Cold Claims Five Lives In Kalasin; Province Declared Disaster Zone

[george]

Cold claims five lives in Kalasin; province declared disaster zone

KALASIN: -- Thailand's northeastern province of Kalasin on Tuesday declared 18 districts disaster zones due to a severe cold spell, as more than 300,000 provincial residents are lacking sufficient warm clothing.

The cold weather continues to cover the province, especially areas in the Phuphan mountain range and rural areas.

As the Thai Meteorology Department issued warnings that local temperatures will drop even further, provincial authorities declared 18 districts as disaster zones.

It is reported that 170,000 households or over 300,000 people have been affected by the cold spell, while five fatalities have been confirmed in the provincial seat, Yang Talat and Somdet districts.

Currently, local agencies-concerned are speeding up assistance to cold-imated residents.

-- The Nation 2009-12-15

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[crazyswede]

... and as usual in Los , no one knows anything about the degree´s .. was it +15degree C or -2 degree C , was there skating/skiing involved etc.??

Im familiar with the terms "Cold , Hot and very Hot" in Los , after this they might have to add "very cold" also!

[Totster]

hmmm.. I thought it had been unusually warm for this time of year the past few days..

totster

[SM7WGP]

Its the same every year people freeze to death , The Government and others give people varm blankets to keep the cold out.

But as always the blanket and clothes are very quickly changed hands to hard cash, and then waiting for the next one.

This is Thailand and will never change.

Edited December 15, 2009 by SM7WGP

[Isaanben]

Strange! I agree withTotster. We live right between Yang Talat and Somdet (17 km southwest from Somdet) and during the last three nights it has never been below 18 degrees celsius here.

Three weeks ago it was colder, 12-13 degrees a couple of nights.

In Sweden, where I come from, it is COLD. They expect about 10 degrees below zero, the next few days, and about 15-20 cm of snow! Luckely I had my permission to stay extended for one year today, so I don´t have to go back...

[alex_aka_P]

>province declared disaster zone

>300,000 provincial residents are lacking sufficient warm clothing

Why just not go and BUY some for themselves? Why they awaiting something which is very normal in their normal life, but they waiting that from someone and for free?? What kind of f.ing "cold disaster zone" can be found within of an area of the Tropic of Cancer???

These news always being a nonsense (me myself came from the place where -30'C is a very common day, and winter is for 9 months/year - and NOONE call it "disaster" as far as I remember).

Once again - Welcome to Thailand: the frozen land of hubs and crackdowns.

[kevc]

>province declared disaster zone

>300,000 provincial residents are lacking sufficient warm clothing

Why just not go and BUY some for themselves? Why they awaiting something which is very normal in their normal life, but they waiting that from someone and for free?? What kind of f.ing "cold disaster zone" can be found within of an area of the Tropic of Cancer???

These news always being a nonsense (me myself came from the place where -30'C is a very common day, and winter is for 9 months/year - and NOONE call it "disaster" as far as I remember).

Once again - Welcome to Thailand: the frozen land of hubs and crackdowns.

Your right this is a sh*te place to live why don't we all just go home.....................what?.

[alex_aka_P]

me myself came from the place where -30'C is a very common day, and winter is for 9 months/year

Your right this is a sh*te place to live why don't we all just go home.....................

The answer is simple: THERE is -30'C and winter for 9 months/year, and HERE is not.

[Nana]

Strange! I agree withTotster. We live right between Yang Talat and Somdet (17 km southwest from Somdet) and during the last three nights it has never been below 18 degrees celsius here.

Three weeks ago it was colder, 12-13 degrees a couple of nights.

In Sweden, where I come from, it is COLD. They expect about 10 degrees below zero, the next few days, and about 15-20 cm of snow! Luckely I had my permission to stay extended for one year today, so I don´t have to go back...

Anybody remembers this story:

Swedish tourist found dead in Thailand

Frozen to death outside his house

CHIANG MAI: A 59 year old Swedish tourist has been found dead in

Chiang Mai in North Thailand.

He fell asleep outside his house and froze to death.

On Thursday it was minus degrees in mountains around Chiang Mai,

Thailand's third biggest town. In the city of Chiang Mai the night

temperatures was around 10 degrees.

Was found by friends

The Swede was found dead by his friends a few kilometers outside Chiang Mai.

The man had propably been drunk and fallen asleep. There were no physical

wounds on his body, says the police in Chiang Mai.

The Swedish man had stayed several months in Thailand. He was wearing

long trousers and a long armed pullover when he was found dead. He

had went to sleep in a house extension without walls near the house

where he lived.

--Aftonbladet.se / Agencies

What is the odds?

Moving from Sweden to Thailand and freeze to death.

Nana

[147SAG]

hmmm.. I thought it had been unusually warm for this time of year the past few days..

totster

Hope it stays warm, will be there in 7 days. It is a lot colder here last night was -32 degrees C and last week -40 degreesC. So no matter how cold it gets in Thailand I will enjoy it.

[LivinLOS]

I find it hard to understand how people freeze to death in a country that rarely goes to freezing..

When I was a teen I slept rough in holland over new year, try that night after night in real sub zero.. Didnt kill me tho I must admit it wasnt pleasant.

[plachon]

hmmm.. I thought it had been unusually warm for this time of year the past few days..

totster

Indeed it has. As I commented in an earlier post on the same subject, this is absolute nonsense and disconnected from reality. This is merely a sorry excuse for some overpaid officials to cash in on an announcement that will allow them to buy a lot of overpriced blankets and other "emergency" supplies for donation to people who are most unlikely to complain about this social welfare coming their way or dispute the mythology of "cold disaster". On the other hand, one would think there would be some educated Thais who might have the sense to publically point out that Isaan is in the midst of a warm spell in the cool season, and this is just another waste of the national budget on a white elephant scheme to gin muang.

I actually slept in a village in Phu Phan hills last night and guess the minimum temperature would have been about 16 C, which was most pleasant and much warmer than I'd been expecting. The idea that people were dying from cold in Kalasin during the last few days is utterly preposterous, but no doubt the officials concerned will now be rewarded for their cry of "wolf" with a big fat budget to divvy up.