Dry season in Thai

“Dry season” in Thai is หน้าแล้งnâa-láeng.

หน้าแล้ง nâa-láeng

the dry season noun

nâa falling
láeng high

Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.

Parts: หน้าnâa season (in speech); face แล้งláeng dry, without rain

From แล้งláeng, dry, parched (of land without rain): ภัยแล้งpai-láeng = drought.

You'll hear it in Dok Krachiao Ban (ดอกกระเจียวบาน).

How to use it

หน้าแล้งnâa-láeng is the part of the year without rain, from the end of one rainy season to the first storms of the next: the rice fields lie bare, rivers run low and farmers wait for the rains. It's above all the countryside's word, for the months when water runs short; in town people talk about the cool season, หน้าหนาวnâa-nǎao, and the hot season, หน้าร้อนnâa-ráwn. The news calls it ฤดูแล้งrúe-duu láeng, and a year when the rains fail brings drought, ภัยแล้งpai-láeng.