Rainy Season Undesirable House Guests

Flying, crawling, slithering, running Pests,
they are all intent to use your home as a fine dining establishment.

During the rainy season, it's not just food they are after, but sheltered places to take up permanent residence.

Plants touching your house create ideal walking paths for ants and other insects.  Trim all branches.

Cracks in cement or tile floors and walls provides protection from being seen.
Inspect and patch the exterior of your home regularly.


Grout or silicone

If you're using silicone to seal crevices, make sure it says fungi resistant, especially in high humidity areas.  Inexpensive silicone will begin to harbor fungus in just a few weeks. Looks Ugly  

Used silicone on a wall exposed to the sun. Cracks started showing after six months of extreme heat. -

I prefer fungi resistant grout on cement surfaces.  It just seems to adhere better and last longer.



Whichever you favor, get the high quality stuff, unless you wish to make repairs frequently.


I use grout even for bricklaying.  





In the Bath Flowerpots and knickknacks may be pleasing to the atmosphere.
They create dark hiding places for all sorts of bugs. 
Clean under sink storage areas frequently


In the kitchen, it means keeping all foods in sealed containers.
Constantl wiping, constant cleaning.

If you're not ready to wash the dishes immediately after eating, submerge them in a sink or bucket filled with soapy water.
A large majority of bugs have a distaste for dish soap. It kills 'em.

If you leave dishes with scraps on the kitchen counter, 
you might also wish to install some flashing neon signs "FREE BUFFET HERE."

Dish soap diluted in water kills ants and many crawlers instantly and is fairly harmless to the environment.
Talc powder around entrances keeps a large majority of crawling insects at bay.

Geckos may be considered as pests by some, but their benefits outweigh the nuisance to others.
Their diet consists of mosquitoes, while some species of geckos (tiger) eat crickets, cockroaches, spiders.


 
Of course when all fails, 
when you're overrun by critters...
... it's time to call the local experts.



 

The equipment reminds me of space wars. 

When the fumigation is done it's time to  bring in the troops and do some industrial strength cleaning.

Of course when the rainy season ends, the flying bug season gets under way. 
Something to look forward to.

Sakon F.C. vs Mukdahan in Toyota Cup

Sakon FC faced Mukdahan FC 
in  Thailand's Toyota Cup yesterday (Wednesday).

First half ended scoreless.
Sakon FC scored first during the second half.
With two minutes left in the game,
Mukdahan FC tied the score 1 - 1.

The game went into extra time, no change in score.
The score was settled in a penalty shoot-out.
Final Score Sakon FC 1(4), Mukdahan FC 1(1)

This article refers to expatiates living in Japan, but applies to all western expatiates.  

Living on the wrong side of currency slides

Thai friends waiting

The best Thai vacations I've experienced are when friends await my arrival.

No getting in line for a taxi or bus, your friends have taken care of all arrangements.

Most likely they have a list of suggestions for places to visit and things to do.

Your friends can also advise you of local customs.

What you should and should not do.

Things like:

'DON'T feed elephants roaming in Bangkok. It's now a fineable offense.

It may not be such a good idea to carry bananas or peanuts in a monkey reserve. You may require hospitalization. 

Visiting sites with a friend or a family is much more enjoyable than having to maneuver through bus loads of crowds, attempting to get a good view, or hear what the guide is saying.

Of course it helps tremendously if your friends speak some English.

My first visits to SakonNakhon where like that.

Back in the U.S. I had befriended the owners and staff of a Thai restaurant.

They suggested I'd visit the city and promised that their local relatives would take good care of me.

I was really surprise when the person greeting me said "...you remember me?"

Yes I did.

He had been an exchange student and had worked at the stateside restaurant near my house.

I was welcomed by the entire family.

During my stay I enjoyed  private tours of all the attractions.

At public and private events, my host made sure I always had the best seat in the house.

Even my departure became a pleasant memory.

Dozens of people near the departure lounge. I now knew personally.

Sometimes they don't warn you, then it's a learning experience

First time I visited a farm village, our arrival momentarily disrupted an ongoing wedding celebration.  

I was handed what looked like a beer bottle.  

"No" I said, "I don't need a glass, I can drink from the bottle." 

It wasn't beer.  

I was chocking on Whiskey White.  If you've tasted Moonshine, then you know what this stuff is.
The famous Thai smile turned into a chuckle.

Headlines you shouldn't miss

Toyota League Cup, August 18, Sakon FC at Mukdahan FC  Mukdahan Central Stadium


Thai Takeover of Leicester: "watch them squirm pronouncing their bosses names"


Ending prostitution an uphill battle  Bangkok Post

Again?  China's tainted milk


Ocean Color Can Deflect Hurricanes, Study Suggests National Geographic


An I thought I was in a really safe place:  Tectonic Plates and Faults in Asia

Sakon FC wins at Mahasarakham FC

A small party had gathered on my front porch to listen to the internet broadcast of the game.
I could tell by the screeching and cheering that Sakon scored early.
A second score by Sakon was just moments before halftime.
Mahasarakham scored once early in the second half.
After that Sakon held on to the 2-1 lead

Sakon FC next faces Roiet on Saturday, Aug. 21

video by Zintiara

Sidewalk Sale, Thai Style

Menagerie

You say I have new neighbors?

Further Evidence: Thais Love a Parade

They are really good at it

uploaded May 08, 2 010. video by Nakasid02.  
Boon Bang Fai Rocket Festival at 
Phang Khon, Sakhon Nakhon

Rainy Season

Reminder: Caulk the gutter when it has dried from the morning rains.


There are those who complain about the rain.
" ...it's raining buckets...
...I'l be happy when the rainy season is over."
"Get yourself an indoor hobby."

     <<=== Be happy that you're not there

          Things could be even worse ===>>

Of course you are going to get soaked trying to drive home in the rain during the wee hours of the morning (2 or 3 AM) on a motorcycle.  Good Grief, spend the 90 Baht and buy yourself a poncho or two.


There should be plenty of sunshine mixed with clouds for most of today.  
Bet they'll be cursing the upper 80% humidity


Major rice warehouse in Sakon Nakhon Municipality said the high rice price trend continues read it at RYT9
Brits wanting to retire abroad . . .Spain is a favorite...  read it at EXPATFORUM