Even in Bangkok, it's bone dry. An overnight storm early on Monday morning and another smaller one the following night produced some incredible lightning, thousands of flashes within the hour or two the main part of the storm lasted, along with some localized flooding but apart from that, you could be forgiven for thinking it was still March or so as since then, the skies have been mostly clear and temperatures near 40 degrees C.

This is definitely the driest dry season I can remember in a while, although I haven't always been in Thailand during the dry season in previous years.

Bangkok and clear sky?i somehow doubt it...

Umm if you are in Bangkok and unless you are blind, yes, it has often been clear in Bangkok in recent days/weeks. Today, not so much. Yesterday, no, it was mostly cloudy interspersed by some sunny periods. 2 days ago though, mostly sunny and near 40 degrees all day.

It is unusually dry, but there is also an unusual degree of mismatch between the traditional lunar calendar and the Gregorian one this year. The traditional lunar calendar conforms well to the seasons as it is specifically designed to do so for agricultural purposes, whereas this is not the case with the Gregorian calendar.

Visaka Bucha, which is always in the hot dry season (usually early to mid May) and is determined by the lunar calendar, occurred this year only on June 1st this year; last year it was on May 13. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Cambodia, held in accordance with the traditional Cambodian calendar on a date well preceding the expected start of the rains and rice planting, this year was on May 28 whereas it is usually early May.

"Khao Pansaa" (start of the Buddhist Lent, and based on lunar calendar and meant to coincide with the start of the serious rainy season) this year will not be until 31 July whereas it is usually not later than mid July.

In other words, everything this year is at least 2 weeks later than usual. If you will recall, the hot season likewise started a few weeks later than usual this year.

It is very dry ,my wife uses the Thai lunar calender all the time she has said it shold be raining by now,but we have had nothing for 3 weeks now all the local maize crops are all but dead,and yesterday afternoon we had temperature of 42 c,something I have never seen in Thailand for the 2ed week in June

Khao Pensa is late this year, that is going to make the Loy Klartong festival, end of November,and it would not be the first time we have wadded in mud to float the Klartongs, can not see it this year.

Agree with both comments.

While the "winter" was warmer this year than last, temperatures didn't heat up as quickly as they did last year, with March still rather more like February temperature wise. Only by around early-mid April were temperatures as high as what one would normally expect for that time of year.

I think if it wasn't for the annual monsoon, June-August would actually have the highest temperatures rather than say April-May (usually it's May anyway though most guidebooks and articles on Thailand mention April) since mid-year represents when the sun would be directly overhead (summer solstice) and thus cause the highest temperatures. And due to the late arrival of the monsoon, you don't have that cooling effect that would normally occur thus temperatures will theoretically continue to rise.

40 kms East of Udon Thani, plenty of rain this year, but second hottest year in 15 years, turn down the heating please!

The Rainy Season packed its bags and went to visit its brother Climate Change. If this keeps up a good import product would be Camels. No not the cigarettes. If this keeps up they will be throwing confetti next year on Songkran. Oh well back to retirement. I am 77 and my best before date is in sight. We sure did not have all these problems when I was growing up and looking to enter the work force (we still had plenty of jobs then I could choose between jobs A,B,C or D and your employer called you by your first name now your a number and a swipe badge ) Ah life was good I met wife number 1 had a couple kids a house new car and a 50 acre recreation property to play country farmer on. I had a Ford 8N tractor with a bucket, backhoe and a plow. Then along came the computer and everything changed. People could reach out electronically and rob other people or steal their personal info. A whole world of information/corruption opened up some good some bad. One almost wants to say "stop the planet I want to get off" Hmm might make a good movie

I nominate this post as rant-of-the-month! Well done!

Its called climate change. Been happening for 4.65 billion years.

Its called climate change. Been happening for 4.65 billion years.

Yep, along with mass extinctions. Just put your feet up and enjoy it, I guess.

It is unusually dry, but there is also an unusual degree of mismatch between the traditional lunar calendar and the Gregorian one this year. The traditional lunar calendar conforms well to the seasons as it is specifically designed to do so for agricultural purposes, whereas this is not the case with the Gregorian calendar.

Visaka Bucha, which is always in the hot dry season (usually early to mid May) and is determined by the lunar calendar, occurred this year only on June 1st this year; last year it was on May 13. The Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Cambodia, held in accordance with the traditional Cambodian calendar on a date well preceding the expected start of the rains and rice planting, this year was on May 28 whereas it is usually early May.

"Khao Pansaa" (start of the Buddhist Lent, and based on lunar calendar and meant to coincide with the start of the serious rainy season) this year will not be until 31 July whereas it is usually not later than mid July.

In other words, everything this year is at least 2 weeks later than usual. If you will recall, the hot season likewise started a few weeks later than usual this year.

The rainy season last year started a little late where we are in Isaan but it was not as wet as in previous years. However, this year the hot season started in the last week of February and the humidity didn't change a lot until this month. As far as rain is concerned so far virtually none just drizzle and some 'normal' rain for a short time, maybe half a dozen times, although there has been and are clouds showing 'intent' but nothing else.

For the last two weeks in Rayong City the rain doesn't seem to have stopped

sakaeo province,

we have started to have a little rain this last week,

Is it supposed to be rainy season in June. I thought July - October

South westers have just started here....so the rain wont be too far away now....I hope