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When Bangkok's pavements start feeling like they could fry an egg and stepping outside turns into an endurance test, the city has a plan. And it's pleasantly simple: go somewhere with air conditioning.
Heat waves aren't just uncomfortable anymore. They're a health threat that can lead to heat stroke and other nasty heat-related illnesses. Bangkok knows this year's temperatures will climb even higher than last year's scorchers, with the heat sticking around for longer too. So the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has rolled out a network of 'heat escape rooms' across the capital.
These BKK Cooling Centres are exactly what they sound like: air conditioned spaces where anyone can pop in to cool down when the mercury rises. Right now there are 255 locations dotted around the city. You'll find them in 51 BMA schools and 10 vocational colleges, 68 public health service centres, 50 district offices and 76 cultural centre service points.
The city has also set up 2,806 clean drinking water stations throughout Bangkok, because staying hydrated matters just as much as staying cool.
It's a pretty straightforward response to extreme heat, mixing short-term relief with longer-term planning. You can check which cooling centre sits nearest to you here. When the heat gets too much outside, now you know where to go.