Pattaya weather absolutely rocks

[MrWorldwide]

The drought and the impending arrival of the hot season notwithstanding, I've been very impressed with Pattaya's weather since arriving here last April. Not a fan of tropical heat, but obviously that's what allows us to wander around in shorts and a t-shirt all year long, but the downside in most tropical and sub-tropical towns is destructive tropical storms. Pattaya seems to be an exception, at least in my limited experience of the city. As a weekend warrior for over 15 years and recent retiree, I admit I haven't seen the aftermath of a big tropical storm here, but when the floods devastated a large swathe of northern Thailand and parts of BKK a few years back, Pattaya was spared the worst of it. I've seen photos of flooded sois, but nothing to compare to the footage that came out of areas to the north.

Fast forward to 2015 and I'm looking at a very familiar sight for this time of the year in Oz - pictures of extensive flooding after a cyclone crossed the Queensland coast last night (FWIW, I live in Rocky for 4 years with no storm damage to my house or car). The locals tend to take most of the smaller storms in their stride, although the 2010-11 floods reminded most Queenslanders that nature calls the shots. Similar scenes in the PI and Indonesia when the storm season hits the islands, usually with a tragic number of casualties, but Pattaya seems to be in a relatively benign climate zone.

I did find a news story where 10 (!) houses were damaged by a freak storm, but the garbled 'reporting' left me wondering if the reporter had ever seen the aftermath of a real storm. Bolding is mine.

Pattaya, 22nd February 2011: At 2.00pm after a cloudburst, heavy gasts of wind, followed by a spate of torrential rainfall lasting over 30 minutes, it was reported that many of local residences and cars had been damaged by the large trees collapsing and the blasting winds. The reporter surveyed damage at Moo4, Pong and Moo6, Nongprue.

Mr. Smphong Bunsiri (56), a villager from Pong claimed that it was first time in his life to see an event so severe and very scary as this. The storm had built up heavily in a few minutes and uprooted big trees while blowing the rooves off several houses. Other villagers tearfully revealed similar stories and remarked that their houses and cars had been destroyed. They had no idea how to manage with this trouble. At the same time some officers had been dispatched to investigate at the scene to check the damage.

I did find some beautifully shot footage of a stormfront moving over Pattaya on Youtube, but that's it - any of the oldtimers have anything to add ?

[KittenKong]

Oooh. I can see my condo in that video.

[Briggsy]

Indeed, it is no accident that many of Thailand's key industrial complexes are in this area along with its two main deep sea ports.

The Khao Khieo - Khao Chompoo mountain range protects most of Chonburi and Rayong from flooding and its position on the west-facing inner gulf of the Gulf of Thailand means no cyclones. Finally its distance from any fault lines in the earth's tectonic plates means no earthquakes.

[Costas2008]

If you've put this on to scare me coming to Pattaya, I can inform you that it hasn't worked.

Freak weather doesn't bother me, on the other hand, freak people can have an effect on me sometimes.

[MrWorldwide]

Indeed, it is no accident that many of Thailand's key industrial complexes are in this area along with its two main deep sea ports.

The Khao Khieo - Khao Chompoo mountain range protects most of Chonburi and Rayong from flooding and its position on the west-facing inner gulf of the Gulf of Thailand means no cyclones. Finally its distance from any fault lines in the earth's tectonic plates means no earthquakes.

Superb feedback, Briggsy - thanks for that.

[MrWorldwide]

If you've put this on to scare me coming to Pattaya, I can inform you that it hasn't worked.

Freak weather doesn't bother me, on the other hand, freak people can have an effect on me sometimes.

Sure, but there's nothing here the ancient Greeks weren't intimately familiar with, even if it may have taken a few centuries for someone to coin the correct combination of Greek words to express it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanchard%27s_transsexualism_typology#Autogynephilia_and_autoandrophilia

Autogynephilia (/ˌɔːtoʊˌɡaɪnəˈfɪliə/; from Greek αὐτό- ("self"), γυνή ("woman") and φιλία ("love") — "love of oneself as a woman") is a term coined in 1989 by Ray Blanchard, to refer to "a man's paraphilic tendency to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of himself as a woman"

[NoshowJones]

If you've put this on to scare me coming to Pattaya, I can inform you that it hasn't worked.

Freak weather doesn't bother me, on the other hand, freak people can have an effect on me sometimes.

In that case Costas, you had better stay well clear of Pattaya.

[Emster23]

Weather here does seem to be better.... may be rain in BKK but clear here. I like to watch BBC news and when show cloud cover for Thailand often clouds all around except for that little jut that is Pattaya and nearby. I know in Nepal some temples have figures of copulating couples in roof struts, as the goddess of lightning is said to be a prude and would avoid those places. Maybe they are on to something.....

[how241]

Good video, Thanks

[Mudcrab]

If you've put this on to scare me coming to Pattaya, I can inform you that it hasn't worked.

Freak weather doesn't bother me, on the other hand, freak people can have an effect on me sometimes.

Sure, but there's nothing here the ancient Greeks weren't intimately familiar with, even if it may have taken a few centuries for someone to coin the correct combination of Greek words to express it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanchard%27s_transsexualism_typology#Autogynephilia_and_autoandrophilia

Autogynephilia (/ˌɔːtoʊˌɡaɪnəˈfɪliə/; from Greek αὐτό- ("self"), γυνή ("woman") and φιλία ("love") — "love of oneself as a woman") is a term coined in 1989 by Ray Blanchard, to refer to "a man's paraphilic tendency to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of himself as a woman"

I believe it was actually the Greeks who invented sex.

Sometime later the Italians introduced women into the act

Go nuts in Patts Costas old mate.

[tolsti]

Monitor this http://www2.tmd.go.th/radar/svp120Loop.php

[Rimmer]

I see your topic has made the News Letter, well done MrWorldwide

[Beardog]

I think the weather has been absolutely wonderful for Feb. hopefully hot season is cooler as well ...But I doubt it. Enjoy it now feels like southern California here now

SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PETERTHEEATER]

Are these 'rocks' the offshore formations which cause the damage to jet skis we keep reading about?

[Roota]

I think the weather has been absolutely wonderful for Feb.

Not just Pattaya but this year pretty much the whole country has enjoyed the longest and coolest cool season in a good 10 or 15 years.

If you're new here and think it's normal for it to be this cool this late into the year, well, it ain't.

[MrWorldwide]

I think the weather has been absolutely wonderful for Feb.

Not just Pattaya but this year pretty much the whole country has enjoyed the longest and coolest cool season in a good 10 or 15 years.

If you're new here and think it's normal for it to be this cool this late into the year, well, it ain't.

I agree, having mainly visited in February and November on previous trips - this far into Feb things should be considerably hotter out on the street atm. I have little doubt that it will arrive well and truly before Songkran.

[Broeno]

Indeed Pattaya dus not gets damaged by destructive tropical storms, flood or earthquakes. It gets damaged by the people who live there. Read the news and you know how many casualties there.

[jesimps]

If you've put this on to scare me coming to Pattaya, I can inform you that it hasn't worked.

Freak weather doesn't bother me, on the other hand, freak people can have an effect on me sometimes.

Darwin (N Australia) has a big Greek community, why don't you try there? You wouldn't like it in Pattaya. Honest!!!

[MTH]

I think the weather has been absolutely wonderful for Feb.

Not just Pattaya but this year pretty much the whole country has enjoyed the longest and coolest cool season in a good 10 or 15 years.

If you're new here and think it's normal for it to be this cool this late into the year, well, it ain't.

I agree, having mainly visited in February and November on previous trips - this far into Feb things should be considerably hotter out on the street atm. I have little doubt that it will arrive well and truly before Songkran.

I too agree, so far this year it’s been extremely pleasant. The last two days have been somewhat hot during the daytime, but evenings are still quite cool and for just a few exceptions, we haven’t turned the aricon on at night since end of last November.

Can’t remember experiencing weather this pleasant since I moved here.

[MZurf]

Pattaya enjoys the best weather in Thailand IMO. When it's pouring down just outside the city limits Pattaya often is quite dry. One of the many reasons this is the best place to live!

Sure, we get the occasional deluge where the water reaches knee level in some areas but it's always over pretty quick - just like other activities this place is known for

[MrWorldwide]

Indeed Pattaya dus not gets damaged by destructive tropical storms, flood or earthquakes. It gets damaged by the people who live there. Read the news and you know how many casualties there.

I live here - 10 happy months next Thursday - and I dont believe I've damaged anyone nor been damaged by anyone in that time. For a town called 'Sin City' with so many living at or below the poverty line, I consider that a pretty good outcome. No telling what the future holds, but I wont live my life by the tabloid news sites that report on everything the BiB attend whether it's actually newsworthy or not - in Bangkok, they'd be a laughing stock. A tour guide leaving her tour party to fend for themselves in the wilds of Jomtien isnt my idea of hard hitting police reporting.

[GaryB1263]

Oooh. I can see my condo in that video.

Me too.

[topt]

I think the weather has been absolutely wonderful for Feb.

Not just Pattaya but this year pretty much the whole country has enjoyed the longest and coolest cool season in a good 10 or 15 years.

If you're new here and think it's normal for it to be this cool this late into the year, well, it ain't.

I agree, having mainly visited in February and November on previous trips - this far into Feb things should be considerably hotter out on the street atm. I have little doubt that it will arrive well and truly before Songkran.

I too agree, so far this year it’s been extremely pleasant. The last two days have been somewhat hot during the daytime, but evenings are still quite cool and for just a few exceptions, we haven’t turned the aricon on at night since end of last November.

Can’t remember experiencing weather this pleasant since I moved here.

My memory (often faulty ) says this time last year was slightly cooler especially during the day - certainly January was.

[MTH]

Not just Pattaya but this year pretty much the whole country has enjoyed the longest and coolest cool season in a good 10 or 15 years.

If you're new here and think it's normal for it to be this cool this late into the year, well, it ain't.

I agree, having mainly visited in February and November on previous trips - this far into Feb things should be considerably hotter out on the street atm. I have little doubt that it will arrive well and truly before Songkran.

I too agree, so far this year it’s been extremely pleasant. The last two days have been somewhat hot during the daytime, but evenings are still quite cool and for just a few exceptions, we haven’t turned the aricon on at night since end of last November.

Can’t remember experiencing weather this pleasant since I moved here.

My memory (often faulty ) says this time last year was slightly cooler especially during the day - certainly January was.

Interesting, (my memory isn't what it used to be either )

However can't remember evenings and nights being this cool and pleasant this late into February, for years. Maybe the humidity is lower this year...

I do agree that January last year was cooler, especially during the evenings/nighttime. Remember driving the bike with an extra shirt or sweater for a longer period last year than this.