nokia

hi motoring folks,

i sent my 2 yr old Vigo for servicing at the Toyota dealer. After the servicing, there was a strange smell, whenever i switch on the aircon, and the smell will disappear after a few minutes. I went back to the dealer, and the thai mechanic said the reason for the smell was because the bonnet was too hot. I dont understand, as i get the smell even after a cold start, parked all night in the garage. Any experts out there? Could there be a dead rat somewhere in the bonnet?

Awesome, this is the best thing in TV!

Hi foody folks,

My spouse(non-thai) was down with severe food poisoning a few months ago after eating cooked bamboo shoots & cooked chicken liver bought from a cooked food stall in a thai market. Could it be due to the bamboo shoots? Any advice?

Cheers!

Imam killed, 5 wounded in bombing

Narathiwat - A Muslim religious leader was gunned down and five people were wounded in a bomb attack in the southern border provinces Wednesday.

Imam Wae-asae Madeng, 68, was shot several times while he rode his motorcycle to sell fruit at market in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district Wednesday morning. Imam Wae-asae died immediately at the scene.

In Yala, a bomb blast wounded five people, including a 14-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy at a grocery in the Bannang Sata district. The victims were rushed to hospital but their condition was unknown.

Three other bombs were detonated in Yala, but no one was wounded.

The first exploded in a grocery opposite Yaha's municipality office, and the two other bombs were hidden under a pick-up truck and a car belonging to government officials in two separate locations in the municipality. Two of the bombs malfunctioned.

Meanwhile, Pol. Gen. Sereepisuth Temeyaves, acting national police chief, and Pol. Lt-Gen. Adul Saengsingkaew, assistant national police chief, visited police in Yala's four districts to inspect their operations in tackling violence and listened to their problems.

They will stay overnight in Bannang Sata district during their trip to this southern-plagued province.

Meanwhile, about 71 schools in four Pattani districts -- Saiburi, Maikaen, Kapo, and Tungyangdaeng districts -- have temporarily closed for the third consecutive day on Wednesday to facilitate officials' operations to track and arrest militants, said Saman Boonranun, Deputy director of Pattani Education Area Zone 3.

Schools in the four districts are expected to remain closed this week, he added. (TNA)

INVESTMENT IMPACT OF SOUTHERN UNREST

Sadao emerging as safe and prosperous haven

PHUSADEE ARUNMAS

Sadao district, a small town in Songkhla province on the Thailand-Malaysia border, has emerged as a bustling business centre, as unabated bombings in the three restive southernmost provinces and security worries in Hat Yai have prompted investors to shift into the area.

Hotel and entertainment businesses have been booming in Sadao over the last three years, with combined investment capital exceeding 10 billion baht, according to Thawee Piyapatana, chairman of the provincial chapter of the Federation of Thai Industries.

Four new hotels with combined capacity of about 500-600 rooms are also being constructed.

Hat Yai, long considered the business hub of the South and also popular with tourists, has been relatively sluggish ever since bombing incidents began to spread beyond the three troubled border provinces.

The situation would not likely return to normal as long as the border provinces remain unstable, Mr Thawee predicted. Tourists from Malaysia have tended to stop off in Hat Yai before going on to Trang province, which is home to many more attractive tourism spots.

Other southern provinces, particularly Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani, are experiencing substantial growth, as former residents of the three troubled provinces have been relocating.

However, the now-ebbing Jatukarm Ramathep amulet fever also played a key part in the growing economy in Nakhon Si Thammarat, while Surat Thani is benefiting from the presence of new alternative energy ventures and power plants to drive growth.

According to Mr Thawee, while industrial factories in the South such as the frozen seafood, and rubber-based furniture have been hard hit by strong baht, there are no signs of layoffs yet.

In fact, he said, the Southern factories were facing a labour shortage of about 20,000 to 30,000 people, particularly manual workers.

Somjit Anuntamek, deputy secretary-general of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and president of the Southern Economic Development Committee, said the economy of the South was expected to drop this year because of lower farmers' income, as the prices of major agricultural products and indigenous fruits such as rambutan, mangosteen, and longong had fallen sharply.

The purchasing power of Southerners, be it for new cars, motorcycles or houses, has declined accordingly.

New investments in the South are also expected to be fairly small because of unrest in the three southernmost provinces.

The southern economy contributed about 9.9% of the country's gross domestic product worth of 7.78 trillion baht last year.

GDP growth in the South was 4.3% in 2006.

''I personally see the government's special economic zone which covers Yala, Pattani, Songkhla, Narathiwat and Satun province will magnify the problem,'' said Mr Somjit. ''The government would be better off limiting the area to only the three provinces and solve the problem more seriously within a limited area.''

http://www.bangkokpost.net/Business/03Sep2007_biz25.php

Hi folks,

Instead of saying short back and sides or everything short & thin,

can i say high slope back and sides?

dtatL sanF laeH baangM

dtatL phohmR theeF khaangF laeH langR sanF

or

laatF suungR ?

Thanks!

60 baht short back and sides, all the barbers next to Wat Suan Dok on Suthep Rd.

Is short back and sides the same as high slope back and sides?

How do u say that in thai?

dtatL phohmR theeF khaangF laeH langR sanF

or

laatF suungR ?

Insurgents kill woman teacher, torch schools

Attacks seen as acts of revenge against arrests

POST REPORTERS

Pattani _ A female teacher was shot dead in Pattani's Sai Buri district yesterday, as insurgent groups appeared to focus their attacks on teachers and schools in the area. Kesini Pipemtep, 42, was gunned down by two assailants on a motorcycle while she was walking into Sasanasuksa school, police said.

She died on the way to hospital.

The murder followed a wave of arson at four schools in two districts.

Authorities believed the attacks were carried out in revenge for the recent arrests of 10 suspected insurgents in those areas.

Attacks occurred before dawn and appeared to be coordinated.

The arsonists broke into Ban Buereh school in Sai Buri district, and Ban Karubi and Ban Pomoh schools in Kapho district, and set books, tables, and chairs on fire.

Later in the morning insurgents also torched Ban Plonghoy school in Kapho district. The fire partly destroyed a kindergarten building.

Ban Buereh school suffered the most severe damage, losing three classrooms and the library. Several rare books were lost in the fire, teachers said.

In Yala province, two bombs exploded in front of Ban Phapu Ngoh school in Raman district early yesterday, police said.

They believe the first bomb was exploded to lure security forces to the scene before the second was detonated. There were no reports of casualties.

The school director closed down the school yesterday for safety reasons.

In Songkhla, ice cream vendor Roheem Doloh was shot dead in front of Ban Kok Tok school in Saba Yoi district.

In Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district, suspected insurgents killed community leader Maleh Niheng, 28, and injured Mayuha Mayuso, 40, a member of the municipality of tambon Paluru.

Human Rights Watch will today release a report on the violence in the deep South, in which it condemns southern insurgents for killing civilians.

In the 104-page report, entitled No One is Safe: Insurgent Attacks on Civilians in Thailand's Southern Border Provinces, the human rights group says there have been more than 2,400 deaths in the violence in the troubled region.

The report details human rights abuses and violence committed against civilians by separatist militants in the predominantly ethnic Malay Muslim provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla from January 2004 to July 2007.

The report is based on interviews with eyewitnesses, families of the victims, academics, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders and state officials.

''After decades of low-intensity insurgency, Thailand's southern region is becoming the scene of a brutal armed conflict,'' said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

''Separatist militants are intentionally targeting both Buddhist and Muslim civilians in shootings, bombings and machete attacks.''

Village-based militants called Pejuang Kemerdekaan Patani (Patani Freedom Fighters) in the loose network of the BRN-Coordinate (National Revolution Front-Coordinate) had now emerged as the backbone of the new generation of separatist militants, the report says.

The separatists seek to forcibly liberate what they call Patani Darulsalam (Islamic Land of Patani), from what they call a Buddhist Thai occupation.

The report says that separatist militants carried out more than 3,000 attacks on civilians from January 2004 to July 2007.

During the same period, there were around 500 attacks targeting various military units and their personnel, and a similar number of attacks targeting police units and their personnel.

Of the 2,463 people killed in attacks during the past three-and-a-half years, 2,196 (or 89%) were civilians.

Buddhist Thais and ethnic Malay Muslims were killed by bomb explosions, shootings, assassinations, ambushes and by assailants wielding machetes.

Sunai Phasuk, Human Rights Watch's representative in Thailand, said it was saddening that the southern insurgents did not show any sign of regret for the civilian deaths.

There were signs of efforts by the interim government to readjust its attitude and its actions.

''A fundamental principle of the law of war is the distinction between civilians and military groups,'' he said

http://www.bangkokpost.net/News/28Aug2007_news05.php

(BangkokPost.com) - Insurgents attacked a security unit escorting monks for morning alms in Pattani on Saturday morning, killing a villager and wounding two soldiers and a monk.

Insurgents blasted the group comprising of six soldiers and two monks when they were walking on Pak Nam road in Muang district at around 7.30am. The blast, hidden under a marble chair in front of a shop, instantly killed a female shop owner.

Police have blocked the area as they feared that there might be more bombs hidden around there.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=121095

http://www.dreamlake-fishing.com/uuns_en.html

Thks but it's cheaper to buy from Lotus/Big-C/Carrefour. I havent seen anyone fishing in Mae Ping. Any good fishing spots that is free?

1Day fishing at Dreamlake or Paradise-Lake

1900,- Baht/Person (including Lunchbox)

1/2 Day fishing at Dreamlake or Paradise-Lake

1600,- Baht

Our Service:

Transfer from your Hotel or Guesthouse (Chiang Mai); Guiding ; All Tackle and Baits; All lisence

The problem is that there's not a whole lot you can do with a boat in the 50.5 weeks a year that there's no flooding.

Well, you can take it to Mae Ngat but that's about it.

Depending on what type of boat it is you could take it on the Mae Ping. When we had the recurring floods in '05 I was living at the back of the Anusarn Markets and seriosly considered selling the bike and bying a jetski. Owner of the Chinese restuarant there had his kids paddling around the car park in little kayaks. The soi outside the arpartment building had over a metre of water and there were some decent rapids happening around the corner of the Welcome Inn Hotel.

CB

Well, are there any fishes to catch in Mae Ngat/Mae Ping? Any angler out there who knows of a good fishing spot, where i can catch some fishes for dinner?

Since 2005, i have been thinking of buying a small PVC/fibreglass dinghy/boat. I wonder does anyone share the same idea & what's the costs like?

Cheers!

Hi CM folks,

I'm away from CM but will be back in 2 months' time.

I have a kitchen cabinet rotting with mildew on the underside.

If i put it outside, will the garbage collectors help to dispose it?

Or do i have to cart it away? I doubt they have space in their garbage filled lorry.

Cheers!

Yes, all of the southern trains originating/terminating at Hualamphong stop at Bang Sue. Note: there are two sets of platforms at Bang Sue, one for the southern trains and the other for the northern and north-eastern trains.

Yes, Bang Sue Jn is a good option if there's not enough time to reach Hualamphong.

On the way to Nam Tok, Wampo Viaduct

and then at the end of the line you have at Nam Tok

Saiyok Noi Waterfall. Just walk straight passed the old Steam Engine in the mountain cutting and there is the Waterfall.

Hope this helps you.

Yours truly,

Kan Win

Very nice pics Kan Win. As i'm doing a u-turn at Namtok, reaching 1220 hrs and leaving 1258 hrs on the same day, i dont think 38 minutes is enough to go to Saiyok Noi Waterfall. How far is Saiyok Noi Waterfall from NamTok ?

we travelled from Kanchanaburi to Surat thani recently on the sleeper what a nightmare eaten to death by mossie and fleas people fartin and snoring and on the hour somebody walking through the compartment selling drinks and food we were in 2nd class suggest u buy 1st class ticket for sleeper as I believe the compartment is for 2 persons only god news is Kanchanaburi is a great place to stay for a 2 day stopover

Did you take the airconditioned sleeper or the fan sleeper? Which station did you change trains to go south, Nakorn Pathom?

I'm under a time constraint otherwise i will plan a longer stopover.

Cheers!

Re 7

The common intersection for south/north/northeast lines is at Bang Sue Junction.

As Asanee says, u r better off getting a train from Nakhon Pathom to Bang Sue & picking up a north bound train from there.

There are more trains running than are shown on the computer - go to a train station [Had Yai is good for this] & get the paper timetables that show all trains. There are a lot of commuter & ordinary trains that run to BKK.

The platform for south bound trains is separate from north/ne trains by about 100 yards at Bang Sue.

Even if u think u r running late keep going coz the trains r often late out of BKK. travel time from hualamphong to Bang Sue is 45 minutes

If u do miss out Mor Chit is close by...........

From http://www.railway.co.th/English/Time_HTML.asp

it only shows north & north east line stopping at Bang Sue Jn. South lines are shown Nakorn Pathom -> BKK.

Are you sure that All south lines stop at Bang Sue Jn since it is not shown on the paper timetable?

Yup, Mor Chit will be the alternative, but not sure what time is the last bus to CM, maybe 9pm?

New Thai investment act bars new foreign investors from having full control

Tue, Aug 07, 2007

Reuters

BANGKOK, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Thailand's army-appointed parliament is expected to approve a new Foreign Business Act on Wednesday that will bar new foreign investors from having control of everything from telecommunications firms to supermarkets.

The law, which represents a major tightening of the restrictions on foreign ownership of companies, will be enacted only when signed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a formality that could take anywhere between one and 90 days.

However, foreign embassies were already preparing a challenge in the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that Bangkok would have shifted its foreign investment goalposts from those used during its entry negotiations in the 1990s, diplomats said.

"This would be one step closer to formal action being taken on the WTO front," one diplomatic source told Reuters.

At face value, revision of the law stemmed from probes into the dealings of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, most notably his family's $1.9 billion sale of their controlling stake in the Shin Corp telecoms empire to Singapore.

However, it is also about Bangkok's old business elite -- many of whom supported the September coup against Thaksin -- getting payback for having to sell their family firms to foreigners after the 1997 Asian financial crisis, analysts say.

Another diplomat said it was clear that ministers were declaring the new law to be WTO-compliant as part of a plan to allow the interim post-coup government to pass the law during its one-year term, which ends with elections slated for December.

Its successor will then have to deal with the fallout.

"The law will take a few months to be enacted by the King, so it will be the next government who will have to face the problem of international liabilities," the second diplomat said.

"But they don't care. This is only a political game to satisfy some influential power or families who just want to get revenge for the cheap sales they had to make during the 1997 crisis. They want to get control back."

OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL

For the last 35 years, Thailand's rules on foreign investment have been defined only in terms of share ownership, allowing foreigners to own just 49 percent of a company's equity but maintain control through preferential voting rights.

The revised law makes this illegal, forcing new outside investors to have only 49 percent equity and 49 percent voting rights, provisoes likely to dent the southeast Asian nation's reputation as a sound international investment destination.

The restrictions apply to highly sensitive sectors such as broadcasting, agriculture and armaments, as well as a wide range of services, including finance, retailing, telecommunications and hotels and tourism.

The National Legislative Assembly, a rubber-stamp parliament appointed after the coup, debates the bill on Wednesday and is expected to pass it late in the day.

Reaction on the stock market -- which could be harsh if foreign investors see it as another sign of nationalism taking hold of policymaking since the coup -- will be delayed until Thursday.

Foreign businessmen in Thailand have complained about being shut out of all consultations on the revisions, which finally emerged from vetting by a parliamentary subcommittee on Monday.

Despite their appeals, the committee refused to water down any of the major proposals in a draft approved by the cabinet.

One concession was to give foreign-controlled companies in the sensitive media, agricultural, mining and logistics sectors three years, rather than two, to adjust their share structure -- or "hand over the keys to Thais", as the second diplomat put it.

Existing companies in the service sector will be allowed to keep their shareholding structure under an amnesty clause.

sonicdragon & maestro,

Well, my meaning of "troublesome" means more of a confusion, esp for newbies, first timers & those who do not look at the remittance form carefully, and simply telling the bank's remittance clerk "convert to baht in thai bank account", without specifying pls remit in home currency, then covert later. It's not a nice feeling to find out that you have gotten the 7-10% less from the offshore rate.

Just out of curiosity, why are you doing the immediate turnaround? Just for the sake of having made the trip to the end of the Nam Tok rail spur?

The buses from Nakhon Pathom are more frequent than the trains. Just walk south from the train station a couple blocks towards the temple and you will see the bus queues for Bangkok.

If you do take the train to Thonburi, be advised that the train station is no longer right on the river. It's now about a half-kilometer inland from the river.

Best bet in Bangkok is to simply take a taxi from wherever you wind up arriving straight to Hualamphong.

I'm doing the u-turn because i've not been to Nam Tok, but i've been to Kanchanaburi. Besides the scenic journey along the river from Kanchanaburi, i dont think there's much to see at Nam Tok unless going further to Hellfire Pass.

It seems that any train delay plus the infamous BKK traffic jam may make it rather a tight deadline to reach Hualamphong in 2-3hours for the overnight train to CM.

makes 3 days to me, all together

1.all trips can be booked (and should for a good night rest in the sleeper) at any SRT station with computers, also at PunPin=Surat station. start at haad yai (if youre not too scared about rebellions) for a longer and full trip So to NO

2.expect DELAYS; the quoted times are just paper. Ive NEVER seen overnight ex South into BKK less as 1 hr late.

3.actually the JUNCTION for the main line south toward Kan is called NONG PLADUK, a tiny wayside halt. all stoping trains stop, and only some of the expresses.

4.the Morning train toward Kan ex BKk ONLY does 100 bt special seats for farang, ditto the return,

5.the slow train ex Kan/Nam Tok (means just waterfall, but the actual things are near dry in dry season and a few kms on), ends at BKk- TALAD THONBURI and NOT at the former NOI anymore, thats NOT on the river and NOT where all guidebooks still say it is. as you arrive in the mid of BKK's evening peak, its jammed up all the way to HLpong by taxi

6.check times (I dont have them at hand here for any possible later/connecting trains ex South [f.e. the diesel ex Hua Hin) that switch off this line into Noi and go as all expresses do over the bridge into bangSue, then SamSen and finnaly HLPong=main.

7.as ALL trains North/isan ALSO stop at these stations, you avoid 2x12 kms andf potential awful delays by not doubling up this section. In fact many trains will WAIT loose connections THERE. And if youve got more time at hand, an excellent TescoLotus hypermarket with good foodcourt is just 3 mins from there, behind the cement factory

if youre a dedicated railfan: the forum on 2bangkok.com is far more knowledgeable as seat61 (which mainly repeats dumb tourist moanings)

8.BUSES ex Kan (busstation is some 3 kms from SRT, all passing Nakorn Patom) and even far more ex NPatom (special AC express, very close to SRT) end at SAI THAI=BKK';s southern terminal which by now is likely to have moved t some NEW location much further west and NOT shown on any normal map.

1. Yup, i plan to start at Hatyai, and take a bus (4 hours?) to Surat. I didnt know i can book all trips at one SRT station (ie Surat) but i'm worried about missing or being late for the final leg to CM after booking the tickets.

2. Yes delays are common, even BKK-CM trains can be 1-2 hrs late in reaching CM.

3. Interesting name for a rail junction, Nong Pladuk, i wonder what it means.

4. I hope the 100baht seats will not be fully sold out else i'll be stranded somewhere out there (Nakorn Pathom, Nam Tok etc)

5. From the new BKk- TALAD THONBURI, it will be mission impossible to reach Hualamphone by taxi, tuktuk or any form of transport within 2hours.

6. Well, it may be possible to catch a BKK bound train from Nakorn Pathom (after alighting from the train NamTok-Thonburi), catching train262 at 1659hrs or train40 at 1815hrs and reaching Hualamphong at 1845hrs/1935 hrs respectively.

7. Are you saying that Nong Pladuk is a common intersection for south & north/issan trains so that i even have time to go shopping at Lotus?

8. With the new Southern bus terminal moved to Phutthamonthon Sai 1 in late September 2007, i have absolutely no idea where is it, so i will avoid this terminal if possible and remain a rail fan.

Thanks

dear folks,

I've been thinking since it's so troublesome to get the onshore rates for wire transfers into the mighty Baht,

who is the real gainer, the bank or the government, for every offshore rate remitted?

Besides the reason of exchange controls, is this another reason? To tax the many residents who dont pay taxes directly to the state coffers besides the 7% VAT in goods & services?

And what will the impact be? Will the affected residents continue to disgruntle on the forum or will they take positive action to relocate to neighbouring countries? Will Thailand again implement another new ruling that money can be only remitted to Thailand in Thai Baht, rather than in your home currency?

Hi folks,

I'm planning to travel from South (Surat Thani), to North (Chiang Mai), with a stopover in Kanchanaburi by train in 2 days during October.

If i depart from Surat on any overnight train, i'll reach Nakhon Pathom before 0800 hrs, transfer to train257 at 0853 hrs for Kanchanaburi, and hopefully reach Nam Tok by 1220hrs. Then I'll do a u-turn at 1258hrs, going back to Nakhon Pathom by 1623 hrs or Thonburi / Noi station by 1735 hrs and transfer to Hualamphong either by a train or bus respectively. Then hopefully again catch a overnite train to Chiang Mai, departing 1920, 1935 or 2000 hrs . If the trains are full, the alternative will be a bus from Mor Chit to Chiang Mai.

The train timings are from http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm. And any delay will probably will mean spending a night in BKK's hotel which i'm trying to avoid if possible. Any comments or advice especially on the transfer between Nakhon Pathom/Thonburi to Hualamphong? Thanks.

Cheers!

Bombings, shootings leave nine dead

Militant attacks meant as 'show of force' after roundups of suspects

Published on August 2, 2007

At least four people including two soldiers and one police officer were killed and more than a dozen were wounded in explosions and gun attacks throughout the South yesterday. Authorities said the attacks were in response to ongoing arrests of suspected insurgents.

One of the serious cases took place in Songkhla's Nathawee district as a bomb went off at a police outpost in front of a market at about 6pm that was crowded with traders. A police officer was killed instantly and five others wounded, including another police officer in serious condition.

Six bombs went off in six locations in four districts of southernmost Narathiwat province between 7am-9am, police said.

The most powerful blast was in Bacho district when a 5-kilogram roadside bomb went off as a group of eight soldiers was on patrol. Two were wounded.

Another blast near a branch of Krung Thai Bank in Rangae's Tanyongmat subdistrict left one person dead and eight others wounded.

Other bombs went off in Muang and Sungai Kolok districts but nobody was hurt.

Officials managed to defuse a bomb in front of Kasikornbank's Narathiwat branch at 8.45am, just before it opened for business.

In neighbouring Yala, an ambush in Raman district killed two soldiers and wounded two others at about 6am. The unit was on patrol, guarding railway facilities.

An unknown number of men opened fire on the soldiers as they were riding their motorbikes toward the district's Ban Baloh railway station.

The militants stole the soldiers' three M-16 assault rifles and 11mm pistols as they retreated from the scene, said Raman police chief Col Wisit Aksornkaew.

In Pattani's Yarang district, a roadside bomb slightly wounded an Army corporal as he joined five others on patrol at about 9.30am. Half an hour earlier, another roadside bomb went off in another subdistrict while six soldiers were on patrol. The bomb was followed by a brief gun battle between the six soldiers and militants but there were no casualties in either the explosion or the exchange of fire.

Colonel Shinawat Mandej, the Yala taskforce commander, said the attacks were a reaction to the authorities' massive security sweep.

"They want to show that they still have the potential to attack us, but we know they are not in a good position to handle the situation since our campaign began," the commander said.

The colonel said the operation that has brought hundreds of suspects into detention over the past month has heavily shaken the militants. The authorities' move was a major achievement in containing the violence that has raged for three years, he said.

However, local residents did not agree with the official's claim. Siraporn Chutikarn, assistant manager of Kasikornbank's Narathiwat branch, said local people believed the violence would continue.

"The authorities try to say the situation is improving but we believe the violence will go on. We don't know who will be the next victim, or when," she said.

In Yala's Bannang Sata district, combined police and military forces killed at least five militants during a raid on a village, the district chief said.

The insurgents opened fire on the government's armed troops while they were searching Ban Kasod at about 4.30pm, said district chief Methe Kanchanapuwa. The five dead subversives could not be immediately identified, he said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/08/02...al_30043365.php

And the 20m pool at CM Orchid is gd for suntanning, but not so gd for swimming. Every morning you will see the hotel cleaner trying to catch the floating dead insects with a fishing net & a long stick. And as usual, the little insects will slip through the net....

22k for Vigo double cab, for the last 2 years from Viraya. Wonder why the insurance is not reduced after the 1st yr?

More heat, more floods, more cold

Climate change could see the number of days with temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius or more triple, a scientist warned yesterday.

It was also likely to have a dramatic effect on the Chao Phya river and floods in Bangkok.

Dr Anon Sanitwong na Ayutthaya told a climate-change seminar yesterday the country's weather would become more extreme in coming decades.

Anon expected global warming to increase Chao Phya River levels by as much as 40 per cent in coming years. Higher tides would add to the flooding problems faced by the Central plains and greater-Bangkok.

Anon is the director of the Southeast Asian bureau of SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training, or START, based at Chulalongkorn University. He predicted the country would soon swelter in 33-degree-plus heat for as many as 60 days a year. The hottest place was likely to be Uthai Thani, which is located in a basin. Nakhon Sawan would be the next warmest. But Khon Kaen, Sakon Nakhon and Chai Nat would be least affected.

Anon cited a climate model predicting weather events from 30 years to 80 years hence.

Interestingly, cool days were also expected to increase. Thailand could expect between 30 to 40 days a year below 26C. Currently, about 20 to 30 days are below this mark.

The west coast would be coolest, thanks to increased rainfall. And provinces in mountain areas could suffer problems.

He said climate change would not affect Thailand as it had sub-Saharan Africa, where increased temperatures melted mountain snow and ice, which had flooded rivers and accelerated the breeding of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

But, he warned the country to put in place policies to cope with climate change.

But, in Chiang Rai, rice crops would increase 15 per cent because it would receive more rain, he said.

Meanwhile, Meteorological Department chief Supareuk Tansriratanawong said this hot season would be more extreme in many areas, especially the North, Northeast and Central Thailand. Temperatures could hit 42 degrees in Nong Khai and Lampang. He said these temperatures would be common until mid-May.

Supareuk revised earlier department predictions the hottest period this year would be between April 25 and April 26. A cool front from China would bring rainstorms and hail to the North and Northeast, easing temperatures.

In the meantime, the heat has seen power usage in Bangkok soar.

Data shows last month the city gobbled up 7,522 megawatts of electricity, outpacing consumption at the same time last year by 2 per cent. By comparison, the city consumed 6,654 megawatts in January and 7,032 in February.

In the North, temperatures have exceeded 40C.

The department's northern office said Lampang's Muang district recorded temperatures of 42 degrees while other provinces reported between 37 and 41C.

Office spokesman Rakchai Srinuan said temperatures were between four degrees to six degrees warmer than last year.

Chiang Mai and Lamphun were at risk of more forest fires, which have cast a pall over the region since March and made thousands sick. Doi Inthanon National Park chief Anan Son-ngai said rangers were on a 24-hour alert.

Artificial rainmaking is planned to help ease the heat.

Dr Parithat Silpakit of Suan Prung Mental Hospital warned that the punishing heat could drive over-stressed residents to suicide.

In Kalasin, which saw 38C heat yesterday, farmers were advised to install cooling fans in pig enclosures to avoid stock suffering heatstroke and diarrhoea.

Are the "Visit Thailand Rail Passes" which allows unlimited travel within 20 day still available for sale and the current prices? Cheers!