...a vigilante group rushed at me...

Found a brown coconut laying in the yard. 
Didn't listen that the nut was past any use.  Had to find out for myself. 
Used the machete, a very common household and garden utensil in most Thai homes.

Opened the coconut, it reeked.  Threw the coconut away, turned around an stepped on the handle edge of the rusty machete.


Minor puncture wound.  If it would have been bleeding I would not have worried too much.  Flowing blood tends to cleanse a wound.
I ain't taking any chances.  I was off to the hospital for a tetanus shot.
At the hospital the mistake I made was to agree that they clean out my wound.  
I had actually done that before I came to the hospital.  I received a quick swab, a band aid and a tetanus shot.


I received a bill for 130 baht (US$ 4.20), paid it and was on my way out the door.
As I opened the car door a vigilante group rushed at me from the hospital, clerks, nurses and even the owner/doctor.  "I didn't pay the bill."
They kept showing me a bill for 200 baht (US$ 6.46).  I kept digging for my receipt, I couldn't find it.


Minutes of arguing till the cashier wrote out a new receipt 130 Baht for the shot, 200 baht for the band aid in the emergency room.
I keep promising myself that I will change hospitals.




A block from the hospital, on the way home, I decided to stop at the liquor store and replenish my peppermint Creme De Mint.  I like the stuff, makes my mouth smell like I just gargled.
 
While at the store I made a great discovery.  Don't know why I missed it in the past.  Pipes, pipe tabaco and a roller.

Cigarettes, especially the paper and filter contain lots of chemicals.  With pipe smoking I avoid  the hazardous additives.


Why I bought the roller is quite obvious. A pack of smokes is anywhere from 30 baht (US$ .97) to 60 baht (US$ 1.94).  A kilo (2.2lb) of tabaco can be had for 100 baht (US $3.23).

Hours of Alcohol Prohibition

We've had two days last weekend and are facing another two days this coming weekend when alcohol sales are prohibited.
Both these prohibitions are intended that voters have a clear head when heading to the polls.

Personal observation: It's not having the right effect.

Most disco's and bars where indeed shut down. A few bars where not, but had their lights dimmed.

Most drinking was done at neighborhood parties.  Last weekend there where more than the usual residential parties in my neighborhood. There are no enforced closing hours at such parties and reveling in many instances hardly slowed before sunrise. 



PTT's gas leak   MCOT 26 June




Stuff my friends sent me

Beer goggles

Sakon Looses to Roi Et 3 - 1, but I was impressed

Considering the spanking Sakon FC recently received (9 - 1), and the fact that the team had a recent makeover (new players),  plus that they were facing  the number one team in the division, I had no idea what to expect.


A collision between two players during the first ten minutes, sent A Roi Et player to the hospital with a head injury. The first half continued without emergency vehicles on site.


Sakon Nakhon players did an impressive job.  They had obviously improved.  Cheering by local fans was also a lot more vocal than in the past.  Most fans left the game quite content, rather than the previous game, which was very depressive.

Obviously the Roi Et is financially better endowed, they have their own team bus and furnished two buses for their fans.  No such luxuries locally

Roi Et Fans

Hm, what's wrong with this picture? That's not a one

No wonder why I'm gaining a bit of a belly

Birthday party at a local restaurant on Friday.
Food was great, but after almost two hours of eating still no birthday cake.
I happened to have a muffin.  Gave it to the birthday boy and began singing "happy birthday."
Close to one hundred employees and customers chimed in "happy birthday to you..."


Someone understood my signal and quickly produced the birthday cake.
Of course we had to do repeat the birthday song.
 

Saturday I was invited to a family farewell dinner.  Pooh is leaving for Britain. 


These folk continuously invite me to eat all that great food, and wonder why I'm gaining a bit of a belly



Weather Ahead:  Cool and windy for the moment.
Warmer temperatures and increased humidity beginning of the week through midweek.  'Scattered' thunderstorms.

Music Memorabilia

Plenty DRY Days AHEAD

NO ALCOHOL SALES SEASON in Thailand
Due to absentee voting, alcohol sales will be prohibited from 6 PM, Saturday, June 26 until Sunday midnight Phuket Gazette


Expect a similar prohibition the following weekend when elections are held on July 3.

Asarnha Bucha Day / Asalha Puja Day, July 15 and Buddhist Lent day July 16, are religious holidays when alcohol sales are also prohibited.


The Sakon FC and Roi Et FC match to be held tomorrow (Sunday) is anything but dry.
Walked around the field yesterday during practice. Felt like I was in a swamp.  The game will broadcast via the internet at sakonfc

Rumor:  

Votes are going for up 1,000 baht a piece.
The voter get's 300 baht, the 'procurer get's the rest.

• But then:  Rumors quite often are a distortion of the truth.

Vote-buying and graft undermine the country's competitiveness THE NATION


Thailand tourism's response to The Hangover II Sydney Morning Herald

And I always thought cowboys rode horses

Tropical storm "Haima," now downgraded to tropical depression... 

• ...continues its western path.

• Expect widespread thundershowers and heavy to very heavy rain, and southwesterly 15-30 km/hr winds   Thai Meteorological Department 

And I always thought cowboys rode horses.

• For those of you not visiting Facebook, you're missing what looks like a local motor show.  
  click on the image to view the origional

Sakon FC hosts Roi Et this Sunday

• From what I hear it will practically be a new team.
  My sources tell me seven young,new players.
  I have no idea what to expect, but considering Roi Et is the top in this league, I doubt it's going to be a pretty picture.
• Even though there has been no official announcement, next week's game may be rescheduled due to election day on July 3.  The election ends at 3 PM. 

New Coach  for Thailand

• German Schaefer agrees 3-year contract  Bangkok Post

From the looks of things, this guy has been all over the map

• Cameroon (2004)
• Togo (2006)
• Iran (2007)
• Abu Dhabi (2009)

Herr Schäfer you have thirty days to prepare the team for the next game July 23


Thailand Heading for Second Record Sugar Crop May Curb Prices - Bloomberg

Strictly Funny

Thanks to Kenneth D. for alerting me to these video's they are great.

Doing the Sakon Nakhon Pole Dance

The House lights went off at 10.  The show was about to begin.

No TV, no internet, no telephone, no hot coffee water.

Most power outages in this area happen during the rainy season.  

They are occasional occurrences in this part of the country.

Most last less than half an hour.

The skies where clear, no rain, 

but this was to be an extended five hour showing of the  

Sakon Nakhon Pole Dance

Isn't the kind of pole dance you might have in mind.

This is the kind where the utility pole does the dancing.

Electric wires, phone and cable service where knocking  against a house. A possible fire hazard.
The only fix was to move the pole a few feet.


Two guys started up the pole and disconnected all wires.
The ground crew loosened the soil around the pole and dug a new hole.
Early in the day plenty supervisors arrived at the scene

An hour and fifteen minutes later, the pole dance began.  Swaying back and forth until the pole was loose in the soil and could be lifted. 

Loosening the pole and transfering it to the new hole took 45 minutes.


Refastening wires to the pole was interrupted by a fifteen minute rain-break.

Not having fans going, I was dripping with perspiration in the early afternoon
I discovered sitting in my pool was a perfect place to continue watching 'the show.'

 

Having been a pole lineman myself, 1963 - 1964, I judged the job would be finished around mid afternoon.  
I was off by ten minutes.

This is one show I hope does not get repeated in my neighborhood