Friday, August 7, 2009

Cool Thinking in "Humidity High"

The local temperature forecast for the coming days.
Red lines represent the actual temperatures.
Blue lines represent the feels like temperatures.
The difference between the two colors is the humidity.



Drink Plenty of water. Consider electrolytes if the heat and humidity seems to be slowing you down.
A cold wet towel behind the neck helps while you're on the move.
Heat rises, cool your neck down and you'll keep a cool head.

That cold drinking water also does wonders if you pour some over your head.

You're really lucky if your neighbor owns a pool and even throws coins in the pool to make you want to jump in.
"Hello Neighbor."



Otherwise a cool shower will have to do.
While you're wet, stand in front of a fan. Caution you may be shivering from the cold.

Around my house we tend to play "Off Season Songkran," using three bottles of drinking water per week


Thursday, August 6, 2009

Na Kae Corner

Article and pictures by Mister Martin
Na Kae Corner is a general supplies store in Na Kae.
Approximately 48 km south of Sakonnakhon on highway 223


It is owned by a retired Australian Cabinet Maker and his Thai wife.
Neil designed and had the store built to his drawings.
By using steel rafters to support, the roof there was no need for internal pillars, making the whole area open plan with living quarters at the rear and upstairs.
During the building stage, Neil was able to save many off cuts of wood and other materials to use in his new hobby.

Neil makes all kinds of items out of the off cuts, including clocks, coat hangers, paper weights, magazine/newspaper racks, Nameplates, photo frames, etc.


Along with his brother in law, Neil can supply tables made to any size and shape.
Also any wooden furniture.

Neil also makes portable white boards.
Prices on request. Phone Number 042-527133 Fax 042-527339



Cable Service: Two for the price of one, choose one

A complaint I've heard repeatedly from people who have the local cable service.
Channels keep getting switched around: Typically you switch on the TV, select your favorite channel and it appears to have been replaced or moved.

NOT SO, according to this experience.

Bought a new 32 inch flat screen TV, plugged it in and went through a channel search. A totally different channel set-up from what I had been used to. Many identical services at different locations. A few I had not seen before.

Groan.

Hours later, relaxing in the living room, in front of a different TV. The channel lineup I was used to seemed to be restored.
Tuning in both sets, I discovered that two different cable services use the same cable. Should be interesting getting this resolved.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Turbo Prop is so 1950's

I immigrated from Germany to the U.S.A on a turboprop in 1958.
The aircraft was larger than todays Bangkok Airways fleet.
I remember it took a very long time.
I was thirteen, I got to spend hours in the cockpit,
I loved it because I was getting first class food, instead of prefab aircraft meals.

Seems obvious to me, turbulence is more noticeable in smaller prop type planes, than jets.

A great little Airline, PB Air recently terminated it's fleet contract for Embraer ERJ 145 LR. An aircraft with an immaculate safety record.
To save money they switched to leasing ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft from Bangkok Air, adding half an hour flight time between Bangkok and Sakonnakhon.

With yesterdays crash of such an aircraft during a bad weather landing at Samui island, I am more inclined not to use local PB Air service at the moment, especially during the rainy season.
May strongly consider alternatives.
Sakonnakhon also no longer has a two fight day. Its a vitamin schedule "One A Day."

Australian Fireman Vacationing Here . . . . and Near

"I'm on my way,"
he blogged tuesday while in the departure lounge of the Sydney Airport.
He's just starting a vacation to Sakon Nakhon and a few other places in the area.

Hope he does plenty of vacation blogging and picture posting.
I know he has a small present in his suitcase for me from Australia.
We corresponded a number of times in preparation to his trip.
Mister Eric confirmed a previous blog entry Brining along your medications

Hide the bar mats. (Joke, jok, jock... like my Thai friends say)

'Amazing Thailand' Makeover

The newest attempt to revive Thailand's tourism is underway.

"Amazing Thailand" is being retooled:
"Come to Thailand - Lets Take A Break."

And what a facelift !!!

21 year old Asia Teen Idol and Superstar Nichkhun Horvejkul.





Links
My story by Nichkhun Horvejkul
Global Travel Industry News eTN
absolutelybangkok.com

Personal Observation:
Some years ago a Thai studying at a U.S. university asked me:
"How can I loose my Asian accent when speaking English?"
From my own experience in learning English as a teen, I replied:
Sing it !! Nichkhun Horvejkul proves my point.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Keeping Informed


Rumor heard
Officials will discuss ex-pat medical requirements during upcoming meetings. Seems too many ex-pats don't have the funds to take care of their medical needs. Will be interesting to see what law or regulations will come from these meetings. Might send a lot more Ex-Pats packing.
Haven't seen anything in the media to substantiate any of this.
Treat this strictly as a rumor for now.

This weeks arrivals and departures
at the Bangkok International Airport be aware:
Security drills at Suvarnabhumi Airport start

The folks at 'Doing Business in Thailand' have some useful facts on

Opening a Bank Account in Thailand

It's official:
Brit's continue to hold the loudmouth record
Britain's Jill Drake set that record in 2000 at 129 decibels.
Loudmouths gathered for a contest in Pattaya.
Probably this years prize of $882 wasn't enough to entice
The Worlds Loudest
Bribing case against Hollywood producer Gerald Green and wife starts
They're accused of bribing Thai government official


Gimme some old time religion.
Catholic Church of Germany owned stock in "The Pill," Tobacco,
and weapons manufacturer
Do as we say, not as we do BBC News

Old News, but Most of the guys wont mind.
Strapless bra at You Tube
(sold with years supply of crazy glue?)

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Malaria, Nuclear Ambitions, and Utter Nonsense

Drug resistant Malaria brewing in Cambodia Bloomberg.com and pbs.org

Experimental malaria vaccines successful. Follow up research pending. sciencedaily



Burma is building a nuclear reactor with North Korean help Huffington Post
Cambodia and Laos want nuclear power plants.
Why not an alternative solar or wind power. Or even PooPower CNN



And then there is the Thai official who declared with some pride
"We don't have as many airport scams as Bangkok." phuketwan



1500 Century London must have smelled like a barn. Funny Mail
And while we're on the subject, all those Brits complaining how their Queens English is being slaughtered by the rest of the world.
Just look what your ancestors have done.
English originated from the Germanic languages. Jawohl !! Ganz Bestimmt !!


Saturday, August 1, 2009

Keeping up on the News

In case you missed these headlines at THAI VISA
you may wish to subscribe to their news update service

Crackdown on illegal airport taxis
Crackdown on airport baggage theft
Crackdown on Jaywalkers and litterbugs

Lot's of whip cracking going on.
Replies to these articles are mixed.
Thoughtful, informative, humorous, and some downright idiotic.

If You're headed to Pattaya, lady boys on the prowl

Interesting article entitled Tourism Realities
with a reply about yet another airport scam, well worth reading

Better post that one on my front porch then.

I wonder if the Swiss behave like this in their home town.
I don't think so. So why do it in Thailand?? Obscene act in public
Get a room.

Obama deserved a "Yellow" card for making his premature opinion public on "The Professor's" arrest.
The professor, an Obama insider, wasn't all that non-racist either. "Yo Mama."