Hot, hotter and wet: the three seasons

Central Thailand has three seasons, and Thais name them with หน้า ('face, season'). หน้าร้อน, roughly March to May, peaks in April at 35–40°C. หน้าฝน, roughly June to October, rarely means all-day rain: usually a fierce afternoon or evening downpour that floods the street for an hour and then stops. หน้าหนาว, November to February, is dry and pleasant in Bangkok, and properly cold at night in the northern hills, where Thais pull out jackets and hats when it drops to 15°C. The south has its own rhythm, with the Andaman and Gulf coasts getting their heaviest rain at different times of year. Weather is safe, constant small talk.