Thailand will remain cool at least until Monday, with temperatures plunging further in the North and Northeast as a strong high pressure system from China is blanketing the Kingdom.
The latest warning from the Meteorological Department issued on Thursday forecast that cold weather would continue through Monday, with the mercury dropping by 6-8 degrees Celsius in the upper part of the country.
Temperatures in Greater Bangkok will be in the region of 13C and 18C during the period, while strong winds will prevail in the southern region, particularly Chumphon and Surat Thani provinces, the weather bureau said.
Weather in Bangkok on Thursday was 18C and the coldest province was Nakhon Phanom, where mercury dropped to 8C.
Historically, Sakon Nakhon is the coldest place in Thailand, measuring minus 1.4C in Muang district in 1974.
The weather in the province was 9C on Thursday and residents in some districts of Sakon Nakhon and other province came out of their houses to stay by the fire to keep warm.
In Nakhon Ratchasima province of the lower Northeast, park rangers at the Thap Lan National Park in Soeng Sang district had to stay awake when the temperature was at 13C to monitor Yoyo, a 60-year-old male wild elephant, which was recovering from injuries after being attacked by other pachyderms in the park.
Park veterinarians have given Yoyo antibiotic shots to its muscles when the rangers found it last week.
Villagers in Kalasin province stay by a fire to dispell cold weather on Thursday. (Photo by Yongyuth Phuphuangpet)
Pakphum Aromsirirujivet, a Thap Lan official, said on Thursday Yoyo's condition was improving but the elephant was still afraid of returning to the jungle to mingle with other elephants. It still stays at the Huay Tuey reservoir, he added.
Villagers around the areas have been warned not to come close to Yoyo for safety reasons while officials are trying to lure it back to nature.