Chiang Rai News
Temperatures Continue to Plunge in Northern Thailand
.
.
CHIANG RAI – The Meteorological Department warned on Monday it is going to get colder in the northern half of Thailand.
The strong high pressure zone from China still covers the entire northern part of the country, with thundershowers and strong winds in some areas.
Because of this, the short cold spell is expected to become more severe, dropping by another 2-4 degrees Celsius today and tomorrow.
The minimum temperature in the North is forecast at 8-14C, with isolated frosts on mountaintops; 8-15C in the Northeast.
In Chiang Rai province, the temperature on the top of Phu Chifa mountaintop in Thoeng district was -2C degree Celcius between 6am-8am on Monday.
The temperature in Phayao was 7-9C on Monday morning under a cloudy sky. The cold spell was augmented by persistent wind and rain.
In Chiang Mai, the temperature reportedly dropped to 3C on top of Doi Inthanont, with wind and rain.
Thailand is known for having a very warm and humid climate, but they have been experiencing a bit of a cold spell recently. To illustrate how the cold weather has been affecting the rescued elephants at Elephant Nature Park, founder, Lek Chailert, posted a photo of some of the elephants cuddling round a fire to warm up.
She explains that the older elephants are taking the cold particularly hard and have been shivering, the babies can cozy up to their mothers or nannies to keep warm, but the oldest members of the herd remain susceptible to cold. Upon seeing these cold elephants, two of the sanctuary’s followers, Teresa Bradford and Gert Zagler, contacted the Goat Coat Shop, in New York and arranged to have seven massive blanket coats sent for the adult elephants.
On behalf of the happy elephants, Lek writes on Facebook, “Thank you for the warm hug with this blanket.” Not only do the elephants look wonderful, but they are now fully prepared for whatever strange weather this season throws at them.
You can make a donation to the elephant coat drive by sending any amount to info@goatcoatshop.com via PayPal and specifying that the money is for the Elephant Nature Park. Then contact Gert Zagler on Facebook to make sure they’ve received your contribution!
In Thailand, elephants are often targeted for the tourism trade or killed for their ivory by poachers. Elephant Nature Park provides a safe haven for elephants who have fallen victims to these sad practices. The incredible work being done by Elephant Nature Park extends far beyond keeping their elephants warm. To learn more, check out their website and Facebook page.