Neighbouring countries asked to collaborate in haze mitigation

[webfact]

Neighbouring countries asked to collaborate in haze mitigation

BANGKOK, 24 March 2016 (NNT) – The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has reached out to ambassadors of neighbouring countries, urging immediate control of burning activities as air pollution is reaching high levels.

The PCD Director-General Wijarn Simachaya has revealed that areas in the Northern region of Thailand were partially affected by the accumulated haze from burning activities in the neighbouring countries, blown into Thailand through the provinces of Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, and Phayao.

He has said the PCD will be reaching out through dialogue with ambassadors, asking for border area cooperation to urgently regulate the burning activities to help mitigate the issue.

Currently, the PM10 airborne particulate matter level in many provinces are still considered to be standard, with exceptions in Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai, where the PM10 reading has reached 300 micrograms per cubic meter due to low pressure and strong winds, bringing in accumulated airborne particles.

Smoke from burning activities in Thailand is also a key cause of haze accumulation in the area.

The PCD director-general has stressed all provinces will be enforcing the prohibition of all burning activities to prevent further accumulation of air pollution, along with mitigation measures such as spraying water vapour to bring down airborne particle, distribution of masks, and the provision of medical services to the general public to provide guidance of proper practices amidst an intensifying haze condition.


-- NNT 2016-03-24

[clockman]

Nothing about C.P.! Lets blame, another country!

[clockman]

Nothing about C.P.! Lets blame, another country!

[ianf]

Let's give two examples here of how the Thais themselves are creating this problem:

1. Local Governments (Tambons) are themselves burning many kilometres of verges. Whilst they do this they are burning tonnes upon tonnes of discarded refuse - plastic mainly. When you burn plastic at less than 1000 degrees you are releasing dangerous toxins into the air. Heads of local authorities confronted with this and the 'ban' on burning answer "The ban is for burning in the forest, we are allowed to burn here". The Government does nothing abut this at all. I cycle everyday around the lanes and highways outside of Chiang Mai and I can confirm that this type of burning is on a massive scale.

2. The 700-year sports stadium in Chiang Mai recently built an incinerator at the back of the sports stadium next to the velodrome. They burn with no scrubbers in the stack and use wood as a fuel. Consequently they are burning plastics at low temperatures emitting the most obnoxious fumes into the air. This drifts across the sports stadium (frequently stopping athletes from training) and across a neighbouring school. They have been told time and time again. So what do they do? Continue burning off course.

It is this type of stupidity that results in the haze across the north. We've been complaining for years and still nothing is done.

[craigt3365]

Burns are going on all over this country. Clean up your own house first before going after others.....

[jaltsc]

"The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has reached out to ambassadors of neighbouring countries, urging immediate control of burning activities as air pollution is reaching high levels."

Here's a novel idea. How about first eliminating the burning in Thailand, and then it will be a lot easier to determine how much the neighboring countries contribute to the haze over Thailand.

Wouldn't it be a giant loss of face if the reduction in haze coincided proportionately with the reduction in domestic burning.

Edited March 24, 2016 by jaltsc

[anon467848]

POT, KETTLE, BLACK.....

[glenmohr]

If burning stopped entirely in Thailand there would be no smoke drifting in from neighbouring countries, problem solved!

[FireMedic]

I want to yak my neighbor about his barking dog.......but he couldn't hear me because my 20 soi dogs are barking too loud.

[paquito]

I've been riding form Chiang Mai via Phayao and Phu Chi Fa to Mae Sai and down to Fang in the last 2 weeks. I have seen no fires, none at all. Many burnt hillsides, yes, but burnt more than 2 weeks ago. Yet the dense smog persists. It might indeed be the case that the smog right now comes from burning in Laos, Burma and southern China. On the bright side: as the sun can't pierce the smog, the temperatures stay fairly low in daytime for late March. You just want to give up breathing

[willyumiii]

Forget neighboring countries for now..deal with Thailand.

I have neighbors who burn huge piles of debris every evening...seriously, they NEVER miss a day!

I think they have a business recycling old lumber and burn what they can not resell along with all of the plastic and other waste mixed with the lumber.

It stinks all night, every night, and every morning my house, car, and garden are covered with ash.

There should be Burn Days and No Burn Days.

Weather and air circulation should be considered when determining if a day is a good day to burn or not.

If everyone who must burn their debris, and garbage only did it on one or two designated days per week, that would leave us with 5 or 6 days of decent air quality.

I don't think toxic things like plastic should be burned at all,

But this is Thailand and just limiting the days you can poison the air would be a huge step in the right direction at this time!

[wabothai]

As I live in the middle of the rural north east (Loei), jungle fires and resulting smog everywhere.

They just don't give a damn. The police or other authorities are doing NOTHING.

[ianf]

I've been riding form Chiang Mai via Phayao and Phu Chi Fa to Mae Sai and down to Fang in the last 2 weeks. I have seen no fires, none at all. Many burnt hillsides, yes, but burnt more than 2 weeks ago. Yet the dense smog persists. It might indeed be the case that the smog right now comes from burning in Laos, Burma and southern China. On the bright side: as the sun can't pierce the smog, the temperatures stay fairly low in daytime for late March. You just want to give up breathing

Paquito: Chiang Mai is on a plateau surrounded by hills. The smoke & filth from the burning one week, two weeks or more than that in the past hangs about. It'll get cleaned out when we have heavy rains and wind but meanwhile it finds a home right here. So the smog belongs to Thailand.

[craigt3365]

There are probably more fires burning in neighboring countries, but plenty are here. Interesting map, though slow to load.

https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/firemap/

[drgoon]

Point the finger somewhere else...

January, in Ban Pao I sat outside having my morning juice listening to the news on the radio.

I look up and wonder, what is all this stuff falling out of the sky. Oh yes, it's the sugar cane being burnt off. About 3km in a direct line is a hill. Couldn't see it for the smog.

Thai's couldn't possibly be the origin of the smog and pollution could they !!!

To be fair though, there is plenty coming in from Myanmar as well...

Edited March 25, 2016 by drgoon

[wabothai]

As I live in the middle of the rural north east (Loei), jungle fires and resulting smog everywhere.

They just don't give a damn. The police or other authorities are doing NOTHING.

And last night all mountains around me were on fire. Nothing I could but it got my heart racing. bastards.