March 25th, 2013 - Storm at Panwa Beach

We took another trip to Panwa Beach today. It was sprinkling a bit when we left, but by the time we reached the beach it was pouring rain. Not pouring rain like it does in Canada, either. This was a torrential downpour. Even our love of rain couldn’t stop us from seeking shelter after a few minutes of getting pelted by it. We waited out the storm in On the Beach, a restaurant at Panwa Beach, and enjoyed some papaya salad and drinks while watching the sea churn in the distance. The Big Buddha and all the lights and hills across the water were almost completely invisible through the storm. It was much more fun to watch from inside, but the ocean during a storm is a beautiful thing to see.

A picture can’t do this storm justice, but trust us, it was staggeringly powerful.

Almost every time we walk along this beach, there is a wedding going on. I think these are arranged with the restaurants or the nearby resorts, since they are always in the same place and there is always a flower and gauze covered archway set up with a small dining table nearby. You can usually spot the bride and groom getting their pictures taken here, as well.



In spite of the weather, today was no different. Today’s wedding was interrupted by the storm, so we got to see the bride and groom at the Beach Bar restaurant when we ducked in for cover. The bride was sitting in the restaurant with tropical flowers adorning her hair, wearing a gorgeous white wedding dress with all the fabric piled up on her chair to keep it from getting soaked in the growing pools of rainwater. Like us, she and her wedding party were stuck inside until the rain stopped, looking pretty put out over the whole thing, and I can hardly blame them. So if you are planning a wedding in Thailand, you’d best check the forecast and take that ‘chance of thunder storms’ warning very seriously before picking a date.



-LuckyStar