Thailand to officially enter winter on October 29

Thailand will officially enter winter on Saturday, October 29, reports the Meteorological Department. The department says winter will last until the end of February 2023 and is expected to be colder than usual this year.

Up in the mountains, temperatures will reach lows of 8 degrees Celsius, said the department.

Earlier this month, the department said that Bangkok could reach lows of 15 degrees Celsius by the end of the month. However, today the department reported that Bangkok would reach lows of 17-19 degrees this winter. Last winter, the average minimum temperature in the kingdom was a pleasant 21 degrees.

Tourists have already started flocking to the mountains in northern Thailand to experience the cold weather. As the weather changes, a “sea of mist” can be seen from mountain tops in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Lampang provinces. Doi Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai is a popular winter destination among Thai and foreign tourists alike.

The department said they will hold a press conference about the arrival of winter on Friday.

Winter will be welcomed with open arms this year after a destructive monsoon season in every region of Thailand. After months of heavy rain and flash flooding, winter will give flood-hit provinces a chance to recover and farmers a chance to get back in the fields.

However, one benefit of the rainy season is low levels of air pollution. Heavy rains tend to wash the dust out of the air, but as winter approaches, levels of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 air pollution in the capital are already reaching dangerous levels.

Thailand’s winter is also Thailand’s tourism ‘High Season,’ offering a warm but not sweltering getaway for tourists wishing to escape bitterly cold Western winters.

Tourists are expected to flood into the kingdom this winter, given Thailand’s legalisation of cannabis, extended visa exemption on arrival stays of up to 45 days, and complete removal of Covid-19 related entry restrictions and requirements.