Reader Submission: In the north of Thailand, an ineradicable stubborn “fire virus” is raging.
In Thailand, the Corona virus strikes heavily every day. Followed by various news media. But in Northern Thailand there is also a raging "fire virus" that has been created and maintained by the Thais themselves.
Maintained because it offers benefits and no alternative is available. The virus not only causes immense and annually recurring forest fires, it is accompanied by serious air pollution. In addition to the consequences of the Corona virus, the city of Chiang Mai faces an additional threat.
Here's what Bangkok Post reports: Levels of ultrafine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which, like Covid-19, cause serious respiratory problems, have skyrocketed to about 1.000 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³), marking the safe upper limit of Thailand of 50 µg/m³. Compare that to the WHO, which uses a threshold of 25 µg/m³.
Last Friday there was talk of 925 µg / m³ in Chiang Mai. Not only did Chiang Mai become the most polluted city in the world, it also had the highest level of PM2.5 ever formally recorded in Thailand.
The cause is known: Chiang Mai Governor Charoenrit Sanguansat reported that the pollution is mainly caused by forest fires. One of the hotspots spread across the province is a wildfire in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. That fire was responsible for the worst pollution ever last week. And this park is adjacent to an urban area where several thousand people live.
That is why Thai Prime Minister Prayut expressed serious concern about the well-being of those residents. The chairman of Doi Inthanon Fund Foundation, Pornchai Chitnawasathian, said it was not even necessary to look at PM2.5 levels because the smoke in the houses is telling enough. Now that people in Chiangmai have been instructed to stay indoors because of Corona, staying indoors does not protect against respiratory infections. If not because of Corona, then because of the smoke and air pollution indoors. As of Saturday, 624 fires were still out of control in Chiang Mai, followed by 430 in Mae Hong Son and 276 in Nan.
Forest fires in northern Thailand
The governor of Chiang Mai reported that he is indeed aware that Covid-19 has now hit the city of Chiang Mai, but that he does not find time to deal with it, as he is too busy with the fires. As part of a 'Set Zero' campaign, the governor announced an absolute ban on burning farmland from January 10 to April 30. However, that order is being widely flouted despite the threat of 293 years in prison and/or a fine of up to two million baht. Nevertheless, so far XNUMX suspects have been arrested.
What is the government policy like? Prime Minister Prayut has set up a National Center to coordinate efforts to fight bushfires. The Ministry of the Interior will monitor compliance with the measures taken and the Ministry of Defense will increase patrols. The Department of Agriculture has set a goal of ending slash-and-burn agriculture within three years. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is working to deal with the fires at the outbreak.
However, Thai Pollution Control warned that the number of hotspots is increasing and due to weather conditions and pollution from neighboring countries is likely to lead to extremely poor air quality in the region.
The number of hotspots rose from 1.717 last Thursday to more than 2.283 yesterday, and the increase in fires makes it virtually impossible to meaningfully address the PM2.5 problem.
Yesterday there were very high PM2.5 levels in Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Nan, Phayao and Chiang Mai, with the highest value of 358 µg/m³ in Chiang Dao district.
My statement: without using agricultural insights, without the will and discipline to change behavior, but above all without an offer of government funds and alternatives, the "fire virus" will haunt for days and will more than exceed Corona in damage !
An edit of: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/1888645 / bad air worsens plight
Submitted by KwadraatB
The health damage caused by this annually recurring air pollution in the north and north-east of Thailand has, as far as I know, never been properly mapped, but must be very significant. I wouldn't be surprised if – seen in the somewhat longer term – the death rates from the Corona virus were dwarfed.
The role that the government has assumed – and which has apparently been happily played for many years – is that of a spectator from a safe distance. If bans are issued at all, there is no body that enforces compliance, not even the 'Pollution Control Department' – what's in a name. I've seen blackened fields bordering a police station. Along a main road through a forest area, I saw blackened tree trunks at a government Forest Fire Operation Center in the previous fire season………. To be honest, I have no confidence that the government will actually do anything about this.
That's what I saw all winter. Around Bangkok now clean air and the further north the more polluted. All the way in the north I even see 4 picoGr m249 on Air2Thai today. Close to the Chiang Dao Wildlife. Chiang Mai 109. And long distance Bkk. Under Nong Kham even 7qgm2!
There is a lot of talk about it again just like all previous years until the rainy season starts and then it is as usual EYES CLOSED AND BEAKS CLOSED on behalf of the fabeltjeskrant
A very valid concern!
The acreage of farmland that is set on fire every year during the sugar cane harvest is mind-blowing.
Due to its distribution all over the world (subtropics), it receives little or no media attention.
This concerns an area several times that of Belgium…
The Australian inferno of last year is only small beer against this, in terms of atmospheric pollution.
Hopefully, this will also receive more attention from the media as soon as possible.
The sweetness in our daily cup of coffee or tea sours up our wonderful atmosphere.
Dear sir
For years and years it has been very bad with the air quality in the
northern cities of Thailand!!
Especially in the months of February, March and April when the fields become
burnt down!!
Why is the WHO not doing anything about these crazy practices, and also the
international tourist industry !!
Why no sanctions against the government ??
There is a ban on smoking, something people choose themselves, but against these attacks
the health of especially innocent children, nothing is done !!
with kind regards
W. Derix
Chiang Mai, Chaiang Rai and also Mea Hong Son are among the dirtiest cities in the world these months.
If Greta Thunberg personally held a Therapy here for the first 3 or 4 months of the year, she would declare most of the countries she now regularly laments over a Luftkurort.
I have long had the regrettable impression that Thais are not very concerned about the environment and nature. I have to note to my great dismay that Thai people don't even bother to stop their heavy diesel cars, their soot-spewing buses or their heavily polluting trucks when they go to eat something along the road or do some shopping. The engines have to keep on roaring. even if the outside temperature is not hot by Thai standards.
Whether the majority of people here have ever heard of climate problems seems very unlikely to me.
It is a bit of the Las Vegas phenomenon in the late 50s and early 60s. Letting your engine hum was also proof there that the money could not be used up. The status is the most important.
And hey, the rainy season will quickly make you forget all about weather. In any case, humans will eventually succeed in destroying this planet for good.
Money rules the world.
We stayed in changmai for the last 2 weeks. Sometimes the burning smell wakes you up at night. The sky was gray with smoke. Fortunately, we managed to go home earlier. The smog is actually the worst. Seeing in a hospital many children with shortness of breath complaints. Hope that something will be done about this for the people who live there.
I am north of uttaradit. There is a sugar factory nearby. As a result, a very large area north and east of Uttaradit is full of sugar cane. Been going wrong here for about 4 weeks now. Burning eyes etc.
Especially in the evening and at night the slopes turn red here