Big alarm for smog in Bangkok
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De smog and the corresponding fine dust in eastern Bangkok is so persistent that the government is now pulling out all the stops. Two planes will try to generate artificial rain over the worst-hit city district today and will continue to do so until Friday.
The Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation Department hopes for rain in Bang Na, Sai Mai, Lat Krabang and Bang Kapi districts by evening. Even the Royal Thai Air Force is going to help. Two BT-67 aircraft are deployed to spread fine mist over the smog areas.
Prime Minister Prayut is also concerned and wants the use of face masks to be promoted and water sprayed. In addition, he wants the cause to be addressed.
The Ministry of Health is providing N95 face masks in the worst affected areas. The standard face masks offer no protection. Governor Aswin announces that 10.000 face masks will be distributed. This also happens in Lumpini, Bang Kunthian, Chatuchak and Ratchaprasong.
The municipality of Bangkok mainly focuses on spraying with water on roads, footpaths and routes where metro lines are under construction. Construction sites must prevent the spread of dust and the residents of Bangkok must not burn waste. Last night, soldiers started to deploy some kind of water cannons in different places at Silom, Sathon, Witthayu and Pratunam. They will continue this for a few more days.
Schools have been asked not to do outdoor activities.
It is striking that former director general Supat of the PCD says in the Bangkok Post that spraying with water is less effective than people think. “Rain and other water can wash away large dust particles, but not PM2,5. They are so miniscule that they can even survive a downpour. It is unlikely that spraying with water will help anything.”
Source: Bangkok Post
This spraying etc. fits in with the thinking of Thais: don't tackle the cause, but mess around a bit to combat the consequences. And if the worst smog is accidentally gone, then the problem is also gone. A bit along the lines of: “Dredging channels during the rainy season when there is flooding, but addressing something structurally (very difficult concept of course)?
What Teun says there is 100% as it is indeed.
That's what we have to deal with.
A whole lot of blah blah but basically nothing happens.
And the average Thai ah has already forgotten tomorrow what happened today.
Yes, then what do you want?
I am in BKK and as an asthma leader, I suffer a lot from it. That they start taking those highly polluting buses off the road. But yes, logical thinking is apparently something that is unknown here.
Yes that is indeed true, they supposedly want to take measures etc.. etc.. but are blind to those many very old red monsters (they call those trucks buses...) that vomited their black exhaust through Bangkok, almost day and night.
The renewal plan for those antique “buses” announced many years ago with a great deal of trumpeting is completely limping. Only here and there you see one now and then (line 511) but for the rest….
Why the policy people here seem to be seeing blind, I have a guess, could this be Thai mentality?
They think here that they can clear the air in Bangkok with some sturdy water cannons… seems rather naive and far-fetched to me, but yes. In the time of the high water levels, they also thought of being able to easily send the excess water to the sea via rotating propellers….