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USAF Thunderbirds at Don Mueang!

I was surprised to see several F-16s flying low passes around the Lak Si area this morning, so I surfed around and just found out that the Thunderbirds will be performing at Don Mueang today and tomorrow (it's part of their current Asian Tour.) The airshow starts at 1300 on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9-10. Gates open at noon. If you're driving north from the city, take the domestic/cargo terminal exit (there should be signs leading you to the airshow viewing area.)

I wonder why this wasn't mentioned in the Bangkok Post and/or the Nation? Or did I somehow miss the article?

Some photos and more info in case you're interested:

http://www.thaimtb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=105072

http://www.thaimtb.com/forum/viewtopic.php...06&t=105368

Thank you for the info. Anyone know where Nok Field is?

Driving directions to the airfield can be found here:

http://www.nokaviation.com/Nok_map.html

For additional info about Nok field (as well as GPS coordinates) check out these links:

http://thaiflyingclub.com/linkairportnok.html

http://thaiflyingclub.com/linkairportbanthi.html

Huay Mae Khamin Waterfall

This place is in Kanchanaburi Province. Go to Erawan Waterfall and just passed that there is a turn off to your left to Srinakharin Dam National Park. Only 42 kms thereafter on a very rough no tarmac road you will reach it. This was my second time there, but went there on that rough road. Near on 2 hours on that road to go 42 kms. I would not advise this road during the rainy season. Use the other route.

A quick question about the alternate dirt road to Huay Mae Khamin WF: Assuming that the road stays dry, is it in decent enough shape for a regular sedan (such as a Honda Accord) to negotiate? I passed by this road last year (a few kms past the entrance to Erawan WF) and was tempted to take it all the way to HMK, but wasn't sure about the road condition of the entire route.

Here's a link to the official website for the Bangsai Arts and Crafts Center:

http://www.bangsaiarts.com

Not a well-designed website by any measure, but probably has enough info to get you where you need to go.

The Center is located on the banks of the Chao Phaya, but I don't know if they have any scheduled boat service. Probably your best bet is to go by taxi and take the 2nd-stage expressway to its terminus at Bang Sai (about an hour's drive from downtown Bangkok).

Most of us realize that driving style can have a strong effect on mileage. But just how much? Here's my personal experience with CRV mileage: I drive a 2.0L CRV (2002), and a close family friend also owns the same model year CRV. She often complains about much fuel it burns up, and says she gets between 6-7 km/L in the city (she rarely goes upcountry, so she doesn't know what her highway mileage is.)

On the other hand, I usually average 9-10 k/L in the city. On my trips upcountry (i.e., BKK-Chiang Rai, BKK-Trang, BKK-Ubon) I've never averaged below 10 km/L, and usually get between 11-12 km/L. On one segment heading to Chiang Mai during the cool season, I turned off the A/C and limited my speed to 100 kph. Result? Got over 13 km/L on that tank of gas. Of course, it isn't practical to drive that way all the time, but it was interesting to me to know that it's possible.

The upshot of all this is that mileage reports don't mean all that much until you can factor in driving style and driving conditions (traffic, terrain, etc.)

Tip: For those of you who own a VTEC Honda (i.e. CRV, Civics, Accords, etc.) and want to improve your mileage, first check out VTEC on google or wikipedia so you have a basic understanding of what it is (in case you had no idea). Then avoid getting into the high-rpm VTEC mode (when the rpms quickly shoot upward and the car surges ahead.) Although it's often fun to feel the car take off when high-power, low-efficiency VTEC mode kicks in, it's sucking up a huge amount of gas and it's not so fun when you see your bill at the pump.

Was wondering about the name and location of the resort you stayed in (as well as the restaurant by the Mae Chaem river). I've passed through Mae Chaem a few times on my way up (or down from) Doi Intanon, but have never spent much time in town. After reading your travelogue, I think it merits a night's stay (or maybe more). Do you have any other recommendations as to where to stay/eat/visit in Mae Chaem?

Pets of any type are prohibited from entering national parks in Thailand, per DNP regulations (you can check on the Dept. of Nat'l Parks website: www.dnp.go.th). Park officials I've spoken to about this policy said it's to prevent pets from scaring away native animals and/or getting lost within the park.

This being Thailand, however, you can sometimes talk your way into bringing your pet with you. This doesn't happen very often, and when it does it's usually at the smaller and less visited national parks. At a popular park like Khao Yai, I think they would probably be stringent about enforcing the pet ban. Most national parks now have small pet cages next to checkpoints where visitors can leave their pets during their visit. However, the cages are almost always very cramped and dirty; I don't think any pet would be very happy in there. Best bet is to leave your pet(s) at home or at your hotel/resort/GH.