Farmer dies while burning stubble in a Korat rice paddy

[webfact]

Farmer dies while burning stubble in a Korat rice paddy
Thaivisa Reporters


Image: Khaosod.co.th

KORAT:— A Thai man died tragically when he was trapped by smoke while burning stubble in a rice field in Korat on Sunday, reports Thaivisa News.

As dozens of villagers milled around the lifeless body, the man's wife hearing of the news threw herself on her husband's body in grief.

The tragedy happened in a field being prepared for rice planting in Noon Thai sub district of Nakorn Rachasima, 250 kilometres northeast of Bangkok.

Investigators from the local force arrived to find Daeng Thansamathon, 62, already dead after the fire had been extinguished by villagers.

His wife Norm, also 62, then arrived prostrating herself on the body that had slight burns to the left hand.

Witness Chan Misanthia, 70, told police that Daeng was a farmer and odd job man in the village.

He heard his friend shouting for help when he got trapped among burning vegetation. People nearby rushed to a pond to get water to extinguish the flames but Daeng died.

Police suspect that the man died from smoke inhalation.

-- 2016-03-28

[colinneil]

Another life lost through stupid uncontrolled burning.

When will rice farmers ever learn?

Walk into a field nice and dry, take out a lighter, set light to everything.

Fire when assisted by wind can move faster than any human being.

My fil did this 2 years ago, set light to dried rice stalks, burned his hand, clothes etc.

Silly old bugger at 76 years old doing stupid things like that.

[godden]

You could say he Painted his self into a corner.

[trogers]

A little more high school education would have arrested such an error... Or not?

[Ulic]

I guess he did not get the memo that burning has been outlawed. Maybe he had a special exemption.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

[taotoo]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

People that know more words than you.

[Jonmarleesco]

Sympathetic for any family's loss. But the farmers have been (supposedly) told and told not to burn stubble, mainly for the sake of everyone else's health. Perhaps now they'll take some notice - but probably not.

[jippytum]

Sam Nam Na Kama in action

[stoneyboy]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

You are joking right ?

[louse1953]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

Where i come from,stubble is the correct word to be used.Can't burn rubble,that's rock.

[Fookhaht]

Dies a quick death while administering a slower death to everyone else.

I'm trying to work up a bit of sympathy here.

Possibly only a westerner sees the Karma. At the very least, irony.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Fookhaht

[sweatalot]

make this burning death known all over the country.

May be fear will teach people what common sense cannot failed to teach them.

[lostinisaan]

Another life lost through stupid uncontrolled burning.

When will rice farmers ever learn?

Walk into a field nice and dry, take out a lighter, set light to everything.

Fire when assisted by wind can move faster than any human being.

My fil did this 2 years ago, set light to dried rice stalks, burned his hand, clothes etc.

Silly old bugger at 76 years old doing stupid things like that.

Yes, Colonel, that also made my blood boiling. Keep them coming please.

[lostinisaan]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

Where i come from,stubble is the correct word to be used.Can't burn rubble,that's rock.

Please don't be so hard on him. he might be a cracky and they always get things wrong, especially after smoking too many rubble.

Well, most of the time.

Edited March 28, 2016 by lostinisaan

[willyumiii]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

What is left of the rice stalks in the ground after harvest has always been referred to in English as stubble.

Obviously another TV expert..this time on rice farming, sounding off.!

We have rice farms in Thailand and I worked on many rice farms in California...

It is stubble!

[willyumiii]

All of you rice farming experts here on TV.

Where did you learn so much about growing rice?

Rice fields must be burned after harvest in order to break down the stubble in the soil if it is to be replanted.

It takes too long o break down on it's own and farmers can not afford to wait a year before planting the next crop..

especially at the low prices paid for rice now..

Sorry if you don't like the smoke, but this was rice country long before it was farang retirement country!

Also, on a side note,

I believe this tragic death was a result of panic.

I spent years as a wildland firefighter and more than once had to dive through a wall of flames to get out of dangerously thick smoke and avoid smoke inhalation.

Another trick is to lay on your belly and breath the air in the soil if the smoke gets too bad.

There is no smoke and plenty of oxygen in the dirt.

An old rice farmer should have known this if he had spent his life burning rice fields.

The smoke killed him..only his hand was burned..

Again, where did you critical rice farming experts learn so much?

[lostinisaan]

All of you rice farming experts here on TV.

Where did you learn so much about growing rice?

Rice fields must be burned after harvest in order to break down the stubble in the soil if it is to be replanted.

It takes too long o break down on it's own and farmers can not afford to wait a year before planting the next crop..

especially at the low prices paid for rice now..

Sorry if you don't like the smoke, but this was rice country long before it was farang retirement country!

Also, on a side note,

I believe this tragic death was a result of panic.

I spent years as a wildland firefighter and more than once had to dive through a wall of flames to get out of dangerously thick smoke and avoid smoke inhalation.

Another trick is to lay on your belly and breath the air in the soil if the smoke gets too bad.

There is no smoke and plenty of oxygen in the dirt.

An old rice farmer should have known this if he had spent his life burning rice fields.

The smoke killed him..only his hand was burned..

Again, where did you critical rice farming experts learn so much?

On TVF?

[elliss]

A little more high school education would have arrested such an error... Or not?

UK, elf n safety ,aka as education ,

prohibits allotment owners , from burning their organic waste ,

there by returning essential ingredients into the soil . RIP .

Edited March 28, 2016 by elliss

[Thechook]

He was told not to burn.

[Goong Ying]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

People that know more words than you.

Taotoo you are right. Allseeingeye seems not to have seen much English in his life but could be forgiven if from the USA because "The Americans haven't spoken English for years". A quote from the musical "My Fair Lady". And so true. Forgive my gripe please.

Whoever "wrote this stuff" "knows more words" and is probably not American otherwise they might have bastardized even that word to "stubel".

Sad about the 62 yo farmer. R.I.P.

So easy to make a mistake burning off. Especially sudden change of wind direction. Tell me about it.

But for the Grace of God that could have been me, close shaves several times.

[Pimay1]

All of you rice farming experts here on TV.

Where did you learn so much about growing rice?

Rice fields must be burned after harvest in order to break down the stubble in the soil if it is to be replanted.

It takes too long o break down on it's own and farmers can not afford to wait a year before planting the next crop..

especially at the low prices paid for rice now..

Sorry if you don't like the smoke, but this was rice country long before it was farang retirement country!

Also, on a side note,

I believe this tragic death was a result of panic.

I spent years as a wildland firefighter and more than once had to dive through a wall of flames to get out of dangerously thick smoke and avoid smoke inhalation.

Another trick is to lay on your belly and breath the air in the soil if the smoke gets too bad.

There is no smoke and plenty of oxygen in the dirt.

An old rice farmer should have known this if he had spent his life burning rice fields.

The smoke killed him..only his hand was burned..

Again, where did you critical rice farming experts learn so much?

I raised a lot of tobacco and corn in my time and each fall after the harvest I would plow the stalks under for them to rot. As you are experienced in rice farming, why don't the farmers do the same to rice stubble here?

[Classic Ray]

I think many farmers follow age old rules, burning gets rid of pests and the ash acts as a fertiliser. Burning been outlawed for many years in the UK, so of course as mentioned above they either chop it up or plough it in. But they have mechanical aids such as tractors that may be unavailable to many farmers in Thailand. Burning is also used to clear extra land, again in the absence of mechanical means.

If someone could develop a cheap easy way of gathering and composting the rice stalks, and convince the farmers the compost would make good fertiliser, then I expect many would consider it as an alternative. In the meanwhile, the burning will continue.

[bheard]

Sad for the family.

Unfortunately Thai farmers still keep burning their stubble. This should not happen.

The stubble is a resource for soil regeneration, don't set fire to it!!

[chiang mai]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

Thankfully you don't.

[willyumiii]

All of you rice farming experts here on TV.

Where did you learn so much about growing rice?

Rice fields must be burned after harvest in order to break down the stubble in the soil if it is to be replanted.

It takes too long o break down on it's own and farmers can not afford to wait a year before planting the next crop..

especially at the low prices paid for rice now..

Sorry if you don't like the smoke, but this was rice country long before it was farang retirement country!

Also, on a side note,

I believe this tragic death was a result of panic.

I spent years as a wildland firefighter and more than once had to dive through a wall of flames to get out of dangerously thick smoke and avoid smoke inhalation.

Another trick is to lay on your belly and breath the air in the soil if the smoke gets too bad.

There is no smoke and plenty of oxygen in the dirt.

An old rice farmer should have known this if he had spent his life burning rice fields.

The smoke killed him..only his hand was burned..

Again, where did you critical rice farming experts learn so much?

I raised a lot of tobacco and corn in my time and each fall after the harvest I would plow the stalks under for them to rot. As you are experienced in rice farming, why don't the farmers do the same to rice stubble here?

You are correct.

With most crops, plowing them under to decompose as :green manure" does the trick.

For some reason, rice stubble takes much longer to decompose and burning speeds up the process.

Burning also releases the nutrients in the decomposing vegetation much faster.

Even in environmentally conscious Northern California where I studied agriculture, a lot of rice is grown, they still burn the rice stubble.

There are times when the smoke is so thick you can not see 20 feet in front of you while driving...even in the city,

[Lopchan]

Burning stubble??? Was he burning the razor stubble on his face? They must mean rubble? Who writes this stuff?

maybe you could use your "all seeing eye(s)" to peruse a dictionary and then you may see with your own eye that stubble is the correct term. Learning can be such an eye opener

Edited March 29, 2016 by Lopchan

[sweatalot]

make this burning death known all over the country.

May be fear will teach people what common sense cannot failed to teach them.

Should be

May be fear will teach people what common sense failed to teach them

[Ireland32]

No Sympathy, Here...

[bangon04]

Sympathetic for any family's loss. But the farmers have been (supposedly) told and told not to burn stubble, mainly for the sake of everyone else's health. Perhaps now they'll take some notice - but probably not.

what we need is for some Thai soap opera superstar to die while burning a field. Otherwise .......