Rumbles of Thunder - The HOT Season in Phuket

The weather this week is exactly as you'd expect for early April. It's hot, there is hardly a breath of wind, the sea is calm, the skies often a bit hazy in the morning until the sun burns through. Occasional rain or thunder which never lasts long. The heat can be kind of numbing. This is the hot season in Phuket and all over Thailand. There are often drought worries in some areas. Last year around the same time there were (unexpected) widespread floods in south Thailand. Phuket was OK, but on the east coast, especially in Surat Thani and Nakhorn Sri Thammarat it was pretty bad, and on Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao too. This year we just have the heat.

We did have half a rainy day yesterday, the first rain I saw all week. Quite heavy rain in places for a few hours, and then a sunny afternoon. The rest of the week has been hot, hazy, sunny, cloudy. Mostly just hot. It's the hottest time of year which is why it's the school holidays for all schools that are on the Thai curriculum, including my kids school. They're all visiting the family in Chumphon right now and I'll be up there later this month. They start school again in May.

This Phuket weather blog takes off where the last post on March 30th stopped. On Saturday 31st March, after some work at home in the garden, I did manage to get out, though not far .. it was too hot! Main reason was to look for a new camera. My Canon EOS 20D is something like 4,500 years old now. I have been looking at new cameras for a couple of years, but now have decided. The Canon EOS 60D is waiting. Having played with a camera in the Canon shop in the Central Festival shopping mall, I went for a little walk in Phuket Town with my old EOS 20D. Hot afternoon for a walk. Siesta time for this guy.



Sit in the shade and chat time for these ladies.



I stopped at Kopitiam on Thalang Road for lunch and a cold beer. Here's lunch...



Next door to Kopitiam is the Nguan Choon Tong herb shop, selling herbs and Chinese medicine since the year dot. I asked very nicely to the niece of the owner if I could take some photos. They were preparing herbal remedies that afternoon. The current owner / manager is the grandson of the man who started the business. This is "old Phuket". I love this part of Phuket.



Tomorrow is Friday, that's Good :) It's also Chakri Day in Thailand, which commemorates the kings of Chakri dynasty, who have been ruling Thailand since 1782. Tomorrow is a public holiday, and this coming weekend and Monday too. There will be a funeral ceremony for Princess Bejaratana, the only child of King Rama VI who died last year. Weather forecast : More hot weather. It's April! Good time to be here!