Dust masks sent to polluted North

Published: 1/03/2009 at 05:59 PM
Online news:

A consignment of 200,000 dust masks has been sent to Chiang Mai to be further distributed to people in areas of the eight Northern provinces with higher than average dust and smoke levels, Public Health Witthaya Kaewparadai said on Sunday.

The minister said that in parts of the northern region the count of particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10) in the air was above the healthy level. The air pollution problem in the region was fluctuating.

Disease Control Department director-general Somchai Chakrabhandu said staff had distributed 50,000 pamphlets describing basic health-maintenance practices in areas with high air pollution.

There had been a 5% increase in the number of people seeking treatment for health problems in Chiang Rai and a 10% increase in Lampang, he said. Most of the people affected by the increased pollution had a past record of respiratory problems.

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Nappy The Critique

Discussion 7 : 03/03/2009 at 06:51 PM7
Since I am indeed a critique, I have been reading over 1000 articles over the last few months. "Amazing Thailand", by saying that you do not think one regulation is better than the other, it implies that you do think that... and that is perhaps racist. Yes, indeed that our lungs may be tougher than yours because all the smoke you ever inhale is from the Saturday BBQ.

Our country may have more pollution and almost everything is worse --except food-- than those countries of you blondies out there. However, people like you make rude comments about us, perhaps? and so hear something regarding your race.

A blonde was trying to hang herself. A guy walked past and asked... "why are you hanging yourself from the waist? you are supposed to hang yourself from the neck" The blonde answered..." I tried.. but I couldn't breathe"

Just informing that sometimes... a comment that might seem normal to you may be rude to others. And if you wan't to find out more about it, you should go read the Kantian Ethics.
Nappy The Critique

Discussion 6 : 03/03/2009 at 06:44 PM6
I would like to oppose "truthseeker" and his wrong assertion. There has been forest fires in Chiang Mai during the last month and I have seen some --since i work as an environmental strategist-- and actually plan how to deal with the forest. Also, in some parts of the mountains, people have set fires to burn their trash and when they realize, it has become a mammoth flame. In fact, in this little village at T. Mae Kwai has been totally eradicated because a farmer had spread his crop fire throughout.

The lung problem is a big one. I have had coughs and red eyes for an ongoing period of time. I do see vilagers get sent to the hospital who are coughing their guts out. THe situation is real bad... as if this was the inside of an air filter... very filthy.
truthseeker

Discussion 5 : 02/03/2009 at 01:13 PM5
This is typical for culture where complaints are deemed impolite. Well, so one must start to healthily complain...

Here in the North there are no forest fires as wrongly reported in the Bangkok Post and The Nation some days before.

The haze simply results from scorching the rice fields. As the north is Lan-Na = Million rice fields, we are simply experiencing the result of millions of such fields burned down over night. As long as agriculture does not develop to the next level here where rests of the rice plants are fermented and used to fertilize the fields again, we shall have the haze every year from February to April. But please, do not pin this on forest fires or - like 2 years ago - on the Burmese.

And spare us the masks - Chiang Mai looked already 2 years ago like General Hospital on the roads.
Amazing Thailand

Discussion 4 : 02/03/2009 at 09:38 AM4
The Thai limit is 120ppm. In most developed countries it is 50ppm. I'm not saying one value is better than the other, I just wonder if Thai lungs really are 2,4x more durable and resistant than those of other nationalities.

It would be interesting to know how this value has been decided upon.
Terry

Discussion 3 : 02/03/2009 at 08:38 AM3
I would lke to see the Policemen stopping the polluting vehicles instead od wearing masks.

Ah Ah AH
MaPo

Discussion 2 : 02/03/2009 at 01:16 AM2
And next will be Bangkok?!
Hua Hin Dave

Discussion 1 : 02/03/2009 at 12:43 AM1
ah yes....this would be the Thai (Mai Pen Rai) way of dealing with this.

Anywhere else the government would say: "We told you to stop driving crappy 2 strokes and burning rubbish piles.....now choke you idiots".

Instead good tax money has to be wasted....

Dust masks sent to polluted North