It's Sunday morning with a brand new  Koh Samui, Thailand Weekly Weather update; 28th September – 4th October 2020 for you.

The lsd is in the can. Well, no, not exactly the hallucinogenic version, but rather the long slow distance run. It's done and dusted this early morning. 26.5km in a good pace. In two weeks time the 15km trail run/race in Nathon is on. I think I'm ready for it. Tapering slowly starts next week.

It's rather sunny at the moment. At 11.15am it's 33C already. It's going to be a good and sunny Sunday, so enjoy if you're here.

Last week we saw a bit of rain. Especially Monday morning was very wet. A few showers where here and there during the rest of the week. The maximum temperature reached 34 on Tuesday. Mostly 33C for the rest of the week. Except Monday with 29C as a max. The minimum temperature dropped to 21C and 22C from Monday to Tuesday but the rest of the week it settled around 23/24C. I enjoyed the weather last week, not too hot for my running!

Not as an actual infection, but the results of the border closure are hard and harsh on our island. Every day and week, new shops close down. It's heart breaking to see all the small and bigger shops having to close their doors. Simply due to a lack of customers. Koh Samui is feeling it's dependence on tourism. Very few ships/ hotels/restaurants fare well at the moment.

It turns out that during the long weekends, just around 10 places on Koh Samui really profit from the influx of Thai visitors. Those are the 10 hotels, restaurants or bars that are popular with the Thai holiday makers. Almost nobody else has any significant impact on their turn over during the long weekends. Later this month and next month long weekends  are scheduled again. It's merely a drop on a hot stone. 

There are also a few hotels now going through the process of being inspected for qualifying as  Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotels. This is the process of quarantine at government-approved hotels in Thailand at the traveler's own expense. 

Later this month 300 tourists per month are allowed into Thailand under stringent conditions . Including a 14 day quarantine. Firstly for a period og 90 days. Secondly, this period can be extended twice, each time for another 90 days. Totaling 270 as a maximum.

Ok Pansa or the end of the Buddhist Lent has finished. This means that the 'Rua Phra' or รัวพระ can be seen all around the island. They collect gifts or 'thambun'. Each temple on the island has Their very own Rua Phra. Eventually, they will all meet in Nathon for a big display. Always well worth a visit. You just wish you were here! If you live here, don't get agitated by the slowing down of traffic! Maybe stop and give some money instead. It's part of living in Thailand.

The forecast for next week looks interesting. As of Tuesday we should have a bit of rain. Increasingly so over the weekend. This goes hand in hand with some stronger wind. For me it looks good, it cools things down a bit. 

Don't forget about the Asajan festival next week in Chaweng. The Art Club vegan restaurant will be present which is a great moment to check their tasty menu! At CoCo Chaweng from 12.00 or noon.

Whilst you are here, do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. That is, once the travel restrictions have been lifted.

There are plenty Thais and foreigners, Westerners or farangs who have a hard time dealing with no income and bills to pay. Unfortunately I'm no exception to this rule. If you like this blog, this is a good time to help out and make a donation. If you can, it's much appreciated! There's a donation button on top of this page or ask me for other options. It's getting harder each week! Please do help if you can afford to do so! Everything counts!