Residents of a Chon Buri housing estate complained to local authorities that crop burning at nearby plantations has been causing not only air pollution, but ash has been falling on their cars, houses, and clothes. They say sugar cane plantations in particular were creating the ash in the air through illegal burning, causing poor air quality for the people living in the 100 houses of the estate. But, apparently, the problem is nothing new. Residents say the neighbouring plantations burn their crops every year during this time, and they have complained several times.
Crop burning is a sensitive issue in this area. Officials often side with farmers as farmers have little or no other method of getting rid of crops. For years, Thailand’s government has vowed to tackle problems with air pollution, both in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Covid-19, however, has shifted the government’s…
