Sakon Nakhon

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Swedish Meatballs (one of my favorites)

Tourism woes, a regular topic during the low season

Many articles about Thailand tourism are a bit exaggerated. There are some troubles ahead. Some solutions are needed.

Border conflict some uncertainty that truce will hold. Provinces along the border feel the effects the most. Lots of booking cancellations, how many depends on what newsmedia you follow.

Competition Japan and Vietnam are making headlines with big increases in tourism

Crime on and by tourists makes daily headlines. Leave your expensive jewelry in a safe at home. You flaunt it you may lose it. Learned my lesson: only carry enough cash you are willing to lose in one day

Over tourism, mass tourism.

My own experience a while back.

Phuket day boat trip was a big disappointment to me.

TOO MANY PEOPLE.

To see the spot on Maya Bay made famous by a movie with Leo Dicaprio you had to be in step with hundreds of people. Nothing special to see there.

Lunch at another part of the islands. There was barely a space left for more boats on the beach. At least 20 speedboats, if not many more. Lunch in a building which housed nearly 100 people, you had to grab fast before someone else did.

Personally prefer travel off season or choose less crowded destinations

Travelers avoid France, Italy, Thailand as overtourism surges

A recent USA TODAY article lists Thailand first in a list of "Places you should skip this summer" . . . . "Prices are inflated, pollution is rising, and the quality of life for locals is declining . . . "

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Nong (Lake) Hahn water level near max

Used to be able to estimate the lake depth by counting steps. Then they installed the walkeway. At the moment it seems we have reached 100%

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Saturday, August 2, 2025

$ to ฿ where's the exchange rate heading? Thai Tourism needs a fix before high season

Since June of this year the US dollar has hovered just barely above 32฿.

The coming weeks will be interesting to watch to see if there is an effect due to tariffs or the border disputes.

The Nation Thai Border Tourism Industry Faces Near-Collapse as Cambodia Conflict Triggers Mass Cancellations

Bangkok Post - Hoteliers take a hit from border clash
สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Have you noticed the price of coffee in Thailand

a 200 gram bag of instant coffee climbed from 95฿ to 180฿ in just a few years

Google Ai confirms: This surge is likely attributed to a confluence of global and local factors affecting the coffee market.

Demand is up worldwide, coffee growing countries, Brazil and Vietnam have been hit with climate change disasters. Even COVID gets some of the blame disrupting supply and demand. Production costs from fertilizer to labor aren't standing still.

These days I buy coffee in large quantities avoiding a few price increases. Instant coffee lasts for years in a sealed container.

After opening, instant coffee is best preserved in a sealable container

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Friday, July 25, 2025

Luxury Living 🌂 Meager rainy season . . . 🗞️ War news sources 📽️ Thailand (1953)

500g 259฿ US$8.04 roughly 30 to 40%is TARIFF and VAT

Weather: Four days ago we had a morning drizzle which lasted about ten minutes, maybe a millimeter of water. Same this morning, maybe a millimeter. Yesterday driving to Immigration office on my motorcycle I noted a raindrop about every 30 seconds mostly on my arms. Summary: Not much rain in four days

WAR: Plenty of news clips from many sources

Recommend YouTube (filter 'This week") Thailand news