Was planning a trip to Chaing Mai without realizing March is desperately bad...

[thaidandbound]

Okay, first of all, everyone needs to calm down. I am not worried about the HEALTH problems of smoke, I grew up in China. I am worried that there won't be visibility and I won't be able to see the mountains; you know, the reason I'm going to Chiang Mai in the first place?

Thanks for the answers, but this shouldn't be an argument! Most of you live in a beautiful country, you should be happy, not arguing about smoke online.

[cloudhopper]

Visibility is the first thing to deteriorate when the burning starts. Typically where I am in the mountains the worst viz (sometimes 100m) will be early morning after the cool winds carrying the smoke down the mountainside has pooled in the valley. The least bad viz is usually in the afternoons when thermal updrafts have broken through the inversion layer and the resulting surface winds mix and dilute the smoke back into the higher altitudes. Unless it rains there is always some level of easily visible air pollution during the period.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Bad smoke is an all year 365 day problem. The roadside and market stall BBQ charcoal burners are always there everywhere in Thailand. I have travelled here every month except the September rain. Unless you have bad health problems it should not be a problem. The centre of city where most tourist go is away from the outer farm areas of the CM province as opposed to CM the city.

RE- Laislica comment "Never lose your temper with the locals, the results can be deadly"

I had the unpleasant experience of trying to buy an electrical item in Big C. I asked an assistant for the item in English. She repeated it in English and pointed to where they were. I chose from those displayed and tried to get her join me to help me get one in a box. She continuously ignored me. So I parked the supermarket trolley behind the till in the centre of the store. After an hour she and some other assistants wanted to serve some Thai people.

They spoke to me in Thai, so I played them at their own game and ignored them, continuing to block the till. She then decided to phone someone from customer service, who came to me. I then exploded my frustration about the assistants behaviour in no uncertain terms. The result was the other Thai staff and Thai customers were all suddenly looking very embarrassed, not knowing where to look. Yes 7 Thais all losing face at once.

Wow 7 Thais lost face. You must be proud of yourself.

What a complete tool. We get less of this in Chiang Mai compared to Pattaya, but there are always some. Sorry.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Okay, first of all, everyone needs to calm down. I am not worried about the HEALTH problems of smoke, I grew up in China. I am worried that there won't be visibility and I won't be able to see the mountains; you know, the reason I'm going to Chiang Mai in the first place?

Thanks for the answers, but this shouldn't be an argument! Most of you live in a beautiful country, you should be happy, not arguing about smoke online.

Hahahahahaha, sorry. This is Thaivisa.com, arguing is what we do here. Don't feel bad, it's not you, its us.

Anyway if you plan your trip to avoid most of March in the North then you'll be very fine. The worst is around one or two weeks or so and you'd do well to avoid those. Other than that, I rarely hear tourists complain, in fact they appreciate the sunny dry weather and temperatures. (Those without a respiratory condition anyway)

My wife rents out a place to tourists and we stopped recommending potential guests to avoid March, as everyone has been completely fine with it.

That said, any other month is much better, and indeed mountain views are much less.

On that topic, maybe this is helpful. I wrote it many years ago, during/after what turned out to be the worst year in recent times. (2006 I think) But it should give you a good impression on what to expect: http://mydearyou.com/dryseason/ Also check these comparison pictures that show that it can vary quite a bit, day to day, depending on weather conditions: http://mydearyou.com/dryseason/comparison.html

Edited January 28, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[lannarebirth]

Bad smoke is an all year 365 day problem. The roadside and market stall BBQ charcoal burners are always there everywhere in Thailand. I have travelled here every month except the September rain. Unless you have bad health problems it should not be a problem. The centre of city where most tourist go is away from the outer farm areas of the CM province as opposed to CM the city.

RE- Laislica comment "Never lose your temper with the locals, the results can be deadly"

I had the unpleasant experience of trying to buy an electrical item in Big C. I asked an assistant for the item in English. She repeated it in English and pointed to where they were. I chose from those displayed and tried to get her join me to help me get one in a box. She continuously ignored me. So I parked the supermarket trolley behind the till in the centre of the store. After an hour she and some other assistants wanted to serve some Thai people.

They spoke to me in Thai, so I played them at their own game and ignored them, continuing to block the till. She then decided to phone someone from customer service, who came to me. I then exploded my frustration about the assistants behaviour in no uncertain terms. The result was the other Thai staff and Thai customers were all suddenly looking very embarrassed, not knowing where to look. Yes 7 Thais all losing face at once.

You didn't seem to comprehend that these people were embarrassed "for" you not "by" you. I don't normally like to put my nose in other people's business but I'm going to suggest that Thailand may not be the place for you.

[amexpat]

Anyway if you plan your trip to avoid most of March in the North then you'll be very fine. The worst is around one or two weeks or so and you'd do well to avoid those. Other than that, I rarely hear tourists complain, in fact they appreciate the sunny dry weather and temperatures. (Those without a respiratory condition anyway)

My wife rents out a place to tourists and we stopped recommending potential guests to avoid March, as everyone has been completely fine with it.

That said, any other month is much better, and indeed mountain views are much less.

Ah, so the pieces come together. For people who are invested in tourism the pollution is short lived and just applies to the frail. For the rest of us it's two months and effects people with lungs.

Remember that bookstore owner who used to claim there was no problem at all, ever?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Anyway if you plan your trip to avoid most of March in the North then you'll be very fine. The worst is around one or two weeks or so and you'd do well to avoid those. Other than that, I rarely hear tourists complain, in fact they appreciate the sunny dry weather and temperatures. (Those without a respiratory condition anyway)

My wife rents out a place to tourists and we stopped recommending potential guests to avoid March, as everyone has been completely fine with it.

That said, any other month is much better, and indeed mountain views are much less.

Ah, so the pieces come together. For people who are invested in tourism the pollution is short lived and just applies to the frail. For the rest of us it's two months and effects people with lungs.

Good heavens.

I'm not invested in tourism, I have an office job thankyouverymuch. And did you miss the part where I said that we used to warn/discourage people from booking in March? I guess you did. I considered it so bad myself that I warned warned people and recommended they come outside of March. Does that sound like someone dependent on tourism?

I'm giving dedicated advice to the OP, who has said she used to live in China and doesn't seem too fazed generally, or at least a lot less than the grumpy expat brigade. Last March when we had guests from China I commented on how bad the air was, and they like blinked and told me not to try Beijing if I thought this was bad.

Now go read those links I posted and tell me that I'm painting an overly rosy picture.

Edited January 28, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[arunsakda]

Bad smoke is an all year 365 day problem. The roadside and market stall BBQ charcoal burners are always there everywhere in Thailand. I have travelled here every month except the September rain. Unless you have bad health problems it should not be a problem. The centre of city where most tourist go is away from the outer farm areas of the CM province as opposed to CM the city.

RE- Laislica comment "Never lose your temper with the locals, the results can be deadly"

I had the unpleasant experience of trying to buy an electrical item in Big C. I asked an assistant for the item in English. She repeated it in English and pointed to where they were. I chose from those displayed and tried to get her join me to help me get one in a box. She continuously ignored me. So I parked the supermarket trolley behind the till in the centre of the store. After an hour she and some other assistants wanted to serve some Thai people.

They spoke to me in Thai, so I played them at their own game and ignored them, continuing to block the till. She then decided to phone someone from customer service, who came to me. I then exploded my frustration about the assistants behaviour in no uncertain terms. The result was the other Thai staff and Thai customers were all suddenly looking very embarrassed, not knowing where to look. Yes 7 Thais all losing face at once.

Chiang Mai "Tool of the Day".

Sent via a series of tubes

[amexpat]

Aw Winnie, you're my favorite khwai and a valued poster. I read every word of all your posts.

I was having some sport with you but the General bookstore owner really was OTT as was the falang bar owner who posted about playing tennis during the worst of it.

I only belong to the coughing, sneezing, "grumpy expat brigade" for a short time before I leave for a month or so each year.

And a big high-five to the macho dudes who are not bothered by the PM<2.5 penetrating lung tissue and getting into the blood. If it doesn't hurt, it doesn't harm, I guess.

[Cheesekraft]

it is not safe to be here during the burning season, but the effects/symptoms are generally not too bothersome for many people until the very worst couple of weeks. That doesn't mean that everyone is safe from the cancer causing particles, however. The air a few days ago before the rain/cold front was already starting to get to borderline dangerous, and was causing me symptoms already. In March, it is a living hell.

[flossiebear]

it is not safe to be here during the burning season, but the effects/symptoms are generally not too bothersome for many people until the very worst couple of weeks. That doesn't mean that everyone is safe from the cancer causing particles, however. The air a few days ago before the rain/cold front was already starting to get to borderline dangerous, and was causing me symptoms already. In March, it is a living hell.

Totally agree. The most accurate post to date.

[biggles45]

GF and I were there during the burning a few years ago, it took her six weeks and medication before her resporatory system fully recovered. She will never go back she says. Visibility was terrible, couldnt see the nearby hills from the city centre.

[bangmai]

I actually thought the extra hot May and pretty hot June were worse than the days of bad air, last year. A rainy May can be one of the best months of the year here, because there is less traffic, longer days, and the Summer visitors and their packs of kids haven't yet arrived.