Every year we have newspaper stories about air pollution in the North of Thailand. It sounds crazy as you would normally go to the mountains for a holiday to get clean fresh air. But, the air quality in Bangkok today is actually a lot clearer than it is in Northern Thailand. The majority of the pollution is caused by forest fires and crop burning. Some years the haze is pretty bad and in Chiang Mai you might not be able to see Doi Suthep that overlooks the city. Of course, this is of concern not only to the locals but also to foreign tourists. What’s the point in going if you don’t have any views and you are being advised to stay indoors?
I got this email the other day from one concerned family:
My family and I are headed out to Thailand this Saturday. The
highlight of our trip was to be Chiang Mai and working with the
elephants. For unknown reasons, our travel agent never mentioned the
air quality issue and I still can’t get a straight answer from him.
Just curious if you know the current status? We will be in Chiang Mai
on Tuesday of next week. We definitely don’t want to travel
there and spend the money if we can’t be outside. Our kids are 10 and
12 years old.
It is really difficult to advise as the situation can change daily. But, I can say that Mae Hong Son Province has just broken this year’s records for the worst air pollution in Thailand. The PM10 today was an incredible 428 ug/cu m. This measurement is for dust particles smaller than 10 microns. Anything over 120 is bad for your health. Basically, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should remain indoors. The general public should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. So, if you are a tourist, I wouldn’t advise you to visit Mae Hong Son this week.
I’ve checked the PM10 for Chiang Mai today and the readings range from 139-174. Chiang Rai was 167-206. Lampang 145-207. Certainly not healthy but should be fine for a short holiday. I don’t think you will notice much, apart from the haze. I have been there at this time of year before. It’s not bad enough yet in Chiang Mai to cancel a holiday. But, to put all of this into perspective, Phaya Thai in Bangkok only had a PM10 of 30 today!
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét