Ubon Ratchathani News & Development

[jayceenik]

Thanks for the ECC info.

[ubonrthai]

Here are a few pictures of airport upgrades if you haven’t been through in awhile.

[Michael Hare]

Looks great. Even the toilets have been upgraded.

[Patriot]

On ‎7‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 5:34 AM, Patriot said:

Ubon:

How simple or complicated is the procedure to change the Yellow Book if changing residence to a different village but within the same Tambon (In my case less than a kilometre)

Does one have to go through the same passport translation and "Poo-Yai-Baan" shenanigans or is it just a presentation of the new owners/residence's Tabian Baan - in this case my wife!

 

 

Good day.

To answer my own question above, the whole process COULD NOT HAVE BEEN EASIER. We went to the Tessabaan, me armed with Passport and old Yellow Book, Wife armed with Tabian Baan and ID. New book issued on the spot. 30 minutes at most.

[ubonrthai]

The road to Trakan is closed.

[transam]

4 minutes ago, ubonrthai said:

The road to Trakan is closed.

Plus the route from Ubon to Chong Mek, so I am told..

[ubonrthai]

The road to Yasothon, Hwy 23, also now closed.

[ubonrthai]

Immigration is accepting donations for people affected by the floods. They requested Mama noodles and water. A great chance to do your TM30 and help others. [emoji2]

[MrTrip]

The road to Yasothon, Hwy 23, also now closed.

[emoji33][emoji33][emoji33][emoji33]wow
Is that person fishing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MikeN]

1 hour ago, MrTrip said:

wow
Is that person fishing?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That was my immediate thought too ........

[ubonrthai]

The Mun River is "officially" over flood stage as of 8am. You can track it here. Click on the blinking red box. Any other websites for tracking the flooding?

[ubonrthai]

The Mekong is also at flood stage in Khong Chiam. Flood level is 14.5m and its currently at 15.4m. That website is here.

[Michael Hare]

Today I drove on the new second bridge across the Little Mun river just before Benchamat school. I am not sure how it will ease the congestion as coming off the bridge with two lanes, I think one is squeezed into one lane. A pity that the water-treatment department didn't give up a few metres of their lane to make the road off the bridge wider. 

[NiwPix]

They finally opened it? I'll be crossing it the coming days...looking forward to seeing construction at its finest ????

The new building / Food Court on Chaengsanit called Y-Square will open March 2nd ( KFC is already open there ).

Maybe you know @Michael Hare, I heard the mall they were building where the old Robinson was, was stopped and they built Y-Square instead. Do you have any knowledge on the progress of the old robinson area?

[Michael Hare]

19 hours ago, NiwPix said:

They finally opened it? I'll be crossing it the coming days...looking forward to seeing construction at its finest ????

The new building / Food Court on Chaengsanit called Y-Square will open March 2nd ( KFC is already open there ).

Maybe you know @Michael Hare, I heard the mall they were building where the old Robinson was, was stopped and they built Y-Square instead. Do you have any knowledge on the progress of the old robinson area?

I doubt if any mall will be built on the old Ying-Yong-Robinson site. These old family malls can not compete with Central. When I came to live permanently in Ubon in 1994 there four large Ubon family shopping stores in Ubon. Three downtown and Ying Yong. Since then SK and Sunee have opened. They are all struggling. During that time Makro, Big C and Tesco-Lotus have also opened as well. Have to wait and see if Y-Square Mall will prosper. 

[Michael Hare]

On 2/14/2020 at 4:19 PM, Michael Hare said:

I doubt if any mall will be built on the old Ying-Yong-Robinson site. These old family malls can not compete with Central. When I came to live permanently in Ubon in 1994 there four large Ubon family shopping stores in Ubon. Three downtown and Ying Yong. Since then SK and Sunee have opened. They are all struggling. During that time Makro, Big C and Tesco-Lotus have also opened as well. Have to wait and see if Y-Square Mall will prosper. 

Y -Square Food Mall may do okay if it is just that-a Food Mall. I see a new 7-11 is in the complex already. To be expected as the owner of Y-Square owns all 7-11s in southern Isaan. 

 

Currently under construction is a U turn road under the two double bridges acrossing the Little Mun river before one crosses the bridges to get to PEA. 

[NiwPix]

Just what the city. Another 7/11 and another accident prone section....eeehm....I mean another U-Turn

[SantiSuk]

Agree with 711 sentiment Newpix, but a U-turn under a bridge is not the same 'accident-waiting-to-happen' as a same-level U-turn. I read the proposed U-turn (as described) as being similar to say the U-turn if you are coming out of Central and wanting to go north-eastwards towards the Yaso junction on the Ring Road; down, under, round and up!

[SantiSuk]

A big up for Ubon passport office. Last week we went to renew my wife and daughter's Thai passports. Processed in less than 30 minutes. Received passports by SMS next day in rural Sisaket! I tend to go for afternoons with stuff like this and hospital clinics, as IME Thais all go earlyish morning.

 

I couldn't find a phone number online to check requirements for renewal and neither could my wife (not sure she tried very hard!) so just took everything. The only thing that I was not prepared for was a requirement for them to see my passport, which luckily I had anyway. An obvious requirement re a minor daughter's passport renewal when you think more cogently than I did.

 

The UK Passport Office could learn a thing or two from the Thais!

[Michael Hare]

1 hour ago, SantiSuk said:

Agree with 711 sentiment Newpix, but a U-turn under a bridge is not the same 'accident-waiting-to-happen' as a same-level U-turn. I read the proposed U-turn (as described) as being similar to say the U-turn if you are coming out of Central and wanting to go north-eastwards towards the Yaso junction on the Ring Road; down, under, round and up!

Exactly right Santisuk. It is an underpass road just like the one near Central. I certainly hope it is wider though. 

 

Regarding 7-11 stores everywhere in Ubon city. I was wondering if coffee shops outnumber the number of 7-11 stores in the city? I can't see how all these coffee shops make any money.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, SantiSuk said:

I couldn't find a phone number online to check requirements for renewal and neither could my wife (not sure she tried very hard!) so just took everything.

FYI and others about all the info you need to know for Thai passports can be found here in Thai. 

http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/services/10131

[BlueScouse]

23 hours ago, SantiSuk said:

 The only thing that I was not prepared for was a requirement for them to see my passport, which luckily I had anyway. An obvious requirement re a minor daughter's passport renewal when you think more cogently than I did.

 

 

My daughter was 19 years and 10 months old when we last renewed her passport. I still had to be there and show my passport.

[Michael Hare]

If you can, avoid the Charoen Sri market intersection on the Ubon Ring Road. Lengthy delays in some directions. Can take up to 30 minutes to get through the intersection. There seems to be a massive amount of roadworks these days in and around Ubon city. 

[SantiSuk]

WATER SPORTS AND LEISURE IN UBON-WARIN

Is there anybody out there interested enough in water-borne sports and leisure and with some experience to share and willingness to help a community development project targeting the River Mun?

 

I was contacted by a Thai gentleman who wanted to find out more about ‘bush walking’ opportunities around Ubon/Warin and had seen my facebook postings about the activities of Ubon Hash House Harriers. He is an orthodontist, trained in Australia where he became professor of orthodontistry at an Oz university (hence his choice of the bush-walking reference). He lives/practices in central Warin and is keen on personally redeveloping historic buildings in his immediate local area. His interest has extended into tourist (locals, other Thais, and foreign) development of Ubon and Warin and he is a member of a local government inspired committee, supported by the mayors of both towns and with expert project managing input from a national development agency, that is looking to launch a redevelopment plan for the area.

 

Last month I attended a brainstorming session at Ubon University with him and other representatives from interested government, private sector and community organisations and was invited to give input from an expat resident perspective about Ubon-Warin tourism and broader development opportunities. My main two inputs were about the opportunities for some great walking in the area and the under-use of the River Mun as a resource for locals and tourists. [I also believe that Chinatown is an opportunity going wanting, but it became clear that this is already well understood and plans are already starting to kick-off].

I intend to continue assisting this Thai gentleman in stimulating an interest in getting people out and about in the environs of Ubon/Warin and its surroundings by promoting specific walks and giving consideration to whether small business entrepreneurs can be enticed into developing offerings.

 

And so to the development of opportunities for making the most of the River Mun. I received a message from my Thai friend over the weekend as follows:

“Kindly advise; if there is any among expats, an expert in water sport like canoeing, boating or rafting, who likes to volunteer to establish water sport community in Ubon”. He later added another message to include sailing and we had previously discussed the fact that the lack of ability to book a guided tourboat on the river seems to be a tourist miss.

If ‘water sport’ implies a context of competitive activities I don’t think he was meaning to limit the potential development in that way – leisure activities and getting people active generally seemed to be more in the front of his mind than competition when we were chewing things over (but he may be interested in both competitive and non-competitive).

 

So …. If there is anyone out there who has an interest in these types of activities and/or any experience in developing the delivery of such facilities and who would be interested in giving advice to the project he would welcome an opportunity to talk to you. Please message me (or text/phonecall me on 0844664351). I would welcome any (constructive) comments on the basis of expertise or experience if you want to stop short of a meeting.

[Michael Hare]

Good to know Santisuk that these discussions are taking place to develop more recreational activities in the Ubon-Warin area. I am not sure if water sports and water leisure activities will develop further in Ubon-Warin. The water-park behind Central Plaza didn’t last long. I always thought Huai Wang Nong would be ideal for wind-surfing and rowing. Even Huai Muang, though I wouldn’t like to fall into that sceptic water. Out at Ubon Ratchathani university there is a very nice 3 km walkway around the big central lake. Even another walkway around a dam further down on the university farm.

I enjoy all water leisure activities, but these days, with work commitments, I find I only have time for a midday swim in a nearby public 25 m swimming pool. I swim at that time, because I can do lengths without bumping into other swimmers swimming across. That is because there is no one else there at midday.

[Martyjustice]

I have always enjoyed the river walk park at NKP. Well maintained, clean, and the total lack of vendor stalls all over. 
Could be worth a call from your friend to the management up there. 
Think it could be a great draw for people on the Warin side of the river. 

[SantiSuk]

NKP? Not sure I recognise where that is.

 

We Ubon hashers have covered most of the river within 15 clicks of the main Ubon-Warin bridge in our 12 year existence. In fact our last two 'runs' (most walk, some jog a bit!) have had River Mun highlights.

 

[Michael Hare]

NKP is Nakhon Panom. 

[Martyjustice]

Michael is right. About 3 or 4 hours north on the Mekong. North of Muk and That. 

[Martyjustice]

So has nothing happened in a year. Other than the virus thingy.