Burning has already started!

Dear Editor,
I live in the San Kamphaeng area and, much to my dismay, the burning season started quite some time ago. There is smoke in the air at times and you can smell it sometimes. I fear that this season will be worse than last as the cool season has been very intermittent and the rainy season was not that heavy.
Surely now is the time that the authorities should be cracking down on burning and not when its already reached the point of no return and the air is unbreathable. I would suggest to the authorities that if they are serious about making Chiang Mai livable in March that they send out teams of officials to stop the burning now. Get out of the city and drive around until you see a giant plume of smoke. Call it in and have the fire put out.
I am tired of having to take my annual leave in March when the air here becomes so bad my health suffers. I am tired of having to purchase face masks to filter out the particles and tired of having my son’s asthma flare up and put his health in danger because the authorities are not enforcing the laws strictly enough.
Please, act now!
Regards
Burning eyes already

Noise and smog pollution in Chiang Mai

Dear Editor;
Kudos to Mail Bag contributors “Too Noisy” and “Smogged Out” (Chiang Mai Mail, 16 Dec 12). Their valid concerns about Chiang Mai’s noise and air pollution are shared by residents and visitors alike and need repeating. Unfortunately, those who can and should be doing something about these two very negative aspects of Chiang Mai living seem to be inert.
Random emission checks of vehicles is a step forward, but to bring vehicular pollution to an end, all vehicles should undergo emission checks prior to being registered. In other words, a condition of registration would be passing an emission check at a satisfactory level. No pass, no registration until the vehicle is brought into compliance.
Noise level enforcement is a more difficult nut to crack, but can and must be approached with the same uncompromising sense of purpose. Noise levels on the street from advertising trucks, the ubiquitous two-stroke tuk-tuk, the “hog” motorcycles, trucks and firecrackers are detrimental to everyone’s auditory health. Add to the mix the excessive noise levels of ‘music’ from bars, shopping malls and other venues. Over time, they all contribute to diminished hearing capability at an earlier age. Top this off with the incessant barking of dogs all night with the attendant loss of sleep and the 24-hour assault upon our ears is as unhealthy as the polluted air we breathe.
Clearly the citizenry cannot tackle these very serious problems alone. The citizenry can only cooperate with governmental leadership which is determined to address noise and air pollution
for the common good.
Signed,
Gasp N. Wheez

Traffic in Chiang Mai

Dear Editor,
Your series of items about traffic and bad driving points to a characteristic which is endemic - selfishness. That’s why we have queue -up tickets almost everywhere. Education is frequently mentioned as an answer, but the truth is that it’s punishment that’s the key - and the missing link. Heavy fines in Vietnam soon solved the driving with no helmet problem there so why not here?
Foreigners take advantage of lax enforcement. I know several who have driven for years with unlicenced and uninsured bikes. I regard that as more serious as they show disrepect to Thailand.
There are frequent complaints about dual pricing but I would like it introduced for traffic violations by foreigners. Unfortunately, the Traffic Police are controlled from Bangkok so are largely unaccountable.
Regards,
Graham.

Burning has already started!

Noise and smog pollution in Chiang Mai

Traffic in Chiang Mai
 

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