SURIN Province is the southernmost province in the Isaan area of Thailand:
Isaan is the northeastern region of Thailand, bordering Laos and Cambodia. A large, agricultural area of rice fields and small villages, it's distinguished by its Lao-influenced language, food and culture. In Nakhon Ratchasima (also called Khorat) is Phimai Historical Park, a Khmer Empire temple, similar in style to Cambodia's iconic Angkor Wat. Khao Yai National Park is a mountainous area with tropical forest.
Isaan consists of 20 provinces in the northeastern region of Thailand. It is Thailand's largest region, located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River (along the border with Laos) to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Sankamphaeng Range south of Nakhon Ratchasima (aka Khorat).
Area: 168,854 km²
Population: 21.95 million (2016)
FRIDAY 2nd MARCH:
Uncomfortable sticky night; not yet accustomed to the Surin heat and humidity. Night time temperature not dropping below 29ºC.
A day of organising and sorting things. Unlike most people who come to Thailand purely on vacation, we have to deal with similar mundanities as if we were home in UK. For instance, the car needed taxing, a slow puncture in a rear tyre needed fixing, trips to a supermarket, purchase of a new mattress etc, etc.
So, after breakfast we left young Jack with his grand-parents and were on the road to Pratas to sort out the former two duties.
The idea of buying a new mattress would seem to be a simple affair but it brought home to me again one of the oddities of Thai society, logic and business sense.
I've witnessed this phenomenon many times over the years and it's a phenomenon whereby, for instance, a Thai will open a business (say a Salon); you can guarantee that within a short period another Thai will open a similar business, not down the road aways, but right next door or as near as possible. This is frequently followed by a third and even a fourth. Elsewhere in the world anyone wishing to open a new business venture will go out of their way to find a location where there is NO competition. One has only to drive down any of the rural trunk routes to see strings of business all selling the same stuff.
OK, back to the mattress purchase and the reason for ranting on about this. We were told the location of a furniture outlet in Pratas and, lo-and-behold, there were two right next door to one another.
We opted for the larger and smarter looking emporium and wandered about looking for a suitable mattress. Eventually, an old lady appeared who turned out to be the owner. This lady had not the slightest clue what she was selling; no advice, no prices on anything, no nothing. We left bemused and went next door to a totally different environment.
As it turned out, the owner was a distant relative on Aom's mother's side of the family. She told us they'd been in business on the site for over 10 years. Only a year ago this other person had decided to build a new building to house her business which, of course, was selling identical produce. It turned out that the second business had hardly sold a thing; millions of Baht's worth of goods just sitting there with little chance of being sold.
In the end we bought our mattress along with a new wardrobe, did a bit of haggling and got the lot for a very reasonable sum along with free delivery.
Job done, it was then off to Surin city outskirts to suss out a new fridge-freezer. The existing one in the house is over 25 years old, still working (just) but looking very worn and tatty. A discounted Samsung model was decided upon. Duly paid for and tethered into the back of the Toyota pick-up we were off again, stopping off for supermarket produce and a top-up of diesel.
Food and ice-cold beers set the evening off and completed the day.
SATURDAY 3rd:
I was up and about early to beat the sun and ensuing heat whilst madam and Jack slumbered on.
A couple of coffees and a stint on some crossword took me to a decent Thai breakfast.
Aom, Jack and mother went off to visit her 95-year old grandad (I'll pop in and visit on another day).
Very hot today 38.5ºC with hardly a breeze. Needless to say I stayed undercover most of the day.
Mid afternoon, however, Aom & I drove out to a roadside noodle place and ate a late lunch.
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TOP: Our house in Phanom Dong Rak, Surin.
BOTTOM LEFT: Our driver, Towan (white shirt), his wife (far left), in-laws; Chet and Somjit & yours truly.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Aom amongst some of the farm livestock.
SUNDAY 4th:
Up just after dawn when the air's still cool and wandered off solo across the farmland, camera at the ready. It's so incredibly peaceful here; just the sound of tropical birds, the farm's chickens, and the occasional vehicle without a silencer (typically rural Thai) from the road a couple of miles away. Not a single con-trail to pollute the sky; Superb!
Back at the farm by 09:00 with breakfast ready and waiting.
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Various scenes around the farm (taken early morning; 07:15)
TOP: Some of the cattle grazing
SECOND: Casava on the left; young sugar-cane on the right and mature/ready to harvest sugar cane in distant right.
THIRD RIGHT: Charcoal burner. Still in regular use in spite of the undergrowth.
BOTTOM LEFT: Rice (paddy) field waiting to be flooded for the new crop in a few weeks.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Duck, chickens, turkeys, geese all squabbling for a dip. The water is teeming with fish, mainly catfish which make excellent eating:
SUNDAY 4th (continued):
Rest of the daylight hours spent lazing and reading in the hammock under the shade of a leafy tree.
In the evening a gathering of some of the family arrived to help celebrate my birthday. Lots of beer and a huge Birthday cake appeared and devoured by all.
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TOP LEFT: Well it was my birthday.... why not?
TOP RIGHT: The cake(s) are on their way.
CENTRE RIGHT: Young Jack has already thieved some cake; the evidence is clear to see!
BOTTOM: Some of the family at the birthday bash.
