Is the smog in Bangkok really that bad?
 

Planning a trip with a friend for June to Bangkok, as well as some surrounding places, but planning to be in Bangkok for about 5 days.

I just saw this:
http://first2board.com/verygoodpoint...-bangkok-smog/

I previously didn't even know smog in Bangkok was an issue - but is it really that bad/noticeable?

I just spent a month in Bangkok and have no idea what is this "smog" that you are referring to.

That was my thought as well when seeing the thread title.

June is in the rainy season, which will tend to clean the air. I doubt you will flop around on the ground gasping for air. ;)

Well, guess the consensus is clear. Don't know what that blogger is talking about!

I am going to go against consensus here and say that the pics in the blog look quite authentic to downtown BKK on a week-day.

Yes, there is smog and yes it is getting worse.

Compare the blog pics to one of mine taken March 2013 and it looks quite similar:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8...407728d3_z.jpg

Now that every man and his dog are buying a car and with all the construction around it will probably not get better anytime soon.

I am not sure why everyone says there is no smog in Bangkok. :confused: If you live downtown you will see smog almost every day.

I didn't intend to say there is no smog, it's just not bad enough that it warrants concern (for me). Especially this time of year, toward the end of the dry season, it will be hazy and visibility is impaired and that will exist until the rains hit. It's not something I'd that would ever factor into my travels or day to day activities (unlike up north).

The air in Bangkok is definitely noticeably dirtier than normal.

After a week diving off Phuket, coming back to Bangkok and stepping outside on to the streets is always a bit of a rude shock to my lungs.

But if I were to stay in the city for a week, I would probably stop noticing because you get used to environmental conditions like dirty air.

Recently, about the last 2 months, the smog is noticeably much less than normal. I guess it's a seasonal thing.

I agree with forumpersona, most of the year it is around... and getting worse each year.

The pictures in the linked blog looked to be accurate representations of the smog conditions here in Bangkok over the past few days.

In May - June we'll be getting a decent amount of rain so it should clean the air.

http://www.pcd.go.th/indexEng.cfm

http://aqmthai.com/

http://www.tmd.go.th/en/province.php?id=37

Transpac, as the author of the blog, I can tell you that the photos are real, I took them this week. I have spent 9 months over the last two years working in Bangkok and have been traveling there for the past 5 years. It's gotten worse every year and seasonally it can be quite bad especially at rush hour. The rain helps clear it out, but if you're there in dry season it's much more noticeable.

I wouldn't not go to Bangkok because of the smog, but I also would spend more time in other areas of Thailand especially if a traveler has asthma or other health issues.

Will it clear out a little by early June? I guess we'll be seeing a lot of rain....

Yeah it's not like China or Hong Kong... yet but I do tend to limit my running to the treadmill.

The smog is not too bad for normal life / travel plans but it's already bad enough to make jogging around downtown parks an unattractive proposition.

Considering it is a city of well over 10M (documented) people we are still doing quite well but the trend is not good. More and more cars coming online. All idling in traffic jams. Electric cars not feasible due to the heat... It's going to be a real challenge to keep air pollution in check without hindering growth.

Not sure why you directed your comment to me as I said...

"Accurate representations" meaning "real".


The OP specifically asked about June, at which time the rains may have scrubbed the smog.

Re: OP. Generally no, just don't stay in Chinatown. Having a taxi fleet with NGVs has helped a lot, as has slowly refleeting the buses and of course the skytrain and subway. Some roads can still be multilane parking lots, and the Chinatown problem is too high a ratio of that to building space. But overall I'd rate it no worse than Atlanta in summer.