Riverbank Stone has once more been
MESSING ABOUT BY THE RIVER
Well, it's October as I write this and we are up to our oars in boat
races. Every weekend, neighbouring villages are out trying to outdo each
other on the mighty Mekong.
This year the promise is that the races will return to 5 kms length.
The course from Wat Meechai to Wat Tat creates a great scene for the punters
and one hell of a challenge for the 50 human engines on board. And Wat
Meechai provides the best shade, the coldest beer and a chance to see the
town's "Yai Mao" (chief drunk) at his best!
The International (TAT sponsored) boat races passed through town a few
weeks ago and provided a preview of some of the local teams. TAT had advertised
international crafts to be on sale as well. There were: shower shoes from
Vietnam, pirated baseball hats from Cambodia and 99 baht VCDs from Thailand.
It's a shame that merchants do not take an interest in displaying and selling
REAL local handicrafts at these events.
The floods have finally receded and I can get in and out of my house
without water wings. As I whinged about the inconvenience of this year's
flood it dawned on me exactly how bad it is for the Thais during the floods.
On my soi alone the 2 resident tuk-tuk drivers went weeks with no income.
The other fellow was unable to graze his cattle and hundreds of folk in
town went through the same or worse times. The only government official
I saw during the whole time was an Immigration cop speeding up and down
the soi on his jet ski!
TRANSLATION: THAI-ENGLISH / ENGLISH-THAI
Top value service from the English
proofreaders of the Provincial Hall's website!
"Good Morning Chiangmai News"
Just e-mail us at gmorning@loxinfo.co.th
with your requirements. Legal & business contracts; reports; personal
communications - all handled accurately in strictest confidence.
All this brought to mind something my father said years ago. "If
you work for the government in any form you must never forget that it is
the people who put the food on your table. You are a servant of the public."
I wonder if the people on the public payroll in Thailand ever look at things
that way.
The preceding question is obviously rhetorical. If they did, wouldn't
it be the Mayor, policemen, poo yai barn and khamnan who waied
the people who pay their wages instead of the other way round? When officials
show up an hour late for an event, leaving people standing in the hot sun,
aren't they showing their opinion of the people?
JUST LIKE THE REAL THING?
Almost! The Spitfire Mk V111 in RAAF livery (no red to avoid confusion
with the enemy by ground gunners), arguably the best looking piston-engined
plane ever! Framed in dark Thai timber, each piece is numbered and only
1000 pieces will ever be produced. Made by Thai craftsmen with care.
Anyhow, out and about in Nongers, Nobbi continues to do the best schnitzel
in town and Jose has relocated the Cantina to the perfect place for a Mexican
restaurant - next door to the Nong Khai hospital. Actually, his food is
brilliant to the point that last week I looked at the Mekong and wanted
to jump in and swim north. The queasadillas are my favourite, not far behind
the Mexi-Melts and "3-hands-needed" tacos. And his home-fry style
chips are plump and crisp. And last but not least it has been reported
by more than one source that the Nong Khai Immigration office ripped the
"Retirement visa" rules of the office wall and are now issuing
their own edition of the law. Seems you must have 800,000 Baht in a Thai
bank, proof of 65,000 Baht a month retirement income AND proof that 65,000
Baht is transferred to a Thai bank each month. So much for Nong Khai becoming
the Geezerville of the Orient.
And to end it this month:
"You know that you irritated the
barmaid when there's a string hanging out of you Bloody Mary".
Riverbank
Stone
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