lördag 17 januari 2009

A Thai kind of coldness

Cold! In Thailand! The last week my complaints have been met with incredulity. However it is the coldest winter in many years here. Bangkok Post interviews a couple sleeping rough in Bangkok.

"It's worst at three or four with the early morning dew and the wind becoming stronger."
Yeah, I know. A couple of nights ago I woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning freezing. The usual towel-blanket that you get on your bed down here did not suffice to keep the cold away. I had to fold it double and use my own bath towel as an extra. This night I slept in pants and a jumper.

However, I do have roof over my head keeping the storm winds away. The Bangkok couple, unemployed with no money, are not as fortunate.

"We have no choice but to tolerate it no matter how cold it is. Most of the time we don't sleep at night because it's too cold. We usually sit around a fire with others to warm ourselves."

Last week it's been as cold as 15 degrees Celsius in Bangkok in daytime. In the North the temperature runs as low as towards zero degreees...

For the homeless there are shelters, but there you have to pay for electricity, blankets, water. And since these people are sleeping rough due to no money I guess they'll still be out there. In Bangkok there are estimated to be around 1500-400 homeless people depending on the year of the time.

The authorities help with either 15 days of skill training or a bus ticket to their home province...

2 kommentarer:

Anonym sa...

So its chilly even in sunny Thailand? Sure you're coming from Oerebro? DLM

Bloggerskan sa...

Half Oerebroish, but my mother on the other hand is quite positive coming from ganellbaeltet... Now it's back to normal weather here, plus 30. Haven't had a drop of rain since I arrived though!