Freezing Temperatures In Thailand's North, Northeast

[LJW]

Where do all the winter clothes go???

Every year, over and over, to the same people?

[haveaniceday]

"Chiang Mai officials have declared five districts danger zones after temperatures dropped below 15 degrees three days in a row."

Yes the Annual Disaster areas so the officials can access the funds to go buy A blanket and pocket the rest. Maybe if it did get freezing and start snowing there would be a story fit for the nation !!

[chuang]

For poor people living in the mountains (no blankets, no appropriate clothes, food and shelter) it``s "freezing".

No, it is 'very cold'.

In this instant "freezing" is used as a metaphor....correct me if I am wrong...

[Ferry]

freezing ??? I really didn't know 10 or 13 degrees mean freezing I guess it freezing when below zero.

10 degree is my favorite temperature. Now the Thai people what we farangs feeling when it is very warm like 40 degree and we can't take off more cloths.

[doggie888888]

Where do all the winter clothes go???

Every year, over and over, to the same people?

Maybe they don't like last year's winter fashion? That Burberry pattern is sooooo last season.....

Or, maybe they don't have homes with proper closets to store winter woolies?

[londonthai]

this hight pressure front from china stopped raining and flooding - so there is some positive to the cold weather.

but in the north east people are still flooded and wet, and on top of it cold - I feel sorry for them.

cold spells stop diseases and bacteria, but there would be many people seriously sick with flu, with a little of help from flooded hospitals and governmental resources diverted recently to the south.

[mikebell]

Thought you might like to read my take on the cold weather:

British SummerTime - by Mike Bell

AsBritish Summer Time finished on Halloween Night, Thai Winter Time began. Yesyou read it right first time – winter in Thailand! Hitherto I had thought therewere only three seasons here in Funtown: Hot, Hot and Wet and Very Hot. Now I find there's a fourth:COLD. Cold, I wrote it again butstill can't do it without smiling. Mywife has all the windows and doors closed. When she has finished herseemingly unending chores, she sits down in front of the television, cocoonedin a duvet like a curvy silkworm.

Ichecked with the Chonburi weather site and it's official: the temperature hasplunged to a bone-numbing low of 74 though you can cast aside your duvets inthe afternoon as we reach highs of 85. I got to thinking about thedifferent climates in Thailandand the UK. My wife's favourite twophotographs are of my grandsons in the snow last Xmas; neither were taken in Thailand. It is her ambition to have oneof her gamboling in the white stuff. I can't tell her it will neverhappen; she would perish as she stepped out of the door. We have been to England twice,during what we British ironically call summer. On both occasions, despitewearing all my daughter's winter clothes simultaneously, she fell into acatatonic two week-long coma. Onlyby showing her the photos did I convince her we had, in fact, been to London such were thehypothermic effects. (Ihave to confess that I visited a Charity shop called Help-the-Aged and bought afleecy, zip-up coat by Next for two British pounds.)

Ofcourse we are very lucky to live here a long way south of Chang Mai. Up there at this time of theyear, they have it very bad. Almostdaily there are stories of local residents dying of hypothermia. They are found the next daywearing eleven shirts; their jaws clenched in the rictus grin of death fromfrostbite. The newspaper does add in thefinal lines of the story that they had downed fourteen bottles of Chang beerand a litre of rice whiskey in a vain attempt to keep up their core temperature. It is no wonder the denizens ofChang Mai set fire to thousands of acres of rice stubble to warm up the land inreadiness for such a cold snap. Isuspect if the World Health Organisation published such figures, the two mostcommon causes of death in the north would be hypothermia and lung cancer.

The Uk governmentrelease figures for road deaths and the toll rises significantly during thewinter months as snow and ice bring the country to its knees – at least on therailways. When I first came to Thailand, I was curious about the number ofroads made by putting down sheets of rough concrete: Thailand is the cement capital ofthe world. The sheets are rougheneddeliberately to prevent cars or motor cy's from skidding on any icy patches. (Plus no one can keep a checkon how many bags of cement go missing.) You've only to lookat the main thoroughfare into Jomtien to realize this happens.

Perhapsthe best way to encapsulate the difference between the respective climates ofmy two countries of residence is to provide free advertising for two localattractions. The first is just off Walking Street. It is called The V2oO Ice Bar;it literally has a bar made of ice and walls that an Eskimo would admire! Here you can sit and drink avariety of vodkas in different flavours whilst enjoying temperatures of minus18! There's even U-tube videos ofhard, obviously English, lads doing this in their T-shirts and string vests.

Meanwhilejust down the road at Dream World in Bangkok,Thais queue for thirty minutes for the pleasure of getting a cold bum on theice slide in the Snow Palace. For any budding entrepreneurs,I see a business opportunity here. Whynot open a branch of Help-the Aged and specialize in Next jackets; I can letyou have one for a hundred baht!

Imitatation is the sincerest form of flattery | Pattaya Daily News - Pattaya Newspaper, Powerful n

http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2010/ 11/03/and-so-it-grows/ews.www.pattayadailynews.com

[warfie]

ummm... sorry, but 10°C is hardly "freezing"... if some nit dies because he hasn't got enough brains to put something warm on, then it's an improvement to the gene pool...

Interestingly, I started to gather and distribute "stuff" to the hill tribe people at Bahn Thong Luang, (I hope it's ok to post a relevant link here...) including educational material (text books, exercise books, pencils, etc) and blankets... All very well received by the villagers themselves, but eventually I was asked by the management to stop.... <deleted>?!?!?!

My best guess is that they want the people to "look more poor", so they get more cash donations...

[dighambara]

For poor people living in the mountains (no blankets, no appropriate clothes, food and shelter) it``s "freezing".

What..??

They didn't know it was going to get cold, so to gather firewood and find warm clothing..??

Also, it is not 'freezing' until the temperature is at zero ('0')...

Individuals may feel or think it is freezing, but it is not.

Coldest winter night I ever had was in Korat in 1966...

Edited November 5, 2010 by dighambara

[pgangeles]

These erroneous, untrue, headlines bother me more and more. So, after reading the post; where in Thailand is there freezing temperatures? 10 degrees is not freezing. Cold yes, freezing no!

Freezing is used as an expression as well. When I'd step outside in Chicago and the temp was around 35F plus, I'd would say I'm freezing.

[antsrule]

In Canada it is a well known phenomena for peoples tolerances to change as they acclimatize to colder temperatures. 10 -15 degrees is short sleeve weather in January in Canada. I heard this was because cold weather causes blood to thicken and retain heat better. That could be a myth but it works for me. Here is the bad news, mosquitoes only require liquid water to hatch. You need real freezing to keep the bitches (the biters are all female) from flying. They always return with the warm weather.

Anyway fair warning to Thai people. Go to Canada in July when the high daily temperatures average 20 -25. Although some might want to experience -40 in February Calgary just to understand how quickly you will die at that temperature and how quiet it can be and to watch your breath form ice on your eyebrows and no bugs, actually no anything except beautiful early morning frost. dam_n, I'm starting to miss it.

Here is an image for you. I was young delivering papers early one very dark February morning at -30. The city public transport in those days was electric buses with overhead pairs of wires covering the city like a net. The buses came out and because of the frost on the wires they made a continuous spark which caused the whole city to sparkle with incredible beauty from my high vantage point at the top of a hill.  The sizzling sound was neat too.

[warfie]

In Canada it is a well known phenomena for peoples tolerances to change as they acclimatize to colder temperatures. 10 -15 degrees is short sleeve weather in January in Canada. I heard this was because cold weather causes blood to thicken and retain heat better. That could be a myth but it works for me. Here is the bad news, mosquitoes only require liquid water to hatch. You need real freezing to keep the bitches (the biters are all female) from flying. They always return with the warm weather.

Anyway fair warning to Thai people. Go to Canada in July when the high daily temperatures average 20 -25. Although some might want to experience -40 in February Calgary just to understand how quickly you will die at that temperature and how quiet it can be and to watch your breath form ice on your eyebrows and no bugs, actually no anything except beautiful early morning frost. dam_n, I'm starting to miss it.

Here is an image for you. I was young delivering papers early one very dark February morning at -30. The city public transport in those days was electric buses with overhead pairs of wires covering the city like a net. The buses came out and because of the frost on the wires they made a continuous spark which caused the whole city to sparkle with incredible beauty from my high vantage point at the top of a hill. The sizzling sound was neat too.

no need to go so far... Melbourne, Australia... anywhere in New Zealand... when the grass goes "crunch" it is actually freezing.....

I also used to start work at sub-zero temperatures, and ride my motorcy for 12 hours in drizzling piss rain at below 10°C all day, every day... then go to school for 4 hours and ride home again in drizzling piss rain at sub-zero.... guess what? I had a warm jacket....

15°C = freezing? disaster? give me a break! but why did you throw away/sell the warm coat and blanket they gave you last year?

Meanwhile, Loy Krathong festivities are approaching... when we give thanks to the goddess of water for the gift of the rains...

Strange culture... strange people... love every one of them... (yes, even the thieving tuk-tuk driver, and the two would-be pick-pockets I flattened in Krung Thep) I wouldn't be anywhere else...

But to call 3 days of 15°C a disaster is bit bit over the top...

Try sending them all to Finland in the winter to "grow a pair"

[def2708]

when u r used to temperature over 20 degrees ,your body is hardly hit when it s 10 degrees....

and when in europe ,you get heat wave like 2-3 years ago,you get like 10000 dead,when it s 10 degrees ,you go out with tee shirt as soon there is a little sunshine

look at the tourist sleeping with aircon when it s 35 degrees,do you know many thais who sleep with aircon?

i lived in thailand for few years in the south...and when it s bellow 20,i got to put a jacket on cause i m really cold...

ok not freezing (this is like a feeling)

so if you really want to help those people,stop arguing and help them....

you band of morons , the people i speak about will recognize themself....

thank you for helping your next of kind.....

[sunanta]

lao cow or long sleeves...they have there choise

For poor people living in the mountains (no blankets, no appropriate clothes, food and shelter) it``s "freezing".

[sunanta]

lao cow or long sleeves...they have there choise

For poor people living in the mountains (no blankets, no appropriate clothes, food and shelter) it``s "freezing".

[Gonsalviz]

Must be 'Global Warming'.

[jboras]

10 to 15 degrees is not 'freezing'.

Sounds like a bad but average summer in Sweden! 5555

It's the humidity factor that compounds the feeling of cold. Having lived in Hong Kong and Thailand for more than 3 decades ... it is cold... in Hong Kong 15 degrees is freezing... the cold humidity gets the cold right to your bones... it's hard for one to understand that has lived in a dry climate... when I am in Australia ... especially Melbourne 15 degrees is beach weather... but humidity is 20% not 90%....

[creck]

My Oxford English Dictionary is very clear.

freezing . adj 1 having a temperature below 0^o C. 2 very cold. 3 (of fog or rain) consisting of droplets which freeze rapidly on contact with a surface . n the freezing point of water (0^o C.)

I think in the context of northern Thailand 10^O is very cold.

[barrybankruad]

Where do all the winter clothes go???

Every year, over and over, to the same people?

Maybe they don't like last year's winter fashion? That Burberry pattern is sooooo last season.....

Or, maybe they don't have homes with proper closets to store winter woolies?

My village in Isaan got the blankets last cold season. They were of such poor quality and that thin they were a joke. One wash and they would disintegrate. That's where they go, out with the rubbish.

[Scully]

I live on a mountain in Northern Isaan and am originally from Northern England. I have been here for a while, however the temperature drop was not gradual it was hot one night then around 13c the next.

The term freezing is wrong however it is a shock to the system to have such a sudden temperature change. I am not talking about myself because we live in a house and have plenty of blankets, however there are many elderly that live in thin wooden huts who would be quite susceptible to the sudden drop.

If I was in England I would be walking around with just a thin jumper on but here in the morning I have two layers of clothes and a jacket, no disaster for me just blooming cold.

p.s. I am not to be mistaken with the poster with the same bouncing elephant.

[NorIsaan]

My son (age 5) living in Buriram area, told me that his mom want him to close the aircon. He replied that it's not cold. He want it on. So, when I return i Dec., I will bring some winther-clothes to my wife, from Norway. I assume that she will not feel cold then.... Because of the clothes, of course

[crazyswede]

... it's hard for one to understand that has lived in a dry climate...

I lived both near the ocean and inland here and i can tell you -20degree´s celsius inland is sweet compared to 0 deegree near the sea but im living my last winter here now then i will change it for Los 365days a year , i wount complain!

[tonglen]

For poor people living in the mountains (no blankets, no appropriate clothes, food and shelter) it``s "freezing".

Yes, when it affects people adversely, IT IS FREEZING! A agree with you completely.

Come one people, lets not split hairs over this. Enough semantics, please. If it can harm people, any people,one person, it is "freezing."

Right now, Im in 0 celsius weather-literally freezing- but I dont call it "freezing" because I have clothes and heat to deal with it. Lets be a little more empathetic.

[hayden5650]

I always thought freezing was below 32°F.

10 degrees centigrade? Harden up. It's 6°C here now.

[whybother]

I always thought freezing was below 32°F.

10 degrees centigrade? Harden up. It's 6°C here now.

And you are sitting in a heated house or have plenty of clothing on ... right?

[hayden5650]

I always thought freezing was below 32°F.

10 degrees centigrade? Harden up. It's 6°C here now.

And you are sitting in a heated house or have plenty of clothing on ... right?

Im in shorts and a tshirt with singlet on underneath. Heater isn't on but it's probably 55°F in here.

Where I work is maintained at a constant 42°F so it's reasonably comfortable.

[astral]

Snow, never.

The cold spells always come in the dry season.

Frost is not uncommon in Chiang Rai in the cold season.

It amuses me they way Thais get out there jumpers and jackets

when the temperature drops below 25C.

With all the scouting activity in Thailand, it is a shame they

missed Baden Powell's advice to "Be Prepared"

[MikeyIdea]

I always thought freezing was below 32°F.

10 degrees centigrade? Harden up. It's 6°C here now.

And you are sitting in a heated house or have plenty of clothing on ... right?

Im in shorts and a tshirt with singlet on underneath. Heater isn't on but it's probably 55°F in here.

Where I work is maintained at a constant 42°F so it's reasonably comfortable.

Over 90% of the worlds population use C, now less than 10% that use F and even less than that are taught what the F means in school even now a days. Ever thought of feeling lonely

[Sturbuc]

These erroneous, untrue, headlines bother me more and more. So, after reading the post; where in Thailand is there freezing temperatures? 10 degrees is not freezing. Cold yes, freezing no!

Yes, it does feel chilly but so far no more than normal for this time of year. Think these headlines are rather exaggerated.

I won`t be installing a central heating system just yet, but next week could be a different story.

Well, the buildings are made for loosing some heat (inside) and not for keep the temparature. Insulation isn't very common neither for

keeep the coolness inside ´when hot (save power with the AC) nor keep it warm from daytime when the temparatures go down at night.

And warm cloth are not very common too for only some hours on a few days in the year.