Thursday, 30 April 2020

Goodbye to April 2020

Goodbye to April 2020

Here we are, a the end of this month and it's a goodbye to April 2020. It comes as no surprise that this month is remembered as a Songkran free April. A very rare and unique situation for Thailand.  Not celebrating the Thai New Year doesn't happen that often. However, due to the Covid19 situation, no surprise there either. It was a good decision

This morning at 10.30am it's cloudy and a cool 27C. Very enjoyable indeed!

On this wet Thursday morning, let's have a look at the weather this month. April is usually one of the or the hottest month of the year. However, it's also the start most years, of a mild wet season. This year has been no different. The first two weeks of the year were nice and hot. Very hot at times! However, the second part of the month saw a lot of showers and cloudy days. That's a good thing. Koh Samui's ground water levels and dams need to be filled up again. It's also nice that it's cool with the rain and not so very hot. Most certainly it helps to reduce my heat rashes I usually get in April!
It most certainly looks like we had a little bit more rain this year compared to other years. As I already mentioned, no big deal. No tourists around and it makes for a comfortable and agreeable second part of the month.

Goodbye to April 2020

Goodbye to April 2020

Central Samui in Chaweng has a big sign stating that food is only take away. Like all restaurants on Koh Samui and around Thailand. Only take away is allowed. We started to sell BBQ fish in front of our house, during the later afternoon and early evening. Pla pow. It helps to cover our daily costs for food. Take away only!

The big news this months was that there was no Songkran, nationwide! Other news is that after Koh Samui had 7 cases of Covid19, they now all have been released from hospital. Since 18 days running, the province of Surat Thani and Koh Samui did not have any new cases.

Tomorrow more about May. Many things are bound to happen next month, in relation with Covid19. Stay tuned and come back tomorrow for an update and a welcome to May 2020.

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. That is, once the travel restrictions have been lifted.

As already mentioned in my Facebook page, there are many initiatives around the island for helping Thai and Burmese people with food and other donations.
There are however also plenty of foreigners or farangs who have a hard time dealing with no income and bills to pay. If you like this blog, this is a good time to help out and make a donation. If you can, much appreciated! There's a donation button on top of this page.

Camille

Sunday, 26 April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 20th April – 26th April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 20th April – 26th April 2020


Here we are, another Sunday morning and time to get this going, the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 20th April – 26th April 2020.
The long slow distance run is in the can. Today's emphasis was on slow!

Regarding the Covid 19 situation on Koh Samui, it's looking good. All 7 infected persons have been released from Hospital. Right now, Koh Samui is corona free. According to the local government.

This morning there's a light rain. Nonetheless, it's 32C at 11.15am. More rain is expected today. On and off.

Last week was lovely and very hot! Until Thursday night. Thursday to Friday night I woke up from very hard rain. During the morning there was more rain. The afternoon saw a few sunbeams again. Yesterday morning saw some saw again some hard rain with a dry afternoon. The mild rainy season seems to have landed. Maximum temperatures last week reached 33C. The minimum temperature dropped down to 23C at night over the last two nights.


Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 20th April – 26th April 2020

Tesco Lotus in Chaweng, earlier this month. The food court is more or less closed. One or maybe two shops are open. Just for take away, sitting is a 'no no' right now. Eerie.

The forecast predicts some more rain for next week. Especially tomorrow can be very wet. Wednesday will most likely also see a bit more than average rain.There will be some dry periods, but it's mostly rain for the next week.

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort. Once the travel restrictions are back to 'normal, come and see us. Get some well deserved rest and a break. If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. Join me in a private dive trip with yours sincerely! 

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. 

Camille

Sunday, 19 April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 13th April – 19th April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 13th April – 19th April 2020

Hello folks, it's Sunday morning and time for the good old Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 13th April – 19th April 2020.
The lsd is done and dusted. Relax, that means 'long slow distance' run. Still working hard all week to stay fit. Despite the fact that there are no races at the moment.

Koh Samui has 7 confirmed Covid19 cases. Two of them have already been sent home again from the hospital. A good 90 people were suspected of having the virus and were tested accordingly. 85 were just fine and the result of 1 or 2 people is currently up in the air.

We're closing in on on noon and it's 33C already. It feels a lot warmer already. A light partial cloud cover doesn't help to cool things down! Although we occasionally have some rain in April, it's pretty hot now!

Talking about rain. Last week Tuesday we had some serious showers. It was lovely. Cool temperatures and water to slightly fill up the ground water levels. Besides Tuesday, most rain last week fell during the night. I woke up a few times from very hard showers. The maximum temperature last week reached 33C. The minimum temperature on the other hand, didn't drop below 24C.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 13th April – 19th April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 13th April – 19th April 2020

There are still many people moving away from Koh Samui. No tourists means no jobs. Means no money. Can't pay the rent, can't pay for food. Hard times for many people. At home there's no rent and they can get by with little money. Many food hand outs are being organized around the island. Long queue's with people waiting for the hand outs to start or for their turn. Not only on Koh Samui. Reports come in that it's pretty much the same all over Thailand. From Chiang Mai, via Bangkok to the Southern cities.

The forecast for next week is looking good. Partially cloudy skies. Plenty of sunshine. Possibly a few showers towards Friday and next weekend. Glorious weather! You wish you were here!

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. 

Once travel restrictions have been lifted, and you're done resting or need something else to do, there are plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui You can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. 
Join me in a private dive trip with yours sincerely! 
Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. All in due time!

 Camille

Sunday, 12 April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 6th April – 12th April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 6th April – 12th April 2020

Another Sunday morning and time to welcome the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 6th April – 12th April 2020.
My Sunday morning lsd, long slow distance run is in the can. The training program is stopped and it's all about maintenance now. Continue to eat healthy and keep exercising. In my case, running. Working on my immune system, the best defense you have for this current corona virus, Covid19.

Covid19 has a massive impact on a tourist destination like Koh Samui and it's surrounding islands. All hotels have now been ordered to close down and not take any bookings for the immediate time being. Guests already at the hotel or resort are allowed to stay and the resort can remain open in this case. No new guests are allowed to book in though.

Koh Samui has 7 officially confirmed Covid19 cases. It makes it the highest ranking amphur in the province of Surat Thani with confirmed cases.

The Songkran 2020 Festival has been officially cancelled and it's not considered a holiday this year.

The Seatran Discovery ferry has stopped all service between the islands for the time being. The ferries to the mainland are still running though, in a reduced schedule.
Flights to Bangkok can currently only be done with Nok Air from Surat Thani airport.

On to the weather. At 9,30am this morning it's 31C. Hardly any clouds in the sky and bound to heat up again, very soon.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 6th April – 12th April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 6th April – 12th April 2020

Tesco Lotus in Chaweng, early April 2020. The Covid10 crisis has most of the mall closed down. It gives for a strange sight and eerie feeling. Not many people around and with so many shops being closed down, it's very strange indeed. 

It has been splendid last week. Lots of sunshine. Very few clouds. No rain whatsoever. Maximum temperature reached 33C. It feels a lot warmer / hotter though. The heat actually beats you down. It seeps all your energy during the day time.
The minimum temperature last week dropped to 23C on Monday. The rest of the week it was more like 25C with a few times a drop to 24C.
Very typical April weather.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 6th April – 12th April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 6th April – 12th April 2020

Don't forget, that despite the current Covid19 crisis, Koh Samui still has it's natural beauty. Here's another glorious sunset in the making near Big Buddha last week. Not so many as usual, but people still hang out and enjoy the sunsets on the road to Big Buddha. This time of the year is perfect for enjoying a good sunset.

The forecast for next week looks interesting. A bit more cloud cover and from Monday onward, possibly a bit more rain. It's a partial rainy season after all. 
Looking forward seeing you back on Koh Samui soon. As soon as it;'s possible again and we can travel around again. Until that time, be safe!

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. Once the world has come to it senses again and Covid 19 is in the past!

Camille

Sunday, 5 April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 31st March – 5th April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 31st March – 5th April 2020

Sunday afternoon and time for the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 31st March – 5th April 2020.
Long slow distance Sunday morning run is in the can. Covid19 is out there, playing it's wicked tricks.

Besides that, it's already 35C at 1pm. It feels a lot warmer though. Or should I say hotter? It's your typical April weather, steaming hot.

The roads around the island are fairly quiet. At around 8pm, it actually becomes very quiet. There's a nation wide curfew in place from 10pm to 4am. It honestly beats me why this is in place. To prevent illegal drinking? It must be deserted one way or the other around the island during that time frame.

Having said that, all stores are still well stocked but also rather quiet. Next week Tuesday, Bangkok Air will close the airport until at least 20th April.On the other hand, the ferries are still going, although with a reduced schedule.

Currently Koh Samui is up to 6 infected persons. Expect more to come!

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 31st March – 5th April 2020

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 31st March – 5th April 2020

It's not only doom and darkness on Koh Samui during Covid19. Not at all. The sun is out a lot so far! It's hot! And, believe it or not, there's also a bi of construction going on around the island. Most noteworthy, in my humble opinion, is this exciting project. It's located near Bandon Hospital in Bophud. A rock climbing wall is being put in place on a fairly large piece of land. There's also what seems to some kind of bicycle track and a big hall kind of structure. It looks like many high activity sports are coming our way! It looks stunning and I can't wait to see what this will be all about.

Last week was hot, Very hot. Steaming hot! And we haven't even reached the hottest part yet! Anyway, lo and behold, we also had a few raindrops yesterday. It is a bit of a rainy season after all as well during April. Maximum temperatures last week reached up to 33C on the quicksilver. It felt a lot warmer that that though. The minimum temperature didn't drop below 24C last week.

For next week it looks like more of the same. You wish you were here! Instead of in a lock down or quarantine. Maybe a few drops towards the end of the week, no real rain though. Very warm and sunny it should be, according to the predictions. So far they have worked just fine.

Hang in there folks. Be safe, keep as much as you can inside. Keep your social distance. Wear a mask. See you next weekend again.

Do check in to the Facebook page. I post many updates during the week there.

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. 

Until Covid 19 is under control, there's not much happening on Koh Samui. However, don't cancel but postpone your planned holidays! Come and see us once we're back to a state of normal!.

Camille

Wednesday, 1 April 2020

Welcome to April 2020

Welcome to April 2020

April's Fool day and time to say welcome to April 2020. Just so you know, in Thailand it's illegal to make jokes about you being Covid19 positive.

Other than that, it is Covid19 making the headlines. Various conspiracy theories start popping up. The US blames China. China blames the US. What world did we end up in?

First things first though. The weather! April is typically the hottest month of the year. Although, during recent years we actually had a few showers during April. Can you imagine!
The big news this month, however, is that Songkran has been cancelled or postponed. No water throwing this year, no parades. It also means no iced water down my back, that's a good thing I guess!

In the meantime, travel restrictions are being tightened up. Different provinces may each have their own rules in place. 
Bangkok Airways will be grounding their fleet from 7 to 20 April. No more flights to/from Koh Samui. The logical next step will be to halt the ferries. Although, I don't think this is an option, since we need daily food supplies from the mainland.

Welcome to April 2020

Welcome to April 2020

Sunset as seen from our house, a few days ago. The weather has been great and that makes for some great sunsets. My camera isn't the best though and the view is from our house, so no dramatic orange sun explosions. However, the moon can be seen as a bright star. Despite Covid 19, nature is still as beautiful as it always is and was on Koh Samui.

Are there actually any tourists left on the island. In Koh Phangan? On Koh Tao? I doubt it very much, You must be able to count them almost on the fingers of one hand.
Most hotels are closed by now. Other hotels or resorts offer resident rates, to get locals to stay at their place.

Interesting times folks! If you have booked, don't cancel but postpone your trip. I hope the hotels/resorts and airline companies are easy going with restrictions on re-booking.

Be safe, keep your distance and wash your hands!

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. 

Camille