Raining All Over Thailand These Days?

[DavidMavec]

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

So when does the rainy season typically ease up or go away?

I know maybe that doesn't matter so much; it's DIFFERENT this year.

Riding the bicycle with this much rain is not just unpleasant, it's dangerous. I took a nasty spill the other day coming down the mountain from Pai into Soppong. I hydroglided and boom, the bicycle gave way. I feel very lucky to have escaped it with just some road rash and achiness. It could have been broken bones or worse.

I guess I did not "do my homework" well enough as I thought that even during rainy season it only rained every few days... at least that's what people told me in Chiang Mai...

Why don't you just take shelter when it rains. Rain stops continue journey. How to tell when it is going to rain. Big black clouds, are normally a good clue?

jb1

Where I have been it rains off and on every couple hours. Or sometimes the whole day. Shelter is not always to be found. It´s also dealing with the slick roads even if the rain stops. I took a nasty fall yesterday because of wet roads. I´m thinking I´ll be off to India to ride there until the rains here stop in some months.

Take your point. I didn't realise Chaing-Mia was that bad. Down South more, like Surat-Thani is not so bad?

Before you go off to India. Don't forget to check on the weather in the particular region that you are going to. As they also have a Monsoons season? Also hope you got your injuries checked, especially if any broken skin?

jb1

Sorry ableguy didn't see your post.

At the moment I´m in Pai and have been on the Mae Hong Son route.

I was very fortunate on my fall, hit the pavement going about 30 km on the mountain down from Pai to Soppong. The bicycle came out under me in the slippery road and I went somersaulting. I do have some broken skin on my arm and legs as well as a nice knob on my hip bone, aches in some places. Well, basically, as if I got my butt kicked. But I don´t have any broken bones and nothing that won´t heal or scab up in a week or so. I´m feeling very grateful.

In terms of India, I´m doing my homework this time. I just started the bike ride out of Chiang Mai about a month or so ago on a whim. First I rented a bicycle and went up to Golden Triangle area and all around there. I was liking it so much I came back to Chiang Mai and bought a bike. As soon as I did that and left for the Pai area, the rains started coming down. Now it´s no fun.

According to what people are telling me on India forums, the TamilNadu region stays dry during monsoon season and doesn´t get rain until October-November. This is like Calcutta, Chennai, and points southeast. Calcutta is the cheapest destination in India from Bangkok at US$200 or even less. Of course with a bike box it might run me a bit over...