Sheryl

Diabetes 101, nice site.

Informative.

Im more curious to the relation to Thailand.

I think it is also an increase in alcohol consumption in the land as well.

Alcohol is pure sugar and definitiely bad for diabetics.

However having been here on and off since 1980 I would have to disagree that consumption of it has increased. Believe me, the men in particular drank heavily even back then. As much or more than now....

Staple diet in the province is "sticky rice" and that combined with a probable genetic influence combines thus the increased risk of diabetes.

Research would probably demonstrate a very low incidence of historical travel outside or into the region which would tend to magnify any inherent genetic traits. Hence the high incidence of diabetes.

Persuading the rural folk to alter their dietary habits is not for the faint hearted or the non Thai speaker !

Tried getting Mother interested in black rice (known as the Forbidden Rice). Forget it.

Educated urban Thais are just staring to favor unpolished rice. It will take some time for this to become norm even for them and a massive public health campaign will be needed to spread the idea to rural areas.

For this living in rural areas, if you have the opportunity to get rice straight from a miller, you can specify 50% milled rather than 100%. I was able to do this in Cambodia and get my Cambodian family to eat it (actually still looks white and tastes more or less the same). But even in Cambodia it was hard to arrange, and would be harder still in Thailand especially for a small order.

No indication from what I have seen or read that the rate of hospital acquired infection is any higher in Thailand than in the west.

Notwithstanding, the OP's concerns re her husband making the child's food without first washing his hands are valid. But I wouldn't necessarily generalize that an overall problem of infection prevention in Thailand.

Yes, that's the hospital. Best in the region by far. (actual name is Srinigarind).

They may be able to arrange for long course of abx closer to home but make sure it is all per the direction of the docs at KKU. If you stick to govt hosp that should be do-able.

Is the hospital in question KKU? As that is the only place i nthe region likely ti have the proper capacity to treat this.

Cholesteatoma sounds scarier than it is. It is a benign (but abnormal) growth of cells in the ear. It does need to be removed, but it is not cancerous. Here is a good overview http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cholesteatoma/Pages/Introduction.aspx

The presence of mastoiditis means that a very long course of antibiotics, possibly by IV, will be needed.

I don't wish to turn this into an argument among foreigners as to which party/persons are best for Cambodia since I think the entire point is that the Cambodian people, not anyone else, should have the right to decide this. I would however suggest you read some of Rainsy's writings, interviews etc (a 2005 interview on BBC Hard Talk can still be found online, and he has recently published a book). As what you say suggests impressions taken from others rather than a first hand examination. Bear in mind that he has held high government office in the past, as have others in his party, so there is clear past record of policies and effectiveness.

"Youn" is the term used throughout Cambodia for the Vietnamese, it is found in Khmer dictionaries (defined as simply meaning "Vietnamese") and most Khmer would tell you that in and of itself, it has no derogatory connotation. Certainly I have heard Khmers use the term in contexts that were clearly not derogatory, e.g. "the best/most trustworthy mechanics in town are youn" etc. There are even popular food dishes names "X youn" to connotate Vietnamese style cooking. The fact is that in speaking to ordinary Cambodians, especially rural people, "youn" is the only term that will work to indicate Vietnam/Vietnamese.

There is animosity on the part of the Khmer towards the Vietnamese, of course. And while it goes way, way back, long before any of the current players were alive, what is fueling it more than anything nowadays is Viet Nam's support (including substantial military support) to the Hun Sen regime.

10 visa extensions for retirement. First few years at Bkk, then at Sakeow, and last few years Chachengsao. So 3 separate locations.

Only time I was ever asked to pay anything was when I tried to do it a month in advance and the money was about a week short of having been there 90 days and I couldn't wait as I needed to leave the country...in other words, there was a technical flaw with my documentation. They first just told me to go home and come back in a week, it was after I beseeched them to give me a break that the $ was requested. Which I paid as they were in fact "bending" the rules for me.

Otherwise, never. Never asked for money, never offered it.

An off topic remark has been removed. Please stay on topic.

Pilotman,

Dont worry,if you can meet the financial requirements no problem whatsoever.

The income letter from the British Embassy is easy and can be done by post.

I've been getting my extension to stay on the basis of retirement from Udon Immigration for 6 years now and never a problem.If you are polite and courteous with them they will respond with the same.

Its the hotheads who go in there shouting the odds that encounter a problem !

So relax and enjoy your well earned retirement .

PS: The Malaysia Retirement scheme is expensive for what it is,although you do get 10 years.If you need a Plan B consider Phnom Penh in Cambodia.....easy to get a 1 year visa,friendly people and cheap beer !

All true. And great restaurants in PP. But quality of medical care is very poor, which is an issue especially for retirees. In thailand there is the problem of cost, in Cambodia you have to tack onto that the cost of flying to eiother Thailand or Singapore (including the very high cost of medi-evac if you are too ill to fly on your own).

Won't work, and to be honest - the one's that are out of order are soon put in their place pretty quickly. Also, they are amusing!!!

By the way girls, you forgot my 50th birthday yesterday!! Don't worry, i am not going to moan....!!!

Counting my grey hairs...

pink phone.jpg

How were we to know??!

HAPPY B-DAY Pats!!

Don't worry about the grey hairs and any wrinkles, that's why god made Botox and hair dye.

Yes, there is also a huge increase in Cambodia in diabetes. Same reason as in Thailand.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes is rapidly increasing in Thailand.

white rice (commercially milled, a change from the traditional past, as thus converted to sugar almost immediately) , overuse of sugar in cooking and in prepared food items, and consumption of junk food are to blame.

This is a common criticism bandied about but doesn't stand up top very close examination IMO.

In neither Rainsy's writings nor his speech (when heard verbatim) have I found any racism.

He has been highly critical of the government's ceding land to Viet Nam, and of Vietnam for supporting the Hum Sen regime militarily, but I have never heard him express any sort of racial hatred towards the Vietnamese as a people.

Western countries and UN agencies were pretty vocal in their response to the election irregularities. Of course, there is a limit to what they can do, and of foreign countries in is China that has the most influence....and they truly have been "mute" on the subject.

She has to go to the hospital where she is registered. If they do not have the necessary specialist, they can refer her to a higher level of care.

anybody have any links to flood maps/maps showing movement of the water?

That is in fact the plan. But need help from members in reporting inappropriate comments.

Hello, it's OP. I abandoned this thread a few days after I made it when I realized that I wasn't going to have a real discussion. Most of the content seems to have been generated by men protecting their privilege, men projecting their issues of women onto me and my situation, and people telling me that farang men aggressively devaluing me is part of the local culture so I should accept it. I just left and never logged back in because I got enough of that in face to face interactions. It seems like most of the Ladies Forum posts get hijacked by idiots on personal crusades. It's unfortunate for the people who do have real content to contribute, I feel sorry for the mods and posters who have to deal with it. On the plus side, if anyone tries to tell me that I'm imagining sexist attitudes, I only have to point them to this thread (or most threads) to hear men repeat everything I've heard in an office and more. I'm being totally honest when I say Thailand's given me new empathy for women from previous generations.

Thanks to some of the women and men who posted empathetic advice. I left the company several months ago, as it obviously wasn't a professional work environment. I was newer to Thailand and needed to keep my work permit active while I found something better. I just felt alone and attacked. I've found some good contacts with women in the professional sphere here, so I've had outlets to discuss this. Since then I've found a better work situation with higher quality standards. Also, my boyfriend hasn't left me and I am still working in Asia. Last point I'd like to make is that when I got to know all of my female coworkers much better, I learned they hated the environment as much as I did. They just didn't speak up to defend themselves. I on the other hand did defend myself and I set clear boundaries, but the environment didn't improve. By the time I had quit, all of them had left the company and the CEO had no idea why he had such a problem holding onto staff. I'd like to see someone try to mansplain that.

Sexism is a problem in Thailand, both for Thai and farang women. I wish we could have a more constructive dialogue about it, but Thaivisa just isn't the place.

Thanks for thr feedback, and glad to hear that things have sorted out for you.

ThaiVisa mods and admin would like to make TV a forum where women could post without harrassment and constructive dialogues be held, and we are working on it. readers and posters could help by promptly hitting the "report" button whenever anything inappropriate or sexist is posted, especially here in the Ladies' Forum.

Fungus do thrive in people with elevated blood sugar (i.e. poorly controlled diabetics) but does not apply to non-diabetics . And no known connection between high carb intake and sinus problems.

However gluten allergy can sometimes cause allergic rhinitis etc. And gluten is found in bread, pastas and the like.

The violence usually happens after dark. Keep away from any roadblocks and demonstrations esp after dark and you'll most likely be fine. The city is about to empty out though due to major holiday (p'chum ben).

I don't think people on the ground there are "blowing things out of proportion". They are just reporting from a Cambodian (or resident expat involved in human rights/journalism etc) viewpoint which is quite different from a tourist/visitor one. No one has suggested it is unsafe to visit. But the problems (and the violence, land-grabbing, forced evictions etc) are very, very real as is the unprecedented levels of anger and discontent. It's not going to happen tomorrow, but over the long run things are going to get much worse before they get better. People who've lived there a long time, and the locals, have a better sense of what is coming than do visitors. But what is coming and what is here right now are diffferenet matters, especially for someone on a temporary visit with no interest in the political issues.

What is really astounding is that all that was done to "deal" with a small handful of (mostly female) people quietly meditating.

Suggests a level of panic on the part of the govt that is in itself a problem. Hope they calm down and don't do anything else really rash.

I agree, but the government has used heavy-handed tactics way before the elections, shooting people protesting land grabbing, deforestation, etc.

To put in very mildly.

I have lost count of the "politically motivated" murders carried out by the regime .

Currently in the process of upholding false conviction of 2 completely innocent men for one of the many murders they (govt) have done.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/rights-groups-call-release-%E2%80%98scapegoats%E2%80%99

Update: amazing! They were finally released

"@ instupor All charges dropped. The courtroom erupts in applause as scapegoat 'killers' of Chea Vichea exonerated nearly 10 years later".

"@doyle_kevin One of the worst travesties (and mockeries) of justice ended today in Cambodia after 10 years. Who will be held account in Gov't, judiciary?"

a full body scan in the absence of specific symptoms is not indicated and a huge waste of money.

will also take a LOT longer than 45 minutes.

How would yo ueven decide whether to have contrast media or not, given no specific symptoms (i.e. no idea what yo uare looking for)

MRI is not a tool that can find "everything" that is wrong.

You should see a doctor.Be sure to document the fevers and tell him exactly how much your temp is along with other symptoms.

You may have a virus of some kind.