Bangkok and six northern provinces to see air quality worsen over weekend

[Kanjana & Paul]

The PCD reported yesterday that air quality across the country ranged from very good down to a health-threatening level at 11 am. The amount of PM2.5 dust particles in the atmosphere also exceeded the standard level in many areas nationwide:

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/bangkok-and-six-northern-provinces-to-see-air-quality-worsen-over-weekend

This is one of the main reasons that we probably won't retire in Thailand. Our house is in rural Samoeng, northwest of Chiang Mai, and the air quality here is often pretty abysmal, mostly due to people burning all sorts of waste stuff. There's been a campaign to stop people burning stuff but very few seem to take notice. My wife tells me that starting next month fines will be issued to anyone caught burning stuff without good reason but as the phrase goes 'this is Thailand'!!

[caller]

Currently 153 for PM2.5 in Watthana, Bkk at 12.20. PM10 Is moderate at 65 and ozone is unhealthy at 143. From the condo balcony, I can see a pinkish hue gradually morphing into a blue sky above. It's been like this for the past week.

A friend in Hua Hin sent me a message yesterday that the annual burning has started down there

And farangs wonder why Thai's wear masks!

[sisaket]

Saraburi is currently 9 times over the WHO limit.

[Kanjana & Paul]

And farangs wonder why Thai's wear masks!

Jokes aside, the mask-wearing perplexes me somewhat. While some of these masks may give some protection against pollution and maybe viruses, to me it looks as though the wearing of masks has become as natural to most Thais as wearing any other item of clothing. One of my Thai nieces who is a nurse tells me that most Thais simply wear them because most other people are wearing them! Herd mentality etc.......

[caller]

I don't really agree. People were wearing masks in Bkk before covid precisely because of pollution, as they were in other Asian Countries as well. Not as many, granted, but still being worn. Thai's are more aware of the risk of pollution now and as stated, the wearing of masks is 2nd nature now.

And covid is still around. Thailand has lied about the figures right from the start. I agree its not as serious now, but if I was an hourly or daily paid worker, or in any job where I didn't get paid if absent, then I would wear a mask too. Many people here live hand to mouth and the fear of not being paid, not being able to eat or pay the rent on their already squalid accommodation, is very real.

It wasn't long ago that Thai's were queueing for food, donated free, all over Hua Hin, and I think most will do whatever they can to avoid being in that situation again. Wearing a mask seems a small sacrifice until confidence is returned.

[Kanjana & Paul]

We all have different experiences. 4 years ago in Chiang Mai, hardly anyone was wearing masks but fair enough it was always more common for Asian people to wear them than not. From what I have seen, most wear them due to the Covid threat even though it is no longer mandatory. It has little to do with pollution as far as I can see. In any case, the masks I have seen being used are often not up to the job and equally often they are not being worn properly. And their biggest weakness is often that they do not have a good enough seal.

The key to any mask’s effectiveness is the seal. A good seal suctions the air quality mask to your face during inhalation.

[sisaket]

IQA is excellent : thats how I knew about Saraburi. Most masks i ve seen are worn ineffectively, plus for Coronaviruses, they can enter via the eyes in any case. Before I got my Newcastle United masks I wore Japanese or Korean which were made for pollen, not that they did anything, but were comfortable to wear and easy to wash and looked the part to use on the BTS, MRT and get in 7/11. Most people wearing masks, you can drive a tank through the gaps, an utter waste of time.

[Kanjana & Paul]

Just under 2 years ago Chiang Mai, about 50km from where our house is in Samoeng, was reported to be the most polluted city on the planet. Since then, there has been some improvement. According to IQAir it now occupies 11th place on the list. Unless more is done to improve this I can't see us staying in the area for very long periods and certainly not retiring there. In any case, me and the wife are happy to have the best of both worlds by eventually doing the 6-month stint in Thailand/UK. Although things are not great in the UK at present with all the strikes etc, I have no desire to leave completely.

[Kanjana & Paul]

On the mask issue and a bit of light relief, here's a video of John Oliver showing how the debate over face masks was reported a couple of years ago in the US. Apologies if this has been posted before

[caller]

I see that Bkk residents are now being warned to wear masks and to take other precautions, whatever they are, against high pollution levels in Bkk. And of course the 'safe level' for PM2. 5 in Thailand is double of that used in the west.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...-due-next-week.

Even the Guardian reported on it the other day:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/26/bangkok-air-pollution-prompts-advice-to-work-from-home

This is the official Govt. Site for air quality in Bkk. Luckily there are other sites where air quality is recorded.

https://bangkokairquality.com/bma/home

[Kanjana & Paul]

I took this photo from the top of one of the hills near Samoeng just yesterday. Visibility was pretty bad and there were fires alight all over the place. The air stank of smoke - very unhealthy!

This just goes to reaffirm my decision not to come to live here permanently. I don't know how the locals here put up with it. Obviously a case of no choice I guess.

[caller]

For those living in Thailand, how has the pollution been where you are?

I returned to Hua Hin from Bkk on the Tuesday just gone, and every day for a week, the pollution had been visible and when I went out, it was with a Korean made PM2.5 mask, in the hope it offered protection.

But as the bus headed back to Hua Hin on the Rama II road, which gives you a great view of central Bkk just to the North, it was a shock to see how bad the pollution had become.

And then heading south towards Cha Am, past the range of hills to your left, there it was again, I was really surprised how bad it looked. And that covered the whole area, including where I live west and south of Hua Hin. The nearby hills where I live were only just visible through the smog. And that lasted until today, where it has eased off, but still above recommended levels. On Thursday, the main problem was ozone followed by PM2.5, all at ridiculous levels. At times the PM2.5 level exceeded 200!

These are the highest levels I have ever seen in Hua Hin. So doors and windows stayed firmly closed and I wore a mask even to tend to the garden, only doing the bare minimum. Its comical reading the media, with the Government basically keeping quiet on the subject,with various authrorities saying they are 'monitoring' the situation.

The morning, the establishment supporting Central Group's Bangkok Post, reported this:

Haze returns with a vengeance (bangkokpost.com)

Worth reading the comments as well.

[Dave and Tia]

Fine here in Ubon town. Just been 40kms north and no signs of any burning. My wife stopped burning stubble about 6 years ago, just ploughs it into the land a couple of times

[sisaket]

For those living in Thailand, how has the pollution been where you are?

I was up Khao Hin Lek Fai (Hua Hin) on Sunday, looked a great view with no apparent pollution, Bangkok is hit and miss can see the downtown core from my balcony a few times last week it looked murky.
South West Bangkok and Sakon Nakon wont be helped by the (nitemare to drive) construction going on, with associated dust.

[caller]

Yes, pollution in Hua Hin has been improving for the last few days. Yesterday, everything was good for the first time since I returned home. Today, PM2.5 is edging up again. Just above Thailand's own safety level, at 51.