Sakon Barber Shop on I.T.U.

haircut for men
or simply said "barber"

News Bites

AGAIN !! Telecoms industry fears new 3G holdup  Bangkok Post Court to be asked to stall network auction again

Gaemi enters Thailand; downpours hit provinces THE NATION Downgraded to depression, but officials prepared to tackle floods and traffic jams Region bracing for arrival of Tropical Storm Gaemi Pattaya Mail Pattaya is bracing for arrival of Tropical Storm Gaemi

5:20 AM                  8:45 AM
Warming trend (33C feels like 41C)

Pattaya Floods

Pattaya floods as Tropical Storm Gaemi approaches Pattaya One

Video by Kenneth Diment

T.i.T.

Shirt seen at Sakon's Expo market

After the rains in Udon Thani, the water runs black as tar

Scary stuff

Tropical Storm Gaemi a Non-issue for Sakon Nakhon

Tropical Storm Gaemi has become a non issue for Sakon Nakhon, in fact it's a non issue for north eastern and central Thailand from the looks of things. Gaemi has moved even further south than I anticipated some days ago. Gaemi is expected to enter southern Vietnam later today. It is expected to dissipate within two days after making landfall. Moving at a speed of 11knots (20km),  it may dissipate before reaching Thailand. In a rush to avoid another flooding calamity, many reservoirs were drained to some degree in Thailand. The question now is did they drain reservoirs prematurely and create a possible water shortage in the future.

Sakon City getting ready to party

City sprucing in preparation for the festivities has begun.
They're pruning and mowing and raking.

They were even repainting street traffic markings.
You know those white lines and turn lane arrows on the pavement.
Instead of using modern equipment, it's done by local labor.
A chalk outline is drawn, then come the paintbrushes and paint rollers.
Had wanted to take a picture of the work on my return trip.  But by the time I returned, they were long gone.  Probably will return another day

In the west it's done with machinery

There have been daily power shut downs lasting ten minutes or so along I.T.U..
Electric service upgrades I suspect. 

Tropical Storm Gaemi

Yesterday's assessment that the storm would move further south and continue to slow down seems to have become reality.  Originally forecast to enter Thailand by Friday, the storm arrival is now expected some time Sunday evening    A northern pressure system is pushing Tropical Storm Gaemi further south, leaving Sakon Nakhon unscathed.  Locally expect occasional overcast skies, cooler temperatures, occasional rain. Tropical Storm Gaemi : 5 Day Forecast Map | Weather Underground »

Over the past years I'd frequently mentioned the doughnut effect over Sakon Nakhon. It happens frequently Bad weather all around us, with local clear skies.  The 2011 storms which caused flooding havoc throughout south and central Thailand, aimed straight at Sakon Nakhon. Then at the last moment it split, part to the north of us, part to the south. There was some flooding in the northern and southern parts of the province, but the city remained unscathed

Tropical storm Gaemi

According to earlier estimates, the storm should have arrived this evening. The storm has been moving very slowly, in fact it's been stationary for the past six hours according to some reports. Gaemi has been upgraded to an Extra Tropical Cyclone. Before Gaemi arrives possible local thunderstorms will be influenced by a ridge of high pressure from China. I'm taking a wild guess here, but if the ridge of high pressure approaching from the north-north west, remains strong, it may be possible that Gaemi may be pushed further south. My guess is somewhat supported by weather forecast which indicate diminished rainfall in the area after this weekend. I'm a bit perplexed by a statement in the Bangkok Post: "..the first tropical storm to hit the country in three years." What caused all that flooding last year? Not tropical Storms?  Oh that's right, someone drained the reservoirs  at the wrong time. I've been watching ocean surface temperatures on a daily basis. It's hot out there.  So I'm not surprised by a prediction at Coconuts Bangkok: "A second storm after Gaemi? Oy vey!" Anyway you look at it, the game plan is continuously changing and deserves continuous watching