timmyp

There must be some research into how the Thai lettering system affects reading ages....... my gut feeling is that in general Thai people although "literate" by and large are not very good readers and the flow of information from the outside world is slowed by this system too.

the point of education , I observed something interesting ,.I gave the sister inlaw a sentence of about 30 words to read and she is a school teacher .it took her at least 3 to 4 times as long to read the sentence than in english . my girl could read the english quicker .they need to revamp there're language like the Chinese did back in the 1980's

You wrote it in Thai and she had trouble reading it? And what is the reason you don't think your level of Thai was the problem?

The problem here is not that the written Thai language is so hard, and only monolingual English speakers are spouting such crap.

BTW, your rambling, garbled post suggests to this entire forum that you aren't in any position to make any comments about literacy.

'The government is urging schools to revive the spelling system ...' Revive which spelling system, precisely?

I'm just guessing, but there was some simplification to how Thai writing is taught in recent years. People who learned in the older/traditional system think the changes are silly. I would give some examples, but we can't write in Thai on the site, and it wouldn't make sense if you don't already write. I'll venture a guess that reviving the spelling system means teaching the alphabet how it used to be taught.

This thread is dead, but I just wanted to add this.

Just now I was just listening to a popular Japanese news program, and apparently a law has just been passed in Japan forbidding the sale of raw pork liver at restaurants. The newscasters were lamenting on how unfortunate this is, how they will miss eating raw pork liver. The new requirements are that the pork liver must be applied to a heat of 70 degrees for at least 2 minutes, after which it can be sold legally.

Maybe they should get rid of their spelling system and adopt an easier alphabet?

Then they should have time to teach children something about the world we live in?

You're really an insightful genius. These backwards people should throw out their ridiculous scribbles and get a proper, sensibly logical script like English that is so much easier to read.

Four years ago I purchased a motorbike that had been owned by a Swedish man who had been out of the country for well over a year. The proof of residency had therefore expired. I was given an envelope that contained documents from the original Swedish owner. I do not remember all of what was contained in the envelope. It mostly had the necessary forms already signed by the Swedish man, but lacking dates. This was legal. I changed the registration of the motorbike over to myself in Bangkok at the Dept of Land Transport.

I am about to sell my motorbike so I am really wondering about this: Is a certificate of residence not needed for a farang seller?

Someone please clarify, I don't want to waste 500 Baht for nothing.

Yes, you absolutely need a certificate of residence.

If you have immigration send it to you, then it takes a week for the letter to arrive at your apartment. I think it costs around 200 baht, but I'm not sure. If you get if from your embassy, then it will probably cost at least 1500 baht.

Four years ago I purchased a motorbike that had been owned by a Swedish man who had been out of the country for well over a year. The proof of residency had therefore expired. I was given an envelope that contained documents from the original Swedish owner. I do not remember all of what was contained in the envelope. It mostly had the necessary forms already signed by the Swedish man, but lacking dates. This was legal. I changed the registration of the motorbike over to myself in Bangkok at the Dept of Land Transport.

I didn't pay an extra "corruption fees" to allow this to happen, it was all legitimate. Because I had all the necessary document, I didn't have any problems. I can't remember what documents were required, but it certainly is possible to change the title over despite the foreigner being out of the country for so long.

I highly suggest getting the bike legal. While you can pay your way out of small problems, if you get in a serious problem (which is definitely possible with a motorbike), things are going to get far more complicated if you are driving an illegitimate vehicle. I fully empathize with someone taking risks because there is no choice, but it sounds like you have a choice here, so I disagree with anyone suggesting that you it's easy enough just to drive the bike around without getting the title changed.

It just rejects whatever I type. The only character that appears like that is ว่ and it gives me the "you hit the wrong key" sound whether I hit ว or ไม้เอก, regardless of the order. It keeps the letter there for two beats, though, just as you say. It's still a cool program.

Sorry. I don't check here very often, so have only just seen your problem. Anyway, this should now be fixed. Perhaps you could let me know if you still have problems?

Thanks.

Thanks, ThaiNotes. It's all working fine, including the ones that require 3 key strokes, such as รู้

Coming to terms with the wrongs committed by a government in the past is certainly a noble thing to do. But why are they doing this now? It would be wonderful to think that it's out of a sense of moral justice, but I can hardly believe that's the real inspiration for taking these steps.

som dom can be called a food of the underclass but it can be healthy and tasty without fermented crab parasites - cysts.

mexican mole is underclass food by history and superb but not known to cause hepatiis liver disease/cancer

Som Dom?? Do you mean som tam?

Som tam? You mean sôm dtam

Really, everyone knows what he meant.

timmyp: I like fermented foods, and plaa raa is one of them. I have never gotten sick from it.

I was unaware of the health risk, so now I'm happy to have been turned on to this information. I'm glad I never got sick from it.

While it sounds like there is solid evidence to be concerned about plaa raa after reading the links, it's important to remember that there is often strong prejudice against the food of other cultures, of food eaten by the underclass, etc., then a hunt for reasons why that food is unhealthy.

I'm sure plaa raa would be fine if it were prepared safely and correctly, just like sushi and raw chicken, raw beef, raw horse, etc. (all eaten in Japan). If not prepared correctly, food poisoning is a serious concern.

I am curious. How do you prepare correctly, raw chicken?

Like under cooked pork or raw fish that is one hell of a risk an eater does not need to take IMHO

The chicken is usually soaked in a light vinegar. Obviously the chicken has to be handled safely, from before the time it is slaughtered. Japan has a tradition of dealing with raw foods, so there is particular care given by certain suppliers knowing that the meat will be eaten raw. Chicken, fish, meat is cleaned and immediately put on ice (but not frozen) and eaten immediately.

Of course there are still incidents of food poisoning from eating raw food every year in Japan. I don't defend eating raw fish or raw meat, I'm only saying that there is particular care given from before the slaughter with the knowledge that it will be eaten raw. I am more concerned about eating raw fish in a country where the fish were not handled with the understanding that the fish would be cooked.

I got food poisoning the second time I had raw chicken in southern Japan. Nobody else got sick, just me. I guess I ate the wrong piece. I was sick for about a week. It wasn't salmonella, but a bacteria related to salmonella that is common in chicken. I've had raw chicken loads of other times and never got sick. Of course I don't recommend it, but sometimes we are in situations where it's very bad form to say no, very hard to decline. Great to stick to once principles in such situations, but sometimes we have to weigh the risks and make changes.

I thought it was common sense not to take antibiotics without a good reason to do so! Popping antibiotics just-in-case is the entire reason antibiotics are becoming less effective (to say nothing of what that is doing to your body!).

It's not true,

They put antibiotics in animal feed, so whenever you eat meat you get a low level dose ..... and that's why bugs are becoming resistant.

The antibiotics in the food chain is a big problem too! But the bigger problem is over-prescribing them for every sniffle.

Well, that settles it, no more som tam for me.

Speaking of parasites, Ive read several post here about taking medications periodicaly for worms or other parasites. My Dr, says that is not a good idea. He said if there is a concern about parasites, get a stool sample and then you can be certain if a treatment is nessesary.

I thought it was common sense not to take antibiotics without a good reason to do so! Popping antibiotics just-in-case is the entire reason antibiotics are becoming less effective (to say nothing of what that is doing to your body!).

I like fermented foods, and plaa raa is one of them. I have never gotten sick from it.

I was unaware of the health risk, so now I'm happy to have been turned on to this information. I'm glad I never got sick from it.

While it sounds like there is solid evidence to be concerned about plaa raa after reading the links, it's important to remember that there is often strong prejudice against the food of other cultures, of food eaten by the underclass, etc., then a hunt for reasons why that food is unhealthy.

I'm sure plaa raa would be fine if it were prepared safely and correctly, just like sushi and raw chicken, raw beef, raw horse, etc. (all eaten in Japan). If not prepared correctly, food poisoning is a serious concern.

som dom can be called a food of the underclass but it can be healthy and tasty without fermented crab parasites - cysts.

mexican mole is underclass food by history and superb but not known to cause hepatiis liver disease/cancer

Som Dom?? Do you mean som tam?

I like fermented foods, and plaa raa is one of them. I have never gotten sick from it.

I was unaware of the health risk, so now I'm happy to have been turned on to this information. I'm glad I never got sick from it.

While it sounds like there is solid evidence to be concerned about plaa raa after reading the links, it's important to remember that there is often strong prejudice against the food of other cultures, of food eaten by the underclass, etc., then a hunt for reasons why that food is unhealthy.

I'm sure plaa raa would be fine if it were prepared safely and correctly, just like sushi and raw chicken, raw beef, raw horse, etc. (all eaten in Japan). If not prepared correctly, food poisoning is a serious concern.

Three years.

When my 3 years were up, I looked for a place that would do advanced Thai for a fourth year. Nobody offers it.

If anyone knows of a place, please tell me. I would happily take the class, even without the visa.

After your 3 years studying Thai, you can get a visa to study another language: Chinese, Japanese, or English. I have been told that western Europeans will not be allowed to get a visa to study English. I believe you can only get a total of 10 months to study those languages. I don't know if that 10 month visa can be renewed, I'll let you know when my 10 months have finished!

Added: Mario is correct, you gotta leave the country each year to get a new student visa to study Thai.

I read this on the sanuk "news" website last night. I am far more shocked that she used that water for bathing than her skimpy attire. I hope she took a bath after she took a bath.

She's acting inappropriately, so she deserves people's disapproval. I don't see where the Songkran comparison comes in, it wasn't songkran, so the attire and activity where and when she did it were out of line with acceptable behavior. It bewilders me how common sense escapes people when they visit countries that are foreign to them. I am most of all, though, bewildered by people who defend such behavior.

Ok, all that said, it's really not that big a deal... it's worth a roll of the eyes and a sour face of disapproval. Jop.

The illegal gun is no big deal, but the shisha??? Unbelievable. Shishas are so dangerous.

Truly selfless of the PM.

"Cycling is also good to the environment"

How is that?

And how does cycling reduce carbon emissions? (And what would be the problem with the carbon emissions? The problem is that gasoline purchase finance the crazys in Arab countries).

It does not. It would only if you use the bicycle instead of the car. Not if you go with the car to the Suvarnabhumi bicycle area, cycle there an hour and go back with the car.

Good for health but not for environment.

You're right, reducing the number of cars on the road in Bangkok by getting people to ride bicycles wouldn't affect pollution in the city at all.

I know a guy who paid his way out about 2 years ago. It was pretty pricey, 25,000 baht when it was over, I think. I know another guy who had to go through the court system, but they were very lenient on him, and it essentially got chucked out with no record (they basically processed him for driving without a license, thus skipping the drunk driving charge). Both are good friends, this is not a second-hand rumour.

That was pre-junta, though.

Er, I don't drink, so this isn't any statement on drunk driving or how the laws should be applied. Just offering info to the OP.

As many have pointed out, alcohol is surely Europe's most consumed recreational drug. Clearly they mean illegal drug, which will hopefully change soon. Anybody that is against pot really is really ignorant as to what it is, and should get some direct experience with it to finally realize that it's not something that threatens society.

If someone is against pot, they should really be against booze, as alcohol is clearly more dangerous.

It's been a while since I used the steady typing game, but from memory, it pauses two "clicks" for you to type characters with tone marks. Just make sure you type the tone mark and consonant in the correct order.

It just rejects whatever I type. The only character that appears like that is ว่ and it gives me the "you hit the wrong key" sound whether I hit ว or ไม้เอก, regardless of the order. It keeps the letter there for two beats, though, just as you say. It's still a cool program.