They say the Eskimos have many words for snow but not too many words for swamp cooler.

I'm not sure if it's true, but it's certain that the same principle applies to logistics in Thailand. Here is a sign I spotted along the highway between Chiang Mai and Mae Taeng in Northern Thailand:

That sign pretty much says it all.

Thailand is a wonderful, laid-back, fun place, but if there's one thing Thailand's not good at, it's logistics. If you want a train to arrive on time, or the workers building your house to buy the right amount of materials and tell you when they'll finish, or the power company to deliver the 30amp 240volt service you ordered, or your wife or girlfriend to tell you about how much the family will spend this year, I'm afraid you're out of luck.

Perhaps that explains why it takes a 56-Thai-letter phrase to even name the beast, let alone a set of very large parentheses which seem to suggest "Logistics (or something, um, sorta like that, er, thingmy, whatever it is)."

However, while you're waiting for your train to arrive several hours late, you can eat some amazingly tasty desserts being sold by hawkers carrying baskets full of snacks suspended from bamboo poles over their shoulders. Even though your house's roof still isn't finished, and your deck was made from 1/2inch thick concrete that is liable to crack at any minute, your Thai family will still be able to perform the auspicious monk blessing ceremonies and throw a smashing housewarming party for 50 friends and neighbors. Your power may dip down to 98 volts every time your neighbor takes a hot shower, and shut off completely every time it rains, but your family hardly notices as they whip out the candles in mid-sentence and prepare the same propane-stove or coal-pot meals their ancestors have been making for centures. And even though your life savings may run out at any moment, at least you're living life rather than riding out the dreary living death that you had in the cubicled office back home.

Like It?	Like what you see on this site? Want to see more in the future? Donate Submit this site (helps attract more readers) del.icio.us Buy Books/CDs (use these links and we get a 15% commission—you pay the same) Lonely Planet Thailand LP Thai Phrasebook Thailand Islands and Beaches Lonely Planet Laos Thai & English Dictionary Thai for Beginners Thai for Advanced Readers Lao for Beginners Thailand Fever Thailand Fieber Thai for Lovers Lao & English Dictionary Retiring in Thailand How to Buy Land and Build a House in Thailand How to Establish a Successful Business in Thailand Thai Law for Foreigners Choose any title from Paiboon Publishing Buy Amazon Books (use these links and we get a 4% commission—you pay the same) Choose any title at Amazon.com
Google Ads
Shameless Plugs	If you find this information useful or entertaining, consider browsing these shameless plugs for things that me and my friends do to earn a living.
	allaboutpai.com A site about Pai, my peaceful home in the mountains of Northern Thailand.
	thailand fever I co-authored this bilingual cultural guidebook to Thai-Western romantic relationships.
	thai-english software dictionary Check out my Thai-English, English-Thai dictionary for Palm OS® PDAs.
	mapfling.com: free custom maps with your own labels Party? Meeting? Request a map, label it yourself, and easily fling it to your friends!
	world's stupidest everything See some of the worst the world has to offer, and add some of your own! World's Stupidest Holiday and Birthday Presents - stupidest-presents.com World's Stupidest Wedding Websites - stupidest-wedding-sites.com World's Stupidest Baby Websites - stupidest-baby-sites.com World's Stupidest TV, Movie, Music, and Sports Stars - stupidest-stars.com World's Stupidest Politicians - stupidest-politicians.com World's Stupidest TV Shows - stupidest-tv-shows.com World's Stupidest Movies - stupidest-movies.com World's Stupidest Blogs - stupidest-blogs.com World's Stupidest Websites - stupidest-websites.com World's Stupidest Company Websites - stupidest-company-sites.com
	lurkertech: video tech and diversions Buzzword bingo, bill the borg, MEZ, lurker's guide to video, and Thai, oh my!
	thailand your way Travel with my friend Nang, who is a great nature, birding, and cultural guide.
	jeed illustration My English-fluent Thai friend Jeed is a freelance illustrator who is available for hire.
Copyright	Entire website copyright 1999-2008 Chris Pirazzi unless otherwise indicated. License for use: Text, PDFs, and images are copyright; no usage without explicit permission. Audio files available under Creative Commons BY-NC License JavaScript and CSS code available with link under AGPL: details.