Chiang Rai Declared Cold Spell Disaster Zone

[george]

Chiang Rai declared cold spell disaster zone

CHIANG RAI: -- The Chiang Rai provincial administration Friday announced the province as a disaster zone after it has been hit by cold spell for more than five days.

The announcement allowed the Chiang Rai Civil Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office to spend Bt300,000 budget to urgently provide winter clothing to the poor in province.

Suthep Dejchaisri, head of the office, said a province which saw the mercury drop below than 15 Celsius degree for five consecutive day could be declared a cold spell disaster zone.

Suthep said the temperature in Chiang Rai dropped to 12.4 degree Friday and the temperature had dropped bellowed 15 degree for several consecutive days already.

He said abut 196,167 Chiang Rai people need about 223,389 blankets.

-- The Nation 2008-11-14

[Thaddeus]

This may be an incredibly dumb question, but what happened to the blankets and clothing that was bought last year, and the year before that etc

[Martin]

Wow. Isn't he knowledgeable?

He knows it is 196,167 people needing 223,389 blankets, and that they didn't miss one out, so it is not 196,168 needing 223,390 blankets.

I suppose that it is such precise mastery of his remit that makes him 'head of the office'.

[mazd2]

ha they don't know the meaning of 'cold'

[Samuiclaudia]

ha they don't know the meaning of 'cold'

I have asked a few times if anyone, in Koh Samui, knows a reputable company who would collect second hand clothing and ensure it gets to the people who need it. I am sure there are many people who are willing to go through their wardrobes.

[h90]

This may be an incredibly dumb question, but what happened to the blankets and clothing that was bought last year, and the year before that etc

They sold them, because they knew that they get new one next year.

[sumrit]

This may be an incredibly dumb question, but what happened to the blankets and clothing that was bought last year, and the year before that etc

They sold them after being told about gobal warming

[Moonrakers]

Why do some people get more than one blanket?

[TAWP]

Some are larger than a normal [Thai] person...? Even fat people should get blankets that cover.

[PhilHarries]

Wow. Isn't he knowledgeable?

He knows it is 196,167 people needing 223,389 blankets, and that they didn't miss one out, so it is not 196,168 needing 223,390 blankets.

I suppose that it is such precise mastery of his remit that makes him 'head of the office'.

Yes but why does every person need 1.138769518 blankets?

Or is that 196,167 for the people and 27,222 for the Suthep Dejchaisri home furnishings store 2008 Ltd who will be holding a winter special sale next week with blankets on offer a snip at 100 Baht each?

[tijnebijn]

ha they don't know the meaning of 'cold'

I have asked a few times if anyone, in Koh Samui, knows a reputable company who would collect second hand clothing and ensure it gets to the people who need it. I am sure there are many people who are willing to go through their wardrobes.

They will probably end up at second hand markets

Unless you bring it yourselves of course .

[silverhawk_usa]

Thanks to those that feel it is more gratifying to donate than to mock and criticize, my truck is sitting right now loaded with 174 blankets (purchased from Children's Ark charity) and 50 stuffed animals for children. They are to be delivered to a small Karen village school near Chiang Dao on Sunday. Anyone wishing to help in the future can visit Chiang Mai ToyRide.

edit:spelling

Edited November 14, 2008 by silverhawk_usa

[animatic]

Silverhawk good one you.

Just paypal'd $30 to your group via an old french adress.

Please don't forget the Lisu village in Chiang Dao also...

Having grown up in New England where the house could be 54F / 12.4C much of the winter INSIDE

Seeing it 12.4C outside doesn't seem like emergency measure weather, just a typical fall day.

We would have an emergency at -5F below for a week with 2 feet of snow.

But under-dressed is under-dressed. NO BLANKET IS STILL COLD>

And except for VIP busses most thai's wouldn't hardly know cold if it bit them.

Glad someone is seeing warm clothes go where it WILL be needed.

Claudia, I have not seen a reputable company on Samui to do this either.

Edited November 14, 2008 by animatic

[silverhawk_usa]

Silverhawk good one you.

Just paypal'd $30 to your group via an old french adress.

Please don't forget the Lisu village in Chiang Dao also...

Having grown up in New England where the house could be 54F / 12.4C much of the winter INSIDE

Seeing it 12.4C outside doesn't seem like emergency measure weather, just a typical fall day.

We would have an emergency at -5F below for a week with 2 feet of snow.

But under-dressed is under-dressed. NO BLANKET IS STILL COLD>

And except for VIP busses most thai's wouldn't hardly know cold if it bit them.

Glad someone is seeing warm clothes go where it WILL be needed.

Claudia, I have not seen a reputable company on Samui to do this either.

Animatic-

Thank you very much. That was very fast and generous. We do try to donate to villages that are as we say "under the radar" and avoid those that are already receiving from other groups.

[tw25rw]

Can't they just close the windows, wear socks and move around a bit more? 12 deg isn't going to kill anyone <deleted>.

[benjamat]

The flippant and derisory responses to this thread make me once again sad at the lack of basic humanity shown by so many here with regard to thai people.

15 is cold for anyone but it is very cold for people who are not properly prepared and for the older population it is a temperature that could easily lead to death.

Well done those who are trying to help.

[tw25rw]

The flippant and derisory responses to this thread make me once again sad at the lack of basic humanity shown by so many here with regard to thai people.

15 is cold for anyone but it is very cold for people who are not properly prepared and for the older population it is a temperature that could easily lead to death.

Well done those who are trying to help.

Nothing flippant about my response. They aren't tropical fish, they are warm blooded. I bet their livestock aren't all dieing of hypothermia. I know that some people with medical needs need to be kept warm, but there aren't 100,000s of them in Chiang Rai.

[phaethon]

I seem to recall a few years ago a story about a Swedish tourist (?or somewhere like that - from where you'd expect them to know how to deal with cold) man who got drunk, couldn't get back into his house, fell asleep outside the door and was found dead (hypothermia) some time later. (think it was Chiang Mai)

V V V One morning last December I remember leaving my hotel about 10am in central BKK and actually shivering

Edited November 14, 2008 by phaethon

[Scott]

I think everyone needs to keep in mind that those of us from colder climates do have trouble understanding this--especially if you were raised in a cold climate. The comfort level of people here is on the warm side, rather than the cool side.

Having said that, I'm still addicted to AC, but I now find 22 degrees cold--and used to think it was warm. Here in BKK, where it's now nice, I managed to catch a cold and get a sore throat!

My thoughts are with those who are in distress.

[chiang mai]

The flippant and derisory responses to this thread make me once again sad at the lack of basic humanity shown by so many here with regard to thai people.

15 is cold for anyone but it is very cold for people who are not properly prepared and for the older population it is a temperature that could easily lead to death.

Well done those who are trying to help.

Thank you.

Too many folks simply don't understand the problem for what it is, simply because they come from area's that have much lower temperatures, it's not relevant.

[Sathip2008]

Below 15 c. in Chiang Rai town, it means that the temperature was much much colder in the mountains, where most of the needy people live

[brahmburgers]

This may be an incredibly dumb question, but what happened to the blankets and clothing that was bought last year, and the year before that etc

If you're a self-respecting Thai, you can only wear clothing that's bought retail - I guess the same goes for blankets.

About eight years ago, two inmates died one cold night at the old jail in downtown Chiang Rai.

December and January are the coldest months, yet it never gets to freezing in Chiang Rai.

Dogs get dressed warmly, but don't need it. Most people in the Chiang Rai area know how to dress and sleep warmly, so the number of blankets claimed to be needed sounds inflated.

[tw25rw]

The flippant and derisory responses to this thread make me once again sad at the lack of basic humanity shown by so many here with regard to thai people.

15 is cold for anyone but it is very cold for people who are not properly prepared and for the older population it is a temperature that could easily lead to death.

Well done those who are trying to help.

Is this 15deg at night or the daily maximum?

[animatic]

I seem to recall a few years ago a story about a Swedish tourist (?or somewhere like that - from where you'd expect them to know how to deal with cold) man who got drunk, couldn't get back into his house, fell asleep outside the door and was found dead (hypothermia) some time later. (think it was Chiang Mai)

V V V One morning last December I remember leaving my hotel about 10am in central BKK and actually shivering

Lots of alcohol will cause blood to move towards the trunk and restrict flow, to etremities, even to the brain

if it is too much. Never drink when you are in a too cold environment. The swede should have known that one. RIP.

In 2005, I did drive a Honda Phantom 200 to the Hmung Agriculture Research Station neartop of Doi Ithanon,

starting at midnight wearing nothing but sandles, a sleaveless T-Shirt, shorts and BVD's... Over first gear brrr.

That was the first time I had been COLD in Thailand in months.

Freak night in April, had done the same run 3-5 times that week. This night was cold.

Was too cold on the bike crossing from Surat thani to Ranong at midnight in December.

Stopped a cop, looking for a hotel in the middle of NOWWHERE,

and he showed us to the mia noi auditioning fun place. Pull the curtain over the car,

room in the back, bed for 4, triple mirrors. Beer on call.

First time I saw one of those. Wife thought it was funny.

Edited November 14, 2008 by animatic

[h90]

I seem to recall a few years ago a story about a Swedish tourist (?or somewhere like that - from where you'd expect them to know how to deal with cold) man who got drunk, couldn't get back into his house, fell asleep outside the door and was found dead (hypothermia) some time later. (think it was Chiang Mai)

V V V One morning last December I remember leaving my hotel about 10am in central BKK and actually shivering

Lots of alcohol will cause blood to move towards the trunk and restrict flow, to etremities, even to the brain

if it is too much. Never drink when you are in a too cold environment. The swede should have known that one. RIP.

In 2005, I did drive a Honda Phantom 200 to the Hmung Agriculture Research Station neartop of Doi Ithanon,

starting at midnight wearing nothing but sandles, a sleaveless T-Shirt, shorts and BVD's... Over first gear brrr.

That was the first time I had been COLD in Thailand in months.

Freak night in April, had done the same run 3-5 times that week. This night was cold.

Was too cold on the bike crossing from Surat thani to Ranong at midnight in December.

Stopped a cop, looking for a hotel in the middle of NOWWHERE,

and he showed us to the mia noi auditioning fun place. Pull the curtain over the car,

room in the back, bed for 4, triple mirrors. Beer on call.

First time I saw one of those. Wife thought it was funny.

If you are healthy and just normal drunk (not half dead from the alcohol), you can't die at 10 degree as Swedish. You can get big problems and get terrible sick, but you won't die......If you die from that there wouldn't be any male Swedish anymore.

[richard10365]

Seems like this happens every year. I wonder how many of these blankets will end up on Walking Street in Chiang Mai.

When I was growing up, after the winter passed, I didn't throw away my winter clothes. I kept them for the next year. I'm not sure why this doesn't happen in this particular situation.

[jitagon]

I think everyone needs to keep in mind that those of us from colder climates do have trouble understanding this--especially if you were raised in a cold climate. The comfort level of people here is on the warm side, rather than the cool side.

Having said that, I'm still addicted to AC, but I now find 22 degrees cold--and used to think it was warm. Here in BKK, where it's now nice, I managed to catch a cold and get a sore throat!

My thoughts are with those who are in distress.

I'm from a much colder climate, but trip up to Pai (Prai) New Year, did not prepare me for freeeeezing temperature (kicking in as soon as the sun went down (around 6pm) and sun up (around 8am, same same everywhere, more or less here in Thailand).

I was standing outside my rented bungalow, wrapped in a heavy blanket wondering when the staff would turn up to plug in the pump for the water and got chatting with a couple of girls, also wrapped in blankets, waiting outside the adjoining bungalow. They told me it was their first time in Thailand and hadn't expected it to be so cold, and they were bringing their flight to Samui forward to escape! I asked them where they were from. 'Russian'!

Don't anyone forget the very extremes of temperature here. Take another look at the map and see how close to colder winter climate of China, Thailand actually is.

Edited November 14, 2008 by jitagon

[Sophon]

as soon as the sun went down (around 6pm) and sun up (around 8am, same same everywhere, more or less here in Thailand).

I think you meant to say sun up at 6am not 8am.

Sophon

[ClaytonSeymour]

Is this 15deg at night or the daily maximum?

It would seem consistent with the night time minimum, as forecast by several websites. Tonight their forecasting it to be a touch cooler at 13 degrees, with it slowly rising in to the high teens over the next few days - daily maximums are almost touching 30 degrees.

[silverhawk_usa]

I think what we sometimes forget, is that we usually have ways of escaping from the cold. Secure houses, closed windows, heaters and furnaces. We have hot water and indoor showers. I come from Michigan where in winter below freezing temps are the norm. A night in a Lisu village feels equal to that, even though the thermometer may disagree.

The people I am most concerned about are living in basic huts or wooden shacks where the wind blows right through, the only heat is from a campfire that is often built INSIDE the home and bathing and other necessities are done outside. Yeah, maybe they won't FREEZE to death, but it is certainly not an easy way to live.

We have been able to buy blankets for about 100bt each. I don't even care if maybe they actually have more than one, in fact I hope they do......