Thailand is fighting forest fires, but a large part of the current air pollution comes from fires in neighboring countries.
As PM2.5 pollution levels have reached dangerous levels in some parts of the country, endangering the health of residents, the kingdom is trying to find solutions to force its neighbors to fight fires.
On Saturday, March 16, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin stated:
“Thailand may have to take severe measures and ban the import of maize from neighboring countries next year if they refuse to control the burning of agricultural waste and forests, thus contributing to transboundary air pollution.”
He stated that he had already warned that Thailand might impose taxes on corn imports from neighboring countries if they did not control air pollution.
Unfortunately, this warning was ignored, leading him to consider more severe measures, by simply banning corn imports.
Citing studies on the causes of PM2.5, Srettha said that the problem in Thailand is mainly caused by transboundary haze, followed by domestic forest fires and agricultural waste burning.
He stated that PM2.5 was an economic issue and needed to be addressed with new innovations, adding that Thailand could not force its neighbors to stop burning agricultural waste, but it could pressure them to restrain their farmers.
However, without decisive action, it will be impossible to mitigate or stop the problem of transboundary smoke.
Regarding Thailand, he said that the government did not tolerate fires being lit in forests and that a reward of 10,000 bahts was offered to anyone who managed to catch a fire starter.
See: €258 reward for reporting arsonists in northern Thailand
The Prime Minister also stated that although this year's forest fires are about a third of those of last year, he is still not satisfied.
See also:
Bangkok's children victims of nightmarish pollution
Children are bleeding from the nose due to air pollution in northern Thailand
Thailand adopts 7 new laws to combat air pollution
Source: Thai PBS World
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7 comments
Strong sanctions should be applied quickly against these culprits and of all kinds!
To save the planet and its inhabitants, solicit the support of ecologists from all worthy and responsible countries if we wanted to achieve the more than legitimate objective, the salvation of the earth in the proper sense of the term.
As I pointed out in a previous comment on the same subject, it was already clear many years ago that 70% of air pollution in Thailand, specifically in the north of the country, was the result of slash-and-burn farming in Burma and Cambodia, and I stressed the fact that Myanmar cared very little about the health of its people and the health consequences for its population.
It is therefore not surprising that the military junta in power in this country pays little attention (to be polite) to the threats and pressures exerted by Thailand for the military in power to act to reduce and ban agricultural and forest fires, frequent in provinces with agricultural vocation, and especially those bordering the western border of Thailand…
I don't know the importance of Myanmar's corn exports to Thailand, but the decline in GDP would have to be significant in the event of a total ban on Burmese corn exports to Thailand for the ruling junta to get off its backside…
The generals in power have other fish to fry, especially since the neighboring provinces of Thailand are in the hands of anti-government rebels.
In my humble opinion, we should not expect an improvement in this situation from this cumbersome, smoking and polluting neighbour, in the near future for the misfortune of the health of the provinces in northern Thailand.
As for pollution in central Thailand, especially in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces of the capital, other factors are involved, notably industrial and transportation of goods and people, and there, the Thai government has full powers to finance long-term solutions…
If the will exists, will the means follow???
As usual, it's not me, it's the other.
There is no one in Thailand who is burning, who is burning sugarcane, the mountains around Chiang Mai that are on fire, it's because of Laos, Myanmar and Burma…
Completely agree with you… the responsible ones are the others!!!
By blaming neighboring countries, they can do nothing, it's convenient.
Already if the Thai stopped burning plastic in their garden!
Also agree with your comments…
The famous 'it's not me, it's him' Thai...
When we see all these fires on the right and left in Thailand, it does not improve the existing situation.
Just yesterday, in the heart of Korat city, a person was burning a mixture of herbs and plastics.
It's convenient, this way everyone can benefit.
So, it's great to attack its neighbors when oneself doesn't control the situation.
We can only hope that Thailand and the Thais clean up their country.
Only after, it will be magnificent, because it's a beautiful country that can become even more beautiful than now if pollution AND plastic AND atmospheric AND noise AND light disappears.