Cometh Winter Weather

Winter has set into Chiang Rai since Friday. Its been coming all week, ever since cloud blanketed the skies on the morning of our visit to the White Temple. A couple of cloud mornings giving away to sunny afternoons didn't drop the temperature much and it remained 30 oC + in our bedroom at the start of the night. Day time temps have been 32-33 oC and outside evening temps only a little less.

Over the week the cloud lingered longer through the day until we noticed that Friday was a couple of degrees cooler than previous days with an almost chilly wind when felt under shade. It was still shorts and t-shirt weather for my visit to the Night Bazaar that evening.

Then it was Saturday. The cloud thickened and the cool winter breezes picked up with the arrival of the weekend. The temp in the shade at about 9am was 23 oC and it dropped a bit furthr during the day. We didn't spend long in the Rim Kok pool or stay in swimmers much either. Kaya needed a towel over her for her early afternoon nap. I thought briefly of taking a jumper to the Walking Market but thought it wasn't that chilly yet. But, between 5 and 8pm it was cool enough to welcome a long-sleeved shirt or jumper and Georgia had goose pimples on her arms. Luckily we'd thought ahead for Kaya and put her in a sleepsuit. Thais were covered in coats, woolly hats and scarves - foreigners managing happily in shirts.

Where on Thursday night we were still using the fan and a sheet on our bed, by Saturday night the fan was off and a blanket on.

This is more like the weather we remember from our last visit here and why we have brought jumpers and fleeces with us. I think it is brought by the northern monsoon across China which pushes cold wind over Thailand from the north during November and December.

It should make days much more manageable for us all as we won't have to avoid the heat between 11am to 3pm like we did so should have more flexibility as to when we go out with Kaya. We should pick up the heat again by the time we go down south to Krabi and Koh Lanta on the 17th December. Until then we'll wrap up warm, be thankful for a warm shower and think of England!