THAILAND'S POLLUTION: HERE FOREVER | Toxic Air | MONEY OVER SAFETY? 

I enjoyed your conversation with that exceptional young man, and I wish him congratulations on his win. This video towed at my heartstrings, I love the country as it saddens me to see things getting worse when things should be getting better. Generally, things have improved so much in the neighbouring countries, but Thailand seems to be in a mire. Thanks for the video, Pat.

So proud of this young man for caring so much about his city, his country. I hope his ideas will become reality & goals will be achieved. Bravo to you as well, Pat, for willing to talk about the subject that not everyone wants to talk about. Thank you!

I find it very commendable Pat that you have touched on a subject that most people prefer to ignore as long as it doesn’t affect them personally or will cost them any money. A lot more needs to done about tackling pollution everywhere as peoples heath is of supreme importance and it is everyone’s duty to do their bit to help begin in solving the causes and implementation of remedies.

Sadly much of these environmental issues including the roads deaths that occur daily could be stopped by enforcement and severe fines. Do not forget that much of the burning in the north is caused by the biggest corporations. Short term thinking $$$ can never replace your health or life. Have been ill from the toxic smog myself.

I think this is your best video to date. Fastastic job Mate. It would be fantastic if you could do a few more environmentally-biased videos in the future - not just the bad, but the good too. It's also heartening to hear from the intelligent and well-spoken young film maker. 👍👍

My condo is 280 metres, 3 minutes walk from a BTS station that is only 4 stations -12 minutes - from Siam BTS. Our road has at least a dozen bus routes - many air conditioned. At night our car park (2 levels) is full with at least 40% Mercedes and BMWs. It seems beyond these people's ability to use public transport or even take a taxi or Grab/Bolt car.

What a very intelligent young man. You should have him on again. Best video you have ever done

Great video. Those canals are really something with the crap that is dumped into them. To be honest I have given up completely on trying to do anything special to help this problem. I have always been a recycler for example but we find out that most of the stuff we put into the recycling never does get recycled. The problem is fundamental to the way we live, the way our cities are designed and the fact that money is more important than anything. I believe this issue will likely destroy humanity before the problem can be solved. There are some countries that are better than others but in the end too many people, too many materials used once and thrown away, reliance on plastic and oil. and no monetary motivation to fix it. It's always out of sight, out of mind. Most people don't think about it at all. As a species we are doomed. Nature will restore the balance eventually and nature won't care about us, just as the majority of the people don't care about it.....

This item about health damage cause of airpolution is really a big issue. What did I stopped smoking for ??? Cancer comes without warning - then often it is too late. Please stay healthy Pat !!!

A tremendous young man. A true Thai hero. The future is bright.

Glad you’ve made this video Pat. There’s so many videos on RU-vid about how great a city Bangkok is but no one ever mentions the air pollution. It’s easily the worst thing about Bangkok. I used to really love this city but now feel like it’s really starting to put me off visiting. it can be unbearable at times and is quite worrying knowing you’re breathing this stuff in everyday.

As someone already noted, this is an important topic and one that most YT channels don't touch on. I hope there's more to follow.

Great video. I'm glad I found it. I spent almost a decade in Bkk. I have an environmental health background and worked with local university faculties in public health in the city. I learned a lot while there and was able to discuss EPA regulations and Thailand's regulatory equivalent. Many if their public health regulations are mirror images of US, UK, Australian and/or Canadian laws. Thailand has the educational programs and a lot of great minds with excellent ideas. It's just so frustrating to see the continued lack of support for these problems from those who have the power and influence to do something about it. It's just greed and I think it cannot be changed easily. I think it will probably need to be the People who organize and pressure corporations and the government very hard for small improvements, frequently. ก็คนไทยอดทนนานเกินไปแล้วครับ ถึงเวลาเริ่มวางแผน จัดระเบียบ และกดดันบริษัทกับรัฐบาลให้เปลี่ยนด้านปัญหาต่ สาธารณสุข ความปลอดภัย และสิ่งแวดล้อมครับ

Another very pertinent topic. I've talked to some young organic farmers at the local A and P and a problem for them is the need to respect older people. They are unable to suggest the way of previous generations needs to change.

Such an unassuming yet intelligent , aware and world conscious young man- truly a boon for Thailand

Great video Pat, I love the direction that this has taken as it is asking a lot of questions. As individuals we all have a responsibility to act on these issues, but without the understanding or the power it is very difficult. At the end of the day we need to hold governments accountable, something that is not easy in Thailand I believe. As an outsider I would suggest that Thailand needs to build on its public transport networks which is becoming world class and in particular clean up the canals in Bangkok as these are obviously an underappreciated resource. Hopefully they can then do something about the smog from the fires. Good luck Thailand and hopefully there are more people like Naphat. In the meantime, "Keep on rockin' in the free world".

Thanks Pat for the amazing tour today, it was a pleasure and super informative and interesting. Really felt like I saw more in a day with you than I would in a week on my own. Anyone in BKK take advantage of this tour, you wont regret it.

Excellent work, Pat. I appreciate you bringing more attention to the issue of air and water pollution. I was disappointed to see how bad the air quality was when I first visited Bangkok in early April 22', due in large part to the burning in many countries in the region.

A small drop in the ocean, however, if there is a will there is a way. Political efforts are important, but large corporations have their role too, well done Pat for highlighting the issues 😊

I recently viewed a comment about the city of Chicago , ( in the U.S. A. ) , where the Public bus system were Using Hydrogen powered buses to reduce emissions output . That's a step in the right direction .

Great video Pat, I love your channel, found it recently so a lot to catch up😊 You are one of the very few RU-vidr's who not only talk about how great and amazing Thailand is but also discuss the not so nice things which in this case the air pollution. I come too Thailand now for over 20 years and sadly the environment problems hasn’t been too change too much. I’m Just back from a 2 month stay in Thailand and I saw with my own eyes the air pollution getting worse day by day. Too bad money always win over these kind of problems. One thing which is not change or not much is the garbage down the road everywhere hopefully this will changes also. I hope the will make Bangkok a more cleaner and greener place with less water and air pollution. That being said I love Thailand and Bangkok very much and I’m happy that they have more parks now in Bangkok. Let’s hope things will be better in the near future.

For someone who cleans waterbodies for a living, it amazes me that governments just don't set up aeration in those canals, small rivers etc. Relatively low cost, with great improvements in water quality, environment and living qualities.

I wish this very articulate and intelligent young man success influencing for necessary change in 🇹🇭

Thank you for bringing it up. The burning is the main issue. Pollution is only half the Chiang Mai level in Bangkok. It's lethal. I stayed away from my home up North since the first of February because of this madness.

My relatives just phoned me from Chiangkhong, a district in Chiang Rai, close to Laos border telling me that there's severe air polution in Chiangkhong now due to the neighbouring Laosians clearing their land for cultivating the crops.

This video is one of the best so far I've seen from you. Interesting topic and you showing the actual problems without lurid polemics and to much drama like in the classical news.

Thank you for focusing on this. Thailand should honor you and others who educate and celebrate the country.

Nice work. Pat. For me, your video puts the climate change obsession in its proper place. The real pollution in Thailand isn't CO2 its good old fashioned pollutants like CO, pm2.5, NO2 and so on. Living in Bangkok takes years off your life because of these noxious substances. CO2 is the least of its worries. The mass transit has been improved over the years but it hasn't made much of a dent in pollution levels because of population increase and increased energy use.

Been to Thailand about 5 times and the air pollution in Bangkok in the Dec-Feb has always been bad. This year was in Chaing Mai in early Feb, then surprised by how clear the skies were in all of Cambodia for the rest of the month.

Love this video, Pat. You're right about changing the mindset of Thais concerning pollution. If their mindset doesn't change, then there will not be the willpower to combat this problem. But this is not a Thai only problem. We humans, myself included, need to do better.

On the day this video was released, AQI in Mae Hong Son was 285 and PM 2.5 was over 200.

Yea, I always feel a bit sad when I see dirty klongs. I wish there was a central office of public relations and works to keep klongs clean. I have even thought about doing it myself. Signs around would help too. Don't litter. Thanks, Thailand Paul

That opening dialogue was classic!

Excellent video. I was a teacher many years ago and one that I learned was the society doesn't learn or want to learn. Only the møñ€ŷ is important here. These devices have also made them less aware of the big picture. Keep it coming.

Thank you, Pat, for yet another fascinating video, especially the final segment. It would be interesting to know whether normal Thais are being priced out of Bangkok in favour of rich farangs / wealthy Thais. Is it spreading to other areas, such as Pattaya, Phuket, Chang Mai? Concerning the tearing down and rebuilding that seems to be going on 24/7, I also wonder whether Bangkok is losing it's heritage in favour of becoming just another South East Asian concrete and glass city.

This has to rank (no pun intended) as one of the best intros to a video ever. "Well, here I am standing in front of a pile of horse shit" 🤣🤣🤣🤣 At least your content is not horseshit, which unfortunately I cannot say for many vloggers.

I guess Russell Crowe needs to make a statement "I won't come back to Thailand ever until air is clean during the dry season!!!"

Very important topic Pat, thank you for making this video. Awareness is most important, people have the power!!

Excellent video (again) Pat. It was wonderful that you included the interview with Naphat. It was inspiring to hear his views, and great to see so many young Thais getting involved in this important issue.

Simplest way to explain it is one word ! Corruption !

I agree that Bangkok could be better with pollution control. But the seasonal Burning of neighbouring countries is a big part of this problem. In six months time nobody will be taking about it. But this time next year it will be covered by everyone again.

Really enjoy your content and story telling style. On the topic of pollution. I remember being up in Chiang Mai around the summer of 2011 and just walking in different areas. I was at an intersection with a great deal of new construction and a plethora of cars, my thought. F, me, this could be Los Angeles! My heart dropped a bit. Because it was so generic. I love traveling to Thailand and will be coming back to BKK later this year. I hope they continue to mix the old with the new, as they have by keeping some of their old train stations along with the newly built. Wishing you continued success. Cheers!

What does a car represent? Freedom ! Freedom to go wherever you want whenever you want. Independence to make any detour that takes your fancy Add to this the passion some people have for cars and the status symbol. Anyone thinking getting cars off roads is achievable needs to first consider practical solutions to the above

Bang Phli district is actually passing some 1800 micrograms/m3 of PM 2,5 microns, through IQAir provider…..we are all left alone, to change our behaviors to help ourselves out of this mess. Governments just don’t care. « Changing Climate, changing lives » is a wonderful initiative. Thanks again Pat for helping us improving our situational awareness.

Nice video Pat 👍 keep up the good work

Keeping a close eye on this. Thank you for the awareness. Great work 👍

Thanks Pat for the great Vlog I’ve just retired in Bangkok and sometimes I do think about all the food by the main road exposed to the environment but having just returned from India recently Bangkok’s pollution issues are nothing compare to Indian Cities and it’s getting worse over there.

This is a great factor in deciding not to move to Thailand permanently, unfortunately.

Thanks for a great video Pat. I fear the adoption of EV's there will be slow because of the lack of charging infrastructure as well as the cost of the cars. They are adding electric boats to the canals along with EV buses. Your stuff always looks and sounds great. Hats off from a fellow audio guy. Also, I would love to see this young man's film. If it's online, please give us a link. Cheers!

I think it will get drastically worst before anything will be done about it. Sadly, this tropical paradise might become a tropical nightmare in the coming years.

I’ve seen heat maps indicating there is much more burning going on in neighboring countries than Thailand . Probably making this a much harder problem to deal with. But something needs to be done.

This is one of your best videos, very informative!

I have been living and working in Bangkok for some sixteen years and for most of that time, where a diabetic would quickly check his or her blood-sugar reading, I fastidiously check the daily AQI Air Quality reading, and if over the recommended safe limit of 25mg/m3, I wear an N95 mask. This means I'm wearing a mask most of the year. Around the end of the year when the pollution is at its worst (as high as 180-200mg/m3), a mask goes from 'snow white' to 'dark grey' in only two to three days. Thai government attempts to address these problems are merely a revolving-door measure. The door spins, but goes nowhere - they simply end up in the same position as when they started, and then keep going around. The Thai "Pollution Control" ministry has three independent offices and I'll give you one guess how often they communicate with each other. All this reminds me of the words of a CIA officer who went to Vietnam in 1964 and reported, "Nothing seems to work. You pull a lever and then realize that there is no cable attached to it. You then come across a cable and find there's no lever at the other end of that." It's amazing how little has changed!

Bangkok is cool. So is Bangkok Pat. ✌️😎

Thank you!🇩🇪❤

Thank you Pat, always enjoy your videos, very unique way to see Bangkok. This year will be my third time there, can't wait.

Great video on an important topic. Your channel always hits areas where most fear to tread. Also it is great that you break things up by frequently showing your alter ego "Bangkok Cat".

Very good take on the subject. I learned a few things on top of being entertained. Great 👍🏽 stuff Pat.

I am an American who retired in Thailand back in October of 2021 and have found it very difficult to find information about public transportation here in Thailand. Yes, there is a bus and train system here. There is also the BTS system in Bangkok and some boats here and there for transportation. There is even a van system where they take groups of people to other towns. Sidewalks are nearly nonextant in many areas of Thailand and those that are here are subpar at best. Walking anywhere means walking on roads with cars and motorbikes zooming past you in no certain order. There is not even a side gravel part of the road to walk on and no police directing anyone on what they can or cannot do. It is do whatever you can do to get there, rules be damned. I have not seen any messages for anyone living here on how to help better the environment by walking or riding a bike. Or how taking public transportation can help save the environment. I would love to lend my voice on how to clean up some of the mess that is the problem here. But I know whatever I had to say would fall on delf ears. Several months ago, there was talk about cleaning up the traffic problem in Thailand, how the police were poised to start cracking down on many auto laws here in Thailand. When that day came, they said "oh we meant it would start in another week". When that week passed there was another excuse for any lack of police action until it got to the point where nothing ever became of it. Nothing was done and no one received any extra policing from those words. So it is hard for me to see how anything I say or do would amount to any action from anyone here in Thailand. After all I'm just a retired person from America and the Thai people who hold any power to make any changes would ignore whatever advice I would give them.

Excellent video!!! Thank you for making this documentary!

I agree with the Thai film maker. Cars are the problem. Bangkok is too dense to be car dependant, and the problems caused by cars goes far deeper than pollution.

Thanks, informative again. I visited Chong Nonsi lately, their canal beautification project. They forgot to make it more shady and I could still smell the Khlong.

I was pleasantly surprised by your "hard hitting" content. Keep up the good work.

Another informative quality video with great effort. Thanks very much.

Thanks!

Great report as always, and an impressive young man that wants to make a very positive change.

Great video Pat and points well made. Probably like every part of the world Thailand uses way to much plastic which is more often than not discarded without a second thought. The young award winner spoke very well and it’s his generation who should be listened to as it is those young people who will be picking up our mess….. Keep up the great work. Dave 🇬🇧 🇹🇭 and Finsbury Park! PS. You’re reference to the Brown Bottle wasn’t wasted on this subscriber 😂…

Very interesting Pat

Very important video Pat!

Great video Pat

Well done Pat one thing you didn’t mention every year Bangkok has more people moving in from the villages bringing their scooters with them. More scooters every year in Bangkok and many have bad exhaust and no muffler

Great video as always pat you really have great content , i was in bangkok a couple of days ago and walking around thought of your channel and all the really good advice you give regarding the sights and storys , and getting around bangkok , well done :::

Bedankt

You make incredibly interesting videos Pat. Bad pollution and a sinking city is rather worrying.

Another great video and as usual and well researched. You are a truly good RU-vidr .

Great video thanks

I used to swim in the canals around London. Makes me sick now to think about it. Bangkok is such a wet city I'm surprised it's still there when you add the geography too. And the winner was a fan boy of yours! Hehe

Fantastic video again Pat full of great content,,,peace and happiness

That was one of the best INTRO's I've heard in a while on all of youtube....This made my shitty day...Thanks Pat!!!

It's why Bangers is great to visit for a week or so, but never to live there. One's health is just too important to constantly breathe that low quality air ...

I can't explain it but I'm fascinated by this city, there are hundreds of cities but Krung Thep caught me since my first visit in 1986

Superb video ❤❤❤

Important subject. Good video

This is the problem with most south Asian countries. I think it will take some time for people to understand the real situation. I hope it wont be much late then

The burning of the crops has to be the biggest problem of smoke pollution. And since the worst 3 months of smoke is tied to the same 3 months of burning crops, seems to be the biggest problem of smoke in the air. Do I think that will change? Probably not. But that's what it is going to take to fix this problem,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Great video Pat 👍

Interesting story about this Big Problem. 🙏

I highly recommend Wat Khun Samut Chin Temple, a temple in the middle of the Chao Phraya River, where there are many delicious restaurants. such as Poo lon restaurant or Krua Plai tang ,restaurant and Phra Chulachomklao Fort which the evening atmosphere is very beautiful Including Phi Seur Samut Fort.

Brilliant video again Pat, really eye opening 👀

For most the MRT and BTS are fast and regular service to travel on no more than a few minutes between trains, So faster than the road and that gap widens the longer the trip is.

Thank you for a great video, so interesting!

Excellent video

Thank you for a very informative and important video. Talking of health. What is the dengue fever situation like in Thailand right now, and what are the government doing about it? Would love to see a video about that.

Thank God, Philippines 🇵🇭 made the greatest delicious to clean Pasig river, Manila Bay , Buracay, and many more. Congratulations, Philippines, I'm sure the rest of Southeast Asia will heed.

The demand for meat has increased as global citizens become wealthier. Thus, the increased need to grow feed corn and consequentially burn the stalk. Sadly, this has spread into neighboring Laos and Myanmar.

For me getting around Bangkok the easiet way is mostly by the BTS/MRT which for me is much cheaper than London Underground( i lived in Finsbury Park for 20 odd years before i moved here ). Unfortunately its expensive for many Thai people living in the city. My first visit to Bkk was in 1995, i think a lot of the same buses back then are still on the road now. Great vblog as usual .

The perils of a huge Metropolis hey Pat!

Very interesting video Pat,about an important topic.

My chest this month has been a nightmare. I'm on the flight path of DM airport I can hear the planes this month but can't see them except for today, really windy today which is a good thing

Really good video Pat.