The Haze in Phuket
 

So I'm supposed to be visiting Phuket for the first time in 25 days, however, I'm seeing more news that the haze from the burning fields in Indonesia is getting worse and set to stay!

Can anyone confirm if this will seriously effect my holiday and would any insurance cover such an event if the worst was to happen?

Kind of freaking out right now cause I've paid a hell of a lot of money for this trip!

Thanks in advance.

Link: http://phuketwan.com/tourism/haze-th...d-smoke-23306/

No way to know what the weather will be like in 25 days or whether they'll have put out the fires by then.

I seriously doubt any travel insurance would allow a claim because of smoke from a fire hundreds of miles away unless you have fairly severe asthma or COPD.

From the article, it sounds like a lot of jingoism and likely exaggeration is at work.

Maybe read/follow/ask here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/31-phuket-forum/

Or in some Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore forums where they have more annual experience with this phenomenon?

I did see on the local news that flights into HKT and KBV were cancelled yesterday because of poor visibility.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/tran...o-phuket-krabi

I didn't get the feeling anything is being exaggerated at all. This year seems to be worse than 2006 and approaching 1997 levels according to what I've come across. According to the Bangkok Post, Phuket had an airborne particulate count of 174 yesterday.

The source of the problem is yearly and known: burning of forest in Sumatra to clear land for palm (oil) trees. The Indonesian government is hapless in their dealing (annually) with the problem and I've heard a handful of Indonesians retort that it's not their fault but rather the blame should be placed at the feet of the wealthy Singaporeans and Malaysians who want the fields open for palm. What the truth is, I don't know.

I was in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok last week and the haze was mild at most. But who knows what it will be like in a month.

There is no haze in Bangkok, we have a different "burning season"; we did get one of the biggest rain-storms I've ever seen yesterday with massive localized flooding.

According to the local news, the haze problem in the south of Thailand is quite severe. I have no feel for how it plays out annually, but do know that it is very bad right now.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nati...-30270418.html

We have smoke haze each year at this time, but it's never as bad as this past month.

It's over now (at least for the moment). Today, it's as clear as ever.

The haze was thick and terrible, but didn't last long, maybe 10 days. Visibility was down to about 500 meters. But I didn't experience stinging eyes, just reduced visibility and a faint burning smell

Today the haze came back to Phuket. But, still the visibility was 3-5 km. I drove the scooter almost 30km today and experienced no ill effects.

What would you expect the "worst" to be? What would you expect your insurance to cover?

While it was fairly bad last two days in Phuket, it has cleared up a lot since this morning.
Was far worse about a month ago - along with severely limited visibility, you could smell the lingering burnt smell in the air.

Seriously, not worth cancelling a holiday unless you usually have difficulties with poor air quality, or are elderly/infant etc. Use your common sense to decide if health issues are a factor.

I have no feel for the local weather patterns in the south but the haze has returned and is spreading northward. It is quite severe in six southern provinces.

Phuket seems to be below the "safe" level (105) of 120 per the chart.

Prayut voices alarm over haze

Multiple flights to South suffer delays

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/gene...larm-over-haze



South's worst haze

Health of locals threatened as particulate matter far exceeds safe level; Flight to Trang and Krabi hit ; Indonesia apologetic

THE WORST haze crisis in 17 years hit Songkhla’s Hat Yai district hard yesterday, with the amount of PM10 particles far exceeding the safe level.

As of yesterday, the amount of particulate matter (PM) of up to 10 microns in size (PM10) reached 369.0 micrograms per cubic metre of air in Hat Yai, the economic hub of Thailand's South.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nati...-30271420.html

It is my understanding that flights in and out of Ko Samui (USM) were cancelled today. :)

I think they took off but some were diverted to other airports, or had to return to Bangkok.

Many other flights to destinations in the south were indeed cancelled.



"Smoke haze also blanketed Phuket province but its level was at 101 microgrammes. "

This is just great news, since I will (not?) be landing at USM in 20 hours... And HKT some days later :p

Haze forces record 50 cancelled flights

A record 50 flights were cancelled on Thursday due to thick smog from forest fires in Indonesia covering the southern provinces.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/gene...celled-flights