Friday 1 April 2011

Northern Thailand blanketed in snow ...

Road inside Chiang Mai University campus
I was greeted by an amazing sight in Chiang Mai this morning ... snow!!!

I couldn't believe my eyes. Snow at this time of year -- April. Hold on, I thought. I'm now back in Thailand. It should be around 40 degrees celsius at this time leading up to the Songkhran festival, where the nation douses each other in water to cool off and have a few laughs in the name of New Year.

As far as the eye can see, Chiang Mai has been transformed into a Christmas card scene. Doi Suthep -- a wonderful wall of white with the golden temple on top.

All the neighbours' kids are out screaming and running around with excitement, and I can see young James next door starting on a snow man with his maid down the bottom of the garden.

A quick check with some friends as far afield as Chiang Rai, Pai and Mae Hong Son reveals they too are enjoying this freak occurrence, which is apparently brought to us by a low pressure system over China. So much for global warming.

It has snowed only once in Thailand before, in Chiang Rai in the 1950s, jing jing.

So this is so cool, literally. None of us who've seen this amazing vista of Chiang Mai carpeted in snow will ever forget this day.






 


3 comments:

  1. I've heard of frost up north, but snow, truly odd. How much roughly? A dusting? Inches?

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  2. 1st of april, Aprils fools day!! hahahaha Good one! AJ, aka Klaus Barber

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  3. Sorry, Ajarn, check the date ... sorry to say it is an April Fools gag. It has been unseasonally cold and wet these past few weeks but seems like summer really started today - spent the day reading round the pool ;)

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