Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Death by Coffee

Had a snail invasion like I've never seen before.  As fields are drying out, snails are looking for moist areas.  Home gardens which get watered as needed are ideal. Just walking around the yard I frequently hear the crunch under my feet of crushed snails.

They are vegetarians and ate a crop of one inch green bean plants overnight. Also ate through fresh cactus

 

Coffee grounds are recommended on the net.  I tried instant coffee and caused instant death.  If coffee is watered down destruction is not so instant. Snails seem to cluster together.  I moved this group near the banana trees.  Coffee contains acid banana plants prefer acidic soil 


Sakon Nakhon Royal Longboat races from the past

2008


2006

2013 


2010

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Monday, October 15, 2018

They're getting ready for the races

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon


สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Football and American Football

Saturday went to Police Cup in Sawang Daen Din for another game in the 'Police Cup.' The 4 -2 win insured the next game on Sunday, October 28. This should be close to the Semi Finals.


For the past few days I've been watching a lot of television.  Recently added ADIPTV to my TV streams listing.  Until now I had only known of USTV NOW for US television, which is mostly east coast. The ADIPTV service has some west coast channels, a three hour difference.



Follow the Chip trail



Tuesday morning 7 am 49ers at at Greenbay ESPN
Saturday สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Statement pending?

No comment to date from the US Embassy in regards to British Embassy remarks that they will soon also announce the discontinuance of the income letter.  At the moment there is no US Ambassador to Thailand



One Thai official appears to have stated that the Thai Bank statement was always an alternative to the Embassy certification. For many years I was required to submit the certification and Thai Bank statements together, never as an alternative.  It was only in the last two years that the certification was sufficient without bank statements.

My fifteenth yearly visa extension ends in four months and I hope immigration officials come up with a better solution than to have $25,000 in a Thai bank at least three months before the application.  Even though I have more that the required monthly income, if the paperwork gets more obnoxious ,  I'll travel lightly. 


สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Saturday, October 13, 2018

A nation shows respect and gratitude


Huai Daeng Reservoir, Sakon Nakhon, filmed on 13 October 2018, the one year anniversary of the death of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bromnabophit
สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

And then there is some MAKE YOU HAPPY NEWS




สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Friday, October 12, 2018

The Great Expat Exodus

Thaiger link


Nothing yet from US embassy, but bets are on that it will happen soon.

Personally I'd always considered the letter a bit of a ripoff, when a bank book with a year's worth of deposits should suffice. 

The certified letter was a good cover for people who did not have the required money and lied under oath. 

Thai immigration will have to come up with alternate procedures to prove income.  Many expats, including myself, have the monthly income above the requirement, but are unable or unwilling to deposit yearly amounts into a Thai bank.

From my own experience of transferring yearly amounts, too many people want to borrow, not always return the loan.