BANGKOK — If you’re planning a trip to Thailand at the year’s end, it may be wise to pack more than just flip-flops, shorts and singlets.

Cold fronts from China are expected later this month through February, with the coldest weather lasting from late December until mid-January 2020, reported news website Thai PBS World. 

The Thai capital is expected to hit lows of 15-17°C, while some parts of northern Thailand — such as Chiang Rai, Sakhon Kakhon and Nakhon Phanom — could see temperatures as low as 7-9°C. 

Cold fronts sweeping the region are not unprecedented. 

In 2016, a cold wave across East Asia caused January temperatures in Bangkok to fall to as low as 16°C. While this meant that people there only had to put on a few extra layers, other places faced much harsher conditions.

Close to 90,000 people were also stranded on the South Korean resort island of Jeju after record snowfalls caused flights to be cancelled. 

In Japan, five people died and more than 100 were injured, while Taipei registered a low of 4°C, with Taiwanese media reporting 90 deaths due to the cold. AGENCIES