Thread: Drought

Originally Posted by Gravesend Dave

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

When I last spoke to my wife, she told me that the government is going around and sucking up water from everyone's pond. They came to ours and our BIL got out there and had a big verbal battle with them and told they they can not have our water. He said we do not ask for money from the "government" so they can not have our water. He won in the end, but I wonder how much of this goes on around Thailand.

They had four large pump trucks going around the village telling everyone it was so that people could take a "shower." I would have to call BS on that since they are probably selling the water at another location.

Even though I am in the US now, I will be glad when it starts to rain in Thailand. Any drops falling yet?

Normal vilage people hold no standing with goverrnment so either I would call BS on you or say your very naive and have been for some time.

Did the sil suggest you inject a bit more cash as they are short by any chance

Sorry to be negative but don,t sound right.

Don't know where in Issan you are living, but in my little neck of the woods uniformed police don't come out without army back up. If someone came saying they are Government and wanted to take water or anything without the village permission they would more likely have a high speed projectile enter their head than get anything. Bangkok is another country to most out here. Jim

Yesterday afternoon, after checking the local northern Sakhon Nakon weather forecast predicting more hot, dry weather, I drove the ten kilometers into the district market in search of the ingredients for another fine Isaan meal. Within minutes of arriving in town, the sunny skies turned dark, quickly developing into a monsoon-like deluge. It never ceases to amaze me the size that rain drops can form. Looked like each would fill a 1/8 cup measure. After about 10 minutes the streets were covered with 3 to 4 inches of water. By the time we left town a half hour later, there were only a few sprinkles.


Back in our village, the ground was still dry. Only a few drops had fallen.


Early this morning I got up, went outside, and looked up into a cloudless, moonlit sky. Figuring that it was as good a time as any, I got the hose out and watered the plants along both sides of the property. I barely got the hose put away, when it started to rain. It was about an hour long, steady rain shower. A good soaker. Just what the area farmers needed as they are preparing the ground for rice.

It is starting to "green" up a bit here. 9 KM from Renunakon, and I think about
6 Km from the Mekong River. Rain 2 out of the last 8 days......
Village is "Ban Na Kohn" to small to be on a map......and Songkram was non celebrated
this year.

Rained every day here for 2 weeks, not big rains just thunderstorms passing over. Not enough to fill the dams or cause flooding, just enough to take the humidity to sweat box level. Jim

Flying up to Udon, I could see several big Anvils in the distance (Laos) but most of cumulus were very tall and thin affairs giving very isolated showers. Fair bit of rain swept over from Wanon, through Phang Kon, travelling South to Wawitchapum, but was very narrow band. Have been caught up in 3 big thunderstorms in 3 days but no rain in our village. Quite a few fire trucks going around in the South of Sakon Nakhon province but mains water is still flowing in our area.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Originally Posted by Gravesend Dave

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

When I last spoke to my wife, she told me that the government is going around and sucking up water from everyone's pond. They came to ours and our BIL got out there and had a big verbal battle with them and told they they can not have our water. He said we do not ask for money from the "government" so they can not have our water. He won in the end, but I wonder how much of this goes on around Thailand.

They had four large pump trucks going around the village telling everyone it was so that people could take a "shower." I would have to call BS on that since they are probably selling the water at another location.

Even though I am in the US now, I will be glad when it starts to rain in Thailand. Any drops falling yet?

Normal vilage people hold no standing with goverrnment so either I would call BS on you or say your very naive and have been for some time.

Did the sil suggest you inject a bit more cash as they are short by any chance

Sorry to be negative but don,t sound right.

Don't know where in Issan you are living, but in my little neck of the woods uniformed police don't come out without army back up. If someone came saying they are Government and wanted to take water or anything without the village permission they would more likely have a high speed projectile enter their head than get anything. Bangkok is another country to most out here. Jim

Sorry Jim I don,t actually live in the village any longer
Where I was police mainly only came to line their own pockets,the worst ones were plain clothed( scruffy cnuts ).

Yes they were all official police from Sang Khom Nong Khai.I did witness army or security forces more like( all black uniform ) but only at music advents.There is a army base in Sang Khom but just for training and border back up I think.
Border control on the main run through that area,but army coming to the local villages NEVER!!.

Well you must be in the bad lands!, where are they as I was certain none exist in issan only down South.

I lived in a shitty village for almost a year Jim preach your rubbish to others.

Be careful up there Jim it sounds dangerous

Shame your not still a policeman

Originally Posted by Gravesend Dave

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Originally Posted by Gravesend Dave

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

When I last spoke to my wife, she told me that the government is going around and sucking up water from everyone's pond. They came to ours and our BIL got out there and had a big verbal battle with them and told they they can not have our water. He said we do not ask for money from the "government" so they can not have our water. He won in the end, but I wonder how much of this goes on around Thailand.

They had four large pump trucks going around the village telling everyone it was so that people could take a "shower." I would have to call BS on that since they are probably selling the water at another location.

Even though I am in the US now, I will be glad when it starts to rain in Thailand. Any drops falling yet?

Normal vilage people hold no standing with goverrnment so either I would call BS on you or say your very naive and have been for some time.

Did the sil suggest you inject a bit more cash as they are short by any chance

Sorry to be negative but don,t sound right.

Don't know where in Issan you are living, but in my little neck of the woods uniformed police don't come out without army back up. If someone came saying they are Government and wanted to take water or anything without the village permission they would more likely have a high speed projectile enter their head than get anything. Bangkok is another country to most out here. Jim

Sorry Jim I don,t actually live in the village any longer
Where I was police mainly only came to line their own pockets,the worst ones were plain clothed( scruffy cnuts ).

Yes they were all official police from Sang Khom Nong Khai.I did witness army or security forces more like( all black uniform ) but only at music advents.There is a army base in Sang Khom but just for training and border back up I think.
Border control on the main run through that area,but army coming to the local villages NEVER!!.

Well you must be in the bad lands!, where are they as I was certain none exist in issan only down South.

I lived in a shitty village for almost a year Jim preach your rubbish to others.

Be careful up there Jim it sounds dangerous

Shame your not still a policeman

Don't really follow your post or what it means.
I live on the land border of Lao and for a lot longer than a year, no police presents, only border soldiers, people openly carry firearms on the street. Guess what my kids play in the street and we have no front door or locks. Safe as can be, come here and screw around, be it alleged government or just chancers and you are likely bound for a one way walk in to the jungle. Jim

I don't know about drought but a big storm has hit (a.m. Friday 3.5.13) just south of Ubon. It's been as dark and windy as a summer's day at Skegness for the last 30 minutes and now there's rain, rain, and more rain.

bobforest

Udon thani
Hopeful signs of the end of the drought breaking last night around 1 am, a powfull electriacl storm, when on for 4 hours. Some rain and much cooler temperatures. Fingers crossed.

^Same here in north-eastern Sakhon Nakon Province. The storm hit after 1 am. We had about 3 hours of significant rainfall. Just got our power back.

Yep. Heavy all night here. In spite of the annual talk of drought, it's coming as per normal. Tractors out yesterday turning over soil. Planting in 3 or 4 weeks.

Went round our sugar crops last week in Nong Ki (Buriram)..& the fields need water badly..all around us many sugar crops are taking on a yellow tinge..every teatime the wind comes, it clouds-over, but no rain..
BUT, for the last 2 years our local 'Rocket Fest' around the 11th/12th has been a wash-out by late afternoon..let's see eh..??

Here is the Thai meteorological prediction for the year. Read it for what its worth. From what I see in Isaan, we will get heavy rains but for a shorter period. Maybe short season rice would be better this year?

http://www.tmd.go.th/programs%5Cuplo..._EN_095338.pdf

Came down big time here [Emerald Triangle, not Golden Triangle ] Last night and much of today. Loved it, as the rain has broken the 2 month heat wave here. Jim

Yesterday's rain seems to have been across much of Sakon Nakhon and more rain last night/this morning. Guess the problem is in the central Isaan region more than upper NE.

No rain here. If you follow the rain at TMD you'll see it's quite spotty in Esarn. There's nothing normal about the weather in my view. We got a downpour about a week or so ago and since then its been dirt dry again. Everyday the radar shows some place in East or Southern Esarn getting something but it's just a certain area. Right now the rainclouds that come up are really dropping mostly north to south from what I see. About a month or so again they were flowing west-east. Maybe we are in transition. Most of the serious rain we get in the NE comes from the Philippines during the rainy season from what I've seen.


For Esarn...
TMD Weather Radar






I'd like to post the link to the US navy's typhoon warning center but the link seems to have disappeared from google search.


Here's an odd one...
Global Hazards Atlas

I spent the first half of today driving around most of West Sakon Nakhon and South Nakhon Panhom in pretty heavy rain. I'd say it was more like August rain than May but then it always feels like that when you get wet.

Rain in the area was late this year but not so late as to be drought. They were transplanting rice into the fields in a few places just north of Nakhon Panhom but it did seem a lot drier as I got closer to Mukdahan Province. The main problem was that the rain was so heavy in our village it had nowhere to go and the lower parts were ankle deep in water. I also saw several areas where the water had taken a good layer of top soil from fields with it.

Rice growing strategy for the year depends very much on where you are and drainage of particular fields. Top fields for us will always be short season and bottom fields will always be long season. Too early to decide percentage mid season going short or long yet. Nice to have enough of a slope to decide later though.

Originally Posted by jamescollister

Originally Posted by IsaanAussie

Ever the technical expert Jim. What sort of pump did you buy? Answer, A yellow one.

That's it, went to the shop and said the yellow one, put it in our black car. Not much more I need to know, except that the beer is in the ice. Jim

lol: Expecting largely unmaintained pumps to last forever is somewhat unreasonable regardless of point of manufacturer methinks. The motors last well but usually the capacitor ( that tubular lump in the box on top) sometimes go tits up.

I have the motor and impeller part of one of our well pumps ( a blue one..four bolts easier to remove than cutting and re-attaching of the three blue pipes)...it is awaiting my decision as to new one or not...got it to run okay but the bearings are obviously shot.

Of course the wife says "long time already..new one better...if fix break again soon"......better listen to her sage advice methinks.

"Blue one ..put in back of rust and green dented truck next to blue boxes with the horse on" should do it...

Rice fields this morning in Akat Amnuay District of Sakhon Nakon, after almost a week of daily rain.

Originally Posted by Borey the Bald

Rice fields this morning in Akat Amnuay District of Sakhon Nakon, after almost a week of daily rain.

Close enough geographically, as it's been raining heavy here [Kalasin] predictably in the early morn and early evening - for the last week.
Has a feel of mid June then that of early May.

Surin is light.
And planting would be under way in a two weeks time....maybe.

A year ago we got rain around this time for three weeks then it all stopped until August. I just don't trust the weather. We got some nice rain yesterday for an hour or so and today it looks like it's going to rain again, but this is after a week or so of no rain. RS I think you noted earlier in this thread that the rain is unpredictable in Surin. I hope for the best but don't expect much because as history goes there's little logic to the weather here. About 15 years ago there was some Thai 'expert' who said that if there were a world-wide nuclear war an area of Esarn would be the least unaffected by the radiation. The way the weather seems to pass us by makes me think that we are in the center of that spot. I'm so jealous of those who have fair rain half the year or more.

Bucketing down here at the moment, will have a good nights sleep under a blanket. No rubber will be tapped, one loss another gain, sometimes money is of less value than a good nights sleep under a big blanket. Jim

Originally Posted by Goodwill

A year ago we got rain around this time for three weeks then it all stopped until August.

It is normal for rain to start in May, increase in June, drop down in July and the increase again August and September. It is very close to where the sun is during these months....

Last year was a problem because of the gap betewwn planting the seedlings and transplanting. The rain didn't arrive in time for the main fields to be flooded for the transplanting and the ponds ran out of water if you left it too late to transplant. Many villagers had to buy a second crop ready for transplanting as it was too late to start again from seed. Others transplanted okay but then the rain stopped and the fields went dry too early.

I still think the problems last year (and most years) are in the Central Isan area around Khon Kaen and chaiyaphum rather than further NE Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Panhom, Nong Khai regions. I expect Udon to be under flood by the end of July/Mid August as usual.

I find it frustrating to see so many areas flooded and others bone dry within only a 100km due to poor water management. The amount of work required to better manage the situation cannot be done at the personal level or even the Provincial level. It requires a major investment by Central Government by people that are more concerned about the Country than they are about themselves.

Troy, I believe that you are right about the location. Our place is just East of KK. Very dry and very hot. Sai says that one of my nephews nearly collapsed from working in the heat of the day. She also has resorted to turning on the AC for a few hours a day. That is not like her at all. When we built the house, her room was excluded from AC spaces. Said she didn't like AC. Apparently, it ain't quite so bad after all except the electric bill went up to B1000/month. Hope the rain comes soon.