burning
- Thailand News
Air pollution crisis: Village chief defends age-old burning practices (video)
As the haze season begins, villagers of Ban Mae Lan Kham are preparing to burn their land, adding to some of the world’s worst air pollution. When the haze season descends upon northern Thailand, village chief Nanthawat Tiengtrongsakun and his community start their annual preparations. They cut down shrubs and trees on their small plots, then set controlled burns to…
- Guides
Things you need to know about Chiang Mai’s burning season
Chiang Mai, known for its stunning landscapes and rich culture, is a top destination for travellers. However, the burning season, from January to April, can take visitors by surprise, as haze and smog cover the region, affecting air quality and outdoor activities. This article explores the causes behind the burning season, its impact on travel, and practical tips to navigate…
- Thailand News
Loei province cracks down on illegal burning to combat toxic smog
The province of Loei issued a stern prohibition on illegal burning in a bid to mitigate the toxic smog crisis. The measure is a response to the yearly increase of forest and sugarcane farm fires, particularly between December and March, which significantly contribute to PM2.5 dust particles in the atmosphere. These particles cause environmental and public health issues, elevating the…
- Pattaya News
Woman burns to death in car at Pattaya reservoir in suspected suicide
A tragic incident occurred near the Mabprachan Reservoir in Pattaya, where a woman lost her life after setting herself on fire inside a parked car. The police believe it was suicide. The incident took place yesterday evening, June 5, when residents alerted the Pattaya Police and Sawang Boriboon rescuers about a car engulfed in flames. Upon arriving at the scene,…
- Thailand News
Report attributes 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand to air pollution
According to the State of Global Air 2020 Report, around 32,000 premature deaths in Thailand, back in 2019, have been attributed to air pollution. The report cites the PM2.5 pollution particles as the main culprit as particles in that size range are the most likely to travel deeply into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure to these fine particles…
- Environment News
Over 250,000 receive eye and nose medical treatment due to pollution in northern provinces
Over 250,000 people are feeling the burn after receiving treatment for eye and nose problems due to pollution in Thailand’s northern provinces. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Health, says the medical issues are due to excessive PM2.5 dust particles in the atmosphere as a result of local wildfires that have produced heavy smog. He says that the seasonal…
- Environment News
Chiang Mai’s air pollution sends over 30,000 to hospital, ranked worst in world today
Air pollution in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, is allegedly responsible for over 30,000 people visiting the hospital seeking treatment for respiratory illnesses. The city, known for its burning season, that blankets the air with smoke, has recently taken the top spot of having the worst air quality in the world. The IQ AirVisual air monitoring website listed Chiang Mai…
- Environment News
Chiang Mai 3rd most polluted city in world in yesterday’s air quality ratings
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…
- Environment News
New national haze forecast website gives 3 day forecasts at 70% accuracy rate
Thailand is getting a new national haze forecasting website that is capable of giving a 3 day forecast at a 70% accuracy rate. The Pollution Control Department is unveiling the “Mekong Air Quality Explorer” platform, which was named after the area is was originally designed to monitor. The PCD teamed with the USAID and NASA, the latter of which has…
- World News
Amnesty International says Myanmar bombing civilians
Myanmar is bombing its own people, according to Amnesty International. The human rights watchdog says it has evidence that indiscriminate airstrikes by Myanmar’s military, also known as the Tatmadaw, are killing civilians, including children, amid a worsening armed conflict in the country’s Rakhine and Chin States. The attacks, and other serious human rights violations, are taking place in towns and…
- Environment News
Government claims they’re serious about northern air pollution
Thailand’s northern provinces, particularly Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, suffer mightily during the annual plantation burning season, infamously known as “smoky season,” when farmers there and in neighbouring Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia burn their fields in preparation for the next harvest. The season lasts from January to April, and during that time Chiang Mai often rates as having the worst…
- Environment News
Plans to renew northern forests destroyed in recent fires
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, along with The Royal Forest Department says they have conducted plans to revive the northern forests which have been destroyed by this year’s burning season and other forest fires. But some good news, the Royal Forest Department says the number of hotspots detected in the North has fallen to 28. The fewer hotspots,…
- Environment News
Sugar industry asks the government to subsidise harvesting machinery
Sugar factories are campaigning to cut and harvest raw sugarcane, instead of boring it first, for processing. The conglomerates are recommending that the government offer funding at low interest rates to farmers to buy harvesters as the prices of the equipment are quite high (6-12 million baht). They are also urging the government to purchase electricity from biomass power plants…
- Environment News
Solving Thailand’s smoke haze problems. “Use shorter or smaller joss-sticks.”
Just checking that it’s actually October 1, not April 1… Thailand’s deputy public health minister has, without a hint of irony, suggested a way to alleviate the haze blanketing parts of Thailand, including swathes of the South and Bangkok. Use shorter or smaller joss-sticks during the current Vegetarian Festival. Dr Satit Pitutacha has made the directive and was explained to…
