It's shivering cold

At 7 C or 45 F, you're probably thinking it's t-shirt weather, spring in your neighborhood.

Not around here where the average temperature is in the high eighties and mid nineties, it just feels like frostbite weather.

Observing locals, you'd think we were at the North Pole. Parkas, lined jackets, even two pair of pants are the typical evening wear around here. In the evenings they are all huddled around the BBQ for warmth.

At my house in the early evening all the doors and windows are closed, curtains are drawn.
The heat emanating from the T.V., amplifier and other electronics provide sufficient warmth.

From the looks of things, we'll have another week of this cold weather. Then a rapid warming trend. By the end of the month daytime temperatures are forecast at 45C / 90F with nighttime temperatures at 20C / 68F.

If this trend continues, we may have an early, dry hot season.

As cold as it's been, some of my weekend visitors did jump into my pool. Just seeing them in that cold water made me shiver.

The great Hall

The cement had dried enough, ready to move in.
Moving the weight exerciser did cause me to strain my back.
It required three days bed rest to recuperate.



It took two truckloads of cement to lay the floor. Unfortunately it took a bit more of hand mixed cement to finish the job. Thus the darker spot in the floor.

Ex-Pat's dilemna: Medical costs

A local friend, a fellow Ex-Pat found out a while ago that he has cancer.
He needs an operation to survive.

Problem is, no money, insufficient savings.

His Embassy (Australian) stated that he has lived overseas for over 12 years, so they do not provide emergency evacuation to Australia, where treatment would be virtually free .

The local red cross has provided strong pain medication and is willing to get him to an appropriate hospital. Problem is, they expect him to pay for the 100,000 baht operation (US$2860).

Local donations have amounted to a little more than 10,000 baht.

This is yet another potent example to all Ex-Pat's and those considering retiring in Thailand to ensure proper medical coverage or sufficient money in the bank for medical emergencies.

True, most medical services are inexpensive compared to western countries, but unlike many western countries, hospitals can refuse treatment if payment is not guaranteed.

An example: Heart surgeries range from 100,000 to 1 million baht.

Wat Jang-Sang-Arun graduation ceremonies

Thailand's Supreme Patriarch of Buddhist priests visited Wat Jang-Sang-Arun, here in Sakon Nakhon on January 8,
to bestow degrees to monks graduating to the rank of Pat Yud (ordination).

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See more photos at 090108 Temple Graduation 1/12/09 7:48 AM

Free medical services were provided by local nurses to the thousands of visitors who participated in the event.

Photo's by Pu

You can learn more about his Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara at www.sangharaja.org

It's a busy day at the ranch

I needed six truckloads of soil to fill a hole, and then lay cement in my
exercise, recreation and entertainment center.
Bid's averaged Bt 35,000 ($1000).

• I did it my way!
• Total cost $487.31
• Savings over bids $531.69.

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Sakon Nakhon Dawn

Regressing into childhood: Sixty years ago when the morning sky was red, my grandma told me Santa' s helpers are baking his favorite cookies.
Sixty years later I am still at awe at natures show.

• Cold weekend ahead.

Bundle up. Night time temperatures are getting cooler. Again there is no consensus among forecasters. 11, 10 and 8 degrees are the forecast temperatures, with the 'feels like' temperatures dropping down to 5 degrees.

It's the downward trip on the temperature roller coaster, with temperatures rising rapidly in the later part of January when feels like daytime temperatures are forecast over 40 degrees.
Are we continuing on the roller coaster ride, or are we getting and early hot season?

Pool cleaning in progress. For some reason the algae in my pool seems to grow more during the cold season than during the summer. I'm cleaning it for the upcoming cold spell. I have a way to get people to jump into ice water.

Your feet smell like Cheese

• Why do mosquitoes target you ankles?

It's the cheesy flavor of your feet according to a USDA article.
Your feet produce a similar bacteria also found in Limburger. There also is a particular attraction to your shoes and socks.
The solution here seems to be to wash your feet and apply scent to your feet. Lemon, vinegar, talc are some of the options. Slices of lemons or drops of vinegar seem to do a good job keeping mosquitoes away from standing water.

• Ex-Pats Note:

Verified: Thailand's National Parks charge different admittance fees to Asians and Foreigners of other races.
The disparity is as high as 20 Baht for Asians, 400 Baht for everyone else.

Unverified: Ex-Pats with a Thai drivers license qualify for Thai rates

• Really great video on You tube
  

• My Opinion

Thailand's tourism industry is in ICU.
450 million is being spent on recovery. The majority of that money will most likely be spent outside the country on Advertisement / Propaganda.
Spend the money at home, improve safety

Whenever I expect visitors at my house, I clean house. Makes the visit much more enjoyable for everyone.

SNO city does not seem to suffer the same fate as big cities: Lack of tourism.
If you look into any local shopping facilities, you'll note seasonal high number of foreigners shopping with their Thai 'families.' Some seem to be doing seasonal shopping, leaving stores with a convoy of shopping carts.

Local Map updated

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New Year 2009

• New Years day at home. I woke briefly at 4 a.m. to some very off key, obviously drunk, female karaoke from across the field. When I awoke at 8 a.m., there was eerie silence. That lasted until 10 a.m. Followed by intermittent barrages of fireworks, near and far. By late afternoon the barrages of fireworks diminished. Apparently they were just using up their leftovers.

• Thailand: Over sixty killed, over hundreds injured in a Bangkok nightclub fire
• The cause of that fire is not yet official. Ssparklers were used indoors, possibly fireworks on stage: what were they thinking? Gulf Daily News
  

• Steep rise of crime, especially thefts and burglaries since Thailand's economic decline
• That according to an article at monstersandcritics.com describing the killing of one and injury of a second employee, during a heist of ducks.

• Pattaya's New Years celebration nets 100,000 celebrants
• Pattaya Daily News has some great photos of this event

2009 What do I think.

• Wear rose colored glasses.