smog in pattaya

Anything and everything about Thailand
Post Reply
Concerned

smog in pattaya

Post by Concerned »

For the past week I have had an underlying head ache which yesterday moved to the other side of my head. A friend has advised that that is the symptoms of a sinus headache which requires taking an anti histamine for relief. I presume it is caused by this smog which has engulfed pattaya for the last week. The infamous bum island opposite Dongtan has been missing on the horizon for days. A friend of mine visiting from Europe has developed a head ache behind his left eye which he thought was due to his contact lenses. I did a quick search on the internet & the day they read the air pollution index in Pattaya it was 112 units which is "definitely considered unhealthy for sensitive groups" & on that same day the reading for Los Angeles was 50 units. Are we jeopardising our health to live in Paradise?
gerefan
Posts: 727
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 6:33 am
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 87 times

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by gerefan »

Nope... try going to Chang Mai at this time of year if you want to see real Thai/Burmese smog.
User avatar
mahjongguy
Posts: 756
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 1:07 pm
Has thanked: 19 times
Been thanked: 55 times

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by mahjongguy »

This week's very visible haze is not smog, it's fog, a seasonal thing caused by high relative humidity.

That said, Pattaya does have periods of poor air quality due to nearby industrial polluters.
fountainhall

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by fountainhall »

Meantime Bangkok, or at least where I live, has clear bright sunshine.
billyhouston
Posts: 127
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:16 am
Location: Chiang Mai
Has thanked: 38 times
Been thanked: 16 times

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by billyhouston »

gerefan wrote:Nope... try going to Chang Mai at this time of year if you want to see real Thai/Burmese smog.
Not at this time of year. The view of Doi Suthep is clear while driving into town along Mahidol.

In two or two and a half months, it's a totally different matter.... sadly!
aussie
Posts: 296
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 1:31 pm
Has thanked: 166 times
Been thanked: 81 times

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by aussie »

There was three days of smog and definitely air pollution from an unknown source which fortunately has now cleared. I was quite ill for two days with upper respiratory problems.
dorayme

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by dorayme »

I think it is smog or worse. It blows into my condo, clogs the insect screens and settles on the floors leaving black deposits that must be mopped up daily.
fountainhall

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by fountainhall »

Meantime in Bangkok we had a massive thunderstorm storm early this morning which seemed to last the better part of an hour. As I write it is still raining and is grey and miserable outside. What is wrong with the weather? In 17 years I have never known such an unpredictable 'winter' season.
Up2u

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by Up2u »

Raining in Pattaya this morning. This haze is not unusual this time of year in Pattaya. Boys at beach say it is from agricultural burning. This rain will help clear the air.
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21459
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: smog in pattaya

Post by Gaybutton »

I'm not holding my breath for Gereenpeace's recommendations to take place, but with the current air quality, maybe I should . . .
_______________________________________________________

Health problems posed by lack of awareness about air pollution

January 18, 2018

By Pratch Rujivanarom
THE NATION

Authorities have been urged to take the threat of air pollution seriously after Greenpeace revealed average levels of particulate matter with diameter of 2.5 microns or smaller (PM2.5) was higher at all air-quality monitoring stations than World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for three years in a row.

The organisation reported that conditions had contributed to more than 50,000 premature deaths.

In the seminar “Big Issues about Very Small Particulate Matter” at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre on Tuesday, Greenpeace stated that air pollution problems in Thailand remained severe, while people were not being informed about the situation since the Pollution Control Department (PCD) did not include PM2.5 in national Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements.

Chariya Senpong, Greenpeace coordinator on energy and climate change, said people in Thailand were being deprived of a chance to protect themselves from hazardous pollution because PM2.5 was not included in the AQI, which made air quality seem to be cleaner than it actually was.

In reality, PM2.5 measurements over the past three years showed unsafe levels at every air quality monitoring station, Chariya said.

“Greenpeace has been campaigning and monitoring air pollution, especially the PM2.5 problem, in Thailand for three years and the authorities’ only response was setting up more PM2.5 monitoring stations without using this data to warn people and come out with any concrete measures,” Chariya said.

According to a one-year average level of PM2.5 from all 25 PCD monitoring stations in 18 provinces, the top five cities with the most severe air pollution were Saraburi (36 micrograms per cubic metre of air), Bangkok (31), Samut Sakhon (29), Ratchaburi (25) and Chiang Mai (29), while the WHO standard was less than 10 micrograms.

Chariya said the lack of awareness resulted in a high toll on healthcare, as PM2.5 was very toxic and the WHO also listed it as a carcinogen since 2013. The World Bank also revealed in a study that air pollution contributed to more than 50,000 premature deaths in Thailand.

She said all relevant agencies should take serious measures regarding PM2.5 to prevent people from becoming sick and dying prematurely due to air pollution while pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals regarding ensuring good air quality and health by 2030.

Dr Chantana Padungtod, director of the Disease Control Department’s Occupational and Environmental Diseases Bureau, said the Public Health Ministry acknowledged the threat of PM2.5 to people’s health, as the size of the particulate matter was so small that it could pass through lungs into the blood and can cause many diseases, such as heart disease, respiratory diseases, allergies, and eye and skin irritation.

Chantana said her agency’s mission was to reform the medical data collection system, as it could provide vital evidence of health problems caused by exposure to air pollution.

“The Occupational and Environmental Diseases Bureau is working with provincial Public Health offices and local public hospitals nationwide to enable doctors to diagnose and record the causes of their patients’ sickness,” she said.

“This information will be used as evidence to let relevant agencies, such as the Industry Ministry and Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, come up with tougher regulations to control air pollution. However, I also would like to urge the industrial sector to have more awareness of this issue and cut down on air pollution emissions as well.”

GREENPEACE’S RECOMMENDATIONS

Natural Resources and Environment Ministry

* Set up more PM2.5 monitoring stations and report in real time PM2.5 levels to the public
* Include PM2.5 in the AQI calculation
* Establish progressive measures to control all polluting emissions into the air
* Install PM2.5 and other pollutant detectors at every fossil-fuel power plant
* Pursue international commitments to tackle air pollution;

Energy Ministry

* Promote clean and renewable energy
* Encourage the efficient use of energy

Transport Ministry

* Improve public transport to be more environmental friendly

Story and photos: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30336506
Post Reply