People in Chiang Mai are facing persistently cold weather, with temperatures across the lowland areas dropping to 11–15°C. At the summit of Doi Inthanon in Chom Thong district, the highest point in Thailand, conditions have turned bitterly cold — temperatures have fallen to 2°C, and frost (known locally as meoi khap) has appeared for the fourth consecutive day. The cold is so intense that dew on tables, chairs, and wooden surfaces has frozen into white ice crystals. Large numbers of tourists continue to travel up the mountain to experience the cold, with a chance that temperatures may reach 0°C in the coming days.
The Northern Meteorological Centre forecasts that between 28th and 29th November, temperatures in the upper North will drop by another 1–2°C before beginning to warm up again. The public is advised to take care of their health during this cold spell.
Dusit Pongsaphipat, Director of the Chiang Mai Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said that this winter, the office has surveyed and identified 85,543 people — 18,536 households — who are expected to be affected by the cold and require assistance. Almost all are located in 10 districts classified as cold to severely cold risk areas: Mae Chaem, Omkoi, Mae Wang, Doi Tao, Mae Ai, Fang, Chai Prakan, Chiang Dao, Wiang Haeng, and Mae Taeng districts.
Any area where the temperature drops below 8°C for more than three consecutive days will be declared a cold-disaster zone and will receive immediate assistance in the form of winter clothing according to government regulations.
