Sunday in Ratchaburi

It is noticeably hotter. High 90s and warm all evening. The Thai winter lasted about 5 weeks, two of which could best be described as cool. But it is hot during the day and we took an afternoon nap with the air conditioning on today. What extravagance.

We have done very little today. Monday,tomorrow, is a public holiday, Mhaka Bucha Day, essentially to commemorate the Buddha. So given the heat just a day of taking it very easy. No birding, no painting, just a little bit of shopping and an Italian meal for lunch after mass. We are going to collect a second hand coffee table from Bagna in Bangkok tomorrow.

Thailand is peaceful and quiet at the moment. Mr Abhisit, the new PM, seems to have made a very auspicious start; he is reported to have secured a 64 billion baht loan from the Japanese to finance the construction of a new railway line from Rangsit, north east of Bangkok, to Samut Sakhorn, on the western side of the Chao Phaya estuary. With such developments Bangkok and the greater Bangkok area will take another leap forward.

Mr Abhisit did receive some very adverse publicity concerning the plight of the Rohingya refugees from Burma, specifically relating to the savage treatment dealt to them by the Thai authorities. I think, however, this treatment is more a Thai army issue as opposed to policy emanating from the new PM. Now that the world's media and Hollywood has had their say Mr Abhisit will take great care, no doubt, to ensure the situation is managed more humanely.

I must confess I am not a great news watcher. I'll watch BBC World and am reasonably up to speed with the world situation.....I am not missing the snow back home! As a general rule I don't watch Thai language TV though what I have seen leaves little for the imagination.... we are not spared corpses and maimed human beings . But as for local news I couldn't tell you if there have been any murders or stabbings in the Ratchaburi area. From www.thaivisa.com I learned of the brutal murder in Chiang Mai of a retired Brit. This does not appear to have been an indiscriminate act of violence on a visitor so I am not going to worry too much about it other than to say what a tragedy. I heard 4 motor bikes were stolen from Chinatown Ratchaburi during the Chinese New Year Celebrations!

it is really quite nice not really knowing what is going on around me. I could be better informed, of course, if I made more effort to read the papers and watch TV but to be honest I am not really too concerned. I feel very comfortable here. Few concerns for our personal safety and security. Sometimes I think I am too lax about house security and will come home one day to find that everything has been nicked. Car crime does not appear to exist, but clearly watch you motor bike!

Maybe I am imminently due for a rude awakening but I feel at ease here. I must stress I didn't live a life of fear in London or anywhere else but you know, in London, if you accidentally leave your mobile in your car then if the wrong person sees it they are likely to smash a a window and grab it.

So a pleasant relaxed lifestyle, and very much so today. Just watched Arsenal -v- Tottenham live, now watching West Ham -v- Man U and switching channels every few minutes to get an update on the rugby, Scotland -v- Wales, where the Welsh appear to be eating us alive. Right now I cannot say I am missing very much about the UK.