Illegal Pot Exports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Powerful tropical Super Typhoon Bavi. . . Agriculture drought troubles ahead

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

After today's extreme heat temperatures should ease slowly over the coming days

Continue watering your garden for a few more days. There is only a slight chance of scattered showers early this afternoon, so don’t count on Mother Nature just yet.

The forecast looks more promising beginning next week, with rain chances increasing noticeably.

In the meantime, the humidity is making it feel far hotter than the thermometer suggests. While actual temperatures may reach around 36°C today , it could feel like 44–46°C in the sun.

If you haven’t already, this is a good time to try the DRY MODE setting on your air conditioner. It costs less to run than normal cooling mode because it mainly removes moisture from the air rather than aggressively lowering the temperature. Often, reducing the humidity is all it takes to make the house feel much more comfortable.

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Driving in stormy weather can create new hazzards

Facebook post claims debris from clock tower causes damage  สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Drought Concerns Return to SakonNakhon

The year 2020 was widely documented as one of Thailand’s worst drought years in more than four decades. Unfortunately, signs are emerging that we may once again be heading toward a prolonged period of water shortages.

Rainfall so far this year has been disappointing, and the arrival of El Niño is expected to reduce rainfall even further during the coming months and into next year. While no one can predict exactly how severe conditions will become, many experts believe the effects could become noticeable within weeks.

In June 2020, this reservoir near Nong Sa, Lao Po Daeng, showed just how quickly water levels can fall when rainfall remains below normal.

      

Climate agencies, including Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources and GISTDA (Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency), have warned that drought conditions associated with strong El Niño patterns can persist for several years.

For farmers in Sakon Nakhon, water is everything. Rice fields, livestock, and household supplies all depend heavily on reservoir storage. 

As the dry season progresses, reservoir levels may once again become daily news, closely watched by both farmers and residents alike.

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon CCTV is watching you

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Thailand is going APP crazy

There’s hardly a task these days that can’t be handled through an app.

Before you even enter Thailand as a tourist, you may be expected to submit information through the THIM – Thai Immigration Bureau App. To leave the airport, chances are you’ll need a taxi app. Many businesses now prefer digital wallets over cash, and when hunger strikes, food delivery alone gives you at least five apps to choose from.

And that’s just scratching the surface.

New apps seem to pop up daily, each promising to make life easier, faster, or more convenient. In many ways, they do. But the category that has really got my tutu in an uproar (extremely agitated, flustered, frustrated) is television apps.

Watching subscription TV through a regular web browser is slowly becoming extinct. Increasingly, providers want you inside their app ecosystem. And apps don’t just deliver content — they collect data. They know what you watch, when you watch it, what you pause, what you skip, and how long you stay engaged.

Convenience comes at a price. We gain easy access, but we also surrender a little more control. Sometimes I wonder whether we are choosing the apps — or whether the apps are quietly choosing how we live.

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Thailand Immigration updates

1️⃣ TDAC and QR code is now mandatory before you land

2️⃣ Immigration photographs your entry now

3️⃣ They can ask you for proof of funds at the gate

4️⃣ Visa exemtions are now tracked and capped 

More reels of interest at The Thai Life Guide on facebook

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

World cup available on Thai 📺

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

THIM app

Thailand Immigration Management is the official digital platform developed by the Thai Immigration Bureau to modernize and accelerate the entry process for international travelers entering Thailand. It is envisioned as an immigration "super app" that will eventually centralize all visa and compliance services for foreigners. [1, 2, 3]

Key Features

• Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): Replaces traditional paper forms by allowing you to submit passport, flight, and accommodation details digitally before landing. [1, 2]
• One-Time Registration: Once you complete the electronic identity verification (eKYC) with your passport, your profile is saved. Future trips only require you to update flight and hotel info, taking under three minutes. [1, 2]
• Automated Data Sync: Your pre-filed data links directly to the Immigration Bureau's network. When officers scan your physical passport, your information auto-populates, vastly speeding up manual checkpoint times. [1, 2]

Implementation Timeline

• Current Status: The app is actively in its national pilot/trial phase and is available for download on both the Google Play Store and iOS App Store. [1, 2, 3]
• Official Rollout: The full official launch is scheduled for August 2026, with a broader integration of automated airport smart gates expected by October 1, 2026. [1, 2]
• Future Expansions: Upcoming features plan to support 15+ languages and introduce expat-focused services, including 90-day reporting, immigration appointments, and visa extensions. [1, 2]

Article ChatGPT enhanced

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Dinosaur festival in through 12 June

Arrived at 1 p.m. Sunday. A few of the foodstalls were in full operation, many were still opening up, some looked like they were sleepwalking

Along the street the plant vendors selling flowers, bushes, and trees

The display graphics were great, what seemed to be missing were trash cans

Feed the animals not quite open

various kids rides, wondered what the American flag was doing there

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

it stands to reason, mass tourism brings more crime simply because there are more people

The video really does not answer its own question "why fewer tourist go to Thailand."  

Instead it discusses tourism problems encountered since the covid days and the onslaught of complaints about tourist behavior 

It's the rainy low season, obviously there's fewer arrivals. Air transportation costs are a main factor at the moment. Tourism competition from neiboring countries are getting stronger. A number of recent law changes, increased fees, all make your head spin สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

In Flight Power Bank Rules updated

Not in checkin luggage 
Not in overhead compartment 
Can not be used during flight 
Must be stowed under seat for quicker access

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Dinosaur festival in Sakon Nakhon!

At King Rama V Monument Square, June 4-12

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Pudgy at old age has benefits

 

My BMI (Body mass index) hovers around 28 to 29.9, depending on the day and perhaps the optimism of my calculator. Officially, that puts me in the “overweight” category — not quite “Fatboy 1.” At age 81, however, a little pudge may be less a failure of discipline and more a strategic reserve.

Turns out, carrying some extra weight in old age can come with advantages. During illness, body reserves may help one recover. A bit of padding can sometimes reduce frailty, and maintaining weight is often preferable to becoming too thin and losing muscle. There may even be mobility and joint benefits for some people, depending on overall health and strength. Above all, several studies suggest that for older adults, being modestly overweight is often associated with lower mortality risk than being underweight — or even aggressively lean.

So perhaps what looks like “extra cushioning” is, in old age, exactly that: cushioning. Definitely cushions.

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

for the time being the rainy season continues in the Sakon Nakhon area. ☀️ 🪾 El Nino ain't quite here yet

exact timing of the heaviest rain days according to GOOGLE AI

2019 – 2020 Sakon Nakhon experienced an extended dry season caused by a weak El Niño. Sakon Nakhon was officially declared a drought disaster zone.
2015 – 2016: A severe regional dry spell brought on by one of the strongest El Niño events on record. The Interior Ministry declared Sakon Nakhon and several other northeastern provinces drought-stricken disaster zones as local wells and reservoirs dried up.
2014: A historic early-year drought hit the province. Worst in decades สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

El Nino expected to be unusually more dangerous one ever

Indications are that it will become very noticably in September and October สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Sugar Sugar 🎶🎵

Choose Wisely

eurovision 2026 winners

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Bun Bang Fai PhangKhon May 8 through 10

Unfortunately I saw no announcements of the event ahead of time, 

 Happens every year about that time. 

Phang Khon 55km from Sakon City

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

"Visakha Bucha Festival" of Sakon Nakhon May 31

𝗨𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 schedule in English

Some scenes from previous years