It's smog and air pollution season in Thailand

[Gaybutton]

"A crackdown on the practice of burning fields in preparation for the next harvest has apparently had little effect."

Anyone surprised?
____________________________________________________________

Choking Chiang Rai locals protest as PM2.5 soars to 11 times safe level

by: The Nation

March 27, 2023

Northern Thailand once again topped the world pollution rankings on Monday, with Chiang Mai registering a high of 287 micrograms of PM2.5 dust per cubic metre (μg/m3) but Chiang Rai hitting 542 μg/m3.

Chiang Mai retained its No 1 spot as the world’s most polluted city on the IQAir global index, which does not feature Chiang Rai.

Thailand’s safe limit for PM2.5 – fine-dust pollution linked with early death from heart and/or lung conditions – is 50μg/m3.

Satellite images continue to show hundreds of hotspots from fires burning across the North and over the border in Myanmar and Laos.

A crackdown on the practice of burning fields in preparation for the next harvest has apparently had little effect.

In Chiang Rai, PM2.5 in Muang district measured 232μg/m3. However in Mae Sai on the border with Myanmar it soared to 542μg/m3 – almost 11 times Thailand’s safe limit.

The polluted air has reduced visibility and led to an increase in reports of eye and nasal irritation as well as breathing problems among locals.

Provincial agencies and volunteers are focusing on spraying water and extinguishing forest fires to combat the high levels of fine dust in the air.

Mae Sai residents have scheduled a protest at the district office today at 2pm, demanding that authorities take urgent action to tackle air pollution.

Story and photos: https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand ... l/40026071

[Jun]

"A crackdown on the practice of burning fields in preparation for the next harvest has apparently had little effect."

Define "crackdown".

My idea of a crackdown would involve banning crop burning and introducing hotlines for people to grass up offenders.
Have heavy fines and for repeat offenders, jail sentences.
Send the police out to enforce it and if they're too corrupt to do the job, send the army out with them.

What does the Thai crackdown involve? Saying "please don't do it" ?

[Gaybutton]

Define "crackdown".

Hopefully it won't mean what it usually does - strict enforcement for a few days, sometimes a week, sometimes even two weeks. Then it fizzles out and just fades into history.

But this time the problem affects everyone, including the lawmakers and law enforcement people. They have to breathe the same air as everyone else, so maybe this time they really will do something substantial about it. As long as I've lived in Thailand, I don't recall ever seeing the air pollution anywhere near as bad as what is happening now. I hope 2023 won't end up going down in historic infamy as "The Year of the Smog".

[Jun]

As long as I've lived in Thailand, I don't recall ever seeing the air pollution anywhere near as bad as what is happening now. I hope 2023 won't end up going down in historic infamy as "The Year of the Smog".

From what I read in the Bangkok Post whilst in Thailand, I didn't see much evidence of pollution being a priority for the forthcoming elections.
Which is crazy, when I suspect fixing it has a net economic benefit, rather than a net cost. Reduced healthcare costs and increased tourism revenue probably outweigh increased costs for agriculture etc.

Whilst Pattaya was far better than Chiang Mai, the outdoor readings typically varied between 20 and 100 when I was there.
Indoors, I could get down to about a third of outdoor readings, with a 3M PM2.5 filter element fitted into the aircon unit.
Cost 280 baht, although any resident might find the larger rolls make a better investment.

For comparison, the PM2.5 reading in my house in the UK is currently 2, obviously with no filters. As we have already established, the average reading indoors is the same as outdoors, if you don't filter air indoors.
The advice for people to stay indoors is just bullshit, rather like some of the small water spray devices and other daft ideas.

What air filtration do you use at home ?

[Gaybutton]

What air filtration do you use at home ?

I'm not as meticulous as you are. I don't measure the pollution levels inside my home. My air conditioning company installed some sort of filtration on my units, but I don't know what it is. They recommended changing them ever 2 to 3 months, so that is what I am doing. Other than that, not much I can do. At least Pattaya's air is nowhere near as bad as what is happening in the north of Thailand.

As for crop burning, it's not going to stop just because of complaints, laws, ordinances, or stricter enforcement. Crop burning is all the farmers know. It would seem to me the thing to do is have agriculture specialists teach the farmers alternative, harmless ways of dealing with it instead of the annual burning.

[Gaybutton]

Choked by yellow smog, Chiang Rai locals demand Asean action on Myanmar fires

by THE NATION

March 28, 2023

About 200 residents of Mae Sai in Chiang Rai gathered at the district office on Monday to demand urgent action to tackle soaring air pollution.

The move came after the district, which borders Myanmar, was engulfed in choking yellow smog. PM2.5 readings there surged to 542 milligrams per cubic metre (μg/m3) on Monday – more than 10 times above the safe limit.

Chiang Rai’s severe air pollution is blamed on forest and agriculture fires burning across the North and over the border in Myanmar.

As of Tuesday, PM2.5 in Chiang Rai's Muang district measured 407μg/m3, according to the Pollution Control Department.

Thailand’s safe limit for PM2.5 – fine-dust pollution linked with early death from heart and/or lung conditions – is 50μg/m3.

Locals on Monday submitted a letter to Mae Sai district chief Narongpon Kidarn, demanding short and long-term solutions to the PM2.5 crisis, including negotiations with neighbouring countries and placing PM2.5 on Asean's agenda.

They also accepted donations of equipment and drinking water for firefighters who are battling forest fires in the province.

Sawetyont Srisamut, vice president of the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce, said the province suffered severe air pollution every year.

He pointed out that Thailand now has satellites and technology that can detect hotspots and fires as they occur within its own borders and in neighbouring countries.

"Hence, the government should negotiate with neighbouring countries on this issue," he said.

Satellite images confirm that most of the fires are being lit in Myanmar, Laos and northern Thailand.

Trasak Srithiphan, an adviser to Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce, said air pollution this year was more severe than the crisis of 2011.

He said the situation would get even worse if the government and authorities did not tackle the problem.

"We hope the government and related agencies are paying attention to this issue," he said.

Narongpon said the problem came from smoke blowing across the border, adding that there are few hotspots in Chiang Rai as local farmers are not burning their fields for harvest. He also advised locals to take care of their health following a rise in reports of breathing difficulties.

Watcharapong Khamla, a public health doctor in Chiang Rai, said the number of residents suffering respiratory problems in the province was high but falling.

March 12-18 saw 4,847 people treated for breathing problems while that figure dropped to 3,478 last week (March 19-26).

Mae Sai district recorded 472 respiratory cases from March 12-18 and 372 last week.

He said most patients had nasal irritation and sore throats and were given medicine at hospitals to treat their symptoms at home.

Chiang Rai has sufficient hospital beds for patients who develop more severe symptoms due to the smog, he added.

Story and photos: https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand ... l/40026097

[Jun]

"Hence, the government should negotiate with neighbouring countries on this issue," he said.

Thailand ought to put out the fires in it's own back yard before blaming neighbouring countries.

Myanmar and Laos might just be responsible for the very high pollution near the borders, which is perhaps the focus of this article.

However, plenty of pollution is self inflicted.
For example, Chiang Mai city shows higher pollution than the surrounding areas. It's difficult to blame that on foreigners.

[Gaybutton]

It's difficult to blame that on foreigners.

But they are going to try. This is a part of the reason why I think we're going to see the same thing next year and (hopefully not) several more years after that. It wouldn't surprise me if the major method for trying to control it is to pray for strong winds to just blow it all away.

[Jun]

But they are going to try. This is a part of the reason why I think we're going to see the same thing next year and (hopefully not) several more years after that. It wouldn't surprise me if the major method for trying to control it is to pray for strong winds to just blow it all away.

Agreed.

[Incidentally, as with more than one religion, the praying might involve burning joss sticks which is increasing the PM2.5 indoors. Meanwhile, outside there will often be a monk sweeping up leaves and burning them, rather than composting them.]

[Gaybutton]

According to the March 30 Pattaya News, Pattaya falls within the safe level, but the north of Thailand is still drastically polluted.

See: viewtopic.php?p=110077#p110077 - 3 minutes, 30 seconds in.