Temperatures in Thailand this summer is forecast to be 1-2 degrees Celsius warmer than last year. The announcement comes from the Thai Meteorological Department director-general Phuwiang Prakammin.

And it’s predicted to hit 42-43C in seven provinces in northern Thailand.

In Thailand summer, as a regional season, is listed as running between February 21 to mid-May.

Phuwiang says daytime temperatures in March and April will hit 40C in much of the North, Northeast, Central and Eastern regions. But he doesn’t foresee the record set on April 28, 2016, when Mae Hong Son, on the north-western border sweltered at 44.6C, being broken.

“But Mae Hong Son is one of the seven provinces forecast to reach 42-43C this year, the others being Lampang, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Tak, Nakhon Sawan and Kanchanaburi.”

“In southern regions, the maximum temperature will be 38-39C in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Yala, Krabi, Trang and Satun, accompanied by occasional rain and waves at sea up to a metre high.”

“Rain will increase towards the end of April (the traditional start to the country’s wet season is Songkran which is on April 13 each year), and waves will be up to three metres high.”

“The weather in Pattaya in Chon Buri will match that of the South, with a maximum temperature of 35-37C in April.”

Story from Sanook. Video from Thai Rath

The red song thaew driver, who followed a white sedan around the moat road waving a sword in Chiang Mai, has now been charged by the police.

Sanook reports that 69 year old ‘Son’ has now been charged with having a knife in public and behaving in an intimidating manner that could scare the public.

The original video showed the public transport driver tailgating a white Honda Jazz, waving a large knife or sword.

But Son insists he acted because he was “furious about the driving of the man behind the wheel of the white car”.

He claims that the white car was cutting in and out of traffic dangerously before the car braked in a “dangerous manner” three times, almost causing him crash into the back of the vehicle.

He remained adamant that, despite the post being made by a woman, it was a man driving… “a woman would not behave like this, believe me” he told a Channel 7 reporter. Sanook showed the man apologising and doing a wai.

They also reported that the head of the Chiang Mai song thaews as saying that the driver had been warned about his conduct. He said that Son had never been in trouble before.

The head of the infamous Chiang Mai red song thaews says he has spoken with a driver after the man wielded a sword out of his window at another driver who he claimed had tooted his horn.

But that’s it. Nothing more.

CCTV on the Maneenopparat Road shows the incident as the song thaew driver tailgates the white Honda Jazz, waving the sword out of his driver-side window .

The hatchback driver had earlier posted about the incident on Monday. He says that the song thaew had cut in front of him and he had sounded his horn. He was then chased around the city moat.

The post was later deleted.

Bunniam Buntha, head of the local song thaew association, says he spoke to the driver who admitted that he was angry and waved the long knife out the window. He says he was warned the driver that there may be more questioning with a view to possible punishment.

At this stage no police action has been taken.

SOURCE: Sanook