In the place we are now, here on soi 6, I built the tank in a shaded part of the garden, and as a result, the water is freezing cold during certain times of the year.
BTW......for those who have never tried it, you can make a really simple solar oven in your garden for a few hundred baht, and yes, it will cook your food. I've never demonstrated this to any Thais, but now I think I actually might just do that. I can imagine all the chit-chattering when they see a raw chicken go in, and a cooked one come out, and that without any fire, gas, or electric.
On a slightly different note........while the locals may not be too concerned about sustainability and etc. they do in general, tend to put less strain on the environment. For example, the average Thai family has monthly electric bills of a few hundred baht, whereas we spend thousands. Very few Thais have large lawns, while almost all expats do. Even their toilets are more environmentally friendly, in that they use a fraction of the water western toilets do, and they don't use millions of trees in order to clean their nether regions.....lol.
Like you say though, they do seem to have some sort of fascination with smoke and fire......lol. I also agree with you that the monks could do a lot to improve temple grounds, but I'm also old enough and wise enough to know that that isn't going to happen.
BTW......I'll send you a PM shortly so we can arrange for a visit....lol.
