Nakhon Phanom Illuminated Boat Festival October 3 through 9

Post by นครพนม.

The city of Nakhon Phanom is a little over an hours drive from Sakon Nakhon on the Mekong river.

Their most renown festival is the annual Illuminated Boat Procession. 

A version of this celebration has been around since ancient times, when decorated rafts laden with offerings and candles were floated down the river.

Over time these rafts increased in size and today are large barges.

From the distance these barges look more like a neon display.

In reality they are thousands of oil lamps.

Nong Kai Fottball Club owner deserves an honorable mention

Pascal and Markus aka Staldi were invited to attend the football game in which Nong Kai FC hosted and beat Sakon FC.  
Markus is a tourist from Switzerland spending a recent vacation in  Thailand   Uhrlaub in Thailand

During half-time the club's owner welcomed Markus and presented him with a team t-shirt.

Pascal is the real hero of this story. 

He operates the House Baan Sanploen providing complete tourism services for the disabled.  His German Language website provides detailed information.

Link→ Three quakes hit northern Thailand at Chiang Rai Pattaya Mail

Related News dated 6 May, 2014
Link→ Big earthquake shakes Thailand's north

Morning and afternoon showers

Local rainy season has produced somewhat less than average rain to date.  Rainy season is forecast to Link→ end a few weeks earlier than normal

Related News:
Link→ Low rain spurs fear of drought - The Nation

Link→ HIV/AIDS Cases in Thailand increase

"...especially among young people involved in the sex trade..."

A personal observation: Sex education is not as publicly visible as it was a decade ago.

First parade I ever saw in Sakon Nakhon was pre-teens and teens marching in a parade with condoms used as balloons.

As recently as a year ago, a public demonstration of the use of condoms was nixed because a phallic like device was used.  Sexual toys of all types are outlawed in Thailand.

Also a decade ago phallic altars were along public beaches in most tourist towns like Pattaya.  They seem to all have been hidden away.

High season AHEAD

Link→ Swedish tourist is homeless 

after being 'swindled' by a Thai woman

Bangkok Post

Nong Kai FC defeats Sakon Nakhon 2-1

Nong Kai seemed to have the upper hand from start to finish.  At times it seemed the score could have been much worse.

Sakon Nakhon FC defense just wasn't up to par. The two Nong Kai scores were real easy sneakers that could be forecast seconds before they happened.

I still consider traveling great distances on the day of the game, hours before the game, does not offer a winning opportunity.

The folks at Nong Kai are a friendly bunch.  A bit on the noisy side with four drums cheering on their team 'nonstop.'

The special recognition of a handicapped visitor to the game at halftime made me feel really great.

Tourism and Education Rethink

Link→ Coup leader calls for Immigration to relax ‘out-in’ visa

Link→ Thai tour guides’ latest complaint over Russian workers falls on deaf ears

Gona get wet for my noon appointment

 

Google Earth screen captures 6 am and 8:45 am

I thought it was going to rain. But b4 noon the Phu Phan Mountains had decimated the clouds