Temperatures In Thailand Dropped To 15 Degrees Celsius; 2 Dead

[Johpa]

it's a very early drop of temperature, such temperatures do happen end of december/beginning of january.

It is not that early into the cool season. The coldest night I ever experienced was during the first week of December. The temps have not yet dropped below 10C. yet, but I had to wear a jacket on my motorbike this morning at 10:00AM coming into town.

[ozsamurai]

I love it too, first time in a while I can get about in grown up pants, instead of having to wear shorts all the time, a few thicker T-Shirts can now be used, I actually have some fashion options back, heck I might even wear a jacket.

Oz

[WAERTH]

Yes the weather is great indeed

[LawnGnome]

I love it too, first time in a while I can get about in grown up pants, instead of having to wear shorts all the time, a few thicker T-Shirts can now be used, I actually have some fashion options back, heck I might even wear a jacket.

Oz

So now we know where Ralph Lauren has been hiding himself.

[ballpoint]

Spot on there..You've nailed it in one..They cannot seem to see beyond TODAY!

They? Who are they?

All those dismissing rural Thais as intellectually challenged could do with a bit of education themselves. What about the dozens killed in Europe every time there's a "heatwave" and the temperature soars above 30 deg? Surely THEY should have prepared? Any Thai could have told them how to survive a bit of heat.

[Rinrada]

Big Chilli...mai phet...

[MrWiggle]

14 degrees at our house this morning in khao yai...

[Maigo6]

Spot on there..You've nailed it in one..They cannot seem to see beyond TODAY!

Farang arrogance in all its glory. Unbelievable.......

Edited November 23, 2009 by Maigo6

[bkkjames]

As much as we may find the weather a bit 'refreshing' while hopping out of the shower in the morning, I can't help but think of those in Bangkok and in particular up North where it's even colder that have to sleep on the ground or in a very poorly built shack.

Edited November 23, 2009 by bkkjames

[ALFREDO]

I brought already some years ago electric heater fans with me from Europe, after I realized how cool it could get in the nights in Udon Thani

and even cooler near the hills of the small Phukiau mountains in Chayaphum.

And in these nights and mornings, I use them.

When the temperature drops to 15 degree and down, usualy the appartement buildings in Vienna start the central heating. Thats cool and our isolation of houses and buildings are sure better than what is used here for isolation. Mostly, nothing.

[rockyysdt]

As much as we may find the weather a bit 'refreshing' while hopping out of the shower in the morning, I can't help but think of those in Bangkok and in particular up North where it's even colder that have to sleep on the ground or in a very poorly built shack.

Also many don't have those electric hot water shower arrangements.

Just cold running water.

A Thai in the north not used to such temperatures would truly freeze having a cold shower.

[bkkjames]

As much as we may find the weather a bit 'refreshing' while hopping out of the shower in the morning, I can't help but think of those in Bangkok and in particular up North where it's even colder that have to sleep on the ground or in a very poorly built shack.

Also many don't have those electric hot water shower arrangements.

Just cold running water.

A Thai in the north not used to such temperatures would truly freeze having a cold shower.

I wouldn't shower under those conditions, getting out of a hot one into the cold air is enough for me...never mind the cold water in this weather.

Somebody mentioned Isolation, I think they meant insulation but I get the drift. Reminds of something back in Victoria BC that never gets snow. A few years ago a freak blizzard hit and shut the city down for 3 days as they had no snow plows. People bitched and complained but the reply was why should we spend millions of dollars on equipment we use once every 50 years.

Ok, not exactly the same here but why insulate houses for a couple of cool weeks a year? Seems better to band aid it with blankets and heaters for the short term.

[Heng]

Spot on there..You've nailed it in one..They cannot seem to see beyond TODAY!

Farang arrogance in all its glory. Unbelievable.......

It's the elites and their jacket and blanket monopoly.

[Mosha]

Well, it's clearly due to global warming, no doubt.

Seriously, we're undergoing global cooling at the moment and unless the sun revs back up again soon things could get worse.

This is a good watch, for those who haven't seen it yet:

The Great Global Warming Swindle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeY8oqAGhyA

I'm of the understanding that we're to receive a mini-ice age before global warming kinks in....

Actually Global warming could trigger the next Ice Age. Ice melts putting more fresh water into the sea. This in turn raises the freezing point of the oceans. Also it could stop the Atlantic Gulf stream from flowing which will make the European winters much colder.

[Bagwan]

The old fashioned way of keeping warm was to go 15 rounds with your lady. The afterglow should last all day.

[Stumbo]

Well, it's clearly due to global warming, no doubt.

Seriously, we're undergoing global cooling at the moment and unless the sun revs back up again soon things could get worse.

This is a good watch, for those who haven't seen it yet:

The Great Global Warming Swindle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeY8oqAGhyA

Noticed the BBC mentioned hackers breaking in, but not one word about the lies and corruption that was revealed, what a surprise, PC rules.

[Stumbo]

Well, it's clearly due to global warming, no doubt.

Seriously, we're undergoing global cooling at the moment and unless the sun revs back up again soon things could get worse.

This is a good watch, for those who haven't seen it yet:

The Great Global Warming Swindle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeY8oqAGhyA

I'm of the understanding that we're to receive a mini-ice age before global warming kinks in....

Actually Global warming could trigger the next Ice Age. Ice melts putting more fresh water into the sea. This in turn raises the freezing point of the oceans. Also it could stop the Atlantic Gulf stream from flowing which will make the European winters much colder.

Read the hacked files, a conspiracy of lies, deceit and greed, then offer actual scientific justification for what you just wrote, rather than recycling that.

[shamus]

People could roll rice straw into bundles to secure around and on top of their tin shacks for no cost , they get enough when they harvest the rice , this keeps the weather out and the warmth in . In scandinavian countries with more severe winters , they build in around the 'Stilts and suround them with straw also , with the cattle inside a lot of heat is provided which permeates up to the living quarters . Use a little thought and inginuity , they have the time to do it and stop complaining .

Unfortunately this means someone has to think beyond today and then do some work. That means it won't happen.

With people like Maigo around you have to add 'in my opinion from the number of Thais I have met and the time spent in rural Thailand' or you will be easily shot down as a racist. I share your opinion from the experiences I have had and the villagers I have met.

One family I stayed with wouldn't let me buy a couple of truck loads of land for them because it was not the rainy season yet. Last month they were up every night bailing water out of the kitchen.

Maigo give us some examples of Thai prior planning you have seen, not related to business. I love Thai spirit and optimism but this is one characteristic, and I believe it to be widespread, that really frustrates me. Anyone who has ever considered making important plans in Thailand must have witnessed the same?

[dumball]

'toybits' date='2009-11-23 09:22:00' post='3158098']

Unfortunately, your house insulated with bundles of straw is also a very good formula for cremating people inside the house. This is one reason why villagers opt to have metal sheet roofing material instead of thatch roofing.

Sometimes our suggestions - while they are well-meaning, may have other unintended (and deadly) impact. I would refrain from thinking that these villagers are idiots. They may not be as "highly-educated" as you but they know what is good for them.='dumball' post='3157810' date='2009-11-23 03:30:46']People could roll rice straw into bundles to secure around and on top of their tin shacks for no cost , they get enough when they harvest the rice , this keeps the weather out and the warmth in . In scandinavian countries with more severe winters , they build in around the 'Stilts and suround them with straw also , with the cattle inside a lot of heat is provided which permeates up to the living quarters . Use a little thought and inginuity , they have the time to do it and stop complaining .

[/quot

They would put the straw OVER THE OUTSIDE of the galvanised metal not on the inside , rural homes in the UK had straw roofs for generations , but of course , they did not build fires INSIDE of the house to get warm Should the villagers know what is good for them , they would have at least saved the blankets donated last year , do they not THINK it will get cold again ? They have next to nothing to do most of the year except WATCH THE RICE GROW .

[tb86]

ok off topic where do all these blankets go each year, for the last 3 years during chiang mai bike week we bring 3 vigo loads of blankets to the same towns, and each year same people, more blankes... were talking like 1500+ blankets in the last 3 years, somebodys got em .... multiply that by the hundreds if not thousands of other people that do the same each year.... maybe they sell them back to the guys we buy em from.... maybe the "elite" are suckering the poor hill people out of blankets each year ?

Edited November 23, 2009 by tb86

[philliphn]

[Well, it's clearly due to global warming, no doubt. ]

They call it 'climate change' now Ballzafire..

So they will have all bases covered.....drought,floods,snow in the Sahara etc etc...

Amazing times..

Maximize your carbon footprint NOW!!!

I'm trying to maximize my Carbon Foot Print. I thought that we were making progress in the maximization.

[flyflyfly]

thailand is not 'cold' relative to many other countries, but temperature is not the only factor ... there are many factors involved ...

basically, from what i can gather, thailand doesn't seem to 'think cold'

first, the diet in the north seems similar to that in the south, ie well-suited to a hot climate ... keep going north and higher into laos in places where the cold is a constant problem and the diet changes, with more (bigger) soups, more greens

second, housing ... typically in the provinces walls may be crude bamboo (might as well not have walls?), otherwise they are single layers of board ... even bricks tend to be single layers and thinner than in countries geared towards cold weather ... the same with roofs and floors ... plus there are gaps everywhere ... ventilation grills, under roofs, around windows, slatted glass that doesn't shut properly ... there may be glaps in the floors, ceilings and walls ... so heating is generally the fire you cook with (a radiant source with limited range) ... floors may be plain mud, otherwise crude bamboo, concrete or ceramic tile (timber being expensive) ... the water supply may be much colder than ambient temperatures ... thin clothes and synthetic fibres are of course, especially when they are not completely dry

third problem, altitude + humidity + long nights + long cold seasons ... add to this isolation, exposed locations ... technically the himalayan range extends into thailand and even flat agricultural land may actually be high up ... as the lead article says, 'seas of mist' are a tourist attraction, but it's no fun inside your house ... especially as at altitudes the cold hits before sunset and doesn't end till well after sunrise ... in the tropics that may means fourteen plus hours of cold dampness per day ... the worst is in december and january, but cold snaps and may hit with a vengeance from november through to march

the cold season follows the wet season, of course ... many of the above cold-related problems may apply before the cold season even begins ... wet floors, wet clothing and bedding, colds

[Heng]

ok off topic where do all these blankets go each year, for the last 3 years during chiang mai bike week we bring 3 vigo loads of blankets to the same towns, and each year same people, more blankes... were talking like 1500+ blankets in the last 3 years, somebodys got em .... multiply that by the hundreds if not thousands of other people that do the same each year

We keep ours in a few different bedding closets at our house, and thus I still have my Return of the Jedi sheets, pillowcases, comforter, etc. from when I was 7.

I'd imagine that most of these folks who get blanket donations call their bedding closets "their dirt floor" or "outside." They don't last nearly as long with the rain/wind/sun and all, getting tread on all year, etc. For some folks, they can relate to it with the "what happened to the cell phone you bought for Noi? and why do you have to buy her a new one every 3 months?" concept.

[philliphn]

[Well, it's clearly due to global warming, no doubt. ]

They call it 'climate change' now Ballzafire..

So they will have all bases covered.....drought,floods,snow in the Sahara etc etc...

Amazing times..

Maximize your carbon footprint NOW!!!

I'm trying to maximize my Carbon Foot Print. I thought that we were making progress in the maximization.

Let me explain further.

I am from the unfriendly State of Michigan. Here we have noticed some milder winters. the weather so far has been milder for the season.

Global warming to us in Michigan sounds comforting.

I do sympathize with any one who is cold. I hate the cold!

[siggie2]

Brilliant weather and long may it continue,well at nights anyway.

[Junglejumbo]

don't worry it won't last for very long. Perhaps two weeks at the most and another week around New Year. Then back to the heat. There was a time you could rely on the cooler weather all the way from Nov through to mid Jan.

[shamus]

I stayed near Nangrong in a friends house in January and her mother went to the temple one day because she had heard there were going to be people giving blankets and pillows away. The week after there was what you might call a cold snap. I thought it was brilliant. Alas where was the blanket? Wrapped in plastic, clean in the cupboard while the grandkids were told to sleep together to stay warm. About a week later she sold it on.

Last week I got a phonecall to say the family dog of 9 years had been sold to a noodle vendor for sam loi baht. Money mad she is.

Just my experience. She even tried to get some more off the couple in their 80s living next door because they still had the ones they were given a couple of years ago. Mother in law.....? No thanks

[nakachalet]

Let me explain further.

I am from the unfriendly State of Michigan. Here we have noticed some milder winters. the weather so far has been milder for the season.

Global warming to us in Michigan sounds comforting.

I do sympathize with any one who is cold. I hate the cold!

-------

in february 1, 1965 (or was it 1964.... lol....), i also was in benton harbor.... the snow piling up both sides of the street was about 12 feet high.... lol

funny.... no one from berrien springs complained at all.... lol

most went out snow shoeing or tobogganing instead.... lol

and the hot cider was just superlatively delicious.... and

it also provided me with legitimate excuses to snuggle up with those i liked.... lol

notwithstanding the thai people.... this is dead defying cold for the country.... and

while i was at the atm early morning yesterday, several local ladies put on ski jackets and the kids one in front of the more-ter-cy and the other sitting behind, both were wearing snow ski jackets over their uniforms.... and they looked only 3 or 4 yr old....

this is really cold for the thais including the thais in the south.... the latex from the rubber trees was just barely flowing.... that was how cold it was yesterday morning....

bluuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!

[nisakiman]

ok off topic where do all these blankets go each year, for the last 3 years during chiang mai bike week we bring 3 vigo loads of blankets to the same towns, and each year same people, more blankes... were talking like 1500+ blankets in the last 3 years, somebodys got em .... multiply that by the hundreds if not thousands of other people that do the same each year.... maybe they sell them back to the guys we buy em from.... maybe the "elite" are suckering the poor hill people out of blankets each year ?

Didn't you know? They all end up in a giant repository in the sky, along with ballpoint pens, odd socks, disposable lighters and that fresh pack of AA batteries you just bought....

[nisakiman]

Oh, and teaspoons. Forgot the teaspoons.