Coldest weather in decades hits Thailand

[pookiki]

The Caretaker government is not allowed by the EC to lent money to buy blankets ...

That's because they don't want to be accused of letting the government cover their ass!

[pookiki]

I tend to agree with an earlier post that our carelessness with the environment is much more serious than the theories surrounding global warming. It seems fairly evident that the reliance on fossil fuels is pumping much more CO₂into the atmosphere than before, the overall degradation of air quality is a more serious concern as is the whole new technology of fracking and tar sands. And then, there is the issue of GMOs and their impact on our health and environment. I am sure that the human race will find many other ways to annihilate itself before global warming comes to the fore.

[marko kok prong]

Ye gods,this is tosh,11c[what ti got to last night at my place does not kill you unless you are lying naked in a field, i have been in temps of _ 20 and still been comfy with the right gear,i wonder only now did the blankets get handed out,maybe because an election is looming,felt sorry for my old father in law,sleeping on some mats on a tiled floor,so went and got him a good mattress,cold comes up from the ground, i dont think many thais are aware of this,you need insulation from the ground,just anotherthing i learnt in the sa,oh,better i dont say.

[pantareiyingluck]

Ye gods,this is tosh,11c[what ti got to last night at my place does not kill you unless you are lying naked in a field, i have been in temps of _ 20 and still been comfy with the right gear,i wonder only now did the blankets get handed out,maybe because an election is looming,felt sorry for my old father in law,sleeping on some mats on a tiled floor,so went and got him a good mattress,cold comes up from the ground, i dont think many thais are aware of this,you need insulation from the ground,just anotherthing i learnt in the sa,oh,better i dont say.

Great post !

[belg]

the weather is helping the thai budget for the next rice scam / berg

[metisdead]

Some nonsense posts have been removed.

[pantareiyingluck]

not blaming the lovley Yingluck either.

Imagine a teak wooden floor. One blanket. Yingluck emotionally needing strong male support. A pillow from Sheraton Sukhumvit Grande. And a small bottle of Armagnac.

[pantareiyingluck]

the weather is helping the thai budget for the next rice scam / berg

SCAM?

BERG?

Can you clearify a bit?

[chrisrazz]

Nice to see the Nation manage to crow bar the 'protests' into this story.

Bill Bryson's 'A Short History Of Nearly Everything' puts human influence nicely into perspective.

Anyone read about the UKIP councilor who claimed that the recent flooding in Henley was God's reprisal to the British government legalising same sex marriage?

Thailand is not alone when it comes to nutters.

[peecee]

Every morning I'll go on my bicycle for half a hour in the vicinity of Tha-yang, but this morning it was very chilly about 11 degrees celsius, in the afternoon to the beach in Cha-am with a lot of wind not more then 18 degrees celsius, and no heather in the car, it is waiving the last months

Scotland's the place for heather & it's a fair bit colder than Cha-Am. No good for heating though until it's dried out.

[grandmasterchang]

Anyone who uses the term "global warming industry" and isn't referring to oil companies needs their head examined.

[RPCVguy]

That's because of Global Warming!

Record cold temperatures around the world won't stop the global warming industry with their dire predictions.

That is funny, the scientific community is very solidly behind the global climate change, but still your kinds of amateurs think they know better! There is no debate among scientists whether it is happening or not, it is already proven it is happening. That debate among scientists happened already during the 90's.

The only question is how many degrees more warmer. The models have been actually too conservative, the warming is on the upper section of the temperature range. Only in the media the few idiotic (mostly American) denialists are given endlessly time to spill more of their BS, given false impression the climate scientists are somehow still divided about the subject. No, they are not.

Btw, extreme weather patterns are part of the climate change because warming changes the wind patterns, the low and high pressure areas. Scandinavia had very mild, snowless winter until about January 10th, even some flowers started blossoming. Something out of Paris/Zurich latitude level, 20 degrees to the south. Then the temperatures suddenly dropped to -20 to -30 C in few days because the wind patterns turned into more what used to be normal. Northern America had very cold December due to change in the polar vortex but then again summers have been very hot in many places there.

The planet Venus is an extreme example of the greenhouse effect. The wind speeds there are 300-400 km/h. We are going to get more extreme winds because the warming widens the differences in air pressure areas.

It is funny how so many people ignore the difference between weather (short term event - localized) and global climate patterns (trends over decades, cumulative global average.)

The cold spots in the USA and locally in northern Thailand over the last month have caught their attention out of proportion to what is happening globally and over the past year.

The charts are from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2013/12

This is an excellent 3½ minute video that might help a few see the degree of evidence. "It's Us" - YouTube

Edited January 23, 2014 by RPCVguy

[Traveller45]

That's so damn cold, gracious. 8.7 C, plus that is, in the early morning ! I guess I shouldn't be complaining about the 10 C (minus) that it has here in Germany during the day right now! We are used to it, and don't deserve any better in any case, right? Why, anybody in half decent clothes would survive 8.7 at night

[Beetlejuice]

Freezing up here in Chiang Mai.

In all my 30 years here in Thailand I have not experienced the cold periods lasting for so long. Even during the midday and afternoon it is still very cool.

[NovaBlue05]

So cold here in Farangland. Right now, the thought of landing in Bangkok at the end of March, gathering my bags and stepping out into that thick night air is pretty enticing

[fasteddie]

That's because of Global Warming!

Love the sarcasm lol.

[boatguy]

I am rather enjoying the change for I know in about 2 months there will be many on here complaining about the extreme heat and humidity . It is rather nice to put a jacket on at night , no fans or air conditioning and still warm enough to go swimming during the day with sea a bit cooler not like getting into a warm bath very refreshing .

Its like nice crisp fall weather back in DC. I'm enjoying it.

Good sleeping weather with a nice comforter my wife bought for us.

[boatguy]

We really should take up this climate issue more seriously. This sentence from this posting caught my eye.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/16/1270099/-Leaked-UN-Climate-Report-Paints-Bleak-Picture-For-Humanity

* Greenhouse gas emissions grew by an average 2.2 percent per year between 2000 and 2010. Global emissions since 1970 outstrip those for the preceding 220 years".

It really is alarming. Even if we know that a single 'natural disaster' could undo any conservation move we might put in place, that is not a good reason to ignore the problem. Do you really want to live some portion of your life in cities like this??


How many people remember what it was like on the streets of Bangkok back in the 1990's, before the 2-stroke tuk tuks were replace with propane and natural gas ones.

How about trying to live today in some of those cities in China

The smog has become so thick in Beijing that the city's natural light-starved masses have begun flocking to huge digital commercial television screens across the city to observe virtual sunrises.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11188605

...more images of China smog

[diceq]

Yup, totally right !

Oh wait :

and further reading : http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2013/sep/19/climate-change-arctic-ice-sixth-lowest-in-millennia

But hey, see you for next "Recovery!" ..!

Gee, how do they know the Arctic sea extent from that many years back? Let's see what the Guardian says:

For example, Drs. Walsh & Chapman from the University of Illinois have estimated sea ice extent as far back as the year 1870 using a vast array of data (for example, records kept by the Danish Meteorological Institute and Norwegian Polar Institute, and reports made from ocean vessels)

Wow, that sounds really reliable. That graph must be very accurate. Just as accurate as Mannings famous hockey stick. Especially since the data they base that graph on dates back from 1870, when the data in the graph starts at the year 600. You people believe in anything they spoon feed you with.

Edited January 23, 2014 by diceq

[IVBE]

This was not a day for my shower unit to stop functioning - man was that water cold

[fasteddie]

That's because of Global Warming!

Record cold temperatures around the world won't stop the global warming industry with their dire predictions.

That is funny, the scientific community is very solidly behind the global climate change, but still your kinds of amateurs think they know better! There is no debate among scientists whether it is happening or not, it is already proven it is happening. That debate among scientists happened already during the 90's.

The only question is how many degrees more warmer. The models have been actually too conservative, the warming is on the upper section of the temperature range. Only in the media the few idiotic (mostly American) denialists are given endlessly time to spill more of their BS, given false impression the climate scientists are somehow still divided about the subject. No, they are not.

Btw, extreme weather patterns are part of the climate change because warming changes the wind patterns, the low and high pressure areas. Scandinavia had very mild, snowless winter until about January 10th, even some flowers started blossoming. Something out of Paris/Zurich latitude level, 20 degrees to the south. Then the temperatures suddenly dropped to -20 to -30 C in few days because the wind patterns turned into more what used to be normal. Northern America had very cold December due to change in the polar vortex but then again summers have been very hot in many places there.

The planet Venus is an extreme example of the greenhouse effect. The wind speeds there are 300-400 km/h. We are going to get more extreme winds because the warming widens the differences in air pressure areas.

"That is funny, the scientific community is very solidly behind the global climate change, but still your kinds of amateurs think they know better!"

Nobody's arguing about climate change, what the more intelligent amongst the climate scientist community (those without an axe to grind) are arguing with is the discredited and immature theory of anthropogenic global warming. This theory is advanced by computer engineers headed by a railway engineer who at the last count had interests in at least five carbon trading companies. The independent scientists have warned for years that actually we are headed for lower temperatures and the ridiculous measures being taken to try and combat global warming are not only costing us money we can't afford, but if successful (doubtful) are dangerous.

The sun and our position in relation to it are the sole drivers of our climate.

[123thaibourbon]

for metrically challenged Liberians, Burmans and Americans like myself: 0'C = 32'F 16'C = 61'F 28'C = 82'F 15.6' C would be fabulous right now in this Midwest deep-freeze.. sorry to hear about the crops failing over there..

[balo]

. Just a matter of time and Norway has Thailand's weather pattern.

Good then its time for me to move back to Norway, the climate was the reason I moved .

[balo]

It was windy and around 18-22 degrees in Pattaya tonight , perfect weather for me and 5555 watching Thais freezing outside .

[Mojomor]

Enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey in Udon early hours this morning.

Thai Met Office reported it as 8.7C. Clang, is there a welder on the premises ?

Welding a brass monkey would not be a great idea. Brazing would be better.

[Jay Sata]

In a country like Thailand the biggest problem is house design. Single skin block walls that get hot quickly during the day and then keep the radiating heat at night so rooms need lots of air con.

When you get a cold snap like the last few months the lack of insulation make the building feel cold.

Roof insulation and double skinned walls are the answer to saving energy and keeping comfortable.

Or to use the old Norwegian saying...there is no such thing as feeling cold....just a case of wearing enough clothes!

[HerIndoors]

That's because of Global Warming!

Record cold temperatures around the world won't stop the global warming industry with their dire predictions.

Mr. edwardandtubs ... when you read the science it clearly predicts that one of the outcomes of global warming is an increase in extreme weather conditions, including rains, winds, storms, cold spells, heatwaves etc etc. Not sure what you mean by 'the global warming industry'.

[kannot]

How "convenient" even if its cooler for a 1000 years they will still be right eh!!

That's because of Global Warming!

Record cold temperatures around the world won't stop the global warming industry with their dire predictions.

NASA has figure that show the warming trend - short term variations are normal - its the long term figures that count - and they do not look good.

"NASA Science News for Jan. 21, 2014

NASA scientists say 2013 tied with 2009 and 2006 for the seventh warmest year since 1880, continuing a long-term trend of rising global temperatures. With the exception of 1998, the 10 warmest years in the 134-year record all have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the warmest years on record.

The average temperature in 2013 was 58.3 degrees Fahrenheit (14.6 Celsius), which is 1.1 F (0.6 C) warmer than the mid-20th century baseline. The average global temperature has risen about 1.4 degrees F (0.8 C) since 1880, according to the new analysis. Exact rankings for individual years are sensitive to data inputs and analysis methods.

Scientists emphasize that weather patterns always will cause fluctuations in average temperatures from year to year, but the continued increases in greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere are driving a long-term rise in global temperatures. Each successive year will not necessarily be warmer than the year before, but with the current level of greenhouse gas emissions, scientists expect each successive decade to be warmer than the previous."

[kannot]

Funny, Im down at Sam Roi Yot and its was 29c in the afternoon and 15c in the morning ( shade figures mounted at 1.2 metres)

Every morning I'll go on my bicycle for half a hour in the vicinity of Tha-yang, but this morning it was very chilly about 11 degrees celsius, in the afternoon to the beach in Cha-am with a lot of wind not more then 18 degrees celsius, and no heather in the car, it is waiving the last months

[Puccini]

"Bangkok hit its coldest record in 30 years Thursday morning when the temperature fell to 15.6 Celsius," said Songkram Aksorn, Deputy Director General of the Thai Meteorological Department.

I can proudly say that I am a survivor of that cold winter 30 years ago.