Aqi map of Thailand map has different reading than AQI Petchabun

[Aspaltso]

The air in Meaung district has to be bad, because I cannot see the mountain ranges to the west or east. I want to know exactly what the AQI reading is since I want to conduct some outdoor activities. Unfortunately the reading for Petchabun is 175 when I google the "AQI map of Thailand", but only 74 when I ask for the "AQI for Petchabun". Does anyone have any clarity on this topic? Does anyone have the true AQI level for Meaung district, or Lom Sak?

Edited January 17, 2021 by Aspaltso

[Moonlover]

According to the IQair, website, there is currently a reading of 74 in Phetchabun, just as you said.

 

https://www.iqair.com/thailand/phetchabun

 

However, that's not the whole story. After the reading you will see an asterisk. This indicates that there is no sensor in that location, so the reading is derived by computer modeling. See the info panel on the left of the page.

 

I get the opposite where I live. The reading on IQair is always higher than I know it to be because the nearest sensors are in towns, whereas I'm living way out in the country.

 

 

 

 

[Aspaltso]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

According to the IQair, website, there is currently a reading of 74 in Phetchabun, just as you said.

 

https://www.iqair.com/thailand/phetchabun

 

However, that's not the whole story. After the reading you will see an asterisk. This indicates that there is no sensor in that location, so the reading is derived by computer modeling. See the info panel on the left of the page.

 

I get the opposite where I live. The reading on IQair is always higher than I know it to be because the nearest sensors are in towns, whereas I'm living way out in the country.

 

 

 

 

Ok, thankyou for this. Indeed as you said; the info box on the left does explain how the aqi number is derived from modelling. What's interesting though is that when I google "aqi map of Thailand" it will have an actual reading from an actual location from the previous hour, or so, and those readings are much higher. 

https://aqicn.org/station/ศาลากลางจังหวัดเพชรบูรณ์-อาคาร-1-(กอ.รมน.-เพชรบูรณ์)

So this aqi from the link above is at 129, and it says it was updated 30 minutes ago. Perhaps these stations are just outside of Meaung District, and the models are deriving a lower number? 

[Yorkshire Tea]

Buy your own pm2.5 sensor. 

[Aspaltso]

14 minutes ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Buy your own pm2.5 sensor. 

That is 1 solution.

[canopy]

20 hours ago, Aspaltso said:

Does anyone have any clarity on this topic?

You have to look at the units. AQI is an index and PM2.5 is often a raw measurement in micrograms per cubic meter. There are online converters to convert PM2.5 to AQI if desired. Note also there are different AQI's for example from the US EPA. In the past AQI was commonly followed, but as people realized PM2.5 is the dangerous one it is the one closely watched.