Winter has just arrived in Thailand. Many tourism attractions, especially mountaintops, are starting to get crowded with visitors travelling to enjoy cool winter breezes and see the spectacular sunrise in the morning.
The morning atmosphere on Doi Inthanon Mountain in Chiang Mai is lively with many visitors coming up to the observation points to see the sun rising, its rays shining through the scenic landscape, while enjoying a cold start to the day with the lowest temperature recorded at 5 degrees Celsius.
The natural hiking trail at Kew Mae Pan, opened yesterday for hikers at the 42nd kilometer mark after a 6-month closure for natural restoration. Hikers will now get to see rare Azalea flowers and the morning sea of fog on their hike, high up on the mountain with views stretching as far as Mae Cham district. The hiking trail is expected to welcome more hikers in the winter season, with guides from local ethnic minority communities available to assist visitors.
Meanwhile, in Nong Khai, the temperature has started to drop, especially at night and in the early morning. Elders and other villagers in the city municipality have formed exercise teams, including a Tai Chi workout group, who meet by the Mekong river, and go through their distinctive paces to keep themselves fit and healthy, as the weather changes with the arival of the winter season.