Favorite Thing: I visited Bangkok in September 2007. My guidebook suggested that my visit would coincide with one of the wettest months of the year. The highest peak on my guidebook's rainfall chart was in September and below the chart was a warning that parts of the city can be flooded after torrential rain in September and October.
The online weather forecasts painted a similarly wet picture. For a few weeks prior to my departure I checked the 10 day forecasts on a number of weather websites. Without exception, they contained little cloud and lightning icons and predicted "scattered thunderstorms". Every day, every week.
So, it's fair to say that I expected to get a bit wet during my week long stay in Bangkok, and I even wondered if I should pack a light coat.
The reality however was very different. During my week in the city, I saw it rain for a grand total of 10 minutes! My first 5 days were a mixture of bright sunshine, light cloud cover and, at times, dark overcast skies. But no rain. Then, on Friday night, I felt a raindrop, then another and a few more. It rained lightly for 10 minutes or so and then stopped.
On a few occasions, I awoke in the night and thought I could see flashes of lightning outside. But each morning the roads were dry and there was no sign of any overnight rainfall.
So, when visiting Bangkok in the rainy season....don't assume that rain is guaranteed (even if all the weather forecasts tell you that it is!)
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