Thai city folk rush up North as mercury drops
Hundreds of urbanites escaped to Chiang Mai this weekend to enjoy frosty, chilly mornings.
Temperatures atop Doi Inthanon mountain dropped as low as 4 degrees Celsius on Saturday morning, with a light sprinkling of frost.
This was the sixth day in a row that frost was spotted. It was first seen on Monday – a sign marking the start of Thailand’s cool season.
Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai’s Chom Thong district is a popular tourist attraction in the North, especially during the cool season when people come to catch sight of the sun rising from a sea of fog.
The temperature at Kew Mae Pan Viewpoint on the peak of the mountain dropped to 4ᵒC on Saturday morning, though it was a bit warmer at 9ᵒC near the head office of the Doi Inthanon National Park.
Tourists showed up as early as 6am to watch the sunrise, take photographs and enjoy the chilly weather while walking along the 4.8-kilometre Kew Mae Pan nature trail.
Though temperatures had dropped to 12ᵒC in Chiang Mai’s other mountaintop in Mae Taeng district’s Huai Nam Dang National Park, no frost was visible and visitors were noticeably fewer than at Doi Inthanon.
The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast that temperatures will rise by a degree or two in the North from Sunday to Friday next week due to a weakening high-pressure system covering upper Thailand.
Some areas in the North will experience thundershowers as the easterly and southeasterly winds are blowing in moisture from the South China Sea.
People have been advised to take care of their health, especially with the weather constantly changing.
