Tejas

It's certainly many disgruntled expats living here.

It was bad in their home country, now it's bad here.

I think you hit on an important point: "It was bad in their home country. ..."

There is no "explosion" of immigrants unless you want to add all of the illegal immigrants from neighboring countries.

There is no mass exodus.

It is something in between.

A lot of the older expats are stuck here...most don't want to leave but some do.

Others already have (and some of the best people you would ever want to meet).

What seems to be happening is that the developed world is in serious economic trouble.........workers were not able to save enough money to retire; pensions are not enough if at all.

So, many foreigners in this situation still see Thailand as an opportunity to live a decent lifestyle on low income, but that has become increasingly difficult (so, myth does not meet reality).

They become disgruntled............now the country they left seems bad and they country they migrated to seems like it is getting worse by the day.

Demographers call this "push pull factors." One one side you are being pushed out; one the other you are being pulled in.

The pattern will stop when it becomes obvious Thailand is no longer a bargain and other countries in the region offer realistic (sanook) alternatives that are much less expensive.

That is happening now............but it will take time for Vietnam and Cambodia to get their acts together.

The BIB nab 259 people for gambling..........now what were the odds on that.

They said 1000 baht fine.....but just like week I can confirm that several Thais were arrested near where I live for playing cards...........the police demanded 4000 bhat from each of them to get them out of jail or one week in jail.

4000 times 259 = 1,036,000 baht..................not a bad take if they asked for that much money.

The situation with tourists in Thailand resembles that of the tradegy of the commons. All toursist are simply resources that are to be exploited. What do tourists in Thailand and Yellowfin Tuna both have in common? - They are both on the verge of becoming an endangered species.

I miss Garret Hardin...........he spoke the truth about population, resources, sustainable economics, etc.

That aside...........especially over the past ten years, the govt. has done everything in its power to give tourists/foreigners the impression that they are not wanted.

Much of this is centered in a social engineering program that has backfired.

Of course, crime has increased over this same period with globally distributed horror stories (in truth, Thailand is safer than Zimbabwe ).

And the constant stream of political instability and street riots is not helping (not to mention closure of Thailand's major airport a while back).

And xenophobia has increased.............reflected in service at hotels, restaurants, etc.

Solution? My guess is that nothing will be done...............just intensify the same approaches that have not worked.

CSIRO in Australia has been very active in land management for many many years

loads of info for anyone considering becoming a farmer or wanting to use info to help maintain the land.

Maintain the land and there will be no drought.

Good...........please summarize what they advocate.

And post the link where the claim is made "maintain the land and there will be no drought."

My guess is that is is far more complicated than that.

Another series of "productive posts."

Unless you want to focus on solutions to the drought problem in Thailand, you should start another post and talk to each other till you "knock yourselves out.".

Now, the topic is: Severe Drought in Thailand

So you apparently posted what you did (RB too) to shift the argument to what the OP said not to debate: Is climate change and global warming real or not?

I have tried my best to not go down that road.

Now, the last issue was the value of qualitative research.

You response shows you do not appreciate its value in science.

Here are just a few examples:

1) Qualitative research often gives rise to quantitative research.

To take one example. At one point people living on islands in the Pacific told a scientist that they thought the ocean was rising............that led to the questioning of other people on many different islands.......many stating the same thing.........."seems like the oceans have been rising".............that led to quantitative research (actual measurements) supporting that, indeed, the oceans are rising.

2) Qualitative research often gives valuable insights into the past. For example, when doing research for the movie Saving Private Ryan, the director got valuable information from people who were actually there..........on the beaches at Normandy.

Are you going to argue those survivors are liars? Stupid? Ignorant of the facts? If so, you might get your ass kicked by some veterans

In the 60s, some researchers talked with elderly Black-Americans about discrimination when they were young (and even what their grandfathers and grandmothers had told them about it). Do yu think what they had to say had no merit? Irrelevant?

Conversations with elderly Thais about climate change are useful.............especially when combined with quantitative data, unless, of course, you think elderly Thais are part of some grand conspiracy to create one world government by adding information that supports climate change and global warming

Again, if you want to engage in a debate amongst yourselves that the OP has warned you not to instigate on this thread, I suggest you start a new thread.

For the record: The cut and paste technique that some posters are engaged in is part of a denial machine funded by Exxon-Mobile (among other like-minded corporations).

The main distributor of the pseudo-scientific information (completely misleading) information that is being postedt is: The George C. Marshall Institute.

Here is one of their directors: William O'Keefe, CEO (GMI); President, Solutions Consulting, Inc. Formerly COO of the American Petroleum Institute and chairman of the Global Climate Coalition, and a registered lobbyist for ExxonMobil.^[6]

That institute was founded by the same people who deliberately:

mislead the American public about acid rain (stating it has nothing to do with the burning of coal)

mislead the American public about cigarette smoking and cancer (stating there was no relationship)

mislead the American public about the ozone hole (stating it had nothing to do with human activity)

By the way, they lost all three of those debates...........and now their successors are trying everything they can to mislead the American public that global warming and climate change have nothing to do with human activities..........or that it is not real.........or that it is part of some grand conspiracy...........or that scientists are debating whether it is real or not....

A good review of what they are up to is here: Merchants of Doubt: How aHandful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to GlobalWarming

In each case (acid rain, cigarettes, ozone hole, and now climate change/global warming) the strategy is to create "doubt."

In fact, there is no doubt. There is no scientific debate: global warming and climate change are real.

People are now focusing on solutions.

I ask you once again to stop trying to divert this thread.

Focus on solutions to the severe drought problem in Thailand.

Anecdotal memories are absolutely irrelevant.

No.....with due respect, you are completely wrong on this point.

The scientific literature, especially the social sciences, if filled with top quality research that combines qualitative data (what you just referred to as "anecdotal memories") with quantitative data.

When both support each other, it is the best evidence one can have.

Now, I suggest focusing on solutions to the severe drought problem in Thailand.

To understand what the issue is one must make a distinction between weather and climate.

This what NASA says: The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather iswhat conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climateis how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time. When we talk about climate change, we talk about changes in long-termaverages of daily weather.

That is a good summary of the difference between weather and climate.

It also explains why posting short term weather reports ("it rained today so there is no problem") tells us virtually nothing about the climate change problem.

A good proxy measure of climate change in Thailand is gleaned by asking elderly people how hot it is now compared to the past (when they were young).

They all say the same thing (at least in my experience): "Thailand is much hotter today than in the past."

They also say: "Thailand's dry season is longer and hotter."

They also say: "It rained more in the past and the rainy season began earlier."

The evidence--both hard quantitative data and proxy qualitative data--seems to indicate that climate change is taking place, and not only in Thailand, but in all of Southeast Asia.

Posting short term weather reports that show it is raining (when virtually nobody says it should not be raining) is only diverting attention away from a serious problem: long term climate change that is impacting the drought problem.........impacting the timing, amount, and geographic distribution of rainfall.

Most of the poster here know there is a difference between weather and climate. Many are focusing on solutions to the long term climate change problem.

Even if you think there is no climate change problem (and we don't want to argue the point here), it is obvious (at least to most people) there is a serious drought problem..

And solutions to that are needed. So, no matter which side of the fence you are on, solutions to the drought problem are needed.

Perhaps it might be productive to focus on solutions.

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Thanks for the on topic post.

Rice production is obviously suited for Thailand ( it is a long standing cultural tradition), but they do need to produce it in more efficient ways.

They also must plan for more severe and devastating climate change events. One way to introduce a bit of "protection" in the system is diversification.

So, I think the same as you: more crop diversification is in order.

Diversification is prudent in almost any system, especially agricultural systems.

They could do like many other countries are doing: shifting to drought resistant plants.

But these are all temporary solutions.

Like you, I think they need to consider exporting less food crops (less rice production for export) and move the economy away from agriculture (much less dependent on agriculture for export) to a more modern economy suitable for the 21st century.

Is the number of young Thais willing to engage in farming dwindling? I have no idea..........given population growth and the need for employment, my guess is that there will be plenty of young men willing to engage in farming for years to come.

For now, it seems impossible to get around the need for more deep water storage facilities.

The weather in California (a state I used to live in) is very different from Thailand and Southeast Asia. You are comparing apples to oranges.

For example, it does not snow in Thailand (snow is frozen water and it goes into the soil). The rainy period in the USA is extended...........it is long in comparison to Thailand.

The dry season is much longer in Thailand.............etc............apples to oranges.

The water management system in the USA is far better than it is in Thailand...........far more deep water lakes with dams...........different and more water-efficient agricultural practices, etc.

The impact of population on any given area is massively influenced by climate, weather, available resources, economic systems, technological innovations, etc. [Good example is the Netherlands]

No, all farmers are not Red shirts...........as I stated: "I am sure farmers (mostly Reds)......." The word is "mostly." That means, of course, not all of them are.

I should know since I live in a farming province.

There is ample evidence that suggest that drought conditions are widespread in Southeast Asia, parts of East Asia, and South Asia..........the dry and hot periods are getting hotter, more dry, and lasting longer.

These are not short-term weather events as some posters think...............these are climate change events that are disrupting natural cycles..........we are seeing "the tip of the iceberg."

But I am not going to debate the obvious here.............waste of time and the OP has told posters not to do it. Not only that, there is no debate

The real issue is what to do about it the problem before it gets out of hand............denial is not an option.

pay them 1,000 Baht each to buy vote?

I am sure farmers (mostly Reds) would feel better about the current govt. if they gave them all 1000 baht each.

No telling what the govt. will do.......... "offer manufacturing-material support" or "give them money."

Either way, it will not address the long term drought/climate problem facing Thailand.

It is good that, with regard to this serious issue, Thai govt. is not locked inside an insane "denial machine."

They do recognize the problem (as do most other countries) and are thinking about solutions.

Made puerco pibil for the first time yesterday.

Unfortunately, I did not cook it in a crockpot (next time this is what I will use).

Instead, I cooked it in my homemade smoker/oven..........probably would have had sauce if I cooked it on lower heat for less time.

Cooked it too long and too hot...........so no sauce (don't recommend cooking it for two hours this way if you want sauce).

But it smelled wonderful...........tasted great.........very tender (sorry, no pictures).

I let some Thais try it and they actually thought it was great...........that surprised me.

If I had corn tortillas, it would have made great taco meat.

I ate it with plain white rice.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart looks set to revive a project to construct the Kaeng Sua Ten Dam in Phrae.

"I will look into its feasibility and its environmental impact," he said.

The project has long been shelved due to opposition from many quarters, but now Sanan suggests the drought has highlighted a need for more dams.

"We may scale down the size of the project," Sanan said.

In response to non-governmental organisations' complaints the project site would cover the country's last golden-teakwood plot, Sanan said the golden teakwood trees there were all gone by now.

"The dam, if constructed, would deliver huge benefits. The number of people to benefit from it would be greater than those negatively affected by its construction," Sanan insisted.

2010-06-17

Clearly Thailand needs to capture more water. Building more dams is a short-term solution.

The "drought" is not temporary in the sense of some short term weather phenomenon.

It is a climate problem............it is a population problem............it is an economic problem.

The rainy season will come............but the problem will persist.

The only way to deal with it is to tackle all of the problems that are causing it.

By the way, Thailand is not unique: the drought problem is impacting all of Southeast Asia and parts of East Asia (and South Asia....among other regions).

One major issue is the Mekong River.

For those who think this is all trivial and/or academic, think again.

Right now Thailand is divided : rural Reds vs urban Yellows. The Reds are, in large part, farmers. They are angry.......(not enough money is one major thing making them angry).

If this "drought" gets worse over the next few years (and there is no reason to assume otherwise), their incomes from farming operations will go down............what do you think will happen?

The "water problem" in Thailand could end up being the most serious strategic threat the country has ever faced.

Ulysses G........you always say the same thing..........and then I respond with pretty much the same thing.

We have both been here for similar periods (me longer).

We have both traveled all over the region.

But I just do not get where you are coming from.......it is like you are ignoring the real and growing problems in Thailand: corruption, stealing, lying, xenophobia (especially with regard to how they are playing the immigration/visa cards these days).

Thailand has ALWAYS been a shady place for shady people and with all of the things you claim have just started happening in the "last 10 years". I have no idea how you missed them before, but if anything some of these things have improved.

It is not as bad as the Philippines or Cambodia, but it has always been a place to keep your guard up and watch your back, but the danger is subtler than other such other places, so it is more pleasant.

A lot of expats and tourists seem to think that it is an all-year summer camp for cheap Charlies and the Thais are supposed to put up with all of their crap, but the truth is that certain things like cars, imports and electronics have always been expensive and violence has always been lurking right below the surface if one asks for it (and sometimes just because of bad luck).

I have never thought otherwise, but I was willing to accept it because I like it here and the truth is that no place is perfect. Too many posters seem to have had unreal expectations of Thailand being a peaceful, cheap paradise and are seething with anger because they misjudged the ways things are - they also seem to have the same exact problem with Thai women. Maybe some of them need to realize that the problem is with them, not Thailand.

You are twisting what I said.

Yes, I am fully aware that Thailand has always been a "shady place for shady people" and never said otherwise. So, I did not "miss them before."

I also never claimed anything "just started happening over the past ten years." I am stating the "bad stuff" has accelerated and intensified, especially over the past ten years.

I disagree that the danger element in Thailand is less than in the Philippines or Cambodia (we can agree to disagree.......but statistics on violent crime this might surprise you.......still, in all of these countries most of the serious crime is localized in particular regions or parts of cities).

I also think the need to "keep your guard up and watch your back" has greatly increased over the past ten years. Again, I am not saying that was not necessary in the past; I am saying that it is more necessary now because of socio-economic problems in the country.

In my view the level of crime and violence today--especially against farangs--is far greater now than ten years ago.

We agree: No place is perfect...............this is a sad reality (wish we could do something about it).

We agree: Too many people have unreal expectations about what Thailand is actually like (and I don't mean you.......nobody has a monopoly on truth.....I sure don't).

We agree: Lots of expats are angry because the reality of Thailand did not come close to the myth of Thailand (people really need to try to separate myth from fact).

We agree: Lots of expats seem to think Thai women are somehow from a different planet where women all worship men Not true.

We agree: Some people need to realize "the problem is with them." [ I would say that pretty much means all of us need to realize the problem is with all of us.....but I get your meaning.]

samuiman

I liked the place enough to even pick a place to settle down and I leased some land and built a lovely villa on Koh Samui. I lived in the villa for almost two years but things were not perfect in paradise. The scams and rip offs slowly grind you down until you realise you are no longer enjoying yourself. I got tired of being continually ripped off by the Thais and I sold up. Now I holiday in Cambodia and Vietnam spending about two to three months in each. Although no place is perfect, I have found the other Asian countries I have spent time in to be considerably better than Thailand with respect to corruption and in your face rip offs. They are also much cheaper for almost everything.

Have you ever actually been to Thailand or any of these other countries? Everything you say is the opposite of my experiences and I have lived in Thailand for over 20 years as well as Vietnam for a short time and talked with many expats in Cambodia. I am really not sure if you are trolling, have had really bad luck, or - like many expats - just like complaining.

Ulysses G........you always say the same thing..........and then I respond with pretty much the same thing.

We have both been here for similar periods (me longer).

We have both traveled all over the region.

But I just do not get where you are coming from.......it is like you are ignoring the real and growing problems in Thailand: corruption, stealing, lying, xenophobia (especially with regard to how they are playing the immigration/visa cards these days).

Maybe you are a huge optimist who refuses to come down from that high.

I can assure you the OP is not a Troll. Many expats and tourists are disappointed with what has been happening here.

Cambodia? I have always found them to be much nicer than Thais.......I never have been fearful of crime............no xenophobia............no problems at all with the police and immigration.

Does Cambodia have a problem with corruption. Sure. So does the USA.

I just think, and many others do too, that corruption is now part of Thai culture.........almost the "thing to do." It is like a culturally accepted game.

Back to the topic: They have done virtually everything imaginable to alienate tourists and expats, especially over the past ten years.

It was first disguised as security (the lets get the bad guys crap). Then it morphed into security PLUS social engineering (the quality tourist/expat crap).

Then they move on to attack mixed race families............why? Xenophobia is the only answer.

What surprises me is the guy who started this is no longer in power.......he is a wanted terrorist.

Why the new guy does not do something to reverse all of the damage done in the past is a mystery to me.........maybe he is too busy with other things.

Sometimes I wish all of us would stop arguing, get on the same page, sell all of our assets, and leave..........no more spending money or supporting honeys in Thailand-Titanic.

That would send them a big message.

Your post has nothing to do with the topic. Perhaps give it a rest or the MODs will no doubt force a rest on you.

The topic is about the severe drought in Thailand.

There are people here who want to discuss this topic and perhaps point out solutions to problems that are causing it.

We have no desire to engage in unproductive (Inflammatory) discussions.

Move on.

These threads are somehow getting mixed up...........it is hard to see what I posted and what Moe 666 posted.

In fact, I did not say this in this context: In my view, both are disgusting behaviors that should be banned.........any public spitting, off with your tongue..........any public nose picking, off with your finger.

That would really be bad taken out of context.

I said this (big difference): In my view, both are disgusting behaviors that should be banned.........any public spitting, off with your tongue..........any public nose picking, off with your finger.

Not really, of course.

Seriously, what is going on with the posts here...........hard to tell who is saying what.

Is this a software problem or a poster problem?

I read an article a long time ago about the need of trees for waterway survival , a huge study showed that where the ( Sorry , forgot the name) barriers had been removed , it was not too great a period of time before the water followed suit , de-forestation is a great threat to peoples survival in more ways than one , think land slides etc . In the dessert , an oasis is invariably surrounded by trees .

This is interesting and relevant to the drought problem in Thailand: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2005/deforest_rainfall.html

I read an article a long time ago about the need of trees for waterway survival , a huge study showed that where the ( Sorry , forgot the name) barriers had been removed , it was not too great a period of time before the water followed suit , de-forestation is a great threat to peoples survival in more ways than one , think land slides etc . In the dessert , an oasis is invariably surrounded by trees .

I think it might have been a Scientific American article back in the 80s.........with I could locate it again..........it had a fantastic summary section the global water problem..........no doubt there are many similar, more recent articles.

The Amazon region is producing evidence of a link between deforestation and rainfall patterns.

I know I have read about how these variables are all linked in parts of Africa: deforestation, rainfall, soil erosion, land degradation, desertification, famine, migration.

UN documents no doubt contain such information.

The message, of course, is clear for Thailand: If you want to do something positive about the drought problem, stop cutting down so many trees and start planting as many trees as possible.

That is one part of the puzzle.

Still trying hard to pick a fight........interesting.........you even followed me to another thread (Alternative Retirement Destinations to Thailand on the Southeast Asia section) and posted a comment designed to provoke an angry response.

Maybe at some point the MODs will decide they have had enough of your trolling.

Why did I say "no more comments from me?"

Simple: it seemed like the thread had ended (at least those that were providing positive and constructive responses had decided to end it).

Unfortunately, a couple of posters decided to give weather reports designed to give people the impression that there is no drought problem because it is raining (of course, denials will come, but the intent of the posts is obvious).

That type of logic is equivalent to going to the Sudan and entering a famine zone, given away a few meals, and then going home thinking there is no famine problem.

Elkangorito attempted to make it clear that there is a problem with the rainfall = no drought problem logic...........I did too (main problem is the dry season, not the wet season.........among other things).

After Elkangorito posted an interesting and productive post, I thought I would add more info.

I was responding to Elkangorito...........not you.

I am not a psychologist, but I think you are too obsessed with my posts (maybe add me to your ignore list).

It is also more than strange that you are apparently following me around ThaiVisa..........sort of like a stalker.

Maybe, if you have nothing to say that is productive, don't say it.

If you want to talk about a subject the MOD has said that we should not talk about on this thread, start a new thread.

I am sure you, RB, TC, and the other worshipers of the George C. Marshall Institute (funded in large part by Exxon-Mobile) will enjoy each others company.

Spitting in China is way worse. They do it in restaurants, on the bus, in the bank, at the airport (spit in the potted plants!)...totally gross.

I went overland several years ago from Laos up to Kunming. Headed to the bank to get some $$ and saw this really well dressed Chinese businesswoman walking out of the bank. As I was admiring her, she cocked her head and spat out a huge lugie right on the sidewalk. Horrible.

Due to some late minute travel plans, I ended up in 3rd (low) class section of train. The floor was covered in spit. It was 8 hours of hel_l...

As I have mentioned, I have been to about 70 countries now...the rural Chinese are the worst...But I have not been to the Middle East yet!!!

You are giving the readers the impression that all Chinese are spitting all over the place..........not true.........they only spit in your food if they think you are offended by spitting

In my view, both are disgusting behaviors that should be banned.........any public spitting, off with your tongue..........any public nose picking, off with your finger.

Not really, of course.

Middle East: Been there..............no nose picking in public or excessive spitting I could detect.

Super nice people in the Middle East............in some areas.............true...........no joke..........certainly not everywhere.

I think Cat Stevens decided to retire there many years ago, but I don't know which country.

One poster mentioned Bali: I liked it but the visa rules (ten years ago) were difficult. One poster (think on this thread) said there was a fairly easy solution to that now.

Bali is different from the rest of Indonesia. It is very beautiful. The city planners have banned large skyscrapers and such.............the beaches are fantastic (especially if you like to surf), but there are many hawkers...........coral reefs are not nearly as damaged as in Thailand (for those who like to SCUBA dive).

There are active volcanoes............you can climb to the top and the view is spectacular.......if "lucky," it will erupt while you are on top............small enough to scare the shit out of you but do no harm.

The culture is fascinating: the only place I know where religion (in this case Hinduism) and art blend seamlessly together.

The Balinese are, in general, nice people.............IMHO, far nicer than your average Thai and more honest.

Violence? I was there after the bombing. That was a long time ago now. Nothing has happened since then. It is safe.

Cost of living: Like most places, high in some areas and low in others...........depends on your lifestyle and needs.

Food: I don't like most Balinese food...........there are many Western food options.

Sanook factor: Yes, believe it or not, there are women there..........nuff said. But nothing like Thailand. And there are plenty of bars.

I really enjoyed the traditional Balinese cultural dances and other related stuff (rituals).........but after a while I got bored with it all.

Temperature: HOT, HOT, HOT............like Thailand but maybe even a bit hotter. You can live in the highlands and it is cooler there.

Hotels: fabulous places............and then ten dollar per night bungalows (most of those are OK).

Internet: no problem.......same as Thailand......meaning it is not up to global standards.

I suggest living there and getting a feel for the place.

I was in Nha Trang in January. A bit too cool for swimming...not sure if it is normal, but there were huge waves and pretty high winds on the beach. Nice little town.

I agree with your comments about the big cities. Crazy. The locals in Hanoi are too "Chinese" for me. Doing that spitting thing, cutting in lines, etc....very rude. But I liked the old part of Hanoi better than any part of Saigon.

Which is worse, spitting (China) or picking your nose at every opportunity (Thailand)?

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.................the life of expats in Asia.

Cutting in lines? Never have seen that in Thailand

Seriously, I live in China and Thailand..........the cutting in line thing seems worse in China for only one reason: more people. It is the same psychology.

Spitting? I think many Chinese have lung infections.............way too many smoke cigarettes (one reason).

Nha Trang sounds interesting. The big cities sound bad...........worse than Bangkok?

Two things I really dislike about Bangkok: traffic and air-pollution.

There are interesting places to see and do (the positive side).

I was in Nha Trang in January. A bit too cool for swimming...not sure if it is normal, but there were huge waves and pretty high winds on the beach. Nice little town.

I agree with your comments about the big cities. Crazy. The locals in Hanoi are too "Chinese" for me. Doing that spitting thing, cutting in lines, etc....very rude. But I liked the old part of Hanoi better than any part of Saigon.

Which is worse, spitting (China) or picking your nose at every opportunity (Thailand)?

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.................the life of expats in Asia.

Cutting in lines? Never have seen that in Thailand

Seriously, I live in China and Thailand..........the cutting in line thing seems worse in China for only one reason: more people. It is the same psychology.

Spitting? I think many Chinese have lung infections.............way too many smoke cigarettes (one reason).

Nha Trang sounds interesting. The big cities sound bad...........worse than Bangkok?

Two things I really dislike about Bangkok: traffic and air-pollution.

There are interesting places to see and do (the positive side).

I shall reiterate that it needs to rain in catchment areas before rainfall is beneficial for storage areas?

About 10 or so years ago in Australia, many people (city folk) were saying that the water level reports were lies. Their reasoning was that "It's been raining a lot in my location." Little did these people realise THEN, that the rain was not being caught (by catchment areas).

In the last 5 years or so, it's been realised by many Australians that rain does not necessarily equate to an abundance of water. Mind you, the 'country folk' always knew this.

Thanks for the productive post.

I went to an online site..........a newspaper site we apparently can't mention on ThaiVisa (no idea why)...........and found a front page article on a proposed dam and the drought problem in Thailand.

Perhaps check it out............I would give you the link, but I think you know the paper I am talking about and how to find the online version.

One more thing to think about in relation to drought: Trees.

Trees store a lot of water. You can, in a way, think of them as water capture devices.

Remove them and you risk forming deserts. At the very least you risk causing serious flooding events after the drought breaks during the rainy season (trees store water, hold soil together, provide shade, absorb CO2, and liberate oxygen).

I see way too much tree cutting in Thailand..........often just for energy purposes (to make charcoal).

Hence, once again, the urgent need to develop and deploy a new energy system that can replace the archaic systems--making charcoal, using fossil fuels.

Question to posters: Do you think that over the past two years more places have opened up than closed?

I certainly do not see a level of customer traffic that would warrant more growth..........seems like supply has greatly exceeded demand, even during the high season.

Still, maybe there are niche markets that can survive even in this bad economic period (e.g., pawn shops).