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Surprised more buildings didn’t fall. I presume many shifted/slumped. BKK is built on mush. “The subsoil consists of the layer of top crust underlain by the soft to very soft clay, which has the thickness of about 8 to 15 meters. The closer to the Gulf of Thailand, the thicker the soft clay deposit can be found. The water content of the soft clay is ranged from 80-140 %.” https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-general-soil-profile-of-Bangkok-subsoil_fig1_267216772

Yep - we know who they are - Ukraine (Democrat) supporters and those hiding here from being drafted. What next - provide a list of approved world leaders for t-shirts?? Lefties have a serious mental problem with reality - like him or not, Putin is the leader of Russia and is a public figure and many people like him and what he is doing. Not the same for Hitler, Genghis Khan, Mao, Pol Pot, Stalin, etc etc etc. but they are all figures of history and censorship is not acceptable. I would not wear such a shirt myself, but I would defend to my last golf ball someone's right to wear one and be an absolute dic****d.

History. Not always nice to ponder. Some of the stuff happening now will not be a good look in 50 years.

It's Tuesday 25th March Snaps here. The euca tree in number 4 farm looks out of place. Only this time last year it was surrounded by hundreds of others; all roughly as big. Will not be too long before the new-growths need trimming. Me and Mildred did the trees, in farm 4, last time. Took us probably 60 hours, spread over a couple of months. She has told me she don't fancy it again. I'm glad about that. Neither do I. Have I found the dirtiest road in Issan. Beautiful Thailand ruined by trash. At least in our area. I'm sure it's rubbish-free in other parts. The baccy plants are flowering. Is that the sign for harvesting? I pass that way every day. Keep my eye on things. Having a rest in the hammock, when I got a visitor. Just fantastic. Mildred planted a tree about 18 months ago. She has started getting fruit. No idea what the fruit is. Tasty though. They approach me when I walk over to give them food. That's cabbage and watermelon on the menu today guys.. If Robert is with me they soon flee to the water. He don't want to scare them, but the ducks are always on safety-first alert. Just in case. Not yet seen them in their purpose-built mansion. Looking to get some more duckies. Working on it with Mrs Snaps. The local children are back at school; just for this week. Then it's 30 days off. Mildred had me camera, and was messing about with the settings. Took about 20 pics. Just experimenting. This one was a cracker. The fish in number 6 are doing so well. This was the pond that was poisoned a couple of years back. Last year, let it dry out completely for the sun to get at it and sterilise everything. Now it is booming as before. Big Orange and White Long Tail eating the offerings. Did a nut-cut last week. About 2 tonne in all. The best result for ages. Split the trips into 2. Put the net over the first load. There are two wholesalers. Both about 40 km from the farm. As well as the nuts, both have started to take in eucas and cassava. I was interested in this, as I like the cassava waste, that comes out of the chipping. At the first depot, I asked for some waste, but they said 'no', as they had a regular buyer. I was there about 30 minutes, and in that time 4 m/cs turned up with their goodies. These nuts are from older trees. The bunches are ginormous. Some getting to 40kg. My total weight was 850 kg. Then it was back to the farm to load up again. Much more this time. Have to make sure nothing is gonna fall off. Went to the other depot this time. This is what I was after. They had about 5 tonne. I asked if I could have a pick-up full. They obliged, and all was quickly done with the big loader. Nuts came to 1010 kg. Cassava waste; 1095 kg. 264 Baht fo the cassave. The next day bagged the goodies up. 52 sacks; each holding roughly 20 kg. It's not easy to bag it up. Even a tonne in the pick-up starts to ferment after a few hours. It gets hot. Hot like toast straight out of the toaster. I'll try to get another load next time. That will be enough for the top part of the farm. Just over 100 palms. Even after bunging Kun some dosh for helping with the bagging work, it only worked about at 6 baht a sack. Cheap, compared to the chicken poo, at 25 baht a sack. On the way back from the second depot, I spotted a beautiful tree, a couple of hundred metres away from the road. I was full up, so couldn't get too near. Next time I'll get down the track for a closer look. Or walk over. These trees are all over Isaan. Now and again you see one that is perfectly balanced; if that's the word. I know their canopy can get to as wide as 40 metres. This one only half that. Mildred at it again with my camera. +++++ Thailand 2 - Afghanistan 0. Typical Thai names. England won their two matches. Are they in a soft group or what? Albania; the team they beat 2-0, just walloped another group-member 0-5. At the week end there were just the lower divisions playing. In Div 2, there were just 15 goals. And 3 games accounted for 12 of those. Five 0-0 draws!! Football proper starts up again in a few days. +++++ There was a family in the village keeping ducks a couple of years back. Gonna find out where they got them. I like ducks. So does Mildred. Another 20/30 would be great. Wars everywhere is seems. Is The Don finding out that words are much easier than actions? The pound against the Baht is holding up. When it went to 42 a while back, I feared the worst. On first visit to Thailand it was 73 Baht for one squid. Mildred went to school today - and yesterday - for just a few hours. Off now til Monday. then its 30 more days off. Great! We have agreed, that every other day we will have a bit of Maths, a bit of English and a game of chess. Maybe a bit a human physiology. Went into the Hat Lady's shop in Ban Dung yesterday. Bought myself some reishi strips, to make me wine. There she was! Looking so good. She looked at me - what to say - nostalgically. 'Long time no see', she whispered. A few outstanding tasks on the to-do list. Fix the hole in the water pipe at the back of the bathroom. The cat - don't know which one - got into the roof space and busted a bit of ceiling. Fix the oil heater. Plenty of time for that though. Sort out the Mrs plant-pot outside the gate. Dump the 10 sacks of leaves, accumulated over the winter, to the farm and throw them into the paddy. Might get on with that today when I go to feed the ducks. Do do stuff though. Earlier I sorted out a fan that wouldn't turn. Have not yet made up me mind about the durian growing. Might leave it to next year. Have decided to do one more solar system next month. This one will be a challenge as the panels will be 9 metres up from the ground. Put the Mazza through the MOT yesterday. Flew through. Have to pick up the badge and paper-work on Saturday. Bought some fish yesterday. 600 pla nin (tilapia) and 18 mekong cat-fish. 1120 Bhat i all. Pics next post. That's if for now. Snaps in the boonies signing off. +++++ Isaan street racer.

This was the strongest earthquake I have ever experienced in terms of strength and duration. I have experienced others quite strong but they only lasted for a few seconds. This one was a good 3 minutes. I live in a 2 storey house and wasn't particularly bothered until it went over 1 minute. I went downstairs when there was a bit of a lull and even downstairs it was difficult to stand up. I think I can safely say there will be a lot of people looking for low rise housing. Some of the condos have suffered a lot of damage from what I have heard.

Indeed! Happens all the time in our village. Secret footy talk. ''Don't tell anyone I said this. But, you have lovely hair.''

Who do the Falang that complained think they are? Bet they were Liberals .

Yup. No communication is safe these days. Even if I whisper something to my wife whilst we are outdoors and all alone it seems that people still find out what I said.

Chased him down the road on a motorbike to 'help' him. Yeah of course they did! Smacks of a mugging gone wrong.

Thanks for those kind, and rejuvenating, words Rattles. I'll be 78 this year. Don't feel a day over 76! I'm getting a hiding on the JFK Bird Flu thread on the AN sister site. Derogatory words, insults and one even - well more than one actually - say I should seek medical help. The funny thing is; I do my best to stay away from it. But at least the posts are staying up; this time. CharlieH must have had a word after a mod removed 20 in one hit. I love my life here in upper Isaan. Beautiful nature is all around. Have dogs, cats, ducks, wife, daughter and fish that rely on me; for their well-being. Although, for sure, before long I'll be relying on them. Fortunately my health is holding up well. But!! I've lost some of my insightful outlook on life. Now, when I see a nice looking bit of fluff, my first thought is; 'can she make a nice cup of rosy.' Not that I look at bits of fluff that much. At least not while the wife is about. Want to see my next birthday. This elderly body can't take the whacks that it did previously. Went fishing yesterday. Caught 20 eaters. Five to Kun, 5 to Sister Land - who cares for GrandMa, at her house - and the rest will do us for a while. Fished in pond 2 for a short time before calling it a day at 5-30. There are only two Sawai it that pond, and would you Adam and Eve it, one took me bait. It was a much bigger fish than the Nin we were catching, so couldn't 'swing' it in. And we had no net at hand. Mildred went down the bank to unhook it. Here's the top fish catcher; adjusting her float. a stiff bit of grass with a few poly balls stuck on. Don't like any sun. Have to improvise with the tackle here. Let's hear it for pencils and cable ties. Talking of fish. Just before she broke up, Mildred had to paint a picture on the theme of 'Creatures' for her art exam. All the children, well, not all, but the ones doing art as a subject, had two and a half hours to do their stuff. There was another exam painting. The art group each had to copy a part of the school. The teacher kept that one. So can't upload it unless she gets it back at some stage. There was no time limit on that one. Just updated her www. www.mildredart.com

It seems to have happened on the Sagaing Fault which stretches south into the Andaman Sea. I'm guessing the geology of the fault line has a lot to do with the wide area affected. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagaing_Fault

So we have 1-20; as in time. Or maybe 13-20. Year 2025. Date 28th of the 3rd.. Where is that lottery lady?

I don't agree... a 13 year old is plenty old enough. You're unnecessarily conflating a grown-ups irresponsible driving here. A 13 year old motorbike driver in Thailand arguably is a better driver than most other adults in Thailand... especially overly presumptive, obtrusive foreigners. Your sense of correctness is misplaced in this comment.

Sarcasm the bloke was obviously a Leftie.

FIXED? Either way... it seems Thai dentists have he has been spared his misery.

Great track!

Snaps here. It's Tuesday - 18th March - 2025. Ban Dung is gonna be the new Bangkok. Works to the North and South of town are steaming ahead. Another Global House. There is one in Udon. One just out of Udon on the H2 toward Khon Kaen. Another at Non Han, on the Sakon Nakhon Road. They are taking over! Just a stone's throw, further north, there is another big build. Don't yet know what this is gonna be. South of town, opposite Big C, there is a huge building going up. Mrs snaps says that Ban Dung is gonna have its own province soon. We will see. But she is never wrong. Not a particularly nice structure this. But I've seen three such building around. It's the colours. Must be a Peacock fan. The salt fields are in full swing. Nearly all the salt is now collected in black holders. Then it's put into sacks. Each sack weights about 40kg. There are thousands of them. Once the rain starts, they move onto the other gathering method. Cooking/boiling. I kid you not. I'll get some pics once that starts. They told me they were gonna wash the Mazza. I said 'no'. I explained that the pick-up don't like being washed. Would you Adan and Eve it? The next day there was a short burst of rain. Here's Poo. Mother of the triplets. Of course, if yer pick needs a new shaft, you just look around for a suitable branch. There ya go. Saw a little pick-up - very little - in Ban Dung. Think it sits two in the front. Will not get a lot of nuts in the back. The bit of spare land nearly opposite us put a sign up. I'd like to rent it, for a cat's home. Told the Mrs my idea and she went to have a gander. Not for sale or rent she said. So I've no idea what the sign is about. Keep cows away perhaps! The bulb had popped on the outside light. Soon had it sorted with an empty biscuit container. A bit of mastic to make in waterproof. And it was good to go. The original broke years ago. Big market by the river last week. I didn't go, but Mildred did, and took some pics. Quite popular this once a year market. That's money blowing in the breeze. Donations. Mrs snaps went for the Buddha good luck. Buffaloes. There is something going on around this area. They have diverted a biggish river, and started major works. I'm gonna investigate as soon as I'm able to get over that way. About 10km for us. It was me yer honour. I was manouvering the Mazza over to use when I fixed the light. And!! Who put the pot there in the first place? Never mind. Got a ring from the farm and sorted it. The Mrs said she didn't want the neighbors seeing my handy-work, so covered it. Another job on the 'to do list'. The new car cover the Mrs got at the market. A guy dropped into the village restaurant for a nibble. What parking?! My pineapple is showing again. This will be the third one from the pineapple head planted three years ago. A well earned rest for the farang. +++++ Well done Toon. are Pool on the slide. Bad little spell for them this month. Forest keeping the top 4 a reality. Seagulls earn a good point at City. What happened to Cherries? Dear me. Lost at home. Orient win away after 6 losses on the spin. Can't afford any more dropped points if they are gonna get into the play-offs. Blades beat the Owls. F1 started up in Oz last week end. I was interested in the sport a few years back. Even went to Brands Hatch a couple of times. And Doddington. +++++ A vid of some people supposedly catching kois to eat has surfaced in the UK. Sad. I remember about 25 years ago, a couple of Polish guys put a net across the Grand Union at Tring. They got caught because someone was watching from an upper window at the pub. Killed hundreds of fish. Think they got fined. But no worse than some Kiwis who shoot carp with a bow and arrow. It's a cruel world. The first half of Mildred's holiday has raced by. She goes back to school at the end of the month for 4 days, then another month off. There is a thread on AN about making chocolate. I'm gonna give that a go. Seems simple enough. Want cocoa powder, coconut milk and honey in equal measures. Then into the freezer for a few hours. Then into the fridge. Mildred loves chocolate. Not done a reishi brew for over a year. Must visit the hat lady, Ting, to get some strips. Got to keep my strength up. Anyone a fan of Van the Man? Check out his Eden Park Concert. Brilliant. Especially the Parchman Farm song(s). No luck on the Thai lottery. No '2's, no '0's. Stupid lizard. I'm gonna stick to my own methods. Been a couple of leccy cuts recently. The latest was this morning, when it went off a couple of times, between seven and nine. Not so hot today. Off to the farm for the second time in a short while. Have to keep feeding those ducks. Only one thing left to say; bye y'all.