Coastal Energy spuds first Songkhla development well

LONDON: Coastal Energy Co. spudded the Songkhla A-01 well Oct. 8 in its 100-percent-owned Block G5/43 offshore Thailand. Songkhla A-01 is the first well in the company's development program of the Songkhla field. Coastal is drilling the well using Premium Drilling-managed jackup Deep Driller 7.

Coastal plans to drill four wells on the main Songkhla field and conduct production testing using natural flow and electric submersible pumps. Testing of the initial Songkhla A-01 well is expected to begin prior to the end of October.

The company plans to drill Songkhla A-01 to a total depth of approximately 8,500 feet (2,590 m) true vertical depth. The well is a direct offset to the original Songkhla No. 1 well, which was drilled in 1988 and tested at 1,500 b/d of oil from 80 feet (24 m) of net oil pay in the Lower Oligocene formation. A "competent persons report" prepared by Huddleston and Co. Inc. estimates the proven and probable reserves in the main Songkhla feature to be 4.9 million barrels.

Things To Do In Songkhla

Thale Noi Waterbird Park

Thale Noi is Thailand's largest bird sanctuary, but its not just for bird watchers. The huge Thale Noi lake at times resembles a swamp, with many marshy islands. Around 150 different species of birds stop here on their annual migrations between Siberia or China to the north and Sumatra or Australia to the south.

The peak period for bird watching is January to April, with as many 100,000 birds spending a few days here on their journey. The low season is around October to December.

Things To Do In Songkhla

Ko Yo Island

Yo Island is a popular day trip from either Hat Yai or Songkhla. The island has become especially popular since a bridge linking the north and south sides of the lake was built in 1984. At 2.6 kilometers (1.5 miles) long, its Thailand's longest span.

The main sight on the island is the Southern Folklore Museum on the northern tip of the island. The museum's goal is to preserve the unique culture of the south. The exhibits include houses, fabrics, pottery and other traditional arts. The museum is open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is 50 Baht.

The island is popular with shoppers, who like the rich cotton fabric produced on the island, as well as a wide variety of seafood products. Naturally, there are plenty of seafood restaurants to have an enjoyable lunch in during your trip.

Nov 5 decision on grandma’s marriage

A local Malaysian News.

: KUALA TERENGGANU, TERENGGANU, MALAYSIA

The Syariah High Court here yesterday fixed Nov 5 for a decision on a grandmother’s marriage with her second husband three years ago.

Justice Shaikh Ahmad Ismail set the date after allowing the application by Siti Fatimah Yaacob’s lawyer, Anuwar Mohd, who wanted to file a written submission.

The submission pertaining to consent to marriage, “iddah” (grace period after a divorce” and “tafriq” (separation order) is to be made before next Wednesday.

Siti Fatimah, 47, who has two grandchildren, married Wan Yosof Long, 63, in September 2005 in Besut using an unauthorised “jurunikah” (marriage official) and later obtained a letter of evidence of marriage from the Songkla Islamic Religious Council.

Two years later, Siti Fatimah sought a divorce through the Songkla Islamic Religious Author­ity. In March this year, she married a Pakistani man.

Following this, Wan Yosof filed an application at the Syariah High Court here to certify his marriage with Siti Fatimah.

Her Pakistani husband was present in court, even though it had ordered their separation pending the disposal of Wan Yosof’s application. - Bernama

Foods of the Thais

Until 1939, the country we call Thailand was known as Siam. It was the only Southeast Asian country never colonized by the West. This helped Thailand to maintain its own special cuisine (cooking style). However, that cuisine had already been influenced by Thailand's Asian neighbors.

The Thai (pronounced TIE) people migrated to their present homeland from southern China about 2,000 years ago. They brought with them the spicy cooking of their native Yunan province, as well as its dietary staple, rice. Other Chinese influences on Thai cooking included the use of noodles, dumplings, soy sauce, and other soy products. Like the Chinese, the Thais based their recipes on blending five basic flavors: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and hot.

From nearby India came not only the Buddhist religion, but also spicy seasonings such as cumin, cardamom, and coriander, as well as curry dishes. The Malays, to the south, further shared seasonings, as well as their love of coconuts and the satay (a dish that is similar to shish kebabs). Since 1970, Thai cooking has become extremely popular in both North America and Britain.

Rice is the main dietary staple of Thailand. Thais eat two kinds of rice: the standard white kind and glutinous, or sticky, rice. Sticky rice rolled into a ball is the main rice eaten in northeastern Thailand. It is also used in desserts throughout the country. Rice is eaten at almost every meal and also made into flour used in noodles, dumplings, and desserts. Most main dishes use beef, chicken, pork, or seafood, but the Thais also eat vegetarian dishes.

Thai food is known for its unique combinations of seasoning. Although it is hot and spicy, Thai cooking is carefully balanced to bring out all the different flavors in a dish. Curries (dishes made with a spicy powder called curry) are a mainstay of Thai cooking. Hot chilies appear in many Thai dishes. Other common flavorings are fish sauce, dried shrimp paste, lemon grass, and the spices coriander, basil, garlic, ginger, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon. Soup, eaten with most meals, helps balance the hot flavors of many Thai dishes as do steamed rice, mild noodle dishes, and sweet desserts. Many dishes are served with sauces, such as Nam Pla Prig, for dipping.

Coconuts play an important role in the Thai diet. Coconut milk and shredded coconut are used in many dishes, especially desserts. Thais eat a variety of tropical fruits for dessert, including mangoes, papayas, custard apples with scaly green skins, and jackfruit, which is large and prickly and has yellow flesh.
Thai food differs somewhat from one region to another. Seafood is popular in the southern coastal areas. The Muslims in that part of the country favor curries. The spiciest food is found in the northeast.

Things to Do in Songkhla

Songkhla National Museum

The front of the National Museum.

The building housing the Songkhla National Museum was originally built in 1878 by the province's deputy governor, Phraya Sundranuraksa (also known as Net Na Songkhla), who was a descendant of the modern city's founder. It was used as the governor's palace for a short time and later served as the city hall, but then fell into neglect for much of the mid-twentieth century. It was registered as a national monument in 1973, and was bought back to life and opened as a national museum in 1982.

The courtyard and elegant stairs at the back of the National Museum.

The exhibits are a wide ranging collection of artefacts from the province's past. They include a history of the Na Songkhla family which founded the city and supplied eight of its governors; furniture; pottery dating back to the Ban Chiang period; and assorted other bits of memorabilia. Outside are several cannons, many of which were salvaged from shipwrecks.

Although there are some quite interesting things on the exhibit, its the building itself that really shines. At the back of the house -- which we suspect was really the front -- is a courtyard with gates facing the Thale Sap on one end and an elegant curved staircase leading up to the second floor at the other end.

On the other side of the street from the museum on the south side is a fragment of the old town walls. They were built in the mid-eighteenth century, but were only finished a couple of years before they began being chipped away to make room for more streets.

There's a branch of the National Museum at Wat Matchimawat in the city's old town. The branch is only open in the afternoon.

Admission Fees

The National Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Admission is 30 Baht (about US$ 0.75). A small guidebook is available for an additional 3 Baht.

Festivals & Events

Songkran
is celebrated on April 13th each year. The traditional festival is held country- wide.
In Songkhla, the festival starts with the merit making ceremony by participants respectfully pouring water on their venerable elders and ending up with throwing water at each other. In Hat Yai, the festival is held on Niphat Uthit 1, 2, or 3 Road from morning until afternoon and the event is enjoyed not only by local residents but also by Malaysian and Singaporean tourists who arrive in Hat Yai in large number to celebrate this fun-filled event.

Thamboon Duen Sip Festival
Celebrated by the Buddhists of the South, the Merit Making on the Tenth Lunar Month festival originates from the belief that during the waxing moon of the month, souls of the deceased ancestors are allowed a period of freedom to visit their living relatives. It is the duty of the living to prepare food and bring it to the temple to make merit, In Sathing Phra, tall figurines representing venerable elders respected by the villagers parade along together in the procession.

Lark Phra and Tak Bat Devo
The festival is celebrated by residents of Songkhla on the first day of the waxing moon in the 11th lunar month (around October) in Songkhla town. The festival starts one day early with the robing of the pagoda on the top of Khao Tang Kuan. Early in the morning of the festival day, hundreds gather on the hill and proceed down the stairs to receive offerings from the faithful. Late morning is the scene of processions of artistically decorated vehicles with Buddha statue from temples in and around Songkhla. The vehicles are paraded around the town and the faithful make merits by joining the procession. Finally the decorated vehicles gather at Sra Bua (The Lotus Pond) for competition.

Bull Fighting
Bull fighting is a traditionally popular sport among the people in the South. Unlike bull fighting in Spain where a matador fights with a bull, the bull fighting of the South features a bull fighting another bull. A pair of fighting bulls is led into the arena for each bout where spectators can cheer and place bets. During the fight, specially trained bulls lock horns until one decides to call it quits and runs away. Each bout normally takes between 15 to 30 minutes.

Dove Singing Contest
Cooing doves are popular among Southerners, particularly residents of the five Southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Satun and Songkhla. The most sought after birds are from breeding farms in Chana District, approximately 40 kilometers from Hat Yai District on Highway 408, where dove lovers from neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore flock to purchase the birds. Dove cooing competitions are held annually between January and July. Criteria used in judging the quality of dove's sound is based on pitch, melody, volume, and continuity in its singing.