Air pollution in Chiang Mai is a big problem with many residents suffering from respiratory illness and premature death. The impact on the local economy and environment is massive, but what can we do about about it:
- What do you think should be done?
- What measures should be put in place?
- What should local and national government be doing?
- How should local communities help?
- What can the expat community do to help?
- As a growing Chiang Mai community ourselves, what can we/should we do to help?
Please add your thoughts below.
In terms of air pollution from vehicles, one possible idea would be to introduce a cycle hire scheme in Chiang Mai.
Similar to that found in over 400 European cities including London and Paris, low cost cycle rentals could be made available in the city centre to encourage usage over motor vehicles for short trips. Docking stations can be setup at strategic points across the city including in major attractions like shopping centres, schools, parks etc.
The costs of setting up a cycle hire system needn’t be high. It can be privately funded in the form of sponsorship, perhaps by a bank which has the infrastructure in place to allow local people easy ways to pay – pay by ATM perhaps?
Anyway, this one idea could really make a difference in the city centre itself to reduce the number of cars and motorcycles on the road, as well as red buses. Also, if costed well this system could provide access to all, by offering the lowest cost transport in the city.
One additional benefit from such a scheme is that if usage was high, it would encourage the local authorities to increase the number of official cycle lanes in Chiang Mai.
The problem is Thai culture. Thais have little respect for other people’s property, so rented
motorcycles would quickly be destroyed. Have you ever rented DVD’s in Thailand? You can
see the terrible condition they are in, covered with scratches. Half the time the disc won’t even
play all the way through without parts being unwatchable because of the damage. Such damaged
discs are always set to view with dubbed Thai dialog, which means that a Thai person was the last
to rent it. Buy or rent a piece of property in Thailand, or look at any vacant piece of property and you
can observe that it is always strewn with garbage thrown there by your future neighbors. Thais, like
Filipinos, are only concerned with their own little personal space, and have little sense of community.
Your idea is good in theory, but you need to remember who you are dealing with.
Comment from an anonymous user:
Comment submitted from nik:
As of February 2015 we appear to be seeing no improvement in the air pollution situation with serious pollution reported on3rd February. The next day we received the following from a long time resident: I’m planning to be away from Chiang Mai in March. It is a really bad season, with polluted haze making life in the north very unhealthy. Last year my wife and I both developed allergic rhinitis and acute asthma, which was expensive to treat and hard to recover from. We had to evacuate our daughter out of the area. It’s no joke. .. PLEASE do not come to Chiang Mai until the rains come in April or May if you suffer from bronchial illness.
when i read in the paper that the fire brigade is at the air port and spraying water in the air, i have to laugh.
typical thai style try to fix something after it happens. The fire brigade should be going around and extinguish fires, I cycle every day and every day i see private burning even now (17 March AQI 166.
Down the drain with culture and old rusted habits.
If it is a crime to drive and drink, then smoke and choke is an even crime.
Thai burners sent their own folks to hospital, to death or to decreased health condition.
And nowadays a fine of 10,000 baht for drink and drive. What a joke and the burner killers go free.
Not a village headman or village policeman is doing a thing about it. Oh, cannot fine him, he is my family or a friend of mine or their family and if I fine them they will be angry with me.
Stupid cowards like the provincial government. Set your fireman on the job and kill any fire they can and report the people responsible for the fire.
About pollution from traffic. Fine for foreigners as they will ride a bycicle, but don’t expect a Thai to do that. It is hot and fatique, I’d rather take a nap.
Chiang Mai and many regions in the north are getting worse every year. Last year we had a red sun showing at 4 PM. What more poison is there in the air?.
Expats cannot do much about it as we are not really accepted in the Thai culture/system.
Government is doing funny things like sending an airplane up with 3000 liters of water to spray. Peanuts! Same as they say they can make rain. Bullocks.
Educate children in school is a good idea, but papa at home still burns the trash and children look what their parents do and when these parents say it is good this way, children believe their father. What else can they do in this paternal culture.
You cannot tell people that burning is a crime against humanity. That would be losing face for both parties and that is something Thai don’t like.
Rather wear useless masks and sit quiet and wait for the storm to lay down, rather than raise your voice. Not another generation to fix this. Let’s say 3 generations, that’s about the gap Thailand differs from the western world.
I for myself plan to leave Chiang Mai in particular. Dunno yet where to go; it is all bad up north and I especially like the climate here. Maybe leave Thailand altogether as you don’t want to be in a society that ‘beats’ you up right?
Thai shoot their own foot this way and I hope that Prayhut starts caring even more about this issue.
First, as for so many things,people need to be educated. Create awareness. Billboards at essential way points throughout the city with up-to-date CO/ NO2/ Sat O2/ O3 and PM10 data with a colored index. Assure that those figures can not be manipulated or the boards simply be switched off. Make use of the warnings used on cigarette packages. Second, all vehicles needs to be labelled regarding their emissions, than create emission zones. I am aware of the importance of Tuk Tuks and Soong Teew Cars in Chiang Mai due to lack of public transportation but the emission rule should include them as well. No exceptions. Some people suggest a bicycle scheme which itself is a very good idea but I think Chiang Mai has to create save bicycles lanes first. Painting them on the side of the road is insufficient.. As a long-term plan, scooters/ motorbikes and Tuk Tuks should only be allowed in Chiang Mai when electrically powered.Chiang Mai should try to become the greenest city in Thailand!
Every day in August this year a smoke stack within sight of where I live (near San Kamphaeng) pours out thick dark brown to black smoke as a crop drying facility gets its fires under way. The worst smoke lasts for up to 12 minutes, at which time the stream turns to light grey and then it goes on for hours. Most days this start up situation happens three times as a new load of wood, trees most likely slashed down in the forests nearby,are set to burning. In the past three year, three people that I’m aware of have died of cancer. Because some local figures have a stake in this abomination, no one steps up to the plate to try to rectify the situation. Are they all so stupid as to not realize that their own lives and those of their families are going down the drain? Astonishing ignorance and lack of ethics and morality!