Now here is a remarkable fact. When I lived in California, and especially when I drove down the Mississippi valley on a trip back to the US last summer, I noticed the old problem of bad smell developing in my tennis shoes. Disgusting and ineradicable!
Amazingly this does not happen here in Thailand?
Why?
Years ago as an engineer I used to consult on legal problems arising from mold in houses. Erin Brokovitch was my client! What I learned is that mold grows best at moderate temperatures, not where it is very hot. Even the mold can't stand Bangkok in the hot season!
Now here is a remarkable fact. When I lived in California, and especially when I drove down the Mississippi valley on a trip back to the US last summer, I noticed the old problem of bad smell developing in my tennis shoes. Disgusting and ineradicable!
Amazingly this does not happen here in Thailand?
Why?
Years ago as an engineer I used to consult on legal problems arising from mold in houses. Erin Brokovitch was my client! What I learned is that mold grows best at moderate temperatures, not where it is very hot. Even the mold can't stand Bangkok in the hot season!
Even my long-time expat friends -- three in a row today -- describe this week's weather as being miserable. Most mention the humidity but of course the Thai say simply "hot" -- and give you a blank smile when you say "humid"!
Objectively, I must be scientific and measure the wet bulb temperature, which I do by using the wet rag technique. It hovers around 28 C, even as my condo interior surfaces and floor are 30-31 and the afternoon temperatures outside hover around 37.
A strong fan and minimal clothing make 30 C in my condo perfectly comfortable during the day, but we use the bedroom air conditioning, set to 24-25 C, for sleeping. This doubles my electrical bill from about $35 to $70 per month. A dollar a day for comfortable sleeping. A fan works for the Thai but doesn't do the job for us because of our higher body mass index and soft foreign bed that impedes heat transfer from the body and leads to the dreaded wet pillow syndrome.
Late mornings are the worst in May, a bit of a breeze makes it more tolerable in the afternoon. My luxo Japanese-style massage place, normally overbooked, is oddly empty today; I'm told that the heat is just keeping those rich customers at home
Even my long-time expat friends -- three in a row today -- describe this week's weather as being miserable. Most mention the humidity but of course the Thai say simply "hot" -- and give you a blank smile when you say "humid"!
Objectively, I must be scientific and measure the wet bulb temperature, which I do by using the wet rag technique. It hovers around 28 C, even as my condo interior surfaces and floor are 30-31 and the afternoon temperatures outside hover around 37.
A strong fan and minimal clothing make 30 C in my condo perfectly comfortable during the day, but we use the bedroom air conditioning, set to 24-25 C, for sleeping. This doubles my electrical bill from about $35 to $70 per month. A dollar a day for comfortable sleeping. A fan works for the Thai but doesn't do the job for us because of our higher body mass index and soft foreign bed that impedes heat transfer from the body and leads to the dreaded wet pillow syndrome.
Late mornings are the worst in May, a bit of a breeze makes it more tolerable in the afternoon. My luxo Japanese-style massage place, normally overbooked, is oddly empty today; I'm told that the heat is just keeping those rich customers at home
Though temperature hit a moderate high 38 at Don Muang today, the wind shift from off the humid gulf to the south to the drier western uplands, bringing dry air relief (lower humidity) by noon. Good day for drying laundry.
Though temperature hit a moderate high 38 at Don Muang today, the wind shift from off the humid gulf to the south to the drier western uplands, bringing dry air relief (lower humidity) by noon. Good day for drying laundry.
Notwithstanding some excited tourist twitters on the subject, I fail to find anything special about hot season heat this year. In fact early rains have tended to moderate heat buildup. If SE Asia is being threatened by global warming, it is not showing up in Bangkok temperatures.
Red is temp at Don Muang, green is dew point. Temps are topping out at about 35 C. So far, anyway.
