Smoke on the water...

DavidFL

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CHIANG RAI, 21 March 2014 (NNT) – The prevalence of haze around the Mekong River is getting worse, so travelers who are taking boat trips around the area are being warned to be careful.

Today (21 March) at Chiang Saen District in Chiang Rai, there was a large amount of smog, and as a result, freighters from Thailand, China, and Laos have all dropped anchors in the area until the haze subsides.
Visibility along the Mekong River has been reduced to 1 kilometer and the river is densely covered by the haze, so people who travel along the river must be careful since the river has rocks that the boats could easily hit with the lowered visibility. Sailors have to signal and blow a horn to caution other boats, since the sightline is compromised.

In Chiang Rai, about 236 micrograms of particulates have found per cubic meters, and in Mae Sai, about 244 micrograms per cubic meters, which is having an effect on people’s health. In Chiang Rai, there is a campaign imploring the public to not to burn things for the next 100 days as a precaution.

The district is coordinating with Myanmar to make the campaign more effective and Myanmar has also emphasized reducing the amount of burning in the area, as it affects aviation visibility as well.
From
http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNDAT5703210010005
 
Mar 30, 2010
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Yes this week it has become Very Bad. I went into Chiang Mai Town Yesterday and it was Worse than here in Mae Rim but once I returned Home it had become Worse out here!!! It is the Locals Burning the Roadside and the Jungle. People Blame the Farmers but 90 % of it is just Random Burning for No other Reason besides they Can!!! Yearly event that will never Change unless they get real Tough on them which will never happen! The Low evening and morning Temperatures haven't helped as the Atmospherics are holding the Smoke low. Waiting for the First Rains to disperse it which was forecast for this weekend but Nothing yet? Time for a Holiday to the Beach if You can get away!
 

DavidFL

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Another scary one here
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/imagery/firemaps/firemap.2014061-2014070.8192x4096.jpg

The Thai / S E Asia view

297716=18673-GTR%20Thai-SEAsia%20Fire%20Map.jpg
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Read in the news today that the smoke is so thick they had to divert four flights from CNX yesterday! :shock:
 
Jan 16, 2008
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Today the visibility has markedly improved. Just came back from a run up Doi Suthep and visibility from the last viewpoint before the temple was about 10-12 Km's. Haven't seen it like that in months. I can actually see Doi Suthep/Pui from my bedroom window now.
 
Dec 27, 2007
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Managed to sniff out that article I'd seen earlier-

Chiang Mai haze forces four flights to turn back
The Sunday Nation

CHIANG MAI: -- Four flights were forced to return to Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports yesterday morning after being unable to land at Chiang Mai Airport due to poor visibility because of the haze, said Chiang Mai Airport director Wing Commander Lakchai Chaloeyprach.

AirAsia's Kuala Lumpur-Chiang Mai and Don Mueang-Chiang Mai planes returned to Don Mueang while Bangkok Airways' Subarnabhumi-Chiang Mai plane and Thai Airways' Subarnabhumi-Chiang Mai plane returned to Suvarnabhumi. With rainfall forecast for Chiang Mai and the upper North today, he said the situation should improve soon. Passengers who stayed on at the airport were given refunds. They understood the situation, so there was no problem, he added.

Chiang Mai's particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10) yesterday was 282 micrograms per cubic metre at tambon Chang Pheuk and 234 micrograms at tambon Sri Phum, well beyond the safety level of 120 micrograms.

Other northern provinces also witnessed their PM10 readings exceed the safe level yesterday morning - 133 micrograms in Nan; 220 micrograms in Phayao; 165 micrograms in Lampang's Muang district and 138 micrograms in Mae Mo district; 176 micrograms in Lamphun; and 270 in Chiang Rai's Muang district and 234 micrograms in Mae Sai district. Mae Hong Son reported the highest amount of PM10 at 323 micrograms.

Haze in Mae Hong Son in the past three days had prompted Nok Air to suspend its daily flights to the province while poor visibility affected land transport, lamented Mae Hong Son's Joint Public-Private Committee chairman Supoj Klinpraneet. He said the province's 4,500-room accommodation sector was directly hit and was now only about 20-50 per cent booked. The haze cost the province's tourism Bt10 million. If the problem weren't solved fast, the province's income from tourism would decline to less than Bt1 billion this year, compared to the 2013's Bt1 billion and the 2012's Bt1.5 billion, he added.

Chiang Rai's Tourism Industry Council vice president Thanwarat Sripanya said if the haze issue was not resolved soon, it could affect the province's tourism during Songkran.


-- The Nation 2014-03-23
 

darka

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Apr 7, 2014
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TonyBKK;297773 wrote: AirAsia's Kuala Lumpur-Chiang Mai and Don Mueang-Chiang Mai planes returned to Don Mueang while Bangkok Airways' Subarnabhumi-Chiang Mai plane and Thai Airways' Subarnabhumi-Chiang Mai plane returned to Suvarnabhumi. With rainfall forecast for Chiang Mai and the upper North today, he said the situation should improve soon. Passengers who stayed on at the airport were given refunds. They understood the situation, so there was no problem, he added.
This might as well be the asian mentality... I bet if this happened in Europe, people would've gotten apeshit crazy.