Haze in North remains hazardous to health

[tigermonkey]

"...Chiang Mai chamber reveals 5 million rai being burnt to clear fields, asks businesses to take responsibility..."

No, Chiang Mai government, No Thailand government. You must make a law NOW making it illegal...period. There is no other way to stop it. Wake up for #$@$# sake.

The law has been around for years - it is illegal NOW. .....but ask the government and they will tell you that the law is "unenforceable".

[HHTel]

Thailand is one of the decreasing number of countries using 'slash and burn'. There are alternatives. It has been illegal in Thailand for years yet the problem is worse year on year.

Enforce the law. Fine the farmers huge amounts of cash. Confiscate land of the wrongdoers. Kick some asses.

Sorry, I forgot, this is Thailand and the law doesn't mean much.

[T_Dog]

The only laws that are enforced in Thailand are those related to immigration and one other law. Even the PM said last week that burning is part of Thai culture. Nothing will ever change with the pollution levels in Northern Thailand during the dry season as burning is ingrained into practice. Corn fields, rice fields, garbage, agricultural clearing, roadside weeds, mountain sides, leaves, ... it doesn't matter as authorities will never fine anyone for setting any kind of fire.

[Awk]

Corn farm fires causing North smog

Ayuthai Nonnitirat

The Sunday

Chiang Mai chamber reveals 5 million rai being burnt to clear fields, asks businesses to take responsibility

The Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce has revealed that the burning of corn plantations to clear the fields, covering 5 million rai in the North, is the main cause of the severe haze problem facing the region every year.

Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce deputy chairman Wittaya Krongsap, a member of the Chiang Mai-based private sector committee tackling haze, said the annual problem did not mainly stem from outdoor burning in communities or cross-border wildfire smoke.

Wittaya said an academic team in Chiang Rai found that the main culprit responsible for 70 per cent of the problem was the fires at corn plantations to clear the fields.

I thought that was quite interesting.

I'm sure I may have missed it, and unless it was quoted on thaivisa, I'm sure I missed it, but I have not seen any paper previously estimating how much of the pollution is local, and how much is blown in from other places. Considering how politically incorrect it may be to say that most of the problem is local, kudos to whatever "academic team" are saying it. Hopefully the research behind it is solid too.

[Awk]

Burn the fields progresively, This will just make he problem last longer. Simple answer change practices and stop burning or stop growing corn.

Quit with the intelligent answers already.

Will it? Are the health consequences of, say, March having an extremely high level of pollution, the same as Januar-April having a more moderate level of pollution?

I guess you may consider it a rhetorical question, as far as you yourself is concerned, but perhaps somebody else knows? Vivid?

[bbbbooboo]

Certainly glad I don't live in Chiangmai

[Rogergreybeard]

Meeting rescheduled for next year

[CMfoodie]

Meanwhile the Governor of Chiang Mai and the head of TAT in Chiang Mai are in Canada promoting Chiang Mai as a tourism destination.