Heat and humidity, Bangkok

Be aware of the heat and the humidity in the country before you go as it can be extremely hot out there. It was very very hot when I visited last month and had to use a lot of sun block to protect my skin. Dont forget to take a shawl to cover up when required.

Be prepared to change your t shirt a few times a day if you are venturing out in the stifleing heat and humity of BKK. It was certianly a lot worst when we were there in late September, as opposed to August last time, or maybe it was just me not being able to put up with it!! It gets to 32 degrees celcuis each day, and afternoon there is a thunder storm and heavy rain which can last for upto a few hours! I remember sitting in the bath one evening listening to the thunder come through the 11th story of the building!!

BKK can get REALLY hot & humid during the dry months (Mar-Aug) with temperatures reaching 40C with high humidity. The heat can be pretty sapping on soul and energy. Clothes will cling to you after a while so make sure you bring lots of breathable cotton clothes or the new ClimateCool and Dryfit clothes. Keep the polyesters at home.

Make sure you drink lots of fluids, eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Take more showers if necessary to cool yourself down. Getting dehydrated or a heat stroke is not at all enjoyable.

BKK is also known for its traffic pollution so it is advisable not to walk too much near the centre of town after noon time as pollution usually reach its peak the few hours after noon.

When it's hot in Bangkok, you're gonna know about it. There have been times when my clothes have been soaked through with sweat, it's so bad. This combined with the pollution and humidity, can make wandering around rather unpleasant, and it is a good idea to be armed with a bottle of water, if not to drink then perhaps to pour over your head! Also remember to dress sensibly.

Bangkok can be a very hot and humid city. After a few days you will get used to the weather (well especially if you are from somewhere hot, humid). The humidity can really drain visitors -especially people not used to the weather or jetlagged visitors.

You need to be patient with yourself and remember to hydrate yourself. You should be drinking atleast two litres of water a day. If you feel lightheaded, nauseous -you should add more salt to your diet. (since you lose all that when you sweat). Eat potato chips, fries -whatever. There are many isotonic drinks at the market and are available at 7 elevens all over thailand. Some are 100 plus and Poki Sweat (or something like that). They taste like a salty less sweet Sprite. Very pleasant.

If you have a sensitive digestive system-you should ask for drinks without ice, brush your teeth with bottled water. Many hotels will put bottled water in the bathrooms for this purpose. Hotels that have filtrated water systems-will say so on the sink or they will tell you during check in. I know the Oriental hotel has this.

If you start to feel sick-stop eating most fruit. Bananas are good for a suffering digestive system.

Also, it's important not to push yourself too much. If you feel quite drained-head to Siam Sq and go into some of the airconditioned malls for relief.

Don't underestimate the heat and humidity! Carry bottled water with you that you know is safe to drink, take regular breaks in an airconditioned shop, make sure you drink enough fluids. I nearly fainted a few times and I was coming from Nairobi in the summer, so from 27-29oC dry heat to 35-39oC wet heat. Big change! I tried walking to the place I was meeting my husband as the taxi I was in was in a traffic jam and getting late. Bad move. I arrived in a bath of sweat, headache, dehydrated, overheated, shaking etc I was only walking on the street for 20 mins!

Check the weather! Bangkok in May is hot and humid. Coming from a tropical country, I thought nothing of going to Bangkok in May thinking that if I could bear the heat and humidity of Manila, then Bangkok would be a breeze. I WAS WRONG! I couldn't even walk half a kilometer in Bangkok during the day without having to seek shelter in air conditioned buildings. It was HOT and HUMID! I enjoy a good sauna treatment, but not while fully clothed! And, of course, getting soaked with sweat and drying yourself up in airconditioned rooms after the soaking gives you a bad case of the sniffles.

Ugh! The sun is blazing hot. Do not underestimate the power of the tropical sunshine. Just remember to always slap on your favorite SUN BLOCK lotion when you're at the beach or by the pool. Skin cancer is a serious thing and if you sun tan too often, you'd also age faster. :-( Maybe that's another reason why Asian women are more careful about this. I have seen some Asian women at 60 looking like a 40 year old WITHOUT cosmetic surgery. Amazing.... Their secret? They've always advised me to STAY AWAY FROM THE SUN! I'm learning... I'm learning....

Photo Below: That's yours truly at the Grand Palace on an exceptionally HOT afternoon. (sweat, sweat).