Is this year's late start for rain unusual?

Our small landholding is in Kalasin. We pllanted a couple dozen fruit trees as well as peanuts and sweet potato over Song Kran - in anticipation of the big wet. It rained one afternoon (and a big rain it was too).

Heading up there again this Wednesday for a week and expecting the worst...

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El nino is throwing the pork to Thailand this year it is going to get worse. Thailand will learn what a real drought is.

Give it another month or so

The monsoon rains for Thailand normally began in June. This year in or area (Kap Choeng) we are already 100 mm in the rear. Most farmers are not doing a nursery this year for rice planting. The land is being cultivated but the seed will be broadcast.We are watering like crazy at the house, we have a well. The overall out look is not good. All major dams/reservoirs are at the critical low level. Keep your fingers crossed. The below is from tmd.go.

http://www.tmd.go.th/programs/uploads/forecast/2014-03-26_3months_EN_141143.pdf

General Climate Characteristics

Upper Thailand (Northern, Northeastern, Central and Eastern parts of Thailand):

During April: Heat low pressure air masses still cover over the upper Thailand from time to time.

Additionally, some southerly or southeasterly winds prevail to cover the area almost all of this month.

These cause the upper Thailand to have sweltering weather generally with very hot air in some areas

on some days. Maximum temperatures are about 42 – 43 C. Alternatively thunder rains occur in many

areas, thus reducing some heat. Then during the first half of May: Being the transition time from the

summer to the rainy seasons, weather will be variable. Thus, sweltering weather and thunder rains

occur in some areas. From the second half of May until June: Southwest monsoon will prevail to cover

Thailand as being rather active continuously during some periods. Thus, the upper Thailand will have

more abundant rainfall with heavy to very heavy rains in some areas.

The summarized rains will be slightly below normal, while most average temperatures will

be slightly above normal

That's the South East monsoon - late May/June and that's what hits Issaan. Those from other parts of Thailand may be expecting it sooner as there is often a strong monsoon over the Southern part of Thailand in March/April. We tend not to get much of that here.

That's the South East monsoon - late May/June and that's what hits Issaan. Those from other parts of Thailand may be expecting it sooner as there is often a strong monsoon over the Southern part of Thailand in March/April. We tend not to get much of that here.

We are drying out quick in the South.

Just had our well dug a couple metres deeper and now have water again but for how long?

The pond with all my fish is the lowest I have ever seen it, few dead fish already.

However, I am at the car wash right now, so pretty sure it will rain in approx 46 mins time

It is raining here in Ubon at this moment. Hope there is more to come.

Strange day yesterday, 3 hours of thunder and lightning ,only few drops of rain, but temperature dropped 20 degrees. Come 9pm and thunder and lightning returned along with monsoonal downpour.

Result , all fish ponds overflowing and house tanks went from empty to full in 3 hours.

There's thunder in Sisaket since hours, sky looks like it will rain in a sec, but it doesn't

Strange day yesterday, 3 hours of thunder and lightning ,only few drops of rain, but temperature dropped 20 degrees. Come 9pm and thunder and lightning returned along with monsoonal downpour.

Result , all fish ponds overflowing and house tanks went from empty to full in 3 hours.

You lucky ........ bugger. We had the thunder & lightning but only got 30 minutes of drizzle, I even went upstairs to close the windows but realised it was a waste of time so I just sat down and listened to the thunder.

After all this finally got about 90 minutes of some much need wet stuff in KC.

Mrs just texted me some drizzle happening now in Kalasin.

It aint gonna bring back those 4 Bpla Nin though..

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Mrs just texted me some drizzle happening now in Kalasin.

It aint gonna bring back those 4 Bpla Nin though..

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Last night we had plenty, about 50 mm, 20 km northeast of Kalasin town.

plenty last week for 4days,monday morning 2.30am to 4.30 peed down,only drizzle at the momento.[korat]

heaving down near Phon Pisai at last ....

P***ing down all morning, and now, and thunder and lightning in Udon Thani. Golf day cancelled and maybe tomorrow as well as the course could be saturated. Possible venture to another course.

Half way around the ring road in Udon on my mountain bike, 7am, rain started to get heavy...More thunder, lightning, heavier rain..Got home 7.40 drenched, ultra happy and grinning...Loved It! The missus thinks I am ting tong, and says It Is my own fault that I will have a fever this afternoon .

This has been the first rain of any note since early September here.

More please..

This is the e-mail I just sent my husband. We are moving home in a couple of months, which I am not sad about - I love both countries - but I am having those acute moments of feeling the little things.

"For some reason I clicked on this thaivisa forum and started reading this thread - guess I’m just really interested in rain
scrolling through the comments, watching a whole country talking about rain and drought, and oh, now it’s raining in this part of the country, oh lucky you, wish it was raining here, oh hey, we just had a 90 minute monsoon, oh all we got was thunder and lightening, no rain, but oh, now it is drizzling here…

for some reason I found tears in my eyes. I suddenly realized that as much as I think that the expat forums are confusingly full of a**holes, they are also full of people from all over the world, connecting on this one little thing, that we all are here in this weird country that is not our origin. This rain conversation just made me teary, because I will miss being a part of this."

P.S. in the northcountry, we had a lovely downpour last night that has left us with the coolest morning we've had in ages

I retired here in november from San Francisco USA, we are use to droughts, conserving water, not pouring water at restaurants, the 3 minute shower, wet, wash, wet, turning water off durning soaping, no watering of plants, recycle water for garden, not flushing the toilet every time, no washing the car,no refilling of swimming pools, and so forth. If we did this everyday, we would not have to worry about a drought. Think about it. Save the rain water in containers for another day.

Yes I hear it's now persisting down on the farm.

Sorry you lost a golf day.

Let's hope this shower only lasts 3 or 4 days

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Still not a drop in BKK and the sun continues to belt down relentlessly. According to the poorly named 'Accuweather" there is rain due this week but I'm convinced they just slip in a couple of rain icons in the 5 day forecast for the fun of it as they have for almost the last fortnight without a drop.

We haven't seen a drop of rain in Hua Hin yet. Heard what i thought was thunder a few times but nothing came of it.

It peed down yesterday, for a short while, though that was in Bangkok.

29th of April., 2.55 pm. Was cloudy all morning, but now it rains. Wouldn't have a problem if that would go on for a few hours.

It's actually nice after the heat before.-

I'm in Sisaket,, the city famous for their two legged buffaloes.

Had an immense downpour in Bangkok yesterday, it lasted maybe 20 minutes and was absolutely hammering !

Rained like **** today in KK. Couple of steady downpours.

Having a nice gentle soaker sense 5 pm in Kap Choeng.

Nope, still dry down south..!

Must be someone's fault

Rains do not start tell the end of MAY

and that is an aproximation. Last year where I lived it rained hard the begining of May and then stopped till late June. In 2010 the rains did not start until late July.

Sit back down and relax, the rains will come when they come.