Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

But Tomorrow I Start The Diet!

Loy Krathong

For nearly 800 Years Thai People celebrated the feast 'Loy Krathong' - Lights Festival - on Full Moon of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, so in November, in honor of the goddess of water Mae Khong Kha. This year the festival falls on the 13th November.

During the celebration people suspend small boats made from banana sheets in the water. When they drift away, as they believe, they take along all the sins, sorrow, sickness and bad luck of the last year. At the same time they commit their good wishes for the new year to the goddess.

And of course, there is also a tradionell 'Loy Krathong' folk song ... playing morning until night on the radio and with everyone humming it whilst making their krathongs.

The Lyrics:

In Thai, using Roman characters:

Wan Pen Duan Sip Song
Nam Koh Nong Tem Taling
Rao Tanglai Chai Ying
Sanuk Ganjing Wan Loy Krathong
Loy Loy Krathong
Loy Loy Kratong,
Loy Krathong Gan Laew
Koh Chern Nong Kaew
Awk Ma Ram Wong
Ram Wong Wan Loy Krathong
Ram Wong Wan Loy Krathong
Boon Ja Song Hai Rao Suk Jai
Boon Ja Song Hai Rao Suk Jai

Translated into English:

The full moon of the twelfth month,
As water fills the banks,
We, all men and women,
Have really good fun on Loy Krathong day,
Float, float the krathongs,
Float, float the krathongs,
And after we have floated our krathongs,
I invite you my dear,
To come out and dance,
Ramwong [traditional dance] on Loy Krathong Day,
Ramwong on Loy Krathong Day,
Good merit brings us happiness,
Good merit brings us happiness,

Unfortunately this years Loy Krathong was impaired by heavy rainfalls.

Tempel Closed In Bangkok

During the Cremation Ceremony for the older sister of Thailands King Bumiphol, her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, which had died of cancer the beginning of the year, remains the Royal Palace and the main Temples in Bangkok closed from 14.November 2008 until 19.November 2008.

Danger In The Sea

Until a few years ago, they were still unknown in Thailand. Now a dangerous type of jellyfish has been discovered off the coast of Krabi Province and the island of Koh Phi Phi. The nettle animals can poison their victims with paralysis.

The coastal authorities have warned tourists accordingly on the island of Koh Phi Phi and in the Krabi Province, reported the 'Bangkok Post' on Wednesday.
Some species can have up to 60, sometimes several meters long, tentacles. The touch of the toxic animals causes severe burns and paralysis.

In fear of this animals australian swimmers use nettle safely swimsuits while bathe in the sea and whole beaches are fenced.

Reassuring for "Thung Makham" and the whole Pacific-Coast is, up to now the animals was sighted only in the Indian-Ocean.

Source: dpa/spiegel online

On The Wrong Way

Best Kuai Tiao in Town

For Fast-Food-Lovers Thailand is a Paradise. You'll get a snack at almost every street corner. At nearly any time.
A very clean and delicious one is the soups stand of Miss Ganjahna in Paknam ( at the roadcross near 7/Eleven). She offers one of the best Kuai Tiao's (Noodle Soups) I've ever had. And at a fair price.
Bon Appetit.

Elephants have always right of way?

New Cashier In The MT-Resort

Since the widely popolur Nok has left the MT-Resort in January 2007 the owners of MT-Resort had no happy source in the choice of a successor. The girls came and went.

Now it looks as if a new star has risen. The newest cashier named Apple is not only beautiful but also very sympathic.
Good luck Apple ... hope you stay a long time.

New Car In Town

'How many roads must a man walk down .........?'

After a long, long time of patience waiting, the day has come - the
new car of Net and Mulek arrived. It is a brand new Honda CRV. Black-of course. Beautiful-of course. I've had a test-drive already. It goes like hell. And the chassis makes you feel like you float on air. Good bargain.

Naptime on the main road

Foto by Robert

New Water Supply

The New Water Supply for our Bay has been start running in late Juli. After a installation period of nearly twelve month the system is now 'working'.The construction-costs amount to over 675.000 THB. I'm sorry to say since launching we have had a few failures. Could only get better. Think positive.

But the system will be real blooded in April 2009 while 'Songkhan-Festival'.

MT-Resort In New Design

The Owners of the MT-Resort, Kiew and Chai, haven't taken fright to renew their turf in a 'Golf Course Style'. Inspired from the new Novotel in Ban Khomu they designed their garden with course grass. It looks beautiful.

Charly the old/new Greenkeeper is very happy about this structural alteration cause he got a brand new power-mower. The tenses of scythe are over. No more back-pain anymore.
If David would know this ...

House Burned Down

A wooden house, placed near the beach in Thung Makham Yai has burned down up to foundation walls. The Family - Mama, Papa and three babys - had, of course, no insurance. Now they dwell in a shack near their old house. Poor Family, they kept only the things at their bodys, anything else burst into flames. Any kind of donation is desired. For forwarding please contakt Net Mayazes.

Thais Eat Their Babys?

Mr. Felix - aka Pak Peelips

The australian author and documentary filmmaker Felix Hude alias 'Mr. Pumpy' visited the bay and lived twelve days with us. Amongst others Felix is well known as the man who is biking 'South East Asia'. - Have a look at: http://www.mrpumpy.net/ - Felix selve discription sounds: "I live in Indonesia, make films, write and ride a bicycle."

But he performs a lot more. We got to know him as a day and night thinking and working philosopher, who is permanent lost in thoughts about his numerous projects. Especially I wondered about his enormous store of knowledge in Rock Music. I think our neighbours were certainly surprised to see him work outside in our ' Sahla ' up to three o'clock by night.

Personally, this interaktiv Comic, one of his earlier works, is my favourite: http://stuff-art.abc.net.au/atm/ATM.swf

C'mon Felix ... ride on.

Heavy Load

Bauhaus Style

A house in, for Thai conditions, unusual style purchased in recent month at the Thung Makham Yai Bay. His cubic basic forms with the large proportion of glass seemed initially quiet misplaced to me. This the 'Bauhaus-style' like house I rather would have suspect in the residential areas of Malaga - Spain.

Meanwhile, I used to change the sight and should probably accept that in our bay the 'modern' does not pass.

Of course, this house is fully air-conditioned and furnished. What this price can be expected.

20 million Baht are required. - Incidentally, it is still available.

Driving Etiquette - Thailand

• The first rule of driving in Thailand is: Don't!

• The second rule is: Don't!

The most incredible thing about driving in Thailand is that a people who are so lovely, friendly and forgiving turn into complete monsters when sitting in a car or complete idiots when sitting on a motorbike.

Actually driving in Thailand isn't quite so bad as its reputation would have you believe, but it still is not to be undertaken by the faint of heart.

Things to Remember

• Drive on the left. Although others seem to drive anywhere they like, officially they're meant to be on the left.

• Motorcycles get everywhere. The locals refer to them as a swarm of flies. If you don't know what side mirrors are for, you soon will.

• People flashing their headlights means 'don't go' - the opposite of what it (normally) means in the UK¹.

• When overtaking someone, it's a good idea to sound your horn repeatedly so that the vehicle you are passing knows not to pull out. This may at first seem to be quite an aggressive way of driving, but it's for your own safety. Even if you are overtaking someone, it's not unknown for the car behind you to overtake while you're overtaking.

• Also be aware that although drinking and driving is illegal in Thailand, some people still do it. You may be sober, but other drivers may not be.

• If there's an accident it's your fault. No, really.

• You will get stopped by the police for doing what everybody else is doing. Pay up and live with it.

First (and second and third) impressions of the roads in Thailand will have you thinking that driving is impossible. It works because everybody on the road knows what to expect, but don't forget that you don't know what to expect.

Before going to Thailand to drive, practice what you learnt in your driving lessons, particularly how to use your mirrors and be very aware of what is going on around you. A clear country road isn't an excuse to drive quickly - a motorcycle is quite likely to appear from behind a bush and pull out without looking and you really don't want to drive into them at even 30mph. You can kill an entire family like that.

Getting a Car

Cars can be hired at airports and there are many small private hire companies scattered all over the country. A car should come with insurance, but check this before driving off. Get an International Driving Permit² as you will need this. A reasonable saloon (auto or manual) should be about £20 per day.

Getting Stopped by the Police

The Thai police are... well, they're the police. If you're stopped by the police you will get a fine. Fines are about B400 (about £6), but you may be asked for less; around B200 (about £3) is a common amount.

Whatever you do, sort things out at the side of the road. Don't argue. You did something wrong (even if you can't understand what it was) and give them the money they ask for (but be discreet when handing it over - folding it in your licence or handing it over under your licence is normally best). Don't argue. It'll cost you more if you do and cause more inconvenience to everybody.

You won't be able to tell if the police officer is genuinely giving you a fine or pocketing the money as a bribe. Although there are some officers who do earn money from bribes in this manner, not every policeman is doing this. Even those that do pocket the money³ are trying to make the roads safer and will only target you if you did something wrong.

Having an Accident

If you have an accident then don't move your vehicle at all. The police will turn up and you should try to get your insurance company to come as well. If you're renting a car then ask them what to do and who to contact before you drive off.

Parking

It's normal to park without putting on your handbrake (but only where the car won't roll away). It is also normal to double or triple park and to park so as to block others in at a car park. Always try pushing cars out of the way if you're blocked in.

Never put on your handbrake if you're blocking somebody else in. You will not be popular.

Although parking appears to be a free-for-all, the Police do write out tickets, so you cannot just park anywhere. Most of the no-parking signs will be written in Thai, so they won't be of much use to you, unless you can read Thai of course.

Don't park by a kerb that is painted red and white, or in front of railings that are painted red and white.

Getting Away with It

Even getting stopped and fined by the police isn't the end of the world. So long as you haven't hurt anybody, driving in Thailand is a very good way to get a good look around.

Once you learn the ways of the road in Thailand, it is a great place to drive (or motorcycle) and a superb way to see a lot of the country that many tourists miss.

---

¹ This is actually what it's meant to mean in the UK too, but it isn't often used correctly.
² Available at many main UK post offices for £4 or from the AA. Bring a passport photo.
³ The Thai police officers that you see on traffic duty will normally be earning B6000 to B7000 per month (about £100).

Source: h2g2 (Thanks - couldn't say it better)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A923663