Amazing Thailand: Enjoyable Recollections

Chapter 1

There's nothing more enjoyable on a vacation to Thailand than a random drug test.
I experienced one during my vacations back in the 1990's.
A night at a Bangkok disco with some friends.

Houselights were turned on, announcements in Thai, I didn't understand a word.
I had no idea what was going on, except for the fact that there where dozens of uniformed police standing by the door, and everyone seemed to head toward the exit.

Passport in my hand, I made my way through the crowd to the main exit.
A policeman personally escorted me back to the toilets, handed me a cup, and made sure that I filled it with my own...

My plumbing gets shy when people are watching.
The policeman was earnest and getting impatient.
Finally I was able to perform the required task. Now the fun really started.

Satisfied, the policeman directed me to the end of the line and disappeared.
A few hundred people ahead of me, all holding these shallow, easily crushable paper cups.
The cups weren't much larger than those they serve butter and jam in for breakfast.

With people lining up behind me, I was now in a mob of a few hundred people, all pushing toward a single door exit.

Many people where holding their cups above their heads in order to avoid being bumped into.
It didn't help,  the yellow smelly stuff got spilled all over.  There was a kind of mist in the air.

Empty cups were refilled right on the spot.  Expediency outweighed shyness.
Made no sense to return to the toilet and wind up at the end of the line.

Lot's of kind and understanding people, they had plenty, enough to help out their friends.
The way this stuff was being poured from cup to cup, you'd think we were in a champagne bar.
A Thai ahead of me turned and smiled: "Welcome to Amazing Thailand."
It was one of those fun Thai smiles you hear so much about.

I inched my way toward the door, holding my hand over the cup to avoid spray contamination.
I became a bit worried.
Would any of my prescribed medicine I had taken cause a positive test result?
I didn't follow a friends advice to carry copies of my prescriptions with me. just in case...

I was noticeably nervous while the attendant was performing the litmus test on my contribution.
I was tremendously relieved when my fortune was told: "Negative, you can go."

Those where the early days.  I suspect improvements have been made.  The exchange program has probably been abolished.

Incense, not just for rituals

I use it daily to ward off mosquitos

5:30 AM,  Saturday

Used to consider this kind of temperatures ideal T-Shirt weather.
Nowadays those temperatures make me shiver, especially riding a motorcycle.
I'm getting older.

-----------------------	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Thai Meteorological	26/11	27/11	28/12	28/11	27/11
Accuweather	29/14	29/15	29/16	29/14	30/14
Weather Underground	27/13	28/15	27/15	26/13	27/12

Been there, Done That: 1960's, Anchorage, 50 mph winds, held my jacket open as a sail.  Fastest trip through town I ever made.

Silly, but cute

Ya gotta stretch before and after excercising

Construction - Corruption - Collectors - Smoking

 
That's how they build homes here
Recently returned to Sakon, Tomas Hudik, seems to be quite busy.

At least that's my conclusion watching his video uploads on You Tube.

Ten video's in two weeks.
From what I can tell, he and his wife are working on at least three separate properties.

Summer residence.... winter palace... retreat ?

City Hall Construction progresses

January 2011

April 2010

Sakon Sports and Tourism Authority?  Building still awaiting occupancy

Inquiry finds widespread corruption read it in the Bangkok Post
Some parts of Sakon declared disaster zones, when no disaster occured

Collectors Items ?

Bottle holder, coasters, caps, pens and more 

Smokers Delight

Tobacco Products Control Act to be amended read it at THE NATION

Raises buying age from 18 to 20
Mandatory fire safe paper. Cigarette goes out if you don't keep sucking on it.
No sales of individual cigarettes allowed. Sold only by the pack.
No additives

FUNNY MAIL

Cooler nights this week

Night time temperatures previously forecast to be in the upper teens have been updated with temperatures forecast in the lower teens.
Weekend lows have been forecast at 12C.  Add to that the windchill factor and it's time for some blankets.

To the north, the majority of China is experiencing below freezing temperatures Asia Weather Map

Never used plastic bags that way

.

Leanne Fagan has a blog and photo album of local events at blogs.statravel.co.uk


Tony reports in his German blog that he went out New Years eve to visit in-laws:

"Police checkpoints were already in operation at 6 PM.  They didn't just check licenses and  inspected seat buckles and helmets, they also used metal detectors to check for weapons."

Local Holiday shopping fell more than half over last year, according to some merchants.  People just don't want to spend a lot at the moment ryt9


Getting ready to fly the coop.  The Pattaya Rag has a link to a flight search site with... "all the essential information on one easy to understand chart.



Only In Thailand
Plastic bags not a wise substitute for condoms: Ministry  read the article at THE NATION

January is Double Fair Month

Trade Fair - Red Cross Fair

Jan 08	National Children's Day
Jan 09-16	Thailand - Laos - Vietnam Trade Fair
Jan 16	National Teacher's Day
Jan 18	National  Armed Forces Day
Jan 28	Red Cross Fair
Jan 29	Red Cross Fair
Jan 30	Red Cross Fair
Jan 31	Red Cross Fair
Feb 01	Red Cross Fair
Feb 02	Red Cross Fair
Feb 03	Red Cross Fair
Feb 04	Red Cross Fair
Feb 05	Red Cross Fair
Feb 06	Red Cross Fair

The party's over

Most Thai's take the opportunity to clean house as the New Year begins.
Clean out the closet, get rid of unused clothing.
Their philosophy, if you want new clothes, you have to have space in your closet to attract new things.

From the looks of things, my cleaning is going to be an extensive project.  Repairs required.


The pool is empty now.  It had it's first cleaning.





Grouting, sealing and curing will probably take a few days work.






Then I'll spend time with the puzzle, reassembling the filter.







Mister Hans' Neighborhood

Did enjoy a white Christmas of sorts

Every morning without fail my neighbor airs out his birds

They hung out a sign on one neighbors fence.  I'm told it say's Happy New Year

The Monsoon lake on the property next door has dried out

Funny stuff on the net
They are doing it again, the Walmart customers link Hat Trick 
2010 Statistics for Airport Screenings  link Pattaya Rag

Happy New Year

Earlier yesterday evening I walked to my Thai friend's house on I.T.U., to watch the kids shoot off fireworks.
They shot off fireworks from the center road divide.
One of those rockets was upside down, and of course sent fireworks across four lanes of road.
Lucky there was a break in the traffic, no cars or motorbikes.
They avoided what could have been a major carnage.

While sitting there on "Mainstreet," a number of ambulances and police vehicles passed by with their emergency lights flashing. Busier than usual.

One two year old used her sparklers to make burn marks in the pavement.  She has a good chance of becoming a welder when she grows up.



A guy across the street lit one of those flying lanterns, similar to the ones pictured.

It momentarily got hung up in the electrical cables hanging along the road.  Another major incident averted!
After bumping into the cables, it rapidly lifted upward.


I had enough of watching this tomfoolery, my bottle of wine was empty, I headed home early.

I got a few hours of sleep before the neighborhood sounded more like a war zone.

 

Loud party music continued throughout the night.
The party music isn't as loud anymore.  At 6 AM I can still hear it while standing outside in my yard.
6:30 AM the community speakers began broadcasting. 7:00 AM intermittent fireworks continue.
The parties continue. It's not New Years yet in some Parts of the world.

I stay close to home when "When the roads get deadly"

Anton (German Tony) posted this video on his facebook wall.

I like the music, hope you do too!!
The video gets a bit bloody

I prefer to celebrate the New Year within walking distance to my mattress.
Here's one reason why:
When the roads get deadly THE NATION

Sakon Pattana Suska School Reunion

I was invited by friends and family.

The entertainment and service was really great and made for a pleasant evening.
The party started 6 PM, Thai time.
We were the first ones to arrive and seemed to have the place to ourselves for at least an hour.

Most of the food disappeared quickly after hitting the table.
It was just that good. If you wanted to eat, you had to be quick about it.
One of the kids at our table has a sumo wrestler type body. He eats like that too.
I made sure I didn't go away hungry.

Half way through the evening, two tables were joined so friends could sit together.
Monkey see monkey do.
All of a sudden tables were moved everywhere, there were three tables in our group.

For a moment it looked more like moving day than a party 

I knew so many people and made many new friends,  I did spend some time table hopping.

The party was still going strong when I headed home.