One of the big reasons I have no interest in visiting any Southeast Asian countries is the weather. The equatorial location means it’s going to be hot and humid no matter what time of the year you go. For a life-long San Franciscan such as myself, accustomed to our wonderful natural air-conditioning and constant high 50s (Fahrenheit), traveling to hot weather is tough. Cold, we can do. We are used to bundling up tightly for the majority of our nights, year round.
But, when your good friend is getting married in Bangkok, you must go. I was born in Guangzhou, so high temps and intense humidity is not foreign to my upbringing. Perhaps some of that latent acclimation from my early childhood years can come in handy. Also, I’ve done Japan in the summer as well, and it can get equally hot and sweaty there during the post-solstice months. What am I saying is, as much as I would rather not be in constant high 90s weather, I consider myself well trained for it.
Lucky for me, the humidity during my brief five day stay in Bangkok was not all that bad. I’ve been informed that it can and does get worst. There weren’t any rain, either, which is always a plus because in these parts of the world, when it rains, it really rains. You go from completely dry to needing a boat to get around in matter of minutes.
But, high 90s is still high 90s. There’s no escaping the fact that when you’re outside, you will be constantly sweating. I think that is the thing to get used to: perspiration. We really don’t sweat much here in San Francisco, so we think of it as yucky and dirty. Over in Thailand (and, you know, normal places where there’s an actual summer season), you start sweating the moment you leave the air-conditioned confines of the hotel, and don’t stop until you return.
The key to combating the weather is to stay hydrated. Whenever I was outside, a bottle of something was always in hand, sipping every so often. Bangkok - like most other major Asia metropolises - makes this easy: there’s 7-Eleven convenient stores everywhere. Unlike the 7-Eleven here in the States, the stuff inside is actually good, and there’s zero risk of getting shot or mugged. Convenient store culture in Asia is something I deeply miss when I come back to America.
Malls are great to avoid the heat, too.