Saturday, September 29, 2012

Sakon Nakhon 'Inter EXPO 2012"

Now through October 4
at the Permsub Market, near the new bus terminal
Worth seeing ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  




"Inter" at the FREE DICTIONARY

Lost in Translation



The name of the market struck me as unusual and strange.   
Sub meaning below, or poor quality.

Searching through the internet I found Permsap used frequently for names of villas.
I'm told the Permsap means 'more money.' 




Never been quite satisfied with the translation of Sakon City.
Supposedly it means city of cities.
Interestingly the Facebook translation of Sakon City is Sapphire City






The translation at You Tube for สกลนคร is also Sapphire

News Bites

Thailand and Cambodia test single visa  TTR Weekly

with fees

THAI takes delivery of its first A380  Airbus com

Thailand to carpet Bangkok with 1 mil CCTV cameras  futuregov asia

My opinion: I've always said they should put a few million cameras in the "Restive South."


  Thailand likely to trim industrial output target    MarketWatch
Thai Aug factory output tumbles, some see rate cut ahead Reuters

For the moment a rate cut is unlikely, keeping the Baht strong


  Thailand's top mobile operators bidding for 3G licences - Reuters

This process took six years, delayed by legal and political maneuvering.
Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel?








Thursday, September 27, 2012

The show must go on



Passed by the temple shortly before 8 PM, last night.
Due to the rain a few hours earlier there were NO PEOPLE. 
Only a projectionist and one vendor.
You'd think they would call it a night. 
Not so.

Sakon Museum Grand opening Awash




Awash: covered with water, flooded




  It became quite obvious by late afternoon that a storm was headed toward the city.

Thunder and lightening preceded the tropical storm shortly after 5 pm.

Messages on facebook said the show will begin as soon as the rain stops.



In retrospect I should have listened to my instincts which told me not to go.
Event planners had no rain contingency plan.
When I arrived at 7:25 pm, sound and light crew were disassembling their equipment 


Tables were drenched

The celebration had been moved to a covered area, big enough to hold ten tables
and allow for a cramped performance area

Performers outnumbered the audience

Media and media wanna bees outnumbered the audience


Tables were reserved for government officials and their entourage 

A very big disappointment, with the exception of seeing some local friends and acquaintances. I barley stayed half an hour.  I opted for a Pit Stop.









US Space Mission

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Security Message to U.S. Citizens:

Planned demonstration at Embassy on THURSDAY, September 27, 2012

Nong Han Preparations Pending

Not Ready for Racing



Park Entrance: Transformation

January 2012

July 2012

September 2012

Love to be 'Lost in Sakon Nakhon'


Decided to drive to a village not too far away to see if preparation were underway for their annual boat races.
I took a wrong turn and wound up in an area I had not been before.
Eventually I did find my way.  While lost I found some photographic gems along the way.





These huts are used as shelter mostly during planing and harvesting



Reminds me, I was a pole lineman

School Grounds:  Wonder if they check for 'Pies' before the kids play




Village temples are a good indicator of nearby villages
Labor and financing of construction and upkeep is mostly provided by the local population












Bell Tower

Library and Lounge