Brace for heavy rain today and tomorrow

Warning: heavy rain...   Bangkok Post

1 PM, August 2, 2011

Monday morning is rush hour at the Immigration Office

I really should have known better

I was scheduled to submit my 90 day address report to the Immigration office.
Monday morning is not a good time to visit the Immigration office.  The place was overflowing with people.
To make things even worse, I had forgotten my reading glasses and had to have someone read my passport number to me.  Examining the form closer, I realized I had the wrong form.

I decided to start all over in the afternoon.  I arrived bespectacled at 1:30, no waiting.  Mission accomplished in a matter of minutes.

From the US Embassy Citizen Services

Beginning September 1, 2011, all non-emergency consular services will require an appointment. We hope that this will assist us in providing prompt and efficient consular services to American Citizens residing in Thailand.  Please plan accordingly.

Occasional Sun breaks

The weather map resembles a checkerboard. Variable cloudiness, rain and thunderstorms.
The weather is now moving from the west.  August is generally the wettest month in the region.

  
Oh I see the humor

Just received the mothers day promotion from Big C.  On sale are cleaning supplies, laundry detergents, and other such household items mothers will appreciate. 
In Thailand Mothers day is celebrated on August 12, HRH the Queen's birthday.

"The United States is worried about China's growing influence in Thailand" Washington Times


Thai prince to pay bond on jet impounded in Germany  Reuters


Brazil Competes With Thailand With Start of Rice Exports to South Africa  Bloomberg

Sakon Nakhon Fans are Mad as Hell

Obvious from the outset were the calls by the referee. 
Very one sided, "as if bought and paid for.'
It got so obvious that both players and fans were giving the referee a pice of their mind.  
Booing by fans was repeated at many of the referee decisions

 

Sakon Nakhon Players didn't perform all that great early in the game.

Very sluggish.   

Made me wonder if they were all 'hung over.'


There were moments when the action on the field got so boring that fans build pyramids to entertain themselves.




By halftime the atmosphere was quite intense.  Almost as if a prelude to a riot.  
National television arrived at the scene just in case.



The game was stopped for a while after a fan threw an object onto the field. Police moved into the stands, but were unable to identify the culprit.

The Sakon Nakhon team came alive during the last five minutes of the game.  
All of a sudden they played at their best, as if someone had lit a fire "under them."

Booing by fans was replaced with enthusiastic cheers.




By now Nong Kai had the water puddle advantage on the field.  
The ball came to a standstill a number of times in water puddles in front of their goal
(very obvious in the video).

The game was ended 2 -2 during an injury time out, after which the referees were led off the field under high police security and plenty of booing.




Apparently Bun Bang Fai celebrations were going on nearby. A plastic parachute could be observed floating in the distance for some time.

Nok Ten petered out

Nok Ten petered out long before it arrived locally.
It was obvious that the storm began to dissipate as early as Friday evening.
Locally we had a steady light to heavy rain.  Nothing torrential.

I had emptied and cleaned my water tanks prior to Nok Ten. It took two days of rain to refill 6,000 liters.
During torrential rains these tanks are filled within 20 minutes.

This morning's TV news shows Cars in Nong Kai submerged in water

Personally I'm quite happy that the storm was nothing as predicted locally.
It was a different story in Korea.

Had some tree branches trimmed before 'the storm.'   Obviously they did a half-assed job.  The slight gusts of wind completed the job.
A few of my neighbors are doing a bit of pruning this morning.

There are still storm and rain alerts posted for the area, but I don't see it.


This afternoon's football game, Sakon FC vs Nong Kai, will most likely resemble some sort of  water sport.  Sakon players are used to playing on flooded fields.  Not only do they have the home court advantage, but also the PUDDLE advantage.  Should be great comedy.


Martin is celebrating his birthday today.  He's invited "...any of my friends in Sakon Nakhon or nearby,
You are invited to come to my shop on Sunday for a free drink and some snacks. (after 12.00 Noon).


Spent the rainy days at home recovering photo's from one of two crashed drives.  
I visited Sakon Nakhon for the first time in 2002.  Watched the Wax Castle Parade that year.  
Was a bit of an oddity to locals,  many mistook me for "Santa."

 

NOT THE NATION reports

Pattaya Officially Changes Name To

• ‘The Infamous Seaside Resort Of Pattaya’ 

Jaw Breaker

Soup's on

All indications are that the system is moving in a West-North-West direction.

View of the Ocean Temperatures at wunderground,
almost hot enough to brew a pot of coffee.
I'm over exaggerating of course. But those temperatures are ideal breeding grounds for tropical storms

Thailand News Agency warns of tropical storms, heavy downpour in Thailand

Doppler radar at Weather Com indicates Nok Ten, followed by Moei Fa (Muifa), and a third, yet unnamed storm east of Manila

Bangkok Post Warning: Heavy rain, flash floods

Nok Ten Update

Forecasts of Nok Ten's path have been updated.
The storm path and time frame have changed somewhat.
Noticeably the city of Sakon Nakhon is no longer at the outer edge of the storm, but rather in its path

Updated 5 day tracking map 

Doppler Radar  

9 AM July 29

Batten down the Hatches Nock-ten is visiting

I'll have some yard work  done before the weekend.  
Make things presentable for our visitor NOK-TEN.
A tropical storm with XX-strong wind gusts , 
is headed this way for a weekend visit (Saturday and Sunday).

1 PM July 28

The center of the storm will pass north of us through Laos -5 day tracking map

Thailand Meteorological Department Weather Warning

Tropical Storm Displaces Thousands in Philippines 

Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival 2011

The festival coincides with the October full moon and therefore falls on different days each year.
This year the October full moon is on October 12 (the date of the Wax castle parade).

Dates for the festival are October 8 through 12.

Sakon Nakhon Royal Trophy Longboat Races 2011  are held during the first two days of the festival.
A food fair, flower arrangement competitions, a sound and light show are some of the activities that lead up to the main event, the wax castle parade. 
A complete schedule is generally available at all hotels in the area


My post of last years parade can be found at Sakon Wax Castle Parade 2010

If you arrive early a visit to local temples offers a great view of the construction of these Wax palaces.

Video clips from the 2007 Wax castle parade

x

Sneak Peek at the Sakon Sunshine Garden

Sunshine Garden opens officially on August 25, but has started a soft opening*
Anton's Garden is open daily from 2 PM.  visit the  Sunshine Garden- Sakon


*soft opening. A period of time when a business, which may not be fully complete, is open for business but not formally.

How to get there from Big C

1. At the traffic light south of Big C turn left.     2. At the next traffic light turn right onto I.T.U. 


3.Continue  until the next traffic light.  4. Turn Left at the traffic light.
5. Turn left at the first intersection.                  6. Turn left at the first street
Drive to the end of the road