Hello folks.

I am looking to buy a telescope for a bit of star gazing . Is there still a small shop on the ground floor of big C selling them? Cheers

No, no shop there selling telescopes.

Cheers , I had a look around the shops outside big C as well and there is no optical shops . The closest is a guy selling army hobbiest gear but he was shut on sunday .

They have more or less finished the works on the Huai Wangnong reservoir and re-filled it with water.

My place sits on the banks of it. This is now my beautiful view of the water ripples.......

Yep the water is there.........Gawd........Nobody has a clue or cares about stuff...Useless.

Tried out Thai Lion Air from Ubon to Don Muang last Saturday and return today.

ThB 1,140 all-up return fare booked one week before flying. Ridiculously cheap - fill yer boots while the promotional fares continue as this new carrier fights its way onto the route. Thais seem to have found it but not falang - it was full (well 90% out and 80% back) with a lot of Thais making their first flight (trouble finding seats/photos/clapping on landing) - and why not, the bus is a bit more expensive. It's the first time in about 8 years I have seen no other falang on flights to/from Ubon.

The long tubes (same 737-900ERs as Nok?) are a bit claustrophobic as the seat backs are too high and the legroom is appalling at 8" (same as Air Asia*). Being a 6 footer I could not use them for a long flight. Everything went fine - slightly late both ways. I did wonder, with very heavy landings on both legs, in only slightly choppy weather, about the quality of their pilots. When the international aviation bodies are criticising Thailand for unpublicised failures whether the quality up front is good enough in this rapidly expanding market!

Ubon airport was partly open internally today so that arrivals are no longer out the @rse end into a car park and tents! Theu need to tidy up the [parking arrangements when they finish the terminal renovation - looks like a gypsy camp.

*Edit - Air Asia is better, as the seat backs are less high. I was given a long leg room exit row seat on return - Nok also give me maybe once every four flights. I always forget to ask for it!

They have more or less finished the works on the Huai Wangnong reservoir and re-filled it with water.

My place sits on the banks of it. This is now my beautiful view of the water ripples.......

Photo1060.jpg

Yep the water is there.........Gawd........Nobody has a clue or cares about stuff...Useless.

earlier this year i wondered what they were going to do with the jungle at the top end, as its had a couple of years to grow

looks like they are just going to fill it up regardless..

scotty

They have more or less finished the works on the Huai Wangnong reservoir and re-filled it with water.

My place sits on the banks of it. This is now my beautiful view of the water ripples.......

Photo1060.jpg

Yep the water is there.........Gawd........Nobody has a clue or cares about stuff...Useless.

earlier this year i wondered what they were going to do with the jungle at the top end, as its had a couple of years to grow

looks like they are just going to fill it up regardless..

scotty

It'll rot away pretty quick. Kantharalak reservoir near me grows like a forest in parts in summer and the lush greenery soon disappears in normal rainy season. Whether Ubon gets enough rain pre-December to complete the fill will be the issue for Transam and others. I was surprised to see 10 days ago (checking out for a hash house harrier run) how quickly the bottom end of HWN has filled already.

The flight to Pattaya is coming back with a different airline.

Filled from the off with Pattaya-based Non-O visa seekers (having no money in a Thai bank) to Savannakhet?

I can't seem to find a website for Pattaya Airways ( never heard of them either ). Are they a brand new airline?

@Santisuk: While you are right that there will be some that don't meet the financial requirements for a Visa, I think there will be a few that also don't want to deal with their local immigration.

I can't seem to find a website for Pattaya Airways ( never heard of them either ). Are they a brand new airline?

Yes

http://www.manager.co.th/Local/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9580000097627

I can't seem to find a website for Pattaya Airways ( never heard of them either ). Are they a brand new airline?

@Santisuk: While you are right that there will be some that don't meet the financial requirements for a Visa, I think there will be a few that also don't want to deal with their local immigration.

True - hadn't thought of it that way. Wasn't meaning to be perjorative against non-O visa seekers. I spent my first 6 years here on non-Os (made better sense since I was visiting UK 4 to 5 times a year anyway

Was at Ubon immigration today for the 90 day report. Asked about the move. The current answer is sometime this year. In at 1pm, out at 1:04 pm. Can not ask for much quicker.

In case you haven't seen the renovations in the airport, pic below. Parking is crazy mid-day. Anyone heard of current plans to expand parking?

Below is also a report of the number of people flying compared to last year. Lion Air opened in July.

So roughly 25-30% growth, which is pretty impressive. Next year may be more difficult to continue on that trajectory given the poor outlook for Thailand.

Was at Ubon immigration today for the 90 day report. Asked about the move. The current answer is sometime this year. In at 1pm, out at 1:04 pm. Can not ask for much quicker.

I did mine online...never left the house. 5 minutes about 10 am and got an approval email back at about 3:15 in the afternoon. Went to the website, printed out the approval...done and dusted!

Was at Ubon immigration today for the 90 day report. Asked about the move. The current answer is sometime this year. In at 1pm, out at 1:04 pm. Can not ask for much quicker.

I did mine online...never left the house. 5 minutes about 10 am and got an approval email back at about 3:15 in the afternoon. Went to the website, printed out the approval...done and dusted!

What province ? It makes a difference.

Speed cameras have made an appearace between Ubon and Sisaket. A couple of thai friends have received tickets by post this past week.

None have seen the camera flash but think it was located on or near the welcome to SIsaket sign on the straight stretch of road before the rail crossing and jungle market as you head towards SIsaket

Speed cameras have made an appearace between Ubon and Sisaket. A couple of thai friends have received tickets by post this past week.

None have seen the camera flash but think it was located on or near the welcome to SIsaket sign on the straight stretch of road before the rail crossing and jungle market as you head towards SIsaket

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Please say it isn't so.

Hopefully they don't implement a Point system.

Ditto - I've probably already run up 4.

Policing response to revenue raising that we see worldwide. Forget safety - find the widest and safest big road you can find in the province and stick a load of revenue boxes on it.

In the UK now police and local authorities have to justify the placement of new cameras and speed traps by reference to stats on accidents/deaths specific to that location.

If they are serious they should move the camera about a kilometre east to huai khayung where the speed limit is supposedly sixty kilometres an hour most go though there doing closer to one hundred and sixty.

Was at Ubon immigration today for the 90 day report. Asked about the move. The current answer is sometime this year. In at 1pm, out at 1:04 pm. Can not ask for much quicker.

I did mine online...never left the house. 5 minutes about 10 am and got an approval email back at about 3:15 in the afternoon. Went to the website, printed out the approval...done and dusted!

What province ? It makes a difference.

Third word. "Ubon" kind of explains which province. Kind of went to ask about move.

There was a post on the visa forum yesterday that Phibun immigration told him they were moving on the 1st of November.

Anybody heard anything?

Did they say which year?

Sorry...again, I couldn't resist.

However, to be somewhat helpful: Towards the end of October I will be doing a border run to Chon Mek. If there aren't any updates by then, I'll stop by and ask.

Edit:

I heard a rumor today and want to know if somebody has more info on it.

Supposedly Bangkok Hospital is looking in to buying Ratchavej Hospital ( Near Ubon Square ). Again, just a rumor at the moment.

I was at Phibun immigration on Sept 28th. I asked about the move. The young lady slightly smiled and said no idea.

On another note, I tried in vain to do my 90 day on line. I could not get it to work so I went to Phibun and was out of the office within 5 minutes. This was a pleasant visit.

Yea. The first word you learn in Thai construction is "prung-nee"

For those Ubon based bikers out there. I heard today that Bow, the thai manager of Ubon Kawasaki is shortly opening a Yamaha Big Bike shop in town. Both dealers will have the same owner.

A Yammy dealer! Now that is a rarely here in LOS!

The other day I seen a sign (Bill Board) about a home and garden show in Ubon. I was driving and could not read the whole thing. Anyone know anything about this?

I saw a sign for home and garden outside Sunee.

It was for the home and garden section at Ubon Wasadoo car park.

Was in there Friday. Just the usual mayhem

My Pattaya TGF is from Phosai (100 km ENE from Ubon), is now terminally bored with Pattaya and wants to go back 'home" - at least to metro Ubon.

It's decided that we'll be moving to Ubon beginning of next year.

She plans to eventually buy a house (with my Euros, of course) but at first we'll be renting.

Anybody can give me an indication of how much would be the rental of a detached house with two bedrooms and a car park. Nothing luxurious, just practical and confortable.

She seems to say that it could be anywhere from 7 to 9000. Is that right ?

Seems about right, maybe cheaper depending on location.