Chiang Rai Declared Cold Spell Disaster Zone

[slapout]

Well I hope the Thai government has and does make blankets, warm clothing etc.avaliable to all the people living in areas affected by the cold weather. With the track record of the treatment of the hill tribes, refugees etc, this proposed help would seem a little out of charater for the local government personal, but maybe I have missed hearing about past good deeds.

[Kan Win]

Frozen North

By DAILY XPRESS

Published on November 12, 2008

Cool season comes early, bringing frosts and loss of life

A 76-year-old woman in Uttaradit froze to death Monday night, after temperatures dropped in the North and Northeast late last week.

Sakhon Noree was found dead in the bed she shared with husband Thone, 83, in their home in Muang district.

Doctors attributed her death to old age and poor heath coupled with exposure to the low temperatures.

Deadly temperatures

The recent premature drop in temperatures ahead of the cool season in the northern provinces has left local hospitals inundated with 1,026 cases of pneumonia and respiratory infections. So far, 15 deaths have been attributed to the unseasonal cold.

Frosts were reported in Chiang Mai province's Doi Inthanon National Park for two days running, after the mercury fell to 6 degrees Celcius.

The forecast for the coming days predicts a further drop of 2 to 3 degrees.

Park officials called on tourists who want to experience the frosts to visit before the crowds arrive for the high season, which begins in mid-December. They said 60 per cent of tourist accommodation is still available for booking.

The Nation

Yours truly

Kan Win

[animatic]

Frozen North

By DAILY XPRESS

Published on November 12, 2008

Cool season comes early, bringing frosts and loss of life

A 76-year-old woman in Uttaradit froze to death Monday night, after temperatures dropped in the North and Northeast late last week.

Sakhon Noree was found dead in the bed she shared with husband Thone, 83, in their home in Muang district.

Doctors attributed her death to old age and poor heath coupled with exposure to the low temperatures.

Deadly temperatures

The recent premature drop in temperatures ahead of the cool season in the northern provinces has left local hospitals inundated with 1,026 cases of pneumonia and respiratory infections. So far, 15 deaths have been attributed to the unseasonal cold.

Frosts were reported in Chiang Mai province's Doi Inthanon National Park for two days running, after the mercury fell to 6 degrees Celcius.

The forecast for the coming days predicts a further drop of 2 to 3 degrees.

Park officials called on tourists who want to experience the frosts to visit before the crowds arrive for the high season, which begins in mid-December. They said 60 per cent of tourist accommodation is still available for booking.

The Nation

Yours truly

Kan Win

Sad news.

My condolences to her widow.

[Johpa]

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

I have never seen these blankets being sold used in the towns. First, these blankets are not of particularly high quality and do not last long. The blankets especially do not take kindly to hand washing in a nearby creek bed. The blankets are often distributed only to the villages in the foothills and in the valleys. The villagers further afield, higher up, and in the more isolated areas do not directly receive the aid and so are dependent on relatives who do receive the blankets to pass them upwards so to speak. I am not saying that there is no unsrupulous re-selling of the donated blankets, but many of them are passed around in the hills to those who need them but are not in a position to get the aid first hand.

[koto]

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.

Maybe they sold so they can eat, many are not as lucky as you, an once of kindness greatly out weights your not understanding, give some warmth not the cold shoulder, Find common ground with people, you never know who your going to touch, Don't lose sight of all the good, One act of random kindness at a time,

Health and Happiness to ALL

[robbo1]

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

the last 3 days in downtown loei before coming home to aussie was bloody cold people rugged up with coats and beanies except me who only bought over summer clothes and never been cold here before .

It seemed to coincide with the end of all the rain they had this year rain stopped one day cold the next

[Lance_A_Lot]

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

I wonder about this as well as each year my wife gets a phone call from her mother in Isaan asking for money to buy a set of cool weather clothes ???

[eggomaniac]

Major Heat Loss Areas of the Body Okay, the University of Victoria some years ago identified the major heat loss areas of the body through thermal imaging. They are:

--Head

--Neck (Carotid arteries close to the skin surface)

--Chest, just under the nipples (not much fat there, and lungs just underneith)

--Groin (just below where the aorta branches into the femoral arterias, and goes over the illiac crest of the hip)

----

Covering the head is important. Street people in Canada wear a hooded jacket.

[toybits]

Try sleeping on a cold night in Chiang Rai with just one blanket...

Why do some people get more than one blanket?

[toybits]

I meet lots of Trekkers in Chiang Rai that come from New Zealand and the UK that complain that they could not sleep because it was too cold in the evenings and that they could do with more blankets. Mind you, they already have cold weather clothes, sleeping bags, socks and spare blankets...

Just ask yourself - what do these villagers have?

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?

[JSPS]

During the Vietnam War I was stationed in Thailand. In 1971 I was living in Bangkok and had been in country for about three years. (Beat the hel_l out of the alternatives) Anyhow, that year it dropped down to 72F (22C). I was freezing my butt off.

Cold is bad if you are unused to or unprepared for it. Beware of kerosene heaters or trying to heat the house with the gas ring. That may seem common sense to you and me but to someone that has not had to contend with cold it might not be.

The Thai people in the U.S. and Europe don't seem to have a problem with cold.

[chrisyork]

I'm sure those of us Europeans who have Thai partners will have become aware that there are numbers of physical differences between Thais and Europeans. One that I have noticed previously is that Thais don't seem to be nearly as good at dealing with changes in temperature as us - either colder or hotter. So let's not have too much of a giggle at people not being able to deal with temperatures that are well withing the normal range for us falang!

Chris

[maraudingscot]

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

Yeah they could I guess!

But when living in one country you get aclimatized, I live in Scotland and it can be cold, and I mean cold |

But was in Thailand recently, month ago, and found climate ok, a/c in room was turned of most of time, if it got below 27 it was socks and extra top!

So I can imagine that when the temp does go down that far it can be dangerous for the natives, So hope it works out?

[zepplin]

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.

there are several -ring robert at samui antiques/firework shop on 0813708638 or sandra at tamaring spa on0831766192 we can arrange pick up/delivery of any items

[Tanaka]

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

Assuming they have any windows to close or any socks to wear. And if you try to sleep, you cannot move around much to keep warm, can you?

Windows, if there are any, may be with one pane and no insulation and a wooden hut with corrugated roof and half an inch distance between the wall panels is not going to stop the cold and the wind.

I like you to go into the hills now with a small tent and a mattress dressed in jeans and shirt. By all means take a sweater too. No extra blanket, no sleeping bag! With this equipment have a good night's sleep and come back here and tell everyone how easy it was.

[hardy1943]

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

Assuming they have any windows to close or any socks to wear. And if you try to sleep, you cannot move around much to keep warm, can you?

Windows, if there are any, may be with one pane and no insulation and a wooden hut with corrugated roof and half an inch distance between the wall panels is not going to stop the cold and the wind.

I like you to go into the hills now with a small tent and a mattress dressed in jeans and shirt. By all means take a sweater too. No extra blanket, no sleeping bag! With this equipment have a good night's sleep and come back here and tell everyone how easy it was.

Thank you, well said.

We live close to down town Chiang Rai and our youngest caught a cold, we are well off and I turned the portable heater on. I can not beleive

some of you making jokes about the poor mountain people. SHAME ON YOU

[koto]

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.

You need to know when to hold them and when to fold them, when hungry and warm you sell blankets or what ever, One day at a time, you eat to live and live to eat, everything else has to get in line, food first, shelter second, law of the jungle

[asianlver]

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

Well TW, it is about what they are used to, my wife is from North of Udon, and she is freezing at 23 deg. Although I have spent many years in well below freezing weather, and I can barly breathe when it gets truly blistering in Thailand. So when it comes down to it, I don't think an extra pair of socks will do it. especially since many of those in need do not have the benefit of walls, doors, and windows to close.

[taxexile]

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

during the winter of 1955 it snowed in chiang rai.

[blakegeee]

I have spent many nights in the mountains of CR. It DOES get cold, and this is coming from a Canadian who knows cold. I have blankets and still sleep in my tuque, winter coat and all clothes incl sweater and this wasn't during a "cold spell disaster". It gets really cold up there during the night. A lot of people would be surprised. When I brought my Canadian family to the village, they didn't beleive me that they would need their Columbia winter coats. Once it got dark, they were really happy to have them!

[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.

there are several -ring robert at samui antiques/firework shop on 0813708638 or sandra at tamaring spa on0831766192 we can arrange pick up/delivery of any items

Cool,... oops bad pun.. uh good.

I DO happen to have some MUCH more winter type clothes that came in the container.

Things I can NEVER imagine wearing here. I have trouble keeping cool in shorts most days.

I will see if we can dig down a few feet.

Better the go to help somebody in distress.

[TAWP]

One thing to remember is that the higher humidity the colder it feels at the same (low) temperature against naked skin.

Hence why 23 deg. here is chilly, while it is nice and warm back home...

[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.

there are several -ring robert at samui antiques/firework shop on 0813708638 or sandra at tamaring spa on0831766142 we can arrange pick up/delivery of any items

Cool,... oops bad pun.. uh good.

I DO happen to have some MUCH more winter type clothes that came in the container.

Things I can NEVER imagine wearing here. I have trouble keeping cool in shorts most days.

I will see if we can dig down a few feet.

Better the go to help somebody in distress.

ring robert at samui antiques/firework shop on 0813708638 or

sandra at tamaring spa on 0831766142 we can arrange pick up/delivery of any items

I just talked with Sanda, and several things will get picked up tomorrow.

I also corrected her number above 142 not 192.