Thread: Chiang mai hit by smoke polution again

Originally Posted by zubber

Thai and Burmese authority to combat with smoke problem

Thursday, 18 February 2010 15:09 Usa Pichai




Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – This year Northern Thailand and parts of neighboring Burma are again suffering from a smoke filled haze caused by the burning of forest and agricultural waste. Sumeth Saengnimnual, governor of Chiang Rai which borders the Burmese Tachilek Township met Wednesday with Burmese officials to discuss several topics including the smoke problem which usually occurs during the dry season. Governor Sumeth said that the Burmese authorities agreed to cooperate with Thai officials to combat pollution.

However this cooperation is limited, Govenor Sumeth told reporters that other than banning the burning of garbage after 5pm Burmese authorities have to wait for permission from central government authorities to impose other measures. Meanwhile the smoke has become so bad in Tachilek that flights have been delayed from leaving Tachilek airport due to poor visibility.

Governor Sumeth told reporters that “Chiang Rai has asked local villagers not to burn forest and straw in their plantation particularly from 20 -30 February 18, 2010, those who do burn will be charged”.

In Chiang Mai, Wichai Kijmee, the chairman of committee to solve forest fires and smoke problems of Chiang Mai said that the smoke problem is expected to be worse this year because of the dry weather and an increase in agricultural waste from corn and straw farms.

“More smoke has been found in Chiang Mai in recent weeks not only from provinces nearby but also from our Burmese neighboring. Chiang Mai is in a valley shaped like a wok which makes air-ventilation difficult,” he said.

Several years ago the Thai government established a national center to coordinate efforts to decrease smoke pollution in northern Thailand. The center cooperates with neighboring countries to fight the smoke, however this year despite the increased international cooperation smoke levels are dangerously high.

In Chiang Rai, the governor said measurements of air pollution in the northern provinces found dust particles smaller than 10 microns at 100.4 micrograms per cubic meter which is close to what is considered the dangerous level. The public health standard is a maximum 120 micrograms per cubic meter.

In 2008, Chiang Rai and other districts in the northern provinces were declared disaster zones because of the choking smoke which plagued Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son and Lamphun. Theses areas have again been severely affected over the past few weeks and many residents have gone to hospitals with breathing problems and other smoke related illnesses.

We gonna do this , wee gonna do that,,,he says we gonna clean up this pollution, they say this not acceptable,, should do this an you shud do dat but nobody gives a shit. Dem poor farmers again gettin all de stick and burnin it. Bet dey haven't told any tourists yet or ever will to bring your own mask.

heard about the smoke problems before. will they still be burning during sonkran?

Originally Posted by ch1ldofthemoon

heard about the smoke problems before. will they still be burning during sonkran?

HeHeHe - now there's a point ! - good one sunshine!

Originally Posted by DrB0b

They say the same thing every year here. Nothing ever gets done.

Sad but true. This is an annual news story, with the same bullshit trotted out each year.

^ the difference between Lao and Thailand, is that the government actually does things, even though limited by funds, rather than speaking nonsense all the time and doing fvck'all.



I much prefer my time in Laos than in Thai nowadays.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

They say the same thing every year here. Nothing ever gets done. The smoke in CM has little to do with forest fires, that's just a distraction from the real issue. The real issue is the burning of stubble on the huge rice farms around the province, the owners of those farms are extremely wealthy and therefore untouchable. Forest burning and burning by hill-tribes contributes very little to the haze here.

A Mr Thaksin seems to own most of the farmland around Chiang Mai.

Actually though bad this year is much better than last year and a thousand times better than the major smog we had three or four years ago. There appears to be a lot less burning of the forest than in previous years.

Originally Posted by Begbie

There appears to be a lot less burning of the forest than in previous years.

Might be because there's not much left to burn.

Originally Posted by zubber

particularly from 20 -30 February 18, 2010

just goes to show that Thailand is indeed unique in the world...

Originally Posted by Begbie

Originally Posted by DrB0b

They say the same thing every year here. Nothing ever gets done. The smoke in CM has little to do with forest fires, that's just a distraction from the real issue. The real issue is the burning of stubble on the huge rice farms around the province, the owners of those farms are extremely wealthy and therefore untouchable. Forest burning and burning by hill-tribes contributes very little to the haze here.

A Mr Thaksin seems to own most of the farmland around Chiang Mai.

Really? That's an interesting statistic. Have you got a link to where you got it?

Same place you got yours. Hearsay.

I was looking at a plot of land near San Kampaeng a few years back and was told by the villagers that Thaksin owned all the land from the road to near the base of the mountain which was about 3km away.

Originally Posted by Begbie

Same place you got yours.

Eh? I didn't claim anything from hearsay. What are on about?

Originally Posted by Begbie

Hearsay.

Ah, right. I had a feeling it was something like that. The land registry is open to all and what's in there doesn't match what you say.

Originally Posted by Begbie

I was looking at a plot of land near San Kampaeng a few years back and was told by the villagers that Thaksin owned all the land from the road to near the base of the mountain which was about 3km away.

Chinag Mai has an area of 8,000 sq miles. While I don't doubt he and his family own a lot of land what you describe is hardly "most of the farmland around Chiang Mai"

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Originally Posted by Begbie

I was looking at a plot of land near San Kampaeng a few years back and was told by the villagers that Thaksin owned all the land from the road to near the base of the mountain which was about 3km away.

Chinag Mai has an area of 8,000 sq miles. While I don't doubt he and his family own a lot of land what you describe is hardly "most of the farmland around Chiang Mai"

Farmland makes up only a small percentage of that 8,000 sq miles. So how do you know that they don't own most of the farmland.?

You mentioned the extremely wealthy untouchables, are you surprised that Thaksin is one of them.

I assume we can expect a report from you as soon as you return from the land registry.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

The real issue is the burning of stubble

Agreed, but it is the quickest way to turn the land around and get the next crop planted.
Until that issue can be resolved they won't be changing their methods.


The burning of rubbish each evening rather than walking 5 metres to the bin is to deter mosquitoes.

Originally Posted by Begbie

A Mr Thaksin seems to own most of the farmland around Chiang Mai.

Seems to....but really doesn't.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

I don't care who owns the land when it comes to the air pollution issue. Whether it's Thaksin, CP group, Than Shwe, or Hun Sen it makes no difference to me or to anybody else when it comes to discussing or experiencing the effects of stubble burning on the air pollution in Chiang Mai.

To be fair Bob you made the claim that most farmland in CM is owned by the untouchables. I never asked you to back this up as I know from the locals (yes hear say) that most land is farmed by tenants who sold out years ago to people from Bangkok. However your claim that stubble burning can't be stopped seems odd as it's the tenant farmers who are doing the burning and I have the impression that near Chiang Mai at least it has been stopped.

There seems to be big differences in what country's deem the safety limit for Pm10, I'm not sure I would like to live in Chang Mai in the bad periods, it's a big shame for an otherwise very nice place with this problem.

PM10

Clusters of small particles, such as carbon particles, in the air that come mostly from vehicle exhausts. There is a link between increase in PM10 levels and a rise in death rate, increased hospital admissions, and asthma incidence. The elderly and those with chronic heart or lung disease are most at risk.
The smaller the particulates the more dangerous they are: those below 2.5 μm across travel deep into the lungs and lodge there. The particulates themselves may be harmless but they may carry damaging chemicals, such as acids, into the lungs.
A European Commission draft directive released in November 1997 laid down guidelines for acceptable PM10 levels, aiming at maximum concentrations of 50 μg/m3 of air over each 24-hour period by 2005. The directive stipulated a buffer of 25 days in which this may be exceeded (amended in 1999 to 35 days), to be reduced to seven days by 2010.
The US safety limit for PM10 levels is 150 μg/m3. US studies suggest that there is no safe limit and an increase of 10 μg/m3 causes a 1% rise in death rate. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 60,000 deaths are caused annually by particulates.

Link- PM10 - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about PM10

how do retirees cope with this every year ? their lungs and breathing must be bad

^you hire a thai to breathe for you....

North braces for intense air-pollution season


By VARATAYA CHAILANGKA,
EKKAPONG PRADITPONG
THE NATION ON SUNDAY
Published on February 21, 2010





The air pollution season in the North might be worse this year, as smog has been spotted in several areas and forest fires in Chiang Mai and Lamphun have doubled from last year's level.





Wichai Kitmee, acting director of Protected Areas Regional Office 16, yesterday said the hot and arid conditions would cause a build-up of dry leaves. Mae Cham district alone has 30,000 tonnes of cornhusks, most of which will be disposed of by burning.
Mae Cham, Om Koi, Hot, Chom Thong and Chiang Dao are the smog-prone districts, he said.
Surapol Leelawaroros, head of the office's Forest Fire Division, said 500 wildfires had been reported in Chiang Mai and Lamphun this year, destroying 3,000 rai of land.
This represents a 200-per-cent hike from the same period last year.
Although smog is visible in some areas at certain times of the day, fine-particle dust has increased only slightly and air quality is still within the legal standard, he said.
Chiang Mai Governor Amornphan Nimanan urged the public to stop lighting fires outdoors and instructed officials to be on guard and seriously implement legal measures against violators.
Local soldiers will soon be dispatched to patrol Doi Suthep-Pui National Park until the end of April to watch out for such air polluters.
Mae Hong Son is hosting a campaign promoting community participation in preventing forest fires.
The province is using Bt2.5 million from the Thai Khemkhaeng stimulus budget to hire locals in 79 villages of seven districts from December-May as volunteer forest firefighters.

Originally Posted by Begbie

Actually though bad this year is much better than last year and a thousand times better than the major smog we had three or four years ago. There appears to be a lot less burning of the forest than in previous years.

Cause there's bugger all left to burn...

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

Might be because there's not much left to burn.

Shit, beaten to it..

Originally Posted by klongmaster

Just goes to show that Thailand is indeed unique in the world...

Like clockwork????!!!!!

Originally Posted by Thetyim

Agreed, but it is the quickest way to turn the land around and get the next crop planted.

What about 'permaculture' isn't that a better way to farm..can't you grow different crops all year round using that method.
Until that issue can be resolved they won't be changing their methods.

Sorry, I have no time to quickly research this on the Net'.

Originally Posted by Thetyim

The burning of rubbish each evening rather than walking 5 metres to the bin is to deter mosquitoes.

But it doesn't does it...not much at all deter's mosi's in fact...you can burn citronella and the git's still come in drove's