arminbkk

I have it too, for a few years now, in my right ear.

It does not bother me to the point that I can't sleep.

I just focus on other stuff and then do not notice it.

If you are gonna sit in a quiet room and think about it, yeah, you will hear.

I went to see a doctor about it, in Bangkok, had a few follow up visits, each time

they checked my hearing, had to sit in a soundproof room.

The findings were that I had lost the ability to hear above 2000 Herz with that right ear,

which was not alarming, but just a bit unusual, according to the doctor, for someone under 50 years of age.

The doctor said it probably has to do with the nerve system and recommended

that I frequently take vitamin supplements, B1/B6/B12, and exercise more, more cardio,

to get the blood flowing in the head. He said there is not really much else one can do about it.

Anyway, anyone tried what DogNo1 (post #14), lipoflavonoid tablets, suggested?

"The heaviest punishment might be transfer to inactive positions, he warned."

"However such severe punishment has been propose to the BMA executive board for approval."

The heaviest punishment they can come up with is transfer to inactive post, that is, if the executive board approves it?

Sounds like, when you join the BMA, you join for life.

Hmm.....where did I hear that before?

Well, guess its one way to keep unemployment figures low.

From the OP: "(she has pulled out her purse to contribute but I declined)"

This actually means nothing. I've done that myself where I've been invited and

know the persons inviting me would likely pay. I just do it to show willingness, while

knowing I will not have to pay. It's like smiling when the 7-11 cashier messes up

scanning your purchases, while you are thinking "jeez, you dumb schm@ck".

There is a Thai culture lesson in the above too (i.e. conceal your true thoughts with a smile).

OP, you have to consider if you want to pay for everything all the time in the future, including clothes,

taking into account your teacher's salary and her future income from call center job.

As others have said, you will be setting the ground rules and creating expectations if you now start paying for everything.

As for the question: no it is not etiquette that you offer to buy her clothes.

If any, the etiquette is that you always say that it looks nice on her whatever it is she wants to buy.

He brutally murders his girlfriend because she complained about him only playing video games all the time, and what does he do:

From the linked article: "After police released an arrest warrant, they managed to track him down. He was found playing video games in an internet cafe just several hundred metres away from the apartment, still on Suthep Road."

This actually made the national TV news, even had the police video. A bunch of confused old folks playing Bridge.

Unclear what crime was committed, anyone know?

From the linked article, reportedly the crime, or offense, is:

"The offense relates to Section 8 of the Playing Cards Act of 1935 which states that an individual is not allowed to possess more than 120 playing cards at any one time. At the Bridge event, considerably more than 120 playing cards were found by officers."

I am not a card player, so, is Bridge a card game where each player holds more than 120 playing cards?

I feel sorry for the OP, it's not fun if you get a F U in your face everyday (which is what these non paying boozers

do everyday they turn up knowing fully well that they have not paid and will not pay, and smile while doing so).

OP should either just accept it and write it off each time and consider it his contribution to making other people

happy every day, or,

OP should, or his wife actually, just present the full tab that these guys have run up,

and of course smile, Thai smile #38 (the confrontation-avoiding, "I don't like it either, but don't blame me,

lets keep harmony" smile) each time when they show up again and order drinks again,

after she has hid half the stock from sight, so that the tab does not run up much further.

From the linked article: "They also asked for the central government to investigate why soldiers had refused villagers access

to the area and were providing security for a private company."

From this it would seem that that private company has connections within the military.

It's probably how the story was written and I can't get the Phuket Gazette to open to see the original story but if the driver switched lanes to avoid the pedestrian how did he end up dead ?

From the linked article: "However, the man allegedly jumped in front of the bus as it was passing him."

I am sure the police will ask the 20 passengers to collaborate this.

So, based on the information in the linked article, this guy had been on holiday in Thailand for a few weeks in March/April 2015, then at end of May he decides at the last moment to drop everything and take a vacation again in Thailand, leaving his daughter with his mother, starts drinking in the airport in UK, while on the flight, upon arrival in Thailand, goes out soon after arrival, drinks and parties until long after midnight, goes back to his hotel room, sleeps, and never wakes up.

Engineers in UK must have very good secondary employment benefits package; lots of holidays, flexibility, pay.

Feel sorry for his daughter’s loss.

"He said in the past there were about 20 passengers who took Look Thep dolls as carry-on to sit with them on the laps and some also asked to serve drinks and food for their dolls."

Day by day, against all expectations, in the face of insurmountable odds, the world gets stupider and stupider.

Except for the airline that exploits the stupidity by selling seats to those doll owners.

So the race/color of the nominees has to be diverse............just so that there is diversity?

Lately, at least a few times, I have seen some passengers present an ID card to the fare collector of the canal boat taxi, in Bangkok.

Of course, the fare collectors ignored it.

I have also seen this a few times when a passenger was buying at ticket at the MRT counter, also presenting an ID card.

Again, the MRT counter staff ignored it.

(This article reminded me of that).

The OP title: Mama instant noodle sale drops to record low in 44 years

The OP article: "According to Mr Vathit Chokwatana, vice president of the Sahapat Group, Thailand’s largest consumer good manufacturer, instant noodle market felt its lowest fall in 44 years with its sale of “Mama” noodles grew a mere 0.4%."

"He said the company set growth sale target for instant noodles at 5% but could achieve only 0.4%."

So it was the lowest year-on-year growth in sales in 44 years.................not the lowest sales (volume) in 44 years (which is what the title suggests).

From the linked Khaosod English article:

"He also did the math for its potential windfall.

“If there are 30 million tourists, Thailand will earn 10.8 billion baht per year from this fee, and it will help each province earn around 142 million baht to improve its tourism,” he said."

He is very optimistic isn't he.

Now, I assume, if implemented, all foreigners that enter on a tourist visa or 'visa on arrival', would have to pay this fee.

This means that we would later know, once and for all, if the tourists numbers presented by TAT (23 million or so tourists a year) is

in fact correct (and that they are not just counting every foreigner entering, also those on non-immigrant visas).

hmmmm .... the mothers suspicion may or may not be correct. A doctors report should give clearer answers.

From the linked Pattaya One article: "After 3 days on a ventilator the child passed-away from a suspected brain bleed. A post-mortem examination concluded a sharp blow to the head caused the bleed and doctors also found a 7cm long chili in the child’s stomach."

I'd say the above is at least suspect.

From the linked article:

"She had previously served a group of men at the restaurant but they did not have enough money to pay their bill. The owner reluctantly agreed to allow them to leave and pay later but the victim, Khun Pratip, entered the conversation and verbally threatened the men to pay immediately or there would be a problem.

The customers left and then returned less than 1 hour later and confronted Khun Pratip, who was assaulted and stabbed in the back of his neck."

It would seem that the victim might have taken the wrong approach. Still, that does not justify the assault by the group of customers.

After that celebrity Por passed away from that disease, it's suddenly big news, though this disease has been in South East Asia for ages aka unreported for the sake of Thailand's image.....

He should still be alive. He was initially misdiagnosed at a private hospital. He had been infected with dengue before, and the result can be DHF. If he had gone to a local hospital in the boonies the doctors would have recognised in straight away, as they see similar cases a lot. Por was in a bad state for more than two months before he died. I believe he was being kept alive to help 'prepare' Thais for the inevitable.

I understand that that 'preparation' cost Baht 18,000,000.00 (in hospital treatment expenses, some Thai told me).

It's sad that he did not survive it.

I gave up the "give a smile first" approach after years of doing that, because it was of no use:

99 out of 100 times I got back an indifferent look, a dismal look, and even a "w-t-f are you looking at" look.

Really? Not sure where you live but out in the countryside, I find coaxing a smile out of Thais is easy.

Bangkok.

Yes really. Mind you, I am talking about just a brief smile in passing, not prolonged interaction.

And I am a tall, white, handsome (Thais say this, not I) farang.

Should add that most Thais, again just general strangers that you see/pass outside, don't exactly have an expression that invites a smile.

And mostly I get an indifferent blank look back, or they just look the other way.

As for when asking for something in a shop (prolonged interaction), my friendly smiling apologetic approach usually gets a cold response.

I am not Thai bashing, I am just disappointed (that this is the same here as in the west).

I always exchange smiles and greetings with my Thai landlord when I leave in the morning and return in the evening.

And farangs, at first sight of you they usually have the "ugh, there's another one" expression.

Not in my experience. Maybe its you?

Yeah, maybe I should be less open and smile less.

I gave up the "give a smile first" approach after years of doing that, because it was of no use:

99 out of 100 times I got back an indifferent look, a dismal look, and even a "w-t-f are you looking at" look.

It does not matter whether it is outside in passing, walking through shopping aisles or at check-out counters.

And as the poster above, the "thank you" is almost a rarity at places like Big C, Tesco Lotus and some 7-11s.

I hardly ever see a Thai waitress/waiter smile when waiting on you.

I have really observed Thais and what I noticed is that they don't smile at strangers.

Now I do as Thais do.

And farangs, at first sight of you they usually have the "ugh, there's another one" expression.

Note to self:

1. Don't throw bottles at any Thai, or make attempt thereto.

2. Don't complain to any Thai about parking his/her vehicle in front of/next to your...<insert your property/place/etc here>.

3. In addition to #2; don't complain to any Thai about crossing your path on the sidewalk with his/her motorcycle/car/etc.

4. In addition to #2 and #3; don't complain to any Thai about making a dead stop in front of you while you are on general public walk path.

5. Strike #2, #3 and #4 and replace and expand with: just don't complain to any Thai about anything whatsoever.

From the OP: ".....as a demonstration forced councillors to abandon a public meeting over plans for the town to host 500 refugees over the next 10 years."

Is the war in Syria expected to last another 10 years?

"Cameron said there were 190,000 British Muslim women who spoke little or no English and Britain needed to take on the “backward attitudes” of some men whom he said exerted damaging control over wives, sisters and daughters."

So improving the English language skills of the Muslim women, will change the backward traditional ways of the Muslim men/husband's?

I think he should be stoned to death, then put on a stick and burned in a public square.

Oh....

"Luckily, due to his intoxication he was not in too much pain and at-times found the incident funny."

Will he still think its funny after the intoxication wears off and his senses register the pain?