Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 7th November, 2011

Today's weather;

Koh Samui is looking good again with a nice blue sky and sunshine. Current temp at 7am is 26.2C.

Later today I'll be back on Samui and in tomorrow morning a PADI IE will start.

The forecast is still good but only for the next 5 days, after that rain is predicted. Enjoy whilst it lasts.

Yesterday saw a warm and sunny day around Samui island with a max temp of 30.7C

Pattaya has a similar weather system as Samui there's a blue sky to boost. Current temp at 7am is 28C

Yesterday saw a lovely around Pattaya and we had a very nice afternoon at the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. Max temp reached 31.5C

On my dive blog there's a post about our dive on the Hardeep.

The Sriracha Tiger Zoo entrance

The Bangkok flood situation is at a stalemate but more evacuation looms and a battle with dirty water and garbage is at hand.

There seem to be various complaints about the apparent misconception that Suvarnabhumi airport is closed, well, it isn't! It better not since I have to fly back later today to Samui! Pictures of flooded runways at Don Muang airport and flooded planes didn't help!

An unexpected side effect, possibly one of the many, is the large number of protected wildlife species which have come to light since the floods has prompted authorities to toughen measures against illegal wildlife imports. We'll see if anybody will follow up on this!

Keep looking into my Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Thailand hotel accommodation blog for your hotel bookings around the country and don't be shy hitting those beer buttons around my blog!

Camille

Sriracha Tiger Zoo, near Pattaya

Sriracha Tiger Zoo, near Pattaya

Today our travel party in Pattaya went for a day trip to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. It's about a 40 minute ride outside of the city of Pattaya but well worth it!

The entrance

The zoo claims a population of 200 tigers and around 10,000 crocodiles, the largest such populations in the world. Admission was 450 Baht for foreigners and 150 Baht for Thai.

A tiger cage

Once you arrive at the fairly large park, there are shows on about 30 minutes, so you keep well entertained, hopping from show to show. There are pig running contests, elephant shows, crocodile shows and tier shows. You can have you picture taken whilst you sit on a crocodile, with baby tigers or with big tigers. Each additional thing you do is 100,-THB and big sized pictures of each activity go for 200,-THB. They make for good souvenirs.

Don't forget that you're in Thailand, so food and drinks is largely available everywhere.

Crocodile sateh

In one of the restaurants we had a Chinese style buffet lunch and part of the menu was crocodile sateh as pictured above. With immense population of crocodiles they have there won't be any shortage of meat anywhere soon.

Part of the crocodile show

The shows are entertaining and don't last too long, which keeps it all interesting enough and it gives you time to leisurely walk to a next show, lined up somewhere else in the park.

Some of the crocodile population

You don't want to imagine what happens if this crocodile population would be able to escape in a flood, like is happening right now around Bangkok! There are already too pictures of captured crocodiles in the flooded areas!

It was a good days out and I can recommend taking a trip here if you're on Pattaya.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 6th November, 2011

Today's weather;

Koh Samui's sky has opened up again today and there aren't as many clouds as yesterday. Current temp at 7am is 24.6C

The forecast remains remarkably good with just a few isolated showers predicted for the enxt 7 days and plenty of sunshine towards the end of that 7 day period.

Yesterday saw Koh Samui clouded but dry Max temp reached 31.6C

The famous 'Walking Street' in Pattaya

Today I will still be in Pattaya with a flight back to Samui scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. It looks like we're going to have another enjoyable day here as well. with plenty of sunshine. Current temp at 7am is 26.3C

Yesterday saw also a nice day with plenty of sunshine in the greater Pattaya area. Max temp reached 30.3C. My friends with whom I'm travelling did an aquarium dive at the local 'Underwater world aquarium'.

In the meantime the situation in Bangkok remains critical and there's still plenty of speculation that the entire city will flood and more areas in the western part of the city are being evacuated.

Humanitarian aid experts say that poor coordination between the government and international organisations, including the United Nations, is hurting flood relief efforts.

Suvarnabhumi airport is still operating as usual and is expected to remain unaffected throughout the whole time period of flooding around Bangkok.

Here's another good picture gallery to watch. Some of the pictures bring the desperation and misfortune rather well.

If you're still planning to visit the Kingdom, I can recommend my Samui and my Thailand hotel booking blogs and you will indirectly help me out keeping this blog in the air.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 5th November, 2011

Today's weather;

Koh Samui is cloudy this morning but it looks like it will stay dry. Current temp at 7am is 25.2C

The forecast has changed for the better again although it going to be rather cloudy but not wet!

Yesterday saw a sunny day around Koh Samui. Max temp reached 31.7C

Sunrise in Pattaya from the Amari Nova Platinum hotel

Pattaya is looking good this morning with the sun rising and just some milky clouds . Current temp at 7am is 25.7C

Yesterday saw a nice and sunny day at Pattaya with a max temp of 31C

We went to dive at the Hardeep and had some good dives and a nice day out.

The situation in Bangkok is not rally changing and the thing to consider is that the water doesn't a way out for the next 4 to 6 weeks because it's high tide. There will be thousands of people out of jobs and without any money, another very sad but also scary thought! Currently there seem to be each day at locations around the city where the local population takes things in their own hands, to avoid or lessen the local floods.

Holiday cancellations are becoming an issue at the moment although the South and actually the majority of the country is not flooded!.

As mentioned during previous days, you can help me out by making your hotel bookings through my blogs, my Samui hotel recommendations blog and my Thailand hotel recommendations blog.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 4th November, 2011

Today's weather;

Koh Samui's sky is looking good once more! Blue with fluffy clouds and a current temp at 7am of 25.2C

The forecast is looking slightly better again, the storm predicted yesterday is now not looking so stormy anymore and has been toned down drastically, so over all it's looking good again.

Yesterday saw a very warm day around Koh Samui with a max temp of 31C

The current PADI IDC was also completed and we took an early evening flight to Bangkok and transferred over to Pattaya where we are going to wreck dive today. The weather here is looking good, nice and sunny with a current temp at 7am of 25.8C

Empty shells in a 7-11 between Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport and Pattaya

The flood situation remains the same more or less and an ocean of cancellations is hitting Thailand. The hunt for the 15 green mamba's that escaped yesterday is also on.

Keep coming to Thailand, in my opinion the floods look worse in the media than they in reality are and especially the South of Thailand has not been affected by the floods and the shelves are all stocked again!

If you decide to visit, please use my Samui hotel recommendations blog or my Thailand hotel recommendation blog, it helps me indirectly to keep the blog running!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 3rd November, 2011

Today's weather;

Koh Samui's sky is unchanged this morning. A blue sky with fluffy clouds! Check out the picture below for a reference. Current temp at 7am is 25.5C

The forecast changed drastically, no more nice calm weather, from 7th November onward storms are predicted. Wonder if the rainy season is knocking at the door.

Yesterday saw a sunny and warm day with an occasional mini shower around Samui, we had one whilst the sun shining! Max temp reached 31.3C

A view on less visited Lipa Noi beach, near Nathon

The situation in Bangkok is in a stalemate, flood waters are creeping along major roads in northern Bangkok heading towards the inner city, with the lead influx on Phaholyothin Road reaching Major Ratchayothin mall complex. In the eastern run-off, the deluge is closing on Fashion Island on Ram Inthra Road.

Yesterday the public was warned that 15 green mamba snakes had escaped from a flooded building in Nonthaburi's Pak Kret district on Tuesday night. It takes 23 days to get anti venom to Thailand, providing you would survive a bite. Makes you wonder who can have 15 of these animals on his or her premises and not even having an anti venom available. Oh right, 'This is Thailand'!

In the meantime the government is dissmissing any reports of health risks because of stale water but who believes them still at this moment?

The opposition has submitted an interpolation yesterday, to question the prime minister on measures to deal with the flooding situation, chief opposition whip Jurin Laksanavisith said on Tuesday.

The severe flooding coupled with foreign governments' advisories against travel to Thailand has begun to take its toll on passenger traffic through Suvarnabhumi airport. We're travelling with a party of 6 to Pattaya later today passing through the airport, maybe that will boost figures a bit.

One more time, if you're planning to visit Koh Samui or any other part of Thailand, please have a look at respectively my Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Thailand hotel recommendations blog with first hand knowledge of many local hotels and by booking on this site, by using the Agoda or Hotels Combined buttons you help me indirectly maintaining my blog. There are also my beloved beer buttons around the blog and a donation button can be found on the top left of this blog, in case you find my blog helpful. Thanks!

Camille

Welcome to November, 2011

Welcome to November, 2011

November is typically the month that sees lots of rain around Koh Samui, because it's the rainy season. This year has been good so far, although we're only two days into the month. but the weather forecast is looking really good for the next 7 days.

Last year it was very wet and Koh Samui was hit very bad with floods but in 2009 there was hardly any rain at all. 2008 and 2007 were wet, as you can expect in November.

Bangkok is currently having some serious flood problems and we can only hope that we stay dry this rainy season.

For me it's going to be a busy month with a couple of days diving in Pattaya coming up, another last minute scheduled IDC on Koh Samui and a PADI IDC on Gili Air in Indonesia.

Let's enjoy the good weather patch for as long as it will hold in the meantime!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 2nd November, 2011

Today's weather;

The sky over Samui is looking promising for another warm day, a bit more clouds than yesterday but still plenty of blue spots. Current temp at 7am is 28.3C

The forecast for the next 7 days is looking good, with hardly any rain at all predicted.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day around Koh Samui with plenty of sunshine and no rain witnessed. Max temp reached 30.8C

Chaweng beach yesterday, high tide and very quiet

In Bangkok the situation remains uncertain, torrents are now advancing downtown,

Mixed signals are still being delivered by the authorities with a prime sample here; Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra has given himself wide-ranging control over flood operations in the city and will send council workers backed by police to repair the controversial Khlong Sam Wa sluice gate. MR Sukhumbhand's dramatic move last night is in defiance of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's order for the BMA to widen the sluice gate to one metre. She took the action after nearby residents destroyed part of the sluice gate under the eye of police to speed up the drainage of their communities.

The cabinet is also showing it's true colors with respect to freedom of press and the Wall Street Journal sees Thailand slipping behind on an International and economical level.

Here's an interesting view from an English paper published in Japan.

Out of the 384 people killed by the floods, about 50 have been electrocuted, mainly by tripping over hidden cables.

With the predicted increases in frequency and severity of storms and higher sea levels resulting from global warming, a more destructive flood will happen more sooner than later.
The central issue is: what to do between now and then, to reduce the level of destruction?

Afraid of floods yourself and need some good ideas on how to keep your car dry, look here.

Last but not least, if you're planning to visit Koh Samui or any other part of Thailand, please have a look at respectively my Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Thailand hotel recommendations blog with first hand knowledge of many local hotels and by booking on this site, by using the Agoda or Hotels Combined buttons you help me indirectly maintaining my blog. There are also my beloved beer buttons around the blog and a donation button can be found on the top left of this blog, in case you find my blog helpful. Thanks!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 1st November, 2011

Today's weather;

Koh Samui's sky is a mixed bag this morning, as the picture below proofs. Blue spots with white fluffy clouds in it. It looks like another nice day. Current temp at 7am is 25C

My apologies for the look of the screen today, Blogger has been messing around, I'll try to fix it later.

The forecast remains good for the net 7 days, rather unusual for this time of the year and I wouldn't be surprised if this years rainy season will be a minor event, although, don't quote me if all of a sudden rainy season 'hell' breaks loose at some stage, later this month.

The 7-11's around the island and Tesco Lotus have been re-stocked and our local 7-11 had bottled water and plenty of bread yesterday.

Yesterday saw a gorgeous day around Koh Samui, sunny all day long under a near perfect blue sky. It wasn't until the early evening that a few minor showers cooled things down. Max temp reached 30.7C

My current PADI IDC on Koh Samui is half way, have look at my dive blog!

The sky over Samui this morning

In Bangkok things seem to have passed the summit but it's still a long way before things are back to normal and it take at least 10 days to drain the majority of the city.

The Western part of the city is bearing the brunt of the flood and Suvarnabhumi airport in the Eastern part of the city is confident it will stay open. Here's another photo gallery of the city floods.

Once more the importance of social media has been proven during the current flood crisis.

However, the premier said a critical mass of water had already been diverted away from the capital, while the governor feared another 'wave' would hit the western part of the city.

After the Flood Relief Operation Command suggested city residents move outside Bangkok in the wake of major flooding, Chon Buri has turned out to be the most popular destination for Bangkokians fleeing the flood. Our trip to Pattaya is still scheduled to start 3rd November, it will be interesting to see how busy the city will be.

If you're planning to visit Koh Samui or any other part of Thailand, please have a look at respectively my Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Thailand hotel recommendations blog with first hand knowledge of many local hotels and by booking on this site, by using the Agoda or Hotels Combined buttons you help me indirectly maintaining my blog. There are also my beloved beer buttons around the blog and a donation button can be found on the top left of this blog, in case you find my blog helpful. Thanks!

Camille

Goodbye to October 2011

Goodbye to October 2011

On Koh Samui this was rather a nice month and weather wise it was nice enough with plenty of sunshine and just occasionally some rain. A good October! Slightly better in my opinion than the average 'October mixed bag' kind of weather which is to be expected during this month.

The family trip to Bangkok with our stay at the Windsor Suites with a visit to the Ministry of Foreign affairs (now flooded!) and the Dusit Zoo were interesting. It became even more interesting when it turned out that I was one of about 500 Dutchies who had to go back to the Dutch Embassy due to electronic problems with my fingerprints. It all got sorted though and I have my new passport.

Running a Midnight run in Bangkok was also a memorable moment for me.

Thai water relief officials in action

On Samui the Rua Chack Phra was an interesting event and right now I'm working hard with my current PADI IDC on Samui, which is halfway.

Water bottle genius

The Northern area around Bangkok and the city itself where world news this month because of the current flood situation.

With currently 381 people having passed away because of these floods and large parts of industrial and residential areas being flooded, it's not a good situation and the government is under a lot of criticism how the situation has been handled.

A series of short animations explaining the current the flood situation using simple language and featuring a cute pod of 50 million blue whales has become a big hit on youtube.

Samui on the other hand had no floods at all and it was actually a nice October!

I'm looking forward to next month, a short wreck dive trip to Pattaya is scheduled early next month followed by the fourth and last PADI IDC this year on Gili Air in Indonesia.

Last but not least, if you're planning to visit Koh Samui or any other part of Thailand, please have a look at respectively my Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Thailand hotel recommendations blog with first hand knowledge of many local hotels and by booking on this site, by using the Agoda or Hotels Combined buttons you help me indirectly maintaining my blog. There are also my beloved beer buttons around the blog and a donation button can be found on the top left of this blog, in case you find my blog helpful. Thanks!

Camille