to CNX yesterday i saw a group of people climbing in to that DC3 thinking it was a joy flight of sorts lol

Edited March 6, 2015 by Schillaci

[Beng]

is expected to reduce the hazy atmosphere in Chiang Mai and adjacent areas.

Good luck, hope it works.

[godden]

A bit like the boat propellers used to push back the floods, budda give me strength.

[Beng]

For the fuel and operating costs of the aircraft, they could have sent multiple police patrols into the forest to arrest a few fire starters and get the message out. But.... That would be addressing the root cause and it is more fun to drop water over Chiang Mai. The habits here will never change.

The main culprits are thousands of hill tribes, whose fields are in very remote locations. They do the burnings for generations.

I suggest the goverment spend some money on agricultural machinery, so the hill tribes can properly plough their fields without need to burn.

[nycjoe]

There is an app air4thai that gives a reading from air monitors around town and around Thailand. Well off to the pulmonologist.

[chinostar]

Idiots running this province with idiot ideas.

[TomYumpoochai]

Will they open the 3000 litre bottles of water or just throw them out to join all the other bottles and food cartons littered wherever thais have been?

[CNXBKKMAN]

This is the DC-3 / BT-67. The first picture has a good view of the hopper that is used to hold water or fire retardant. The second picture shows the aircraft dropping fire retardant.

are these photos from yesterday in CM or older pics?

[Sparkles]

What is needed is 2 helicoptors, with water tanks stationed here permanently during the burning season.

They can get close to fires that planes can't.With the massive budget the Gov has at its disposal its a no brainer.

The army could then get in to mop up,I don't believe they are fighting any wars at the moment apart from boredom.

This annual event has been happening for decades.

Provincial authorities should be named and shamed

[T_Dog]

What is needed is 2 helicoptors, with water tanks stationed here permanently during the burning season.

They can get close to fires that planes can't.With the massive budget the Gov has at its disposal its a no brainer.

The army could then get in to mop up,I don't believe they are fighting any wars at the moment apart from boredom.

This annual event has been happening for decades.

Provincial authorities should be named and shamed

They have them, but not sure where they are dispatched this year. Took this photo years ago in the Chiang Mai University agricultural grounds off Canal Road.

[MESmith]

What is needed is 2 helicoptors, with water tanks stationed here permanently during the burning season.

They can get close to fires that planes can't.With the massive budget the Gov has at its disposal its a no brainer.

The army could then get in to mop up,I don't believe they are fighting any wars at the moment apart from boredom.

This annual event has been happening for decades.

Provincial authorities should be named and shamed

They have them, but not sure where they are dispatched this year. Took this photo years ago in the Chiang Mai University agricultural grounds off Canal Road.

Yep, used to watch them from my condo when I lived in town.

[Srikcir]

So there's still a drought in parts of the country and the government choses to spend resources dispersing water in the air to fight haze.

Talk about confused priorities.

[CNXBKKMAN]

What is needed is 2 helicoptors, with water tanks stationed here permanently during the burning season.

They can get close to fires that planes can't.With the massive budget the Gov has at its disposal its a no brainer.

The army could then get in to mop up,I don't believe they are fighting any wars at the moment apart from boredom.

This annual event has been happening for decades.

Provincial authorities should be named and shamed

They have them, but not sure where they are dispatched this year. Took this photo years ago in the Chiang Mai University agricultural grounds off Canal Road.

Yep, used to watch them from my condo when I lived in town.

The Kaset helicopters pictured and the old army/airforce choppers do crash quite fair bit and as the years pass the fleet is getting smaller. Replacement helicopters don't seem to be a priority unless they are for VIP use.

[Sparkles]

What is needed is 2 helicoptors, with water tanks stationed here permanently during the burning season.

They can get close to fires that planes can't.With the massive budget the Gov has at its disposal its a no brainer.

The army could then get in to mop up,I don't believe they are fighting any wars at the moment apart from boredom.

This annual event has been happening for decades.

Provincial authorities should be named and shamed

They have them, but not sure where they are dispatched this year. Took this photo years ago in the Chiang Mai University agricultural grounds off Canal Road.

Yep, used to watch them from my condo when I lived in town.

The Kaset helicopters pictured and the old army/airforce choppers do crash quite fair bit and as the years pass the fleet is getting smaller. Replacement helicopters don't seem to be a priority unless they are for VIP use.

That's what is needed so why are they not being used or are they grounded ? It just beggars believe that this country cant get a coptor in the air where its needed.

The smoke doesn't really effect me to a great extent, apart from dry eyes, but I know families who have sick kids with breathing problems. Thailand prides itself in being an Asian powerhouse and cant even cope with a few spot fires....maybe next season,dream on

[Hardie]

Yes, this is the northern Thai equivalent of 'spring cleaning' and is entirely man-made, thus preventable, the line of fire coinciding exactly with the boundary between northern and central Thailand, even making a semi-circle loop around Sukothai. The solution is simple: 1) Pass a law requiring a permit for open burning, then 2) enforce it. 1000-baht fine for first offense should do it.

[rijit]

That's what is needed so why are they not being used or are they grounded ? It just beggars believe that this country cant get a coptor in the air where its needed.

The smoke doesn't really effect me to a great extent, apart from dry eyes, but I know families who have sick kids with breathing problems. Thailand prides itself in being an Asian powerhouse and cant even cope with a few spot fires....maybe next season,dream on

true story , i aint been a smoker, simce the mid 90's.and tbh try to

avoid smoke and smokers. the year prior to the ban in the uk. there was a music ect festival spread around a no of venues local to me, so i thought what the hell i did a night and spent a week of evenings.catching local acts./friends. after which i got really ill with a bad chest and throat, so to be safe i checked what the doc reckoned, baring the norm anti biotics, one comment on my illness was, 'thats good' i'm like 'sori what do u mean ' he replied ' now u 'v repaired.your lungs/body u can actually see/tell.what regular smoking does to you!!!

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