Pit Stop Cafe hours change

 effective January 14

• Mondays                        " closed "
• Tuesday Through Friday  "  6 pm to 10 pm
• Saturday & Sunday         "10 am to 10 pm"

Correction To Red Cross Fair Dates

Correction received from Red Cross International Relations

"Sakon Nakhon Red Cross Fair will held on 8-17 February 2013 ka. (confirm)" 

This is a correction to an earlier message received last month:
  "Sakon Nakhon Red Cross Fair will held on 19-28 February 2013 ka."

Three day warm spell ends

The past three days a southerly weather system brought warmer temperatures to the area.
Winds started whipping up around 3:30 am, this morning
High winds have been a good indicator of a change in local weather.
The northerly weather is again gaining strength locally.

Next seven days expect

• Daytime Temperatures of 27 to 29 C  (81 to 84 F)
• Night time temperatures of 15 C (59 F) or below

No rain in forecast.

Sakon Nakhon: The Beautiful and the Ugly

Video by  djwave sakon  

M-150 Power Concert in Sakon Nakhon

The M-150 Power Concert Tour arrives in Sakon Nakhon for a one night concert 

at the Ming Muang Field on January 25

The M-150 Power Concert includes artists: Bankk Cash, BIG ASS, Da Endorphine, Paradox.

Bankk Cash

BIG ASS

Tour website

Da Endorphine

Paradox

Ming Muang Field is across the street from the municipal police station

Sakon F.C. vs Udon F.C. play date changed

Sakon Nakhon Muang Thai  F.C. second preseason game, hosting Udon F.C., postponed by one day.

Game time January 13, 3:30 pm, Patana School Field. 

Sakon Nakhon Muang Thai F.C. beat Udon F.C. 2-0 in the first preseason game at Udon Thani.

สโมสรสกลนคร FC - Sakon Nakhon Football Club on Facebook         

2013 Wat Phra That Choeng Chum Fair

The 2013 Temple Fair
at Wat Phra That Choeng Chum
is scheduled to be held from 

January 16 through 26

Below are You Tube samples of the nightly entertainment (where available)

January 19	January 20	January 21
January 22	January 23	January 24
January 25	January 26

Thailand cost of living, unemployment UP

Thai inflation rose most in December 2012 since November 2011. CNBC
Most of the increase was attributed to food prices.

I'm noticing it

At the market, produce prices are up.
Vendors blame it on the fact that it's the cold season.  Doubtful.

Days into the new year, the price of a favorite brew went up 3฿ (US 10¢).
Brew prices were hiked previously, less than 6 months ago.

Politicians are saying:

The nationwide minimum wage hike, effective January 1, 2012, will have little effect on inflation. 

• NESDB says wage hike won't drive up inflation  Bangkok Post

In the real world

Layoffs, companies leaving Thailand.

• Wage increase begins to bite in Thailand  ASIA ONE

Unemployed Thais are being replaced with cheaper foreign labor

• Wage hike forces Thai firms hire Cambodians  THE NATION

It will be interesting to observe the inflation trend over the next few months.
Unemployed Thais are returning to their home provinces, now that the minimum wage is enforced nationwide.

Recycle 

CM Center almost ready to open

No announcement of a grand opening of the CM Center.
From the looks of things it's not too much longer.
There's no parking at the center, but I noticed the empty lot across the street had been leveled recently. 

Hub seems to be a favorite English word among Thais

Covering the canal running along the north side of the new shopping center is almost complete.

Metal sheets and cement slabs cover the canal. The way the metal walkways have been placed, I suspect there'll be a few people tripping on the edges

Down the street from CM center, haven't seen much action at the rice mill in some time.

The bush growing on top of the chimney seems to confirm that use of the facility is limited these days

Suspect it will eventually morph into additional shopping or housing