timmyp

I love this story! Never a dull moment...

The surrogate mother of Gammy spat back at the Australian father: "You're the not father!" and I thought that implied that the Japanese billionaire was the father?

And then there was a Russian egg donor to make the baby half white and half Asian? 

This is just so freaky! Keep it coming!

When did this crossed-arm gesture in Thailand come to mean, "no more" and "cannot"?

I swear it comes from Japan... but just curious if anyone else has any ideas.

The first time I saw a Japanese person do that, I was thinking, "<deleted> are you talking about? What's with the arms?" and the Japanese man thought that this was some sort of internationally understood gesture. I've seen Thai people do it increasingly over the last 10 years.

 

Sounds almost like a silly set up so they can have a go at it in the ring... 

What a freak show... why is it that we pay attention to these people??

As I type that comment, I realize that I was drawn to the bizarre title of the article, and read it from beginning to end...

 

It's definitely not a set up judging by these photos of her in a hospital bed... http://www.bjpenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/christy-mack-injuries.png

 

We have to pay attention to these people / this "freak show" because domestic violence towards anyone regardless of their celebrity status or gender is is not acceptable. Even though it was a horrific accident this situation will hopefully educate people on abuse or help those in a similar situation seek help.

 

I don't think it's a set up either, these folks are nuts enough for this all to be true. I was just saying that it almost seems like one. 

Sorry to sound dumb, but I don't thing there is a Nobel Prize for mathematics??? When did it start?

There's the "Fields Medal", but I think Alfred Nobel left out math on his list of prizes....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields_Medal

Sorry, but you do...just a bit.

" the first woman to win a prestigious Fields Medal, widely viewed as the Nobel Prize of mathematics."

Plus the inverted commas around "Nobel Prize" in the title....says it all. really.

Oh, i think I'll be getting a few messages pointing out my dumbnessisty. Sorry about that, and thanks for the correction--

Sorry to sound dumb, but I don't thing there is a Nobel Prize for mathematics??? When did it start?

There's the "Fields Medal", but I think Alfred Nobel left out math on his list of prizes....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields_Medal

It did say the 'Nobel Prize of Maths' not the Nobel Prize in Maths.

The first line of the article states: "the first woman to win a prestigious Fields Medal, widely viewed as the Nobel Prize of mathematics."

I agree the headline was misleading, but it was explained at the start of the carelessly crafted "story."

Ha! You're totally right, and I am a moron for reading too fast and still thinking I should make a comment.

You need to start by hiring native speaking english teachers only. BTW wasting money on paid junkets as such are not only a waste but a crime.

I strongly disagree with this obsession of "native speakers." 

You need to higher qualified teachers. If the English level of the Thai teachers is low, then they need to get it higher, not hand off teaching to unqualified "native speakers." 

Who makes a better physics teacher: Albert Einstein, or a high school physics teacher???

You need someone who knows how to teach and knows the topic they are teaching. Native speakers usually don't have a clue about their own language.

A Thai native teacher is far more likely to know 1) how to run the classroom, 2) the challenges the learners are going to have with pronunciation and grammar

Native speakers just have good pronunciation, and that is only a part of what the learners need.

It makes more sense for the Ministry of Ed to invest in teacher training and getting the language skills of the Thai teachers up rather than wasting it on unqualified farang who don't have a clue how to teach.

Sounds almost like a silly set up so they can have a go at it in the ring... 

What a freak show... why is it that we pay attention to these people??

As I type that comment, I realize that I was drawn to the bizarre title of the article, and read it from beginning to end...

Sorry to sound dumb, but I don't thing there is a Nobel Prize for mathematics??? When did it start?

There's the "Fields Medal", but I think Alfred Nobel left out math on his list of prizes....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields_Medal

I am a fan of immigration and the dept of ed requiring at least 5 hours/wk of Thai language, even 10 hours/wk seems appropriate to me, but 5 hours a day???  That's getting silly.  

Actually, the "natural method" over at AUA in Bangkok requires their students to do 5 to 6 hrs a day... Are you talking about AUA? Their philosophy (for those of you who don't already know) is to sit and listen to the language, and through several hours of exposure per day, we absorb the language like we absorbed our mother language when we were kids. It's a totally goofball approach, I think, but that sounds like the school that would be requiring such a block of time. The other schools don't even have a curriculum that could give you 5 hours per day!

This story gets freakier by the day! Now there's the same man fathering these babies?

Who is this Japanese billionaire?? 

When the surrogate for Gammy lashed out to the Australian couple telling the father that he isn't the real father-- Does that mean the rumoured Japanese billionaire is the father? 

If I were reading a crime novel that had these twists in the plot, I would have put the book down for being contrived and unrealistic!

Lord, you can't make this stuff up! I hope the authorities continue investing hard cuz this is some fine entertainment.

Keep it coming, I'm a big fan!

Japan is thrilled to have the tallest representative in the group for a change.

I offer my highest respect to the rebel Asian politician who doesn't dye his hair and eyebrows a sleek jet black. 

Convicted pedos should not be allowed to have children in any way, shape or form.  No adoption, fostering, surrogacy, natural means or by virgin birth!!!  1 of the many rights you should give up when you are convicted of the lowest form of crime.

Of course that's the case. No adoption agency would let a child molester adopt a baby. I assume that's why the couple sought a surrogate in Thailand.

This story keeps getting freakier... first the story of abandoned Gammy, then the Australian couples retort, then the Japanese guy with all the babies, then the new about the Australian father being a child molester, and now the back-and-forth between the surrogate mother and the Australian couple...  this is as freaky and tragic as it is entertaining to watch unfold.

He is certainly better off in the temple than on his own, but I imagine there are some serious hardships ahead. He's never followed rules before, and he probably won't take well to them now... and he'll be teased by the other kids in the temple for sure. Other kids can be seroiusly nasty. It's really heart breaking to read about this boy and think about what is ahead for him.  

That guy is a Yakuza facility manager, not a young man yearning to be loved by his kin.

I would place a big bet on Yakuza as well, and that he is working for higher ranking folks.

Whoa, the part about the heads in the fridge is pretty haunting... be sure to read the rest of the article by clicking on the link!

Part of me feels like paying attention to these stories is ethically wrong, and gives these twisted people the attention and "glory" they seek.

But it's so fascinatingly disturbing... can you imagine being a cop on a normal investigation and stumbling across 2 heads in the fridge?? That's gotta require some counseling afterwards...

Are those 2 women in the photo really tourists???

 

Interesting as I recall the students in his school and possibly town celebrated his victory but I guess those who don't understand he was born in Thailand and taught by Thai teachers and is 12 years old in 3rd grade (is that 4 years older than typical Thai 3rd graders?) and this was not a spelling or language contest he won but rather handwriting (calligraphy / penmanship) contest might want to try to slant the story of one kid because of where his parents were born into some reflection all Thai kids. 

 

 

 

I totally, totally overlooked this point.  In all this discussion, I haven't heard this brought up either! Thanks for highlighting this.

>I personally don't know any Thai who cared about this except to wonder why some people were trying to make a bige deal out of nothing.

That is what I would expect to be the case, and what I am guessing most people feel, but so far I have only heard people discuss this as a threat or proof of national laziness, and then there was the M2F online poll. I guess people who see it as insignificant news don't care to bring it up, as it's not worth discussion. 

Wow, so the kid was stuck in 3rd grade as a 12 year old... That's so silly... when I was a kid in Chicago, a Cambodian refugee who was 11 years old was put in my 2nd grade class, and her 12-year old sister into the 3rd grade classroom. This concept of a language learner having the language skills of a kid has since been abandoned, but some folks still cling to it... sorry, a bit off topic. 

The fact that this kid was so much older makes it even more bizarre that folks would see this as a threat... "Thailand will be overrun by the big kids!"

 

My understanding was the Thais generally celebrated his victory. The vast complaints or negative comments I have read have been from farangs who believe Thais should be upset.

 

Most of the Thai people I heard talking about this seemed to give it chuckle, "I guess Thai folks need to work harder." They said it like it really wasn't a big deal.

On the tabloid M2F's online version, over 90% of the people who read the article said that it was "bad news."

I also heard a couple of news stories about it on the radio, both focusing on the threat to Thai society because foreigners are working harder than the Thais. Another radio program had listeners calling in, and the listeners talked about what it meant to have a foreigner beating out Thai kids, and how this was a symbol of Thai laziness. It was brought up at the gym, where some people chuckled about it, and others saw it as proof of national downfall. Nobody ever once said, "Aw, it's the same as a Thai kid winning it. Congrats to the kid for his success, this doesn't threaten national identity at all." <--I have not heard this opinion from a Thai person or Chinese-Thai person even once, although I'm sure there are people out there with this opinion

I think you've been talking to a select group of Thai people. 

As far as the foreigners go, I've heard some Thai-bashers say things like, "Proof how lazy the Thai folks are!" but the vast majority of foreigners I've heard talking about this and who have posted on TV are saying, "This isn't a big deal, but I think people are going to start talking about how this is a threat, which it isn't really.

So, I have to disagree with your assessment that foreigners are the ones making a big deal out if it, that Thai people don't think it's a victory.

If some Thai people want to use this as inspiration to work harder, then wonderful. But I think it's just going to fuel misconceptions of what national identity is or should be. 

Lord, I can't believe people are trying to see a symbol in this kid getting acknowledged for his efforts. 

I'll bet the kid can't write in Burmese well at all because his education and studies have been in Thai. He's just like any Thai kid...  

I mentioned this story to a Chinese-Thai friend, who defended the position of Thai people being upset that they were beaten by a "foreign".

So I asked her: "What about you? The folks complaining about this don't consider you Thai either. You're just as much as threat as this kid."

This is really an example of how nationalism gets people thinking screwy. I wish I heard more people in this country point out how silly people are being by making this an issue, but so far I haven't heard that even once.

I'll bet this kid is getting alot of flack for his success. It's really too bad...

Chinese don't muck around.  After the execution they send a bill for the bullet to the family.

And then they sell the organs of the deceased... 

If admitting to what you are accused of still gets you the death penalty, I would just deny everything. Nothing to lose, right?

Honestly a death sentence seems preferable to living in a Chinese prison for 20 years... 

 

Well, if they're going to let this guy out, it seems like an appropriate thing to do. 

 

No, "appropriate" would have been to turn this guy over to the family of the wife he killed, butchered and flushed down two toilets and see how they feel about things. 

 

Well, if they're going to let this guy out, it seems like an appropriate thing to do. 

Your post was unnecessarily long I have to write, exactly for this words and sentence,

=="That story was unnecessarily long (did we need the play by play of his search?), but more=="

Ha, ha. Well, I guess I had that coming...

Lots of folks in Bangkok are legitimate. I have attended Thai language classes for 3 hours per day, Monday thru Friday for 3 years. Although my ED visa has ended and I am now stuck on a tourist visa, I am still studying Thai at the same pace.

I know that there are lots of folks here on an ED visa who don't go to class, but I just see the ones who go to class like me.

I don't really care if the gov cracks down on such ED visa holders or not, but I wish that I could legitimately get another ED visa because I actually go to class and study. After 3 years, there is still lots I could learn.

I find this limitation very strange. 3 years is barely enough to get into intermediate state, any language requires many more years to be mastered. There should be some higher level course (university) ? I would be surprised if there is none.

I imagine that there are Thai language classes for students enrolled in university, but there isn't that much high level stuff at the Thai language schools around down.

Of course, "high level" is totally relative, but I fully agree with you in that there is still much more to study after 3 years.

I have been doing private lessons, and occasionally there is a group lesson at a school in which we read newspaper articles and talk about them, but there isn't much at the higher level.

Just to clarify this: I think 3 years is plenty of time to be very fluent and have decent written Thai (or whatever language), provided that you have studied full time over those three years. Although I took classes for 3 hours a day, I also had work to do, etc. after class, and subsequently never did more than an hour of homework outside class. I think people can be a very high level in 1-2 years, provided that they put in serious, serious time.

I have been serious about studying and faithful in class attendance, but I didn't kill myself trying to push my personal language acquisition limit, so after 3 years, I still have more to study, and sure wish the Ministry of Ed would recognize that and allow me to do it.

Sorry, this has gone off the topic of the thread. It is peripherally relevant in that foreigners can only get 3 years on an ED visa for studying Thai, and it would be nice if we could get more (for those who are legitimately studying).