Air Pollution

Bangkok’s air quality is ‘unhealthy’ today | VIDEO

Published

2 months ago

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Bangkok’s air quality is ‘unhealthy’ today | VIDEO | The Thaiger

Air quality around Bangkok this morning is awful. Partly due to the lack of wind to blow the smog out of the area. To the south of Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, the air quality is even worse with visibility on the ground cut to less than a kilometre. You would be well advised to reduce you activities outside on a day of high air pollution in the capital. The rating by airvisual.com is ‘unhealthy’.

Bangkok's air quality is 'unhealthy' today | VIDEO | News by The Thaiger

Readings around the inner city vary between 190 – 220. Areas to the east, including around Suvarnabhumi Airport, are higher.

A lot of the smog and smoke is flowing down from the north and north east where plantation fires rage, mostly unenforced, this time of the year, from December to May. Farmers have been told, repeatedly, to avoid buying off the waste after harvests of corn, rice and sugar cane but officials have been disinclined to enforce the laws. Many of the farmers have long-term contracts with some of Thailand’s leading agri-business conglomerates.

Bangkok and the central region can expect many more months, especially as the temperatures rise throughout February, March and April and the winds remain low as the north-easterly monsoon weakens.

Bangkok's air quality is 'unhealthy' today | VIDEO | News by The Thaiger

PHOTO: View across the Bangkok skyline from Sathorn this morning.

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News Categories: Air Pollution Bangkok

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15 Comments

Sierra

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 9:57 am

Bangkok was nearly 400 aqi this morning. A national disgrace. They were burning crops in the north the last 3 days. The air circulation has brought all of that smog to Bangkok and combined it with the putridly neglected air here as well. The end result is toxic air which is tremendously harmful to adults and children. This national disgrace could be averted by enforcing laws.

Reply
Colin G

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 10:22 am

No doubt Issan John will be along in a minute to tell us that it’s nothing to do with crop burning, as it’s not the right time in the sugar cane farming cycle.

Reply
- Patrick
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 12:01 pm
  
  No worries, these months theres always something to burn. Corn, rice, sugar cane. About that sugar cane: I saw it burning in the North recently. Fierce flames and a giant smoke plume seen from kilometers away and spreading. A two step process: first burn to get rid of the “useless parts” of the cane, then harvest the (burned…) cane, then later possibly burn again to get rid of the rest. Sigh… and yes, a perfect flat field so there are good alternatives. But this gov doesnt care and always stares the other way and loves to act ignorant.
  
  Reply
  - Sierra
    
    Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 4:57 pm
    
    Youve nailed it. Very sad state of affairs. This should be the best time in Thailand, instead we are trapped inside like on Mars running air purifiers 24|7
    
    Reply
  - Issan John
    
    Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 8:31 pm
    
    Maybe if those saying “enforce the laws”, etc, came up with some alternative to burning the waste then the farmers would … well … have an alternative.
    
    That’s not excusing it, etc, etc, simply being realistic.
    
    What’s the alternative?
    
    Reply
  - Issan John
    
    Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 8:41 pm
    
    What “alternatives” to burning the waste after the harvest, Patrick?
    
    I’m not talking about burning pre-harvest, which is dying out as it’s unproductive, you have to pay the cutters more as it’s unpleasant, and the factories pay less so it’s only done sometimes to clear before re-planting.
    
    I’m talking about burning the waste, which is what makes up around 75% of what’s burnt?
    
    If, indeed, there are “good alternatives” then what are they?
    
    Reply
    - Sierra
      
      Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 8:11 pm
      
      If the government subsidised proper equipment instead of buying the latest military bling and then enforced the laws the problem would be 90% solved….if
      
      Reply
      - Issan John
        
        Monday, January 18, 2021 at 10:38 am
        
        What “equipment”, Sierra?
        
        Harry Potter’s wand?
- Issan John
  
  Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 8:23 pm
  
  No, but it’s not the peak time yet.
  
  Reply
Arvind

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11:07 am

Keeps happening every year but there’s no change in sight in terms of law enforcement.

Reply
Cjasd

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11:19 am

This stupid farmers should be put to jail for long sentences – killing millions with pollution due to their lazy asses and medievial crop and trash burning.

Reply
Ynwaps

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 11:35 am

It’s just the beginning of what’s yet to come. The high season of airpolution seems to start earlier every year.

Reply
Peter Snashall

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 8:22 pm

Totally sugar cane burning. Saw hundreds of trucks carrying harvested sugar cane around Khao Kho. Pollution was worse last year though. Hotter & drier.

Reply
Issan John

Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 8:28 pm

Maybe if those saying “enforce the laws”, etc, came up with some alternative to burning the waste then the farmers would … well … have an alternative.

That’s not excusing it, etc, etc, simply being realistic.

What’s the alternative?

Reply
dispensed

Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 2:30 pm

Asian people are so selfish, hopping on a cheap 120cc motorbike with no emission control system to go 3 blocks to 7/11. They really don’t care about anyone but themselves.

Westerners actually care enough about other people enough to walk, or at least use a vehicle with an emission control system.

Reply

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Air Pollution

Chiang Mai 3rd most polluted city in world in yesterday’s air quality ratings

Published

1 day ago

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Ann Carter

Chiang Mai 3rd most polluted city in world in yesterday’s air quality ratings | The Thaiger

Chiang Mai ranked as the 3rd most polluted city in the world yesterday, according to AirVisual, following Lahor in Pakistan and New Delhi in India. The northern Thai city’s was recorded to have an average PM2.5 dust level higher than 200.

All 4 air quality monitoring stations in the municipal area reported the PM as exceeding the safe level, with the deputy chief of an air pollution command citing some 928 hotspots detected across the nation’s 17 northern provinces.

In Tak province, its PM2.5 and PM10 ratings exceeded the safe level for 4 consecutive days, affecting people’s health and road visibility. Mae Sot district yesterday saw the PM 2.5 and PM10 measured at 114 and 171 µg/m3 with people being advised to avoid all outdoor activities and stay away from areas with high air pollution.

The governor of Tak says the province has initiated measures to prevent forest fires and to prohibit the burning of old crops for 2 months starting from March 1. Those who are caught burning or carrying hunting equipment will be charged by forest patrol officers.

The Department of Health Director-General says tropical storms in the northern part of Thailand would help reduce the PM2.5 in Bangkok, the Central Plains, the East and the lower North over the next few days. But some areas in the north, northeast and central plains may see more pollution due to burning in the country and smoke from neighbouring countries.

The Director advised people to protect themselves by wearing a face mask when going outside and follow air pollution news on the official website of the Department of Pollution Control.

According to IQAir, Chiang Mai’s air quality index is at 176, with the PM2.5 measured at 103.9 µg/m³, sitting at unhealthy levels.

Meanwhile, the PM2.5 air pollution was behind approximately 160,000 deaths in the world’s 5 most populous cities in 2020, according to a Greenpeace Southeast Asia analysis of IQAir data from a live Cost Estimator.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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Chon Buri

Driver says thick smog led to 3-vehicle pileup in Chon Buri

Published

4 weeks ago

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Caitlin Ashworth

Driver says thick smog led to 3-vehicle pileup in Chon Buri | The Thaiger

PHOTO: Siamrath

A driver in a serious 3-vehicle pileup in Chon Buri blames the thick smog for the accident, saying it limited visibility. Two people were injured in the accident, including a 30 year old man who was stuck inside his sedan and rescuers used the “jaws of life” hydraulic tool to remove him from the vehicle.

Another 39 year old man was found lying on the road and his 150cc motorcycle was nearly. Police say he had minor injuries. A 31 year old trailer truck driver told police that the haze from the air pollution made it hard to see.

“I was about to make a U-turn and I was quite positive that there were no vehicles behind me but it was difficult to see due to the low visibility in the air.”

A car driving at a high speed crashed into the truck as the driver was preparing to make a U-turn. The motorcyclist then crashed into the car.

Chon Buri’s air quality has reached “unhealthy” levels over the past week with the amount of the ultra-fine dust pollutant PM2.5 exceeding limits classified as safe, according to IQAir.

SOURCE: Pattaya News

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Thailand

Air pollution hits unsafe levels in 19 provinces

Published

4 weeks ago

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Som-O

Air pollution hits unsafe levels in 19 provinces | The Thaiger

Air pollution hit “unsafe” levels in 19 provinces across Thailand this morning with levels of the ultra-fine dust PM 2.5 exceeding the official safety limit 50 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the Pollution Control Department.

Those areas include: Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Lampang, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Pichit, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi, Chachoengsao, Ratchaburi, Chon Buri, and Rayong.

The department also reported PM2.5 levels in different regions across the country…

North: 17 to 68 μg/m3
Northeast: 16 to 38 μg/m3.
Central region and West: 42 to 62 μg/m3
East: 47 to 65 μg/m3.
South: 11 to 29 μg/m3.
Bangkok and its vicinity: 39 to 80 μg/m3

Poor air quality can be harmful to the elders, children, and patients with respiratory diseases, so they are recommended to monitor their health conditions and avoid outdoor activities as much as possible.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

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