Pollution
Northern Thailand sees dangerous levels of pollution

Northern Thailand is seeing dangerous levels of pollution with PM2.5 dust particle levels exceeding the safety standard. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are the worst as they are both seeing over 50-micron PM2.5 dust particle levels.
Wiang Pang Kham, a sub-district in Chiang Rai has recorded 247 microns, signaling extremely poor air quality. The Pollution Control Department said on its air4thai website that air quality is expected to deteriorate even more tomorrow through Friday, as a result of the air being stale.
A forest fire, in the meantime, is not helping air pollution as a team of firefighters are trying to put it out in Chiang Mai’s Samoeng district. 2 helicopters have joined the fight to extinguish the fires that started on Monday night, with hundreds of acres of land having been destroyed by the wildfire. The Samoeng Fire Station chief, Chakra Dissayanan, told CityNews that villagers burning crops caused the wildifre.
“There has been no forest fires in the area for many years, this caused dry leaves to accumulate into a large amount the created fuel for the wildfire. The reason the wildfire spread so quickly is that this is a bamboo forest.”
In Mae Hong Son, forest fires have been going for 3 days, ruining about 1,000 rai of mountain forest in the Muang district, sparking concerns for the Ban Nam Phiang Din area. Provincial authorities say a lack of “buffer zones” are the reasons the fires spread quickly. Officials say the Pai River would stop the fire from spreading into the residential areas.
A total of 119 hot spots from wildfires were reported in Mae Hong Son, with 20 in Pai district, 42 in Muang, 18 in Mae Sariang, 13 in Pang Ma Pha, 6 in Sop Moei and 10 in Khun Yuam and Mae La Noi. The army recently closed down forest areas in 17 northern provinces until the end of April to stop bushfires which have attributed to air pollution.
SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
All new Covid-19 infections in Chiang Mai are linked to nightlife venues

All of the new Covid-19 infections reported by health officials in Chiang Mai yesterday are linked to local nightlife venues. Over the past few days, 47 cases linked to bars and nightclubs have been confirmed, including the 36 new cases reported yesterday by the provincial communicable disease control panel.
With the rise of infections linked to entertainment venues, Chiang Mai authorities decided to close clubs, pubs, karaoke bars and other entertainment venues for the next week. Alcohol sales are also banned for the next 7 days. A field hospital has been set up at the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre to care for a potential influx of Covid-19 patients.
“Those travelling to Chiang Mai from provinces considered the highest risk of infection, including Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom, must self-isolate for 14 days.”
The recent infections are linked to 7 venues in the area including Warm Up Cafe Chiang Mai, Tha Chang Café Chiang Mai, DC Chiang Mai, Infinity Club Chiang Mai, Ground, Living Machine and Consol’s Garden.
“Those who visited the venues are asked to go to a local hospital for a Covid-19 test.”
SOURCES: Bangkok Post | Nation Thailand
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Northern Thailand
UPDATE: Divers rescue monk stuck in flooded cave in northern Thailand

Update: The monk was safely rescued from the flooded cave at around 11:30am today. Divers say the monk was fatigued and had a low fever.
Original story…
Rescue workers are attempting to free a Buddhist monk who has been stuck in a flooded cave in northern Thailand for at least 4 days. The monk, named in a Pattaya News report as 46 year old Phra Ajarn Manat, is thought to have entered a cave in Phitsanulok province on April 3, and become trapped when the entrance flooded over the weekend. He was visiting Tham Phra Sai Ngam cave as part of a pilgrimage in the jungle.
Over 30 rescue workers from the Prasat Bun Sathan Foundation have launched an operation to free the monk, whose plight will remind many of the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue that made headlines around the world.
Tham Phra Sai Ngam cave is reported to be extremely deep and cavernous, according to local residents and rescue workers. It’s understood the monk had already travelled quite far into the cave when heavy rains struck on Sunday and continued for the next few days, cutting off his exit.
According to the Pattaya News, the monk is a frequent visitor to the cave and well-known to local residents, who were first to report the floodwaters and express concern that the monk was trapped. While rescue efforts continue, monks from other temples in the area have gathered at the cave entrance to pray for Phra Ajarn Manat.
The challenging weather conditions are hampering rescue workers’ attempts to reach the monk. However, he has been located alive, just beyond the flooded area. He has access to water, but no food, and is believed to have a slight fever.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post | The Pattaya News
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Crime
16 Thais busted running 10 illegal online gambling sites

16 web admins are in custody today after being arrested around the Buriram province today for allegedly operating 10 illegal online gambling websites. The group of Thai nationals are accused of renting a house where they secretly operated a string of websites where people could gamble online including sajoker123.com. Police received a number of complaints in March from neighbourhood residents that the rented house was actually an undercover office for running the 10 websites.
The online gambling websites were allegedly being run in five different venues spread across the Buriram province, police investigators report. Officers obtained a search warrant and then raided all the locations this morning. 16 people were present at the time of the raids and taken into custody. The website administrators allegedly confessed to the crimes and gave police further details into their setup. They had apparently taken 300,000 baht in investments in order to not only set up the gambling websites but also take a class on how to operate only gambling sites too.
The 16 people are currently being charged on several counts including arranging and advertising illegal activities as well as organizing online gambling sites without permission. Police seized a multitude of equipment and devices from the 5 secret offices, along with a small amount of illegal drugs. 31 mobile phones, 30 computer screens, 20 computers, 6 internet routers, 4 CCTV cameras, 2 tablets, and a laptop were collected along with 16 bankbooks and 10 ATM cards.
There is no information on how much money the group of 16 Thai people were able to take in by running these 10 illegal online gambling sites. Last month, police busted another illegal group of 12 people running gambling operations online from Bangkok and laundering money to Hong Kong. They seized 15 million baht in assets in that case. The group of Buriram web admins were taken to Nang Rong Police station and legal proceedings will continue from there.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News
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Colin G
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 5:12 pm
Microns ? What are you talking about ?
The measure for particulates is μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre)
Brian Marshall
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 8:32 pm
The Thai authorities are piss weak or taking backhanders. There is a very simple solution to the annual burning. Put army units up in the forests. Anyone lighting a fire gets an automatic 10 year jail sentence and their land is confiscated.It will stop it in a year guaranteed.
The cost to the country in terms of health issues is astronomical but they couldn’t give a shit for a short term financial gain. Educate the people, improve the soil instead of burning everything,make compost.
Peter Sattler
Thursday, April 1, 2021 at 8:33 am
How many dedicated firefighting aircraft could be bought for the price of one submarine?
Sierra
Saturday, April 3, 2021 at 6:53 am
A horrible stain on Thailand’s reputation. The whole north of Phuket is hell for 5 months a year.