New at the Pit Stop

Martin now has a new line of breads available at the Pit Stop.
The Pit Stop now also has WiFi available for customers

New Menu at So Good Restaurant

To get there, head south from EXPO / Big C on the new road (not yet added to Google maps).
  
Continue through the traffic light. 

Approximately 200 yards on the right side

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.