China Flooding: Prepare Downstream

It's something to keep an eye on in regards to water levels in the Mekong.

Hilarious Advertisement

I dare you to prove me wrong on this one !

Recently received correspondence from a Swedish gentleman inquiring about crane service in Sakon Nakhon.
He purchased a container to ship his household goods and use as storage while his house is being constructed.
The question was: "Is there a local crane company which can unload a 5 ton container."

My answer: "Don't think so, but I'll check around.

The only cranes I have seen in this part of the country, are the ones used in building construction. They can lift a number of prefab cement slabs intended to be used as flooring. Their weight capability will take a few days of research.

Ideally the delivering agent should be told that they are to place the container on the ground, as demonstrated in this video.

This alternative seems a bit extreme: Unload - Drop - Reload

Parking a container on either soi 3 or 3.5 seems even more of an impossibility to me.
I'd like to witness that magic act !!

There is a crane company in town taking part in the construction of the new municipal building.
Might be worth asking them.  If it's possible, they probably have to bring equipment from elsewhere.
Bet that wont be cheap.

Alternatively I would suggest renting one of the many newly constructed shophouses and use it for storage.
Most shophouses on I.T.U. rent for an average of  3,000 baht per month.

Shipping containers tend to get extremely hot and humid in this area and are not suited for extended use beyond shipping purposes, unless insulated.

Loei FC rides the rainbow to a 3 - 0 win over Sakon FC

Get ready to hit the pause button precisely at one minute (1:00) into the video.  

Freeze frame the moment !!

video by Zintiara 

Asalha Puja day parade staging area

First time I have seen a Tourist Police vehicle here in town

More than usual street security

After I took the photo below, a policeman approached me and told me "NO PHOTO"
Thought that a bit strange, especially when the girl in the picture is using a camera

I walked around the corner, where a policeman asked me the usual "where are you from?"  
I knew it was safe to take pictures.

Local business directory underway

The makings of a SakonNakhon Business Directory 'In English' is underway at Thailand Pan Pages.
With 80 listings, it seems a good start, and worthy of keeping an eye on.
The list includes hotels and a wide range of products and services such as rice drying, artificial leather, frozen shrimp, restaurants, clinics, metal products,etc.

The Sakon FC team arrived in Loei on Saturday in preparation for the Sunday afternoon match.

    Zintiara

A Sakon Fish Story

audigy152

Kasetsart University Natural Resources and Agro Industry (Promotional Video)

   fnawwm

Don't try this at home

 naanping

Weather Alert
The remnants of CHANTHU are now making their way southeast from China,
creating an increase in local rain especially for the next four days.
Real feel temperatures are expected to climb at the beginning of the week, indicating high humidity at times.
The Meteorological Department warns of possible Isolated heavy rains and  flash floods in some areas

SakonNakhon Auto Show 2010 and more

A slight almost unnoticeable drizzle, this morning, as local car dealers set up for the first SakonNakhon Auto Show.
The show runs through July 30 in the BIG-C Plaza







Illegal logging 
in Phu Phan mountains


details at 76.nationchannel read at Google Translate

Original Thai version 76.nationchannel


Other recent SakonNakhon news at  at 76.nationchannel 

June 30: 477 dengue fever cases reported during first six months of 2010 read at Google Translate

Sakon FC heads to Loei for a match on Sunday
Sakon FC ranks sixth in the league of 16

                                                                

Tropical storm CHANTHU

Five day tracking forecast at wunderground
The center of the storm is moving into southern China from the South China Sea, in a northwesterly direction.
The storm seems to have a face and a big smile.
Southern China has not yet recovered from recent heavy flooding caused by two previous storms.



Local weather appears to be coming from a north westerly direction

An honorable mention for SakonNakhon Produce

SakonNakhon won runner (up) in a recent study of pesticide free produce according to AlmostTheBEST2010 

A SakonNakhon First

Sakon F.C. 3 - 2 Udon Thani F.C.

      

I knew this was going to be a great game.
In a previous match at Udon, the teams walked away as equals 1-1.
The first half of the game was intense. At times neither team kept control of the ball for very long.
Udon Cheers outnumbered local groans, as Udon Thani scored the first goal fifteen minutes into the game.


It took The Sakon players ten more minutes to come up with their first goal.
After that it looked like it was going to be an easy victory with successive  goals by Sakon

   

Early in the second half Udon scored again making it a 3 - 2 game.
It almost was going to be another tie game, but what looked like another goal by Udon was nixed by the referee.

Thailand to unleash swarm of wasps in Khon Kaen

Thailand's first Suksuk offer  look up the meaning first !!

British Behavior Abroad (BBC NEWS UK) interesting statistics


Chicken came before egg, evidence suggests


How to judge your wife's memory, look at her... posterior (BBC NEWS HEALTH)
also explains why I haven't had  any loss of brain function


fun stuff 10 Innovative Subway Advertisements

Weather Warning: Tropical Storm “Conson”

Typhon Conson, responsible for a number of deaths in the Philippines is heading in a northwesterly direction.
China is preparing for 'worst floods in years.' Today Online

Thai Meteorological Department has issued 
a weather warning for the next four days.  


SakonNakhon is not among provinces listed in the weather warning

Three day storm tracking image of Conson


Over the past week SakonNakhon has seen little rain, with rain to the north and south.  
Two days ago there was a light sprinkle at my front door and sunshine at my kitchen door.

    

Sakon F.C. 1-1 Nong Bua Lamphu F.C.

1:1 Draw 
Sakon F.C. at
Nong Bua Lamphu
View video  here
Sakon F.C. hosts Udon F.C. this Sunday, July 18 

U.S Consular Fee changes effective July 13 travel.state.gov/news

More video by gorbhong

Australian Business Travel Plan

Thai venture goes to water 

The Sydney Morning Herald

A great combination

England soccer team gets three new sponsors 

Pattaya Rag

British English has changed more 

than American English 
read about it here:  nicholasjohnpatrick...did-americans-in-1776-have-british-accents

Coming Soon: Sakon Tourism and Sports Office

The building seems to be complete and awaiting it's Occupants.


With the school a matter of five minutes from my house, I went there briefly this morning, after having been invited to watch what must have been local Junior League Football.

  

 

Thai Tourism Resuscitation

Tourism Thailand is developing a new site: 

• Amazing Thailand  Amazing Value  Beta.

I've been following the building of the site for the last few months.  
There have been continuous improvements.

It's the first time that Sakon Nakhon and many other areas of Thailand 
have been added as Thailand travel destinations, with more than a paragraph or two.
There's plenty of information available about Sakon Nakhon. 
 It's a Beta version, that means "there's plenty more to come."
http://www.tourismthailand.org/where-to-go/cities-guide/destination/sakon-nakhon/


Thai Language Travel videos


IamExtender has uploaded six more videos over night.  Raising the total of videos from 444 yesterday, to 450 today.  


Even though the video's are in Thai, there's plenty to learn and see

Grand Prize winners of the 2010 Microsoft Imagine Cup

• Team Skeek from Thailand

 

A Slice of Sakon Life

watch more great videos by  IamExtender

jeab of STV just released a video deserving KUDOS

The subject matter "Sakon celebrates Tết (Vietnamese New Years)," is a bit out of season.
The video is ideal for travel planners, you can view it in my calendar

 Amusements 

Pictures of Rock Stars How they've changed 
no need to log in, just scroll down

 A new Toy in HAPPY MEALS . . .  
Bright and Colorfully packaged  Condoms

Welcome Bar reopens Thursday

Paul has returned from vacation and plans on spending the day catching up on cleaning.
The bar will resume normal operations tomorrow.

Sakon F.C. travels to Nong Bua Lamphu

Football Association of Thailand: Division 2, Northeast     Division Standings
Sakon F.C. is in seventh position with the next game scheduled at Nong Bua Lamphu หนองบัวลำภู
Nong Bua is in ninth position.

  

Don't miss this YouTube Video: Help find my Thai wife Noi 

Aqueduct Repair

 Dengue Season May through September
477 cases of dengue fever have been reported in Sakon Nakhon during the period of 1 January - June, with most cases during the month of May. May through September is the period when most such cases occur. ryt9

SakonNhakon Immigration: We Treat You Like Family and Friends

Oh Curses

I opened my passport for the first time in months.  

I was two weeks overdue in doing my 90 day address report.

Oh Curses

I needed something to calm my nerves.  Doctor Chang to the rescue. Also known as Beer Chang.

"That will be a 2,000 baht fine."

I remained calm and humbled. 

I somewhat expected the fine talk to be more a bit of a 'scare reminder tactic.'

"Where do you live?"

I presented a laminated card with address, phone, e-mail, both in Thai and English.

"We will fogive the fines this time, BUT don't forget the next due date"

Since my last visit there, the immigration office has installed an exterior sign

There are over 200 westerners with yearly visas in the Sakon Nakhon Province. 
This does not include those foreign residents who renew their visas by crossing borders every thirty days or more.


They are going to have to call the sign maker back on this interior sign.

It should read:


We welcome you like relatives and friends 






In a related story, Pianoman writes writes about the Sakon Nakhon Immigration Office: 
"...it was the easiest Extension I have ever done... very easy and pleasant experience...  
Read his praises at THAIVISA

Dark Chocolate Prescription and moire

Now that's a medicine I can take three times a day

• Dark Chocolate Lowers Blood Pressure, Research Finds  Science Daily

Wonder when "Copies" will be available locally?

Cost of US Passports increased $35, July 13

 

Pending:

• Proposal for Changes in Consular Services Fees dated February 9 Consular Affairs

Internet Freedom American Style

Obama Can Shut Down Internet For 4 Months Under New Emergency Powers prison planet

This deserves a Standing Ovation

100 Baht Golf Clubs? Isaan Break-Dancing? MORE!!

I was a bit worn by the time I left for the Monthly Sakon Nakhon Cultural Affair'e. It had been a long day.
But I did not want to miss it and I had promised a few friends I would meet them there.


The cultural fair is held on the first Saturday of each month
It was 8:25 p.m., when I arrived.

 

 

As seen on SakonTV

Preserving the Arts of Ancient Thailand
Wish: This video with English subtitles

View other  videos by jeabstv

And Elsewhere in Thailand

Sakon F.C. rebuffs Phanom F.C. Invasion 1-0

Damned thieves, those Nakhon Phanom footballers, they were noticeably good at intercepting the football.
Sakon Nakhon FC was just better, period.

Video by  TungstenPalm

   

I love it when Mother Nature shows off her art