Thai Times: Monsoon Season

Monsoon clouds over Lopburi

The time has finally come: monsoon season is slowly pulling into Ayutthaya, and I can't believe I'm saying that I am SO relieved.
Before the rains started coming, temps in Ayutthaya were reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit plus close to 100% humidity. YIKES. It was miserable.
Before coming to Thailand, I could not fathom a monsoon season. I thought it sounded like one of the most miserable things that Mother Nature had created. But after living in the extreme April and May heat, I realize what a true blessing these torrential downpours are.

end of a storm

The downpours in Ayutthaya are calm compared to two of the other monsoon rains I have witnessed in Thailand. The first was while I was still in training in Phuket, where one day it rained harder than I've ever seen. On top of that there was also a fair amount of wind, with the palm trees looking like they were about to be ripped out of the ground.

We got our induction into this year's rainy season during a day trip we took to Lopburi. The day was hot and beautiful and we decided to rent motorbikes for the day and see a temple with peacocks, a temple built into the side of a limestone cliff, and hang out at a small lake and take in the scenery, the day, and some food. Just before we were about to leave, storm clouds rolled in and before we could drive for more than 5 minutes we had to seek refuge under a hut overlooking the lake and wait for the storm to stop.
45 minutes of watching the wind sweep thick sheets of heavy rain reducing visibility to only about 15 feet in front of us, the rain finally began to subside and we were able to make our way back to the train station. I couldn't believe that my wet skin was accumulating goose bumps on the ride home as a result of the cooler air and the wind from the motorbike. Though I was cold (in Thailand !), it was a nice change from the extreme heat we had been experiencing the weeks before.

peacock temple

Though the cool weather has come, the monsoon also does pose problems: like getting drenched on my walk home from work, and getting splashed by cars in puddles from the rain the night before. However, for the time being, I am much happier being soaked with rainwater than my own sweat after being outside for 3 minutes.