It’s getting dangerous to breathe in Khon Kaen

[webfact]

It’s getting dangerous to breathe in Khon Kaen

By The Nation

 

Khon Kaen on February 9.

 

KHON KAEN, an economic hub of Thailand’s Northeast, has been struggling with serious air pollution for at least four consecutive days.

 

The Air Quality Index (AQI) as of yesterday stood at 206 and the level of PM2.5 particles per cubic metre of air hovered between 96 and 103 micrograms. All the readings were well beyond safe limits. 

 

AQI beyond 200 signifies unhealthy air, triggering warning to not venture outdoors without a facemask, while the safe level for PM2.5 is 50 per cubic metre. 

 

The World Health Organisation has described PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter – as “carcinogenic”. Exposure to a dangerous level of PM2.5 poses health risk and in severe cases can lead to death. 

Khon Kaen residents have been at risk since last Thursday. 

 

On February 7 the AQI touched 208 and PM2.5 hit 98. The following day the AQI stood at 213 and PM2.5 103. On Saturday the AQI was 206 and PM2.5 96.

 

Haze has enveloped Muang, Chum Phae, Mancha Khiri, Kranuan, Ubol Rattana and Phra Yuen districts.

 

“We are now spraying water in all 26 districts to help ease the problem,” Khon Kaen Governor Somsak Changtragul said, adding that action would be taken against farmers burning off weeds in their sugarcane fields. 

 

“We have asked factories to blacklist farmers who bring in sugarcane that shows burn marks, a sign that the farmer set fire to his field at a time when the air pollution is serious,” Somsak said. 

 

Planes from the Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department have arrived in Khon Kaen to help artificially seed clouds to produce rain. 

 

Other provinces are also suffering with air pollution, the worst hit being Chon Buri, Nan, Uttaradit and Loei. 

 

Bangkok has fared better in recent days and yesterday the air in most parts of the capital was deemed safe. 

 

Pollution Control Department chief Phuwiang Prakammin said the air quality around Bangkok had improved because breezy weather had dissipated the fine dust particles and smoke.

 

However, Bangkok’s will worsen between February 13 and 15, the Meteorological Department warned. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30363870

 

 -- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-11

[Thaiwrath]

I took a farang friend to the Government Hospital A & E in the city at 1.00pm on Friday, with severe respiratory difficulties.

I am quite familiar with the hospital, and usually, at that time of day, when the normal outpatients clinics are still open, the A & E is usually quite quiet. The A & E was overflowing with casualties, 90%, I would guess, suffering greatly with the same affliction, which, after 14 years living here, highlighted the seriousness of the situation.

The sad thing is, next year will probably be worse, despite any Government attempts to stop the burning.

[AlexRich]

Does anyone know a place, or places, in Thailand that do not suffer from this air pollution?

[Mitch82]

2 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Does anyone know a place, or places, in Thailand that do not suffer from this air pollution?

Phuket

[MaxYakov]

"Haze Air pollution has enveloped Muang, Chum Phae, Mancha Khiri, Kranuan, Ubol Rattana and Phra Yuen districts."

 

Getting dangerous?!

 

 

[Denim]

3 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Does anyone know a place, or places, in Thailand that do not suffer from this air pollution?

The departure lounge at Suvannaphoum airport.

[fruitman]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

next year will probably be worse, despite any Government attempts to stop the burning

Prayuth didn't mention to stop the burning of fields....he will focus on diesels and factories.

[mick220675]

With the sharp fall in the sugar price this year it is possible many farmers may choose to stop growing sugar. If the farmers switch crops hopefully the burning may be reduced next year and the air pollution reduced.

 

Unfortunately burning is the favourite pass time of many Thais, there is always something that must be set on fire.

[Chicken George]

3 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Does anyone know a place, or places, in Thailand that do not suffer from this air pollution?

No. Just gets worse the futher North you go.. In Chiang Rai the burning ban started yestetday till the 15th of April.. Its enforced with fines and Or prison.. Problem is all around the ban is not enforced.

Thailand does not love its children.. Its the same every year. The North had the highest rates of lung cancer in Thailand. They wait for the rain to clear the smog but it does not clear your lungs.  

[Assurancetourix]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“We have asked factories to blacklist farmers who bring in sugarcane that shows burn marks, a sign that the farmer set fire to his field at a time when the air pollution is serious,” Somsak said. 

So they can already refuse and/or blacklist  100% of the production . 

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

action would be taken against farmers burning off weeds in their sugarcane fields. 

“We have asked factories to blacklist farmers who bring in sugarcane that shows burn marks, a sign that the farmer set fire to his field at a time when the air pollution is serious,” Somsak said. 

That's not an action, Somsak, that's passing the buck.

Did you say "pretty please"?

[puukao]

when i was a child, i dreamed of a retirement with bad air.  pollution.  black lung.  problems for life..... someone asked me, "why go there if so bad?"  i said, "ah.................."

 

sure, your money can stretch a little farther.... but at what cost?  20 years of problems, or 15 years of much less problems?  if you retire in pollution, well, life is pretty bad....i feel bad for those who are afraid to move.  

[fullcave]

Thais are not bad people they are just ignorant and in general they don't care. The few that do care are afaid to speak out for fear of confrontation. 

[AsterixThai]

1 hour ago, fruitman said:

Prayuth didn't mention to stop the burning of fields....he will focus on diesels and factories.

And the elections

[NorthernRyland]

55 minutes ago, Chicken George said:

 Thailand does not love its children.. Its the same every year. The North had the highest rates of lung cancer in Thailand. They wait for the rain to clear the smog but it does not clear your lungs.  

That's so true. They'd rather poison themselves than have a difficult conversion or do the hard work of issuing fines and arresting people. Sad.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

AQI beyond 200 signifies unhealthy air, triggering warning to not venture outdoors without a facemask, while the safe level for PM2.5 is 50 per cubic metre. 

 

The World Health Organisation has described PM2.5 – airborne particulates 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter – as “carcinogenic”. Exposure to a dangerous level of PM2.5 poses health risk and in severe cases can lead to death. 

Khon Kaen residents have been at risk since last Thursday. 

Only Thailand say's the safe level is 50 below are the World Health Organisation figures.

WHO Air Quality Guideline values

Particulate Matter (PM)

Guideline values

Fine Particulate Matter (PM_2.5)

10 μg/m³ annual mean
25 μg/m³ 24-hour mean

Coarse Particulate Matter (PM₁₀)

20 μg/m³ annual mean
50 μg/m³ 24-hour mean

[Ossy]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Planes from the Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department have arrived in Khon Kaen to help artificially seed clouds to produce rain. 

Somsak is evidently reading his favourite joke book . . . for the past 3 months there's hardly been a cloud in the sky at Khon Kaen or the broader Isan region. Oh-oh, I tell a lie . . . now I've drawn back the curtains, I see some clouds. Just a pity that the normally accurate computer weather forecast gives for clouds to clear and wall-to-wall sunshine till 5pm.

 

I'd keep those smoky planes on the ground, if I were you, Governor

[jaiyen]

LOS    LAND OF SMOKE   

 

[Ossy]

5 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

after 14 years living here, highlighted the seriousness of the situation.

The sad thing is, next year will probably be worse, despite any Government attempts to stop the burning.

An interesting observation, Thaiwrath, but hasn't there ALWAYS been burning? But consider this: during the 7yrs from '04 to '11 vehicles per 1,000 people increased from 112 to 172, an increase of 53%. Without digging down further for more recent stats, I'd wager that, during the past 7yrs, the increase has been at least that figure, let's say a per capita figure of 263 vehs. per 1,000 people. I think it is a safe conclusion that, during the 14yrs of your Thai experience, vehicles on Thailand's roads have more than doubled.

 

And vehicles are everywhere, not just out on the sugar fields . . . there's your problem and, instead of inspectors checking the cane for burn-marks, maybe they could set-up roadside checks - at random - of vehicle exhaust emissions.

 

[kannot]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“We are now spraying water in all 26 districts to help ease the problem,

yeah thatll stop it for sure.......

[Ossy]

5 hours ago, AlexRich said:

Does anyone know a place, or places, in Thailand that do not suffer from this air pollution?

Yes . . . most of Isan or at least that little 200km bit of Isan, between Udon T and Sak-Nak that I'm familiar with. Admittedly, there's little sugar cane, here, but there are always fires to be seen from rice stubble burning by those stubborn few farmers who refuse to plough the fuel back into the soil. But, this is Thailand, the land where the old farmer simply cannot see stubble as food for the land . . . he's tried tasting it ????  and out comes the trusty flame-thrower.

[arithai12]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

the level of PM2.5 particles per cubic metre of air hovered between 96 and 103 micrograms. All the readings were well beyond safe limits.

PM2.5 is 102 this morning at the Chiang Mai City Hall station,  it looks like an unusually clear day for this time of the year. Neighbours are happily burning garbage every morning and evening.

In a country where they let three underage kids ride a motorbike with modified exhaust and no helmets in front of the police box, I don't think that safe limits mean much.

 

[Ossy]

2 hours ago, fruitman said:

....he [Prayuth] will focus on diesels and factories.

You're clearly a big fan of his, fruitman, if you think for one minute that Prayuth is capable or even bothered to focus on anything other than his continued PM status.

 

That there may be other brains in the regime capable of putting together a vehicle and factories emissions-reducing operation - yes, an operation, not just the mere Junta-loving plan for mulling - is something we can only hope for.

[watcharacters]

 

 

This might be a great time to invest in oxygen bottle suppliers.

 

But in all seriousness, if Thailand starts to address the  air quality issue it faces, the complaining on this board about "nanny state" would be intolerable.

 

[Enoon]

2 hours ago, fullcave said:

Thais are not bad people they are just ignorant and in general they don't care. The few that do care are afaid to speak out for fear of confrontation. 

 

It's a structural/system failure.

 

In a modern developed society the work would have been mechanised and the excess labour absorbed into an indigenous production economy.

 

They wouldn't even be there doing the work.

 

And with the example of previously developed societies there would have been some attempt to manage population growth.

 

Instead it became Marie Antoinettes "Play farm" on a grand scale.

 

The place is a mess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Russell17au]

Everyone is pointing the finger at the sugar farmers and the diesel powered vehicles for all this pollution. I have been traveling around the western side ring road of Khon Kaen every day for the last 2 weeks and I have seen a lot of smoke around that area and non of it is from any sugar farms because in that area there is no sugar farms but what I have seen is people just burning bush. They just start a fire and walk away from it and just let it go plus also all the places where the people dump their rubbish on the side of the road and then someone will clear it all by lighting a fire and burning all types of rubbish. If you drive from the southern end to the northern end of the western side ring road you will see that 95% of it has been burnt lately. As for the burning of the sugar cane, countries like America and Australia with their advanced technology burn the sugar fields the night before it is harvested. Another problem with the pollution is that the other countries that border Thailand do exactly the same as Thailand, I remember several years back all the problems with the smoke haze/pollution that was blowing across Thailand from the burning of the forests for the Palm Oil farms in Indonesia. So the problem is not only caused by the sugar farmers and the diesel vehicles and it is not only caused by Thailand

[Russell17au]

11 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

It's a structural/system failure.

 

In a modern developed society the work would have been mechanised and the excess labour absorbed into an indigenous production economy.

 

They wouldn't even be there doing the work.

 

And with the example of previously developed societies there would have been some attempt to manage population growth.

 

It's Marie Antoinettes "Play farm" on a grand scale.

 

The place is a mess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

America and Australia are modern developed countries but they still burn the sugar cane fields the night before it is harvested. Plus they use modern machinery to cut and load the cane not manual labour like Thailand does.

[watcharacters]

2 hours ago, fullcave said:

Thais are not bad people they are just ignorant and in general they don't care. The few that do care are afaid to speak out for fear of confrontation. 

 

Wouldn't you feel more accurate to claim Thais  suffer from a lack of effective education?   I doubt it'd be fair to categorize Thais as  genetically ignorant.

 

And that education situation or lack  thereof unquestionably goes right back to the Thai government's responsibility 

[spidermike007]

Cane burning is contributing massively to the horrific air quality throughout the nation. Cane is a major culprit, along with diesel vehicles, that are not properly maintained, which is probably 90% of the Thai fleet of cars, pickups, trucks, and trains. 

 

Some Bangkok residents took to social media to share photographs of the pollution's apparent physical impact. Nutthawut Sirichainarumit, an office worker in the Thai capital, shared a photo of what appears to be blood in his hand. “I was totally shocked because I never sneezed blood before in my entire life," he wrote on Facebook. Meteorological events that trap noxious pollution in Bangkok have exacerbated the pollution crisis.

 

And what are the stunningly incompetent authorities doing? Removing diesel offenders from the road? No. Tightening emission standards? No. Regulating cane burning? No. What then? Barely anything but spouting a continual torrent of promises, that are rarely, if ever fulfilled. That is Prayuth and the hapless army. That is what they do. Barely anything.

 

Our proud nation, as it stands today:

 

 

[connda]

Like the carnage on the road, the yearly air pollution problem has a solution.  Unfortunately it takes the state to intervene, and the state seems unwilling to do what it takes.  So - road carnage, bad air in the North from Feb to May, bad air in Bangkok every time that and inversion layer arrives to trap the air over the city - all solvable problems, but there seems to be no will to do so.  Authorities and 'experts' spouting hot CO2 only adds to the problem.