MESmith

Maybe it will circle around to you ME Smith...

wont hold my breath.  even in the wet season, we seem to be in a "rain drought spot" 

My first set of  tyres on my truck lasted 50,000km.  they were pumped up by the mechanics at service, too high I now realise.  Went bald in the centre of tread.  Replacements are still on at 90,000km.  Need replacing due to age.  Kept them at pressure recommended by Mitsubishi, 29psi.  Enough said?

Would tyre sealant work, & is it available here?  Needed to replace tyres on my mower & tyre shop didn't have a clue what I meant by sealant (as translated by my wife, who also wasn't too clear what I meant)

Nothing south of San Kamphaeng - saw rain to the west, saw rain to the east, all we got was loss of power.  Luckily, only missed the first 8 mins of ManU v Spurs.  I even kept the sprinklers on throughout, just to draw the rain in, but didn't work 

Looking towards the city a few minutes ago, looked like heavy rain.  alas, only wind so far, to the east of the valley

6AM This morn was just beautiful..... a bit of coolness in the moderate breeze..... I could have almost convinced myself that today was the day...... but now at about noon....... I just don't think so....maybe in Bkk

Gonzo, I want some of what you're smoking. It was 27°C/81°F this morning, the warmest morning of the year so far, I think.

Today's weather

Last 7 days (too hard to link the rest of the year)

I agree with Gonzo, lovely & cool this morning, coolest for a week or so.  Even did some digging in the garden 

Just been outside to move some sprinklers, it's a furnace out there 

HomePro in Chiang Mai sell Craftsman ride on mowers, priced approx 150,000 to 180,000 baht.  There's an Aussie guy up in Phan, Chiang Rai who is dealer for Husqvarna mowers, he has a website, pm me for details.  I was lucky, got a secondhand one through him.  There's a shop in Chiang Mai that sells 6.5 Hp ride on mowers for about 78,000 baht, but small cutting width   Good luck finding one, they're expensive here. 

In the middle of a national park? That will go down real well with the eco brigade.

How about a few more "eco friendly" zip lines then?  We can all live in tree houses 

The simple fact is that your house can never be much cooler than the ambient air temp without aircon down here in he*l. All these 'passive' suggestions can postpone the heat a little, but it eventually becomes at least as hot as outside and at some point during the day, it will match the outside temps, then becomes an oven....radiating down the heat from the attic and walls mostly.....usually later at night.

The only solution that i can come up with is to move to the higher elevations. I was up at a friend's mountain land last week and the temps were quite civilized at 1,000mtrs. In the heat of the day, the shade temps were cooler than it ever gets down here in he*l.

That's why the Brits developed the hillstations in India - the whole government moved up to Shimla during the hotter months.  How about building some gated communities on top Doi Inthanon......

Down for 3.5 hrs?  Lucky you   My TOT connection doesn't like it if it's too hot, too cold, too wet, too windy, birds on the line, village pa system blaring.....    At the moment down from 1200 till 1700hrs is normal 

And,, you've guessed it, my connection failed when I tried to post this!!

There are 2 other roundabouts in the city that seem to work well.  I think they should try them at the bigger more open junctions such as on the old san kamphaeng road where it crosses the outer ring road.  Much cheaper than underpasses.

Recently drove back from Ko Chang to CM in one go.  13 hrs from ferry dock to CM.  just under 1100km.  took 2 days to recover from the drive in the pickup.  the worst section is south of  Lampang,  in the dark, the road is broken & at night the road markings are invisible.  Going the other way, you'd have to leave early to make the ferry, I guess.  Better to stay in Rayong, on the beach.  You should make the beach in the afternoon, have next morning on the beach before continuing the journey.  Remember, it's supposed to be a holiday 

Question on active fans: would those be placed in the ceiling to push air out to the roof space, or near the gable vents to blow air out?

I would think the problem with pushing air out from the rooms into the roof space is that air has to be replaced from somewhere, & if that means pulling air in from outside through gaps under doors etc that is warmer than the air in the rooms, you will be defeating the object.  This would only be viable in evenings when temps outside have dropped below those in the house.  That's how I try to keep temps in the house down - close all windows during the day as temps rise outside the house, then open as the sun goes down, turning on extractor fans in ceiling.  It's not great, but it keeps temps in house bearable day & night, with assistance from fans.

Pretty much an everyday view for the last 5 months out in the rice fields.  "Welcome to Thailand" as Carlos Tevez might say.....

 Never noticed heavy traffic apart from Huay Keaw Rd, esp in evenings around Rincome.  When I lived up that way, always took the back sois to get around the problem.  & that was in a pickup truck, not a motorbike.  That was a few years back.  Is it a lot worse now? 

...

(OK, over to you getlost, tell us about the time you were stranded in the Empty Quarter....50 C, had to survive on camel blood, mice and nettles )

Actually we had all the cold beer we could drink.

I couldn't get beer in the Empty Quarter, not even the 2-star hotel at Marib, so used to have to drive down to al-Mocha to buy it, and smuggle it home to Ta'iz. Ah, Happy Days ...

Didn't have ac in the empty quarter, camping out the back of my truck, tho' in Yemen had my duty free booze airfreighted in.  Still did a few Mocha runs from Sana'a, & not for the coffee 

I've got a thermometer on the upstairs terrace.  Does that count as higher?

At least Doi Suthep was visible from San Kamphaeng, this afternoon.  So there is change in the air.......

I think Darwin had a theory about this......

That's where I'm headed one day!

The wife's clan comes from here labelled as OnTai .

Off there tomorrow for Songkran fun by the lake in the nature park.. Lake Here

and here is where i will build my country house (if i ever make any money, and cure my wife of her ghost and bandit phobia).... My... er.. The wife's spare land!

Its so great to live in country where they still make land! Unlike the south of england...

Ha, that's where we take our kayak!!  Thought I was the "only farang on the lake" 

Never see anyone else there except the occasional fisherman.  Beautiful around there.

If you're expecting to move, better attach handles to that raised bed frame  

@whiterussian, whare's your house, Nam Phueng village?

Hi, no just down the road from Mckean hospital/leper colony ... http://shellyandbrettf.blogspot.com/2008/0...osy-colony.html

google map

and you are nearby also?

No, but I used to live in Nam Phueng village, & the house in your pics looked very similar.  Since moved out to the countryside south of San Kamphaeng.

@whiterussian, whare's your house, Nam Phueng village?

The Nation is only useful for lining the dog kennel and the kitty litter

My dogs have higher standards than that 

 

I drove through a place called wiang pao pau. (Steep hump back bridge on both sides) 

I think that might be at Mae Suay?  Great bridge, miles higher than the road either side, & until recently, an "off-road" very bumpy approach & departure from  Who the hel_l designed that bit of engineering?

They allways start the week before near Chiang Rai. It is definately never worth having to do a visa type run (or any distance on the road) a week either side of Songkran. Just put it down to experience and plan better in future.

Iain

Don't think the op planning his/her visa run better is going to help the motorcyclists that were having the problems....