A message to my Friends in Bangkok

by Iron Maiden
RUN TO THE HILLS

Possibly the worst weekend ahead for Bangkok: 28-31 October.

Incoming ocean currents will create a dam for water draining from the north.

MSNBC: Thai capital warned "massive" water on the way
is a very revealing article with some good information.

According to the article Bangkok is  "...a city that accounts for 41% of Thailand's gross domestic product.."

Thailand announces Five Day Flood Escape Holiday

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• Weather alert: Cooling trend, expect temperatures to drop to 18C (64.4) over the coming days. 

•   A health alert: has been issued in association with the cooling weather.

•   Thailand announces Five Day Flood Escape Holiday: Thurs, Oct 27 - Mon Oct 31 , in 21 Provinces

• Chao Phraya on the brink  Bangkok Post >>plenty photos<<

• WANTED: Crocodile Hunters in and around Bangkok  New York Times

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That health alert arrived a bit late for me, 
Recuperating from a cold:

I should have seen it coming.
I sleep under a fan, not only to keep cool, but also to avoid mosquito bites while sleeping.
Days had been hot and humid. Late evenings had been pleasantly cool, after midnight it got a bit too chilly under the fan.

First a chest infection. I was coughing so hard, at times I was close to passing out.

I've learned from experience when it gets that bad to head for the couch. Passing out and hitting your head on the tiled cement floor leaves lasting memories (headaches).

I tried a home remedy of jasmine tea, honey, cinnamon, licorice. Surprisingly reduced the coughing and chest pains by the following day. There was a tsunami coming out of my sinus. Used a box of tissues in eight hours. Needless to say I spent three days mostly prone.

Except last night when I had visitors!

And the winner is undefeated Yothasing

Team Yothasing finished the season undefeated, winning every game.
Unfortunately I did not attend the final game due to chest and nasal infection.
I did however support the team, as usual with refreshments.
This time the team celebrated their victory at the local all you can eat restaurant.

Thought football season is over for a while.
In a way I was correct.  The provincial games are completed.
The Inter-Provincial games start tomorrow.
My soi (alley) was invaded by a team from Buriram.
The team will be staying in the apartment building across the street from my house.

The games are being played at the university campus, some miles away, an indication that apartments and hotels in the area seemed to be full

Bangkok Domestic Airport CLOSED, NOK Air suspends operations

Bangkok Post: NOK Air suspends all flights until November 1


ALJAZEERA  Flood waters enter Bangkok's domestic airport

Also noted earlier in the day. Flow of water has been greatly hampered due to canals being full of vegetation and other debris. Something which should have been considered weeks ago!!

Loi Krathong Celebrations start early

Loi Krathong is still weeks away, yet fireworks seem to be on sale already.
They've been going off for the past two days, early mornings and late night.
I don't mind them all that much, but my two dogs sure do.
Thunderstorms or fireworks and they want to hide behind the washer or under the bed.

Generally most ma and pa stores display legal fireworks on the sidewalk.
Quite often you can find a bigger bang for your money, but it's not openly displayed.

Local Loi Krathong celebrations begin with a parade from the city monument to the lake park.
While revelers float their Krathongs on the lake throughout the evening



 WIKIPEDIA

• "...the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot.

One of the recent Wax Castle Festival concerts

Don't miss these

• 'pro' pictures of the recent Wax Castle Parade****

Headlines that caught my attention


Plenty headlines regarding the rise of prices for both rice and sugar.  Both prices continue to escalate.
'Sugar premium up as much as 44%' reads one of the latest headlines


Bangkok Post

• Bangkok Soaking (pictures and maps)

Silicon Republic

• Germany’s Rosat satellite debris scatters over northern Thailand

CarBuzz  

• View of $12,000,000 worth of Honda's underwater

 News Com Au 

• Pink is just a figment of your imagination

CBS New York

• Lady Liberty gets  high tech birthday presents

From my Inbox
Drunk at the Train platform

Toilet Training Asia Style

New Tourist reservations down by almost 75% according to Press TV

The airport depicted in the above video is the old airport, now used primarily for domestic flights.

Local Tourism seems to not be suffering.  Have noted a number of regulars have returned for their 'winter' vacation, and there are plenty of new faces around town.



Some people still need special instructions on using a western toilet

Shortages becoming obvious

Shortages at the local market are becoming more obvious now.
Milk was out of stock yesterday, in fact the entire dairy section looked quite bare.
Plenty of bare cupboards now being filled with less essential items.

Estimates are that flooding may last well through November.
One can only hope that the supply system returns to some sort of normalcy before then.

You can see current river conditions in Bangkok at this Government operated webcam.

Bangkok 1942, The Venice of the Orient

New Mandela in an article "How exceptional is Thailand’s rainfall in 2011?", has historical data for the Chiang Mai area from 1914. The previously worst flood was in 1970.

Bangkok became the VENICE OF THE ORIENT in 1942

Floods in Thailand are nothing new.
In fact they happen almost every year at different locations from minor inconveniences to major disasters.  That's why houses had been built on stilts for centuries in this part of the world

Unseasonably heavy rains in 2011 started in April with "...50 inches of rain within little over a week..." in southern Thailand
NASA


Bangkok Weather outlook (5555)

Click on picture for facebook original

Local Outlook: SAME SAME

Sun, occasional light clouds, humidity.
If you're sweating while standing still, blame the humidity

	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thus	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon	Tues	Wed
Thai Meteorological Dept.	30/20	30/20	30/20	30/20	30/20
Weather Underground	30/20	30/21	30/21	30/21	29/21
AccuWeather	32/21	32/21	31/20	31/20	32/20	32/19	32/18	30/18	31/18	30/19	30/19
Weather Channel	31/22	31/22	31/22	30/22	30/22	30/22	30/21	29/20	2//20
Meo Weather	32/21	31/21	30/21	30/21	30/21	30/21
AccuWeather Real Feel	38/22	38/22	37/21	31/20	32/19	32/19	32/17	31/18	31/18	30/19	30/19

38C= 100F,  30 C=86F,   20C=68F,  17C=62.6F

Another YFC win! -=- Cold Front delayed?

Third win for team Yothasing.
Of course I was invited to sponsor the team for a third time.
With that goes the bill for water and energy drinks.  I don't mind.
What did bother me was the heat.  I was sweating in the shade.

Refereeing the game today was Dee, a Sakon FC player.

The game was played almost all the time at the opponents end of the field. Yothasing win 1-0

Weak almost calm winds

After the game most of the team met at my house for another winning team BBQ. 


That predicted cold front may be delayed somewhat. 


This afternoon winds were mostly from the north, quite mild almost calm. Not enough to cool down daytime temperatures 106F/41C in the sun.


The floods are inevitably entering Bangkok. 

Haven't seen anything on the major networks CNN, BBC, Aljazeera  all morning.  They are overdoing the Gaddafi news coverage, as if the rest of the world is ON HOLD.