siberianwarcat

I was struck down by Dengue last June. I live in Jomtien. I can honestly say that during the low-point of the ten days of absolute incapacity, I honestly lived through the worst experience of sickness I can remember in my life. I am sure different people suffer differently, but aside from the migraine-like headache, it felt like my bone marrow was burning/melting with white-heat pulsing from inside my bones.

Your right; it is awareness and education. The more everyone is made aware of this, the better.

Furthermore, two weeks after I had recovered, my Thai gf was struck down resulting in her having two drips at our doctors clinic and in obvious pain in all her joints. The diet might in general terms mean Thai people get bitten less, but chili was no prevention against this.

Our house now benefits from 15-interval auto sprays from Tesco Lotus. A refill canister left switched on 24/7 lasts just over 1 month. As a result, the house remains a mosquito free zone and I recommend them to anyone worried.

I have not lived here too long so if the feelings of disappointment the OP's post raised define that I am not yet 100% cynical, then I am sorry.

I regularly see the deck chair venders cleaning up their sections of beach. They appear to do a pretty good job in Jomtien (at least on the section between Soi 8 and Soi 9). So credit please to them.

It seems a real shame that opportunities for longer term development planning and environmental future-proofing have been missed.

Even at this stage though, surely, it is not too late. Solutions to the beach front and marine environment just need to have a strategic framework and broader view.

Questions: Why can't developers and other stakeholders (including the individuals who already do their bit everyday), be brought together to plan, develop and maintain a beach front everyone can be proud of?

Isn't erosion simply an engineering challenge with all "solutions" limited only by budget?

I am sure that simple gabion's could be very cheaply manufactured here and used to replace the sandbags to make revetments sloping into the wash, at least in 6 or so key areas where the erosion is it it's worst between Wongamat and Jomtien. Something should be done which means in general we keep the sand and don't end up with ugly concrete tetrapods scattered along the coastline once the sand has gone.

Sorry for the rant.

My mate had his bank cleaned out whilst he went back to England for a week. His ex-boyfriend happened to go to school with bank teller. In this case, only the bank account number was needed.

Does anyone have any mobile or email contact details of any members of Chula Lodge, No 9745 in Bangkok?

Please forgive my ignorance. What is a Yellow Book?

My pal came on holiday from the UK for 10 days. He has a UK (car and bike license). He wanted to rent a Scooter for the duration and I recommended he got his Thai license to ensure legality, since he does not have a valid international license, only Europe.

Long story - short. Medical done, photos done, letter of residence (he stayed with me at my house in Jomtien) done, short trip next door to regency school - license DONE!

He was able to drive legally for the duration of his holiday.

I used to get stopped before I had my Thai licence, I must have looked nervous. On the four occasions I was pulled over, I was never asked for a bath, I just popped down the station, tookmy ticket and paid the fine published on the wall. My experience is that if your not doing anything wrong, you don't get stopped.

My observations can also confirm many more Thais being pulled, searched and road side drug tested. From what I have seen foreigners tend to get stopped for wrong or no license OR no helmet.

Thanks NancyL, for that.

Thank you for all your help.

Thank you for your responses.

I understand without prevention/correction, rare but not exceptional cases the deformity can affect sight, hearing and jaw alignment.

Are you able to confirm the above is not true? I am keen to learn as much as possible about this.

I can't match Mr T. If he and his drivers can achieve a living from this, I wish him the very best.

You are obviously correct. The margins are pennies, but the price is competitive. We cannot go up, otherwise the roadside booths will get our bread and butter.

Thanks Tywais,

I wrote the topic out of a genuine interest, to see if the practice of putting babies on the floor or other hard service as against giving them a cushion/mattress could have been the cause of my casual observations. I was also interested in the notion that if there were a correlation, it might also be linked to wealth and adversely, it's reduction to social mobility. Not being a doctor, I merely wrote my unqualified points with no hope or agenda to promulgate any ideas supportive of 'scientific racism' (a term I have now learnt).

My question still however remains unanswered regarding any studies undertaken either in the Kingdom or other developing countries that anyone might be aware of.

Many thanks again.

As one of the ministers said recently, "Thailand will either lose or nothing will change."

That is one of the funniest things I read in ages. I can think of a hundred uses of this quote! Thanks for that.

I have been observing lots of flat heads in Thailand. The flat heads I have seen are generally at the back, but recently I saw a shaven headed individual with a very flat angled side of head. I have chatted to a mate of mine, who lives here, who simply thought the phenomena is a genetic trait (and linked to brain capacity/function - he is normally an intelligent guy and not normally prone to putting Thais down). More recently I was talking to a doctor about it, who confirmed my observations as correct suggesting that in recent times less flat heads can be seen in Bangkok due to wealth and the use of pillows and mattresses, whilst in the country the placing of new borns on the floor still often results in a flattening of the skull at the back or side. I am interested whether any actual published research has been done into rates of plagiocephaly and brachycephaly in the Kingdom or indeed any other developing country that anyone knows of. I am sure for most this is not a big priority for a public health awareness campaign, but I understand without prevention/correction, rare but not exceptional cases the deformity can affect sight, hearing and jaw alignment.

I operate a couple of Tour Desks in two hotels. It's quite true, the prices have simply gone up. No one can do 800thb any more. The minimum I can arrange (but only between 09:00 - 21:00) is 960thb including the motorway. Outside of these hours; +100-200thb.

your post does not really add up, only because its 800 for the taxi and customer pays the tolls, so 960 is pretty much the same as 800 only tolls charged upfront

Tolls must have gone up by 100% then.

Sorry, what I meant was 800thb (inc motorway). 960thb IS the cheapest we can do where the driver and us can still achieve a small profit.

If it's true, that would be good. I telephoned the Embassy this morning and asked Jeff Mitchell about Pattaya specifically. He confirmed that the Consulate in Pattaya is closed and there are no plans for that to change.

All positions advertised on the Embassy are Bangkok based.

http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/working-for-us/

There appears to be a difference between the story headline (implying a Pattaya focus to the role) and what the Embassy is saying the job is about.

Draftvader is correct, humour here is base and uncomplex. Check out some Thai tv shows.

The reality is that as you look into the eyes of the girl, so long as she knows she is getting paid, she'll smile and laugh at everything you say.

Don't worry about trying to plan this too much. You will be really popular and really entertaining. You need no chat up lines and no pre prepared jokes.

Enjoy yourselves.

On the bones of ones arse...ummm? It sound like the hypothetical person is just sitting around. From my experience, bold acts are always the safest and commitment normally drives success. The long and short of it is that any answer is a good one; go home, find a job etc. The point is when everyone around you (especially strangers) are saying the same thing, it's rare for them all to be wrong. Just DO SOMETHING!!! Chances are it will work. Good luck!!

Another reason is because of the books of house plans. Most are based on government approved plans (with some variations). These concrete houses are cheap and quick to build.

As a developer I would not invest in anything more than the market demands. From my experience, if its too fancy, Thai people in the country don't want it over and above the features like stainless railings, aluminum windows and doors, maybe a dimmer switch in the master bedroom and a ceiling fan or two.

Experimented with channelled wiring and two many lights, but it just was not important. For many, a simple concrete house is 'up' and so long as other houses around are the same, no one can look down on them.

I guess in cities, this stance might be changing as bigger firms using adventurous architects start getting involved.

He can't go 'against' him. The cop is lower that the accused and he cannot go against someone 'higher'. Not in Thailand!

Just to be clear, when referring to Bangkok in my post above, obviously a minority of the populace have had good sanitation for more that 100 years. I meant to make reference in general terms (before anyone picks me up and refers to any of the old colonial hotels in the Capital), access by the majority of the populace. The same can be said for most capital cities in developing countries around the world. Walking through Central Bangkok or Pattaya it's easy to forget just how basic a lifestyle many people live only a short drive away.

Whenever I read the Bangkok Post, I am often reminded of Lord of the Flies. It seems far more applicable.

No in all seriousness, Gilligan's Island, Lord of the Flies and Deadwood.

Isn't it obvious why toilets are s***holes? There is no cultural unconscious competence regarding how they should be used.

That is simply because the western style pan is new to Thailand.

Sanitation, H&S, proper drainage and good boggage, exists in the west because of impiricle studies and strategic planning in response to threats to public health including cholera.

All of this started with the industrial revolution (200 years ago). Thailand and in particular Pattaya (and Bangkok) have made this leap from digging a hole in the ground to public convenience over the course of less than 50 years.

Up country sanitation in many villages looks like a bucket.

I have travelled all over the world and this is the first country I have been to where nearly every WC universally carries instructions on the inside of the cubicle door. This is no surprise, it IS public education and although for many westerners it's difficult to believe, we should help and rejoice when we see a good effort. Why not start a thread promoting the cleanest bogs, rather than only sharing the worst bog stories?

I don't have kids, but I do have a Thai education anecdote, if that's permitted. A few months ago, I was sitting with my pal who told me about his two adopted (you can use the term adopted or insert the words sponsored or paid for) Thai kids, up country. The kids 'grandmother' works as a Teacher (unqualified and appointed by her Uncle who is the Head). Anyhow, the boy came in last time he was visiting and he was asked (he's 8) what he had learnt that day. With a big smile, he declared "We learnt about volcanos". My pal asked "What did you learn? Did you learn about tectonic plates? Did you learn about magma?". Looking confused, the boy replied "No, Teacher said when America boxes with other countries, the mountains shout and spit!". Needless to say, arrangements are now being made for the kids to attend an international school for the beginning of the next school year.