Minimise outdoor activities, say authorities, as air quality continues to be unsafe in many areas

[DLock]

Thailand makes the Top 10 worst locations in the world at Number 7.

 

http://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/

 

Go all the way to the bottom to see world rankings.

 

They will be at number 1 by March.

[Assurancetourix]

12 minutes ago, Fred white said:

Maybe someone can issue a royal decree demanding trash pickup service

 

If it is to hide the filth away from the modest eyes of the Thai people, it will be of absolutely no use.

On the photos, part of the very large field on which the garbage trucks dump their junk from the town of sawang Daen Din;
Under the hangar there are two boilers which seem large but in fact tiny compared to the work which is required of them.

We will not forget either that we are in Thailand where the words maintain and repair are unknown;
the boilers are HS for ages and the s.hit continues to rise on the field ...

 

You can be sure that it is the same everywhere in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

5 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

No they won't. Only way they will stop is when the villages near the burning fields are carpet bombed to the ground. Thailand needs corporal punishment. Start with caning like they did down in SG.

Don't need carpet bombing. buy some of those water bombing planes and drop a load of water on every fire. The destruction wrought by a huge pile of water falling all at once would soon stop other farmers lighting the fields, IMO.

[Fred white]

14 minutes ago, malibukid said:

someone told me that the Thai's have planted corn to convert into ethanol and thus burning the stalks.  i did not know this.  the government must subsidize these farmers with modern equipment so that they can plow under rather than burn.. more submarines.

They need to use the corn to make some decent cornmeal ????

[Fred white]

10 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Don't need carpet bombing. buy some of those water bombing planes and drop a load of water on every fire. The destruction wrought by a huge pile of water falling all at once would soon stop other farmers lighting the fields, IMO.

Not to mention the destruction of anyone under it

[Elkski]

I hope  it will be ok north of chiang rai next 4 days.   Give a shoot to kill order on field burners. 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Elkski

[sawadee1947]

6 hours ago, legend49 said:

So the government does zero to minimise the issue. The people have to suffer by staying indoors and then they have to become amateur scientists and monitor AQI. Why have a government?

No no no, That's wrong. 

The government in fact is doing much for their people. 

By advising them to stay home, there will be less people on the road, means less accidents. Also less plastic bags, aso. 

That's Thai Care, you know? 

[PumpkinEater]

The problem is that the Government doesn’t give a rats a$$!

We all could have been driving electric vehicles 30-40 years ago...but corruption prevails lining the pockets from the oil companies.

 

Population growth is a factor with more and more building and less and less green space. An of course the burning Issues abound.

 

And finally I hate to say it but 90% of the population that lives in squalor conditions...have no time to care, are not educated to know a difference before its too late. 
Even the educated falang as I sit on the beach enjoying fresh air...I see lighting up a CIG and polluting themselves as well as the my air  (as I sit downwind of their <deleted> smoke), then throw the butt into the sand...sorry to say that we are all doomed my friends.

 

 

[Dimple]

9 hours ago, MaxYakov said:

Article:

 

"Particulate matter less than 2.5 micrograms per cubic metre (PM2.5) averaged 27-66mcg per cubic metre in over 50 areas, exceeding the 50mcg per cubic metre air quality standard of the department."

 

World Health Organization:

 

"Air quality guideline. Air quality guideline is an annual mean concentration guideline for particulate matter from the World Health Organization. The guideline stipulates that PM2. 5 not exceed 10 μg/m3 annual mean, or 25 μg/m3 24-hour mean; and that PM10 not exceed 20 μg/m3 annual mean, or 50 μg/m3 24-hour mean."

 

Thailand is right on target as usual (NOT). The books are not being cooked in Thailand. Wouldn't want to "panic" the Thai people (and others).

Funny how ’safe levels’ of toxins varies for people in various places on earth, isn’t it?

[Foghorn]

Stay indoors because everyone has air purifiers in thailand ,except when go out to lite fires morning and evening. Well done thailand always got an answer

[PaDavid]

I assume it’s not just fallout from burnt sugar cane, etc which is causing the problem. In rural areas in particular, surely dust is the main contributor. As fast as my wife and I sweep our patio it becomes dirty again. Even the water in the (indoor) bathroom tub seems to have a permanent coating. If I’m right, there’s seems to be very little which can be done. Just have to wait for the rainy season and wear a mask until then. 

[CGW]

28 minutes ago, PumpkinEater said:

We all could have been driving electric vehicles 30-40 years ago...but corruption prevails lining the pockets from the oil companies.

How so? the limiting factor even today is battery life, we wouldn't have been very well travelled if we had been using electric vehicles that's for sure!

 

[PumpkinEater]

Dear CGW,

 

Have you been to China lately?

Most all motorbikes are very quiet and electric!
Not the best example on a country for air quality, but at least a start.

 

Be careful walking..you cannot hear them coming...

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, Assurancetourix said:

On the photos, part of the very large field on which the garbage trucks dump their junk from the town of sawang Daen Din;

And SDD is a relatively small and out of the way town... Multiply that un-treated garbage thousands of times over, and then you've got Thailand!

 

[marko kok prong]

well how about : 1 banning charcoal making in residential area's .2 enforce burning of sugar cane and 3 the most difficult try to educate the populace via television not to burn garbage,i don't want to come across as a snob,but we are talking many barely ,if at all educated people,mostly peasants,Television is the one medium that reaches all. The other problem is Thai's like many people like to burn things,it is human nature we enjoy a fire,but we have to start realising that it's not good.

[sambum]

A guide under the map explaining what the different colour pins stood for might have been a good idea!

[Jack P]

Burning should be banned, with a long grace period for farmers to transition to new crops.

 

There’s plenty of things to grow that don’t require burning.

[ChipButty]

No Tiger beer, no drinking water, shower less, no smoking, cant breath coz of bad air pollution why come to Thailand? good job the foreign media dont print this that would be a disaster for tourism

[30la]

2 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

No Tiger beer, no drinking water, shower less, no smoking, cant breath coz of bad air pollution why come to Thailand? good job the foreign media dont print this that would be a disaster for tourism

25 years ago Thailand was my dream which then came true, over time the dream changed and became a nightmare;
Thai people are not as kind as I was told,
the smile turned out to be a smile of money,
Buddhism, a tolerant religion, made of humility, peaceful, lover of animals and nature (this was what I had learned), unfortunately nothing is true, it is a conflict-filled religion that destroys nature, claims a dictator, and even a very rowdy religion, in a nutshell not at all different from all the religions I know.
The country is not green with a luxuriant nature, but an immense landfill, a country that burns night and day.
At my age I no longer want to start over, here I found my dear wife (the only positive fact) and after twenty years of coexistence it is difficult to leave everything behind.
I will die here and be one of the many fires that plague the air!

[Silencer]

I don't know how you all do it (although I recognize many of you don't have a choice), whether in Bangkok or up north. Just arrived in Bangkok for a few days from Samui and its almost unbreathable here. Going back early. Best of luck.

[NorthernRyland]

I just came back to Chiang Mai  after 1 years work in the South East United States where AQI never really goes beyond 20. The air was good one day but has been totally disgusting and dangerous otherwise.

 

My tolerance for this <deleted> has gone WAY down and I'm nearly certain this will be my last 6 months in Thailand after living here 10+ years. The city stinks and looks far dirtier and decrepit then I remember a mere 12 months ago. It's getting damn near impossible to have respect for the Thais also considering this is primarily self imposed.

[Number 6]

Just ran down to the store. Same vendors grilling right in front of MRT.

 

Well, poor people can't always stay inside.

 

Air-conditioning units don't have filters so we still breathe the pollution.

 

Why would anyone stay if they didn't have to???

 

You'd have to be crazy to pay to holiday in this air.

Edited January 13, 2020 by Number 6

[Fred white]

2 hours ago, Jack P said:

Burning should be banned, with a long grace period for farmers to transition to new crops.

 

There’s plenty of things to grow that don’t require burning.

The crops being grown don't require burning it's just that most of the farmers can't afford the equipment required to plant grow and harvest them without burning ????

[garyk]

8 hours ago, 30la said:

25 years ago Thailand was my dream which then came true, over time the dream changed and became a nightmare;
Thai people are not as kind as I was told,
the smile turned out to be a smile of money,
Buddhism, a tolerant religion, made of humility, peaceful, lover of animals and nature (this was what I had learned), unfortunately nothing is true, it is a conflict-filled religion that destroys nature, claims a dictator, and even a very rowdy religion, in a nutshell not at all different from all the religions I know.
The country is not green with a luxuriant nature, but an immense landfill, a country that burns night and day.
At my age I no longer want to start over, here I found my dear wife (the only positive fact) and after twenty years of coexistence it is difficult to leave everything behind.
I will die here and be one of the many fires that plague the air!

I think you have accurately summed up the expat life in Thailand. I left but it was extremely difficult.

[marquis22]

19 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Any tourist information yet? Don't spend time outside when in Thailand.

Indoors as well, unless open doors and windows some how prevent unhealthy air from entering. How many houses in Thailand shut all windows and doors and have air purifiers in their homes?

[No1]

22 hours ago, stouricks said:

What makes the air INSIDE my home any better than that OUTSIDE please?

@stouricks Air purfiers and aircons equipped with Hepa filters.
 

21 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

and thats the AVERAGE! so some areas there are much worse than that

 

 

@GeorgeCross No, there is no information on the average deviation or variability of scores

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by No1

[Garbol56]

23 hours ago, SoilSpoil said:

Yes it will.  Burning your trash or crops has serious effects on the health of children. How many chuldren end up in hospital every year? Burning is a crime, and the only way to clear up your skies is to stop this madness. Fine them, take their lands, put them in jail. People learn fast.

In the villages most people burn their rubbish, plastics included. 

A better rubbish collection system would help and also educate people not to burn rubbish. 

[cerox]

On 1/13/2020 at 7:19 AM, Destiny1990 said:

Why is the news mostly negative where is the happiness?

So why don’t they spray water just like the last time since that was such a success.

Because Thais were already advised to shower less to save water 555

 

[mikebell]

Well that takes care of next year's high season.  There will be no returning tourists.

[brewsterbudgen]

16 hours ago, Silencer said:

I don't know how you all do it (although I recognize many of you don't have a choice), whether in Bangkok or up north. Just arrived in Bangkok for a few days from Samui and its almost unbreathable here. Going back early. Best of luck.

We use air purifiers at home, wear a mask when outside and just deal with it.  Like people in cities all over Asia.  At least it's relatively seasonal here and rarely reaches "hazardous" levels.