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Air Pollution Pattaya


drlove

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I've been here about a month and there has been a constant haze. For a while I thought it was an inversion that traps pollution in an area. There was very little breeze. But even after a storm or a windy day the visibility here seems to be about 1 mile at most. This extends out over the bay as well as over the land.

 

When you search the internet for info one thing comes up more than anything else - illegal slash and burn clearing of land in Sumatra. The president of Indonesia has even apologized to Singapore and Malasia for the extreme pollution this has caused them. The pollution indexes there have reached their highest levels ever. It's illegal now, but there's more of it than ever. This makes no sense from a socio - political point of view, but there you go, that's the peasant mentality of SE Asia. No concern for health or environment - only get some money. I wonder how they can light fires when they can hardly breathe.

 

What I want to know - is there a reliable air pollution index for Thailand?

 

I wanted to go for a jog this morning and I looked out my window and said forget about it. I'm thinking of cutting my trip short and heading home.

 

What do you think?

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This indicates the air pollution in Rayong is below the red warning level. Late October is outside the burning season.

 

http://aqmthai.com/

 

The Pollution Control Department was established on June 4, 1992 under the Royal Decree on the Organizational Division of Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment B.E. 2535(1992), as result of the Enhancement and Conversation of the National Environment Quality Act B.E. 2535 (1992).

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This indicates the air pollution in Rayong is below the red warning level. Late October is outside the burning season.

 

http://aqmthai.com/

 

The Pollution Control Department was established on June 4, 1992 under the Royal Decree on the Organizational Division of Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment B.E. 2535(1992), as result of the Enhancement and Conversation of the National Environment Quality Act B.E. 2535 (1992).

 

Thanks. I looked at that site before but didn't go much into it because it is in Thai.

 

I see the index that you are talking about regarding Rayong - it's listed as 113 today. According to this scale

http://library.pcd.go.th/Multimedia/News/2556/10/28/6.pdf that is "Unhealthy" which is between "Moderate" and "Very Unhealthy."

I see other listings that are better - Laem Chabang 67, Chonburi 61. I see info for U-Tapao Airport - visibility 3,000 m, which is about what I'm looking see out my window, maybe a little less here.

 

There's a note in bold red Thai writing about the index and I'm wondering what that says. It includes the word "smoke"

ไม่ควรเà¸à¸´à¸™ 100

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BTW the U-Tapao weather report for pilots (METAR) lists the condition as "mist". There are two other choices they could have used "haze" and "smoke." I believe that could be an objective call by the observer. Mist is wet and it's not at all wet here. U-Tapao is only 20 miles away and just off the bay, similar to Pattaya.

 

Baa said that the burning season is over and I'm sure he's right. So what would you attribute this pollution to?

 

Looking out from Pattaya towards the bay, the visibility is the same as over land. Out there it could be mist I guess, but over Pattaya and off towards the east, I'm thinking it's smog. There's been a nice breeze for a couple of hours now too, and it doesn't seem to help the visibility at all. I've been coming here for many years such poor visibility for so many weeks.

 

Is there a meteorologist in the house? No? So what do you think?

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BTW the U-Tapao weather report for pilots (METAR) lists the condition as "mist". There are two other choices they could have used "haze" and "smoke." I believe that could be an objective call by the observer. Mist is wet and it's not at all wet here. U-Tapao is only 20 miles away and just off the bay, similar to Pattaya.

 

Baa said that the burning season is over and I'm sure he's right. So what would you attribute this pollution to?

 

Looking out from Pattaya towards the bay, the visibility is the same as over land. Out there it could be mist I guess, but over Pattaya and off towards the east, I'm thinking it's smog. There's been a nice breeze for a couple of hours now too, and it doesn't seem to help the visibility at all. I've been coming here for many years such poor visibility for so many weeks.

 

Is there a meteorologist in the house? No? So what do you think?

 

Made dumb mistake in this one. Should say "I believe that could be an subjective call by the observer."

 

And BTW I smell smoke. It's not very strong. I think there is local burning in the Pattaya area, maybe making a big contribution to this smog. That's what I think it is. Smog with smoke. There was about 5 hours of pretty strong wind today and the visibility improved, but I still can't see the hills to the east. On clear days I can see all the way the big buddha carved on the face of a huge rock.

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In my years of association with South East Asia, I feel that poor air quality for this region, is a given. Multiple causes, anything from dust off the Chinese deserts, to burning of land, to automotive pollution. I've never seen or heard of clean air here, not like there is in NZ and the Pacific islands.

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