True tropical paradise: cool green and lush village morning today

True tropical paradise: cool green and lush village morning today in southern Thailand. Vs. dessicated hot Isaan last week. Temp this morning here in Nakorn Sri Thammarat only 28 v. 30 up north. Difference: year round rain here creates real jungle. View from my bedroom at wife's house.

Rubber price in drastic decline but have't heard a complaint yet. Most of their focus on kids.

A scene from Paul Gaughan

True tropical paradise: cool green and lush village morning today

True tropical paradise: cool green and lush village morning today in southern Thailand. Vs. dessicated hot Isaan last week. Temp this morning here in Nakorn Sri Thammarat only 28 v. 30 up north. Difference: year round rain here creates real jungle. View from my bedroom at wife's house.

Rubber price in drastic decline but have't heard a complaint yet. Most of their focus on kids.

A scene from Paul Gaughan

Escape to Isaan heat

Temp 40 C (104 F) at our farm house today, radiant wall temps to 43 deg. Wet rags under fan cool to 27 (thankfully)

Mango shower

Yesterday the gathering 95F heat broke with a pleasant morning "mango shower", first of the year, which kept skies gray and temps down all day for pleasant neighborhood and canal-side walking in deep Ekamai. These light pre-season rains are common in SE Asia and India, said to help ripen the mangos. Sure enough, the market was loaded with the fruit, though the ones on our deck tree are still green. Our US visitors were delighted with the taste.

Bangkok hot season

Following life through Bangkok's hot season -- without air conditioning. Well, most of the time.

I will try to keep this blog growing from now until the crazy peak of the hot season in April.

View from my bedroom follows. See the little circle? We'll be talking more about that place, my traditional teak Thai house right in the middle of the city, a study in thermal contrast.

Bangkok flooding with hot humid air

Yesterday Bangkok smothered in humidity. Long slog of the hot season arrives.

Invented in Thailand: world's best tropical hat

World's greatest hat for hot weather. Perfect shade and ventilation. Additional bonus factor: the layered structure of the hat provides an extra R value of about 0.5, so that significant temperature drop occurs between the outside and inside of the hat. Example: today with an air temp of 30, the outside of the hat had a temp of 38 (from solar heating) and the inside surface was 33. Would addition of a little foil on the underside of the hat improve things?