tim armstrong

Hi, here are a list of things I have had no luck finding in Thailand.

1. Is there a regularly updated list of english-speaking Thai TV programs available on the internet? I know there are some English news reports on NBT.

2. Are there any good tea stores (That sell more than the usual Chinese teas.) in Bangkok - like T2 in Australia?

3. Are there any good music stores in Bangkok that sell a large selection of western music - particularly alternative music or even Australian rock?

4. What is the best sreet directory of thailand. I notice taxi drivers here don't even carry anything and are always asking the passenger for directions (crazy!), if only google could print out there maps for taxi drivers in every country they would make a fortune

4. Also on my hit list of things to buy are outdoor sensor lights, those cheap sprinker systems that have thin long protruding stems and sprinkler heads running a lenght of tube buried underground and hooked up to your home water tap, and finally a timer to set off the sprinkler system at a particular time of day.

Thanks in advance!

Most of the things you want are available in the Emporium (Sukumvit Rd Bangkok) -at a price. When you have finished there go out the front door turn right and walk for 15 minutes to The REX Hotel. Next door to it is a Colemans camping store that has lights, sprinklers, Oz style BBQs and other stuff as well as camping gear.

Thanks, tim.

Any idea where at Emporium or MBK I might find it?

On first floor at cosmetics department (in dept. store)?

Yes try there. But also at the pharmacy on the top floor (I think) just outside the Emporium Dept store itself. Its also sold in the tourist gift sections on the ground floor of MBK. Some Boots chemists have it. Also try Fashino or Robinsons chemists.

Thanks, tim.

Any idea where at Emporium or MBK I might find it?

On first floor at cosmetics department (in dept. store)?

Any one know of a decent fitness center or Gym in Nakhon Sawan with stationary bikes or elipcals? Going to be there for a family visit and don't want to miss working out. Any help/advice greatly appreciated.

One of the nice things about living Near Nakhon Sawan is that most small villages have a free outside gym that is usually kept in working order and has about 6 different work stations. The village of Kio Liaow has the best one, by the river. They are also strong enough for a decent workout. If you are in the town go to the lake for the free exercise gear or alternatively Rajhabat University gymn which will cost you a little donation and a bit of talking. Take your wife or another thai speaker with you.

Thanks again. Yes dust might be a culprit. Now for the challenge of convincing her that she doesn't need another bucket load of antibiotics. Funny since posting this it seems to have improved a bit, but maybe fewer cane trucks also.

It seems to work well for me as after-shave lotion.

Now is there any place I can buy one in Bangkok?

Yes, at Emporium shopping centre and MBK, but expensive there. Curiously its also sold at many airport duty free shops. Look for the one with the merino sheep symbol, -thats the wool producing the best lanolin.

Thanks for that FBN. I will try those options. Yuwadee does sometimes complain of a breathing problem when she has the symptoms. I know Ventolin has been around a long time - how safe is it to use regularly ?

Knowledge isn't the issue. What matters is the ability to comprehend and apply that knowledge.

You can walk into a library filled with the writings of the greatest minds, but if you can not read, what good will it do you? And that is why we must rely on the abilities of others that have the ability to read the knowledge and to use it.

Agree with the above. Sorry to hear about your situation. I may still have prostate cancer. First diagnosed 2 yrs ago -PSA 15 then 25 after one months unsuccessful antibiotic. I was then 57yrs. Biopsy 12 point revealed most sites scored 4,some 5. Gleeson score was 4 +4. Had it treated over 2 months in Australia (free if you are from Oz) with radiotherapy and hormone treatment preceeding that. They zapped the prostate which had already been reduced by 6 months of hormone treatment -2 injections and some tablets. Only side effects -absolutely zero libido for about 9 months. Its now returning slowly. Also increased urination at night, probably because some nerve endings were also zapped, but no big problem. PSA is currently 0.34 - 18months after treatment. I have a 50/50 chance of it not returning in the next 3 years. After that I am in the clear. So far so good. If it does return I probably still have another 10 years to live.

My advice - read a lot about it - the treatment options are growing; find a reputable prostate specialist both in LOS and your own country. In Thailand go to Samitivej hospital Bangkok, see Dr.Choovichian. He is very experienced and encourages you to explore options. Do not go down the alternative route as NOTHING alternative will actually stop it. Changing your diet etc will generally improve your health however, and make you feel better. When you have weighed up the treatment options, their best outcomes and any side effects, together with the likely costs, ask yourself, how long do I want to live for- without worrying about the Ca all the time? If its another 20 years+ then go and have treatment. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you want to talk some more. Tim

My wife has a persistant dry harsh cough , mainly at night that disturbs her sleep and won't go away. She is normally a fit, healthy person and is a non smoker. We live in the country but not obviously near any flowering trees or plants that may cause an allergy. She has been to our local Dr. who has given her the usual injection and a bucket full of medication, to little effect. My step son (13yrs) sometimes gets the same thing. . My wife has no other flu or cold symptoms with it except an occasional runny nose. It seems to happen mainly in the dry season at this time of year. Maybe its an allergy, but I don't know to what ? We don't really have a dust problem although sugar cane trucks are going past 24/7 about 50 metres from the house for the next month or so. At night we sometimes close the windows and use aircon. or leave them open and use fans. The fans may not help, but its getting to our hottest time of year. Curiously, I don't get any similar symptoms. Maybe this is a Thai only illness? I would really appreciate any ideas or treatment suggestions. Thanks.

I took my wife to the hospital recently, as she was suffering stomach pains, in the area of the appendix. I went in with her to see the Doctor, and told him I thought she may have appendicitis.

He looked through her records, saw that she had given birth twice with caesarean section, and suggested that it was highly likely that the appendix was automatically removed at that time. He said he would check. However some half hour later my wife was shown into another Doctor, who made no comment on its possible previous removal, but said she did not have appendicitis.

Having now spoken with various locals, most confirm that removal of the appendix when giving birth by caesarean section is quite normal.

I wonder how this can be possible. Whilst I understand the appendix has no useful purpose, and it clearly makes sense (and saves money) to remove it when the stomach is open, I am more than annoyed that this procedure is carried out without any pre-consultation, or authority being given.

I would be interested to hear the views of anybody else who has been similarly operated upon.

It sounds a bit strange to me. I can only suggest that there may be some risk of infection by leaving it in. But agree -your wife should be informed. But also this is Thailand and mutual discussion of treatment options for anything between Thai doctor and Thai patient is a rare event. Maybe Sheryl can shed some light.

Does anyone know the price of 2m tall by 1m chain linked fencing (price per meter) and what the cost of a basic 2m tall concrete wall will be per meter. It would be great if prices per meter included all accessories need to build a fence. I have seen older topics talking about fencing but nothing really recent. Any help would be great. Thanks

If anyone has any pictures of there Fence/Walls that would be great to.

I had a concrete one built 3 years ago around our house. Dont know cost per metre but house garden area is about .5 of a rai. It cost 200,000 but with steel gate and front iron railings.

Tim

I am a 52 yo fitness instructer and went for a routine health check. They found my psa to be 16. After a biop the results were right side clear, left side 2 cores 5%, volume 24.6cc. Gleason 3+3, MRI and Bone scan clear, I have no symptems.

I have a younger partner and a great and active life. Do I realy need to go ahead with treatment that will stop me enjoying my life ?? I believe I will not die from PC and treatment will wreck my whole life. I would rather another 10 good years than the posibility of a bag on my hip and a limp dick plus all the treatment implications.

Hi Rocky,

Firstly. sorry to hear about your news. There has been a lengthy discussion about PC on this forum about a year ago. Here is my story so far, which may help pull some of the threads together. Firstly, while prostate cancer is slow growing yours is quite advamced for your age -with a Gleason score of 3 + 3. Doing nothing is not generally a good option. There are a growing number of treatment options that need not 'wreck your life or result in a bag being carried.

My prostate cancer was diagnosed about 18 months ago. I'm 59 now. Same as you - went for the health check - psa 15 - put on antibiotics for a month -psa now 25. Went for the biopsy -Gleason 4+4, with some samples at 5. Discussions with urologist and oncologist followed. They were not sure if the Ca was still in the prostrate or had travelled outside to the seminal vesicles. They told me about the treatment options, and said that as it was so advanced and maybe not contained, surgery was not such a good idea.

I started a course of hormone therapy (tablets and 2 injections over 6 months) which lowers testosterone and shrinks the prostate so that the cancer cells can be better targetted with radiotherapy. Impact on me from hormone therapy - total loss of libido, - an interesting but not shattering experience - as you might expect. After 6 months, commenced radiotherapy everyday for 7 weeks. Impact of treatment - some short term increase in the need to urinate and an itchy bum, but virtually nothing. Drs. say treatment was very successful -no Ca left.

Long term outcome - I have a 50/50 chance of Ca not returning within 5 years. If nothing in that time, I am then clear and could well live to 99 as a local monk has predicted. Realistically, if I had done nothing, I might have a much shorter lifespan now with few treatment options. My libido is partially back, but getting better. My psa check last week was 1.8 which is good.

The whole experience has certainly been stressful and made me review my life somewhat. But I could not have faulted the treatment process, and I have been a mental health professional for 30 years.

In summary, read all you can, talk to your doctors, consider your family and close relationships, avoid alternative health treatment options, as they are not proven - yet, and make your choice. Once you have made a choice of treatment , the stress level goes down. If you want to talk some more please PM me. Good luck, Tim

Hi all,

My stepson has to repeat the first year of high school because he has been in a temple school for the last 3 months. Unfortunately to our dismay, they didn't teach him any regular subjects, only Pali language. This was contrary to what we understood was going to be the case, so we are taking him out of the temple 'school'. Anyway we are now told that he has to repeat this year and cannot go to a conventional school until May 2009. The larger private schools in Pattaya are not an option either, as they seem to apply the same rule or are ridiculously expensive.

Anyway, does anyone know of a small private college, school or tutor that could offer conventional school subjects to him until next year on a weekday basis. All suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Tim

Last night, I had to make an emergency trip into the local hospital to drive an ole man who [to my guess] got stung on the foot by a centapede. Didn't have time to 'google' info at the time, but did this morning and found that my diagnosis was probably correct. He had sharp stinging pains, but no swelling or difficulty breathing.

'Google' and all it's many links informed me that typically a centapeed sting is usually just painful and sometimes swelling and first aid is to remove stinger by scraping [not tweesers as they can push venom into the victim], apply baking soda paste or calamine lotion and ice around wound.

If there is excessive swelling and/or difficulty breathing and/or fever...then seek medical treatment.

All's well with the old man this morning with a little lingering pain and slight swelling.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the above info and hopefully a moderator will see the importance and helpfullness of posting info, home remedies and dangers of all the toxic bugs [centapedes, scorpions, spiders, wasps etc] that we have in LOS as well as the many poison snakes.

I was stung on the foot by a scorpion a few months ago. My wife and family laughed and gave it not the sympathy I thought it deserved. Two days later after much pain and some zambuck and tea tree oil it was OK. A month later my brother in law was fishing in a local river and trod on a freshwater stingray about a metre long. He was stung on the foot also. Similarly, not too much sympathy, but the stingray was killed and displayed for all to see. The treatment he received (amazing but true) was a can of strong smelling mackerel in tomato sauce applied to the site. It worked! no swelling or pain after 4 days. Tim

Some years ago, I experienced a stressful life event which knocked me off my perch and was prescribed Seroxat for depression. I took it off and on for 3 and a half years.

Just came across this article http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com/2003-0...luorophenyl.htm which states that Seroxat contains fluoride, which has a number of adverse effects. These adverse effects seem consistent with symptoms I am still experiencing.

I have tried umpteen different approaches over the years in trying to overcome anxiety and tension without success and the question that this article raises in my mind is... have I been wasting my time?

Is the fluoride still in my body, hampering or preventing a full recovery?

I would appreciate it if you medical sleuths out there, could interpret the medical jargon and give an opinion?

Thanks.

Depression and anxiety are indeed often closely linked, but they are not the same condition. Anxiety has been described as 'worry about something that might happen'. It sounds to me that you have some anxiety about fluoride which is probably unfounded as previous responses suggest. You may well be anxious about many other things as well, and even have developed some habitually negative ways of responding to stressful events.

The good news is that now, treating anxiety (and many types of depression) can be done with either drug or non pharmaceutical approaches or a combination of both, -very successfully. Send me a PM if you would like some further discussion. Tim

With all the bashing of rural Thais that goes on here, I'd like to know how many ppl have actually found their Thai partners get sick of the family always asking and never giving in return.

Everyone is always having a go at the bar girls, but I'm sure there are those who realize the only one who's ever really helped them out is their partner. Not just by taking them out of the bar, but also by encouraging them to study/work and have more confidence in themselves.

In contrast they may have realized their families had no problem with them working in a bar and just wanted the cash.

I'm not just talking about bar girls, but rural Thai men/women in general. Usually one sibling will be a good worker and the rest a bit lazy, often there's a brother who is worse than useless.

It would be good to hear some postive experiences for a change.

The obligation of a thai wife - (especially if married to a farlang )- to support her parents, is very deeply entrenched. Its at odds with my culture, but here there's no social security or pension for many Thais either. I think family obligations in Thailand cause a lot of problems, but do we have a better system in the west ? I accept ( with difficulty) my wife's sense of duty to her not always appreciative family, and I think she is learning to say no a bit more often.

i know there were mini vans from sunam luang to khancanaburi

i know there are mini vans from victory monument to lopburi

where can i get a minivan from Bangkok to pattaya?

they tend to be faster than the buses

also looking for good inexpensive lodging in pattaya

300-600 a night, clean, quiet comfortable

close to shopping. people, Internet and beach

thanks

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Try Romeo Palace. German Hotel Soi 18 Naklua Road. About 650 baht, but its now low season

so the longer you stay the cheaper it gets. 2 min walk from Wongamart beach.

Thanks for the reply SoCal

My interests, or what I want to accomplish for this trip, is to try and get a sense of the history and where Vietnam, sits in relation to it's neighbours in a commercial, social and political sort of way (nothing academic). I enjoyed my visit to Phnom Phen last month, mainly because the sense of local commerce seemed to exceeded the dependence on tourism and it still had a 'wow factor', for me anyway.

I'd like to try to catch a glimpse of local life, away from a main centre (but not too far to be difficult to access) in places that don't rely heavily on tourism for their survival.

Thanks again

Stekmer

I think you're trying to do too much. I'd spend a few days in the south, then go to Hanoi. Yes, go around Howlong Bay -maybe 2 days, but its touristy. Go north via overnight train to Sapa. Its cooler, less travelled and you get a better sense of the history here. Many hilltribes, treks etc .

Tim

PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE TROLL!

I agree with you Sheryl, - there's a pattern I'm beginning to recognize.

Ah, lighten up folks!

I agree with you. The sad thing about some of the replies is that CYNICISM rules. OK it may be an urban myth, but for sure we all need something that makes us smile.

I agree Mosha, all pollies are full of it, but our prime minister in Australia IMO has to be the best in the world, first guy with a brain running a country

I agree with you, Our new PM is a welcome relief from many- and I come from a family of polis.

"Yes" means I heard you. "No" is the same in any language. You can change "no" to "yes" by asking the question again. You can be guaranteed a "yes" by raising you voice to ask the question. "No problem" is the same as "yes" but with more emphasis. Now getting anything done, like getting some butter at a restaurant, is a subject for a whole other forum.

I hope this clears up you dilemma.

Some years ago there was serious research done on the most widely understood words in the world - in any language. No.1 was - OK. Unfortunately No.2 was COKE. So I suggest you try OK, or NOT OK (with appropriate gestures). Tim

Hi

Someone told me about a special type of traditional thai massage. It is for increasing mens power! They push around the top of the legs, stomach and other areas. I belive this is for blood flow etc. It makes you a very good lover apparently.

I am not talking about naughty massage.

Please if anyone can tell me the name of this massage - so I can ask for it.

Also any suggestions of a good place to get this in chiang mai

I dont believe there is one. I think it has more to do with the sexual desirability of the masseuse rather than the massage. Of course if you are being massaged in another area -- that has been known to help.

If you're over 50 or so, your ability to maintain an erection will start to diminish anyway. Diet, stress, weight, alcohol, exercise, drug use both prescribed and other, and lifestyle all play a part, not to mention the attractiveness of your partner, or the longevity of your relationship. Sadly for many, the decline of the penis is inevitable. Tim

One rai is 1600 sq metres so look up how big an acre is and work from there. Impossible to put a price on land as it varies hugely on location but it will be ridiculously cheap by Western standards - certainly no more than 500k a rai in te best location; a tenth of that in an awkward location (rice land really).

Unfortunately, the only way to buy it cheaply is to let your wife do the bargaining whilst you are hiding somewhere, otherwise factor in five to ten times the actual cost when farang are involved - and I am not kidding! Unfortunately, the area you are moving to is one of the more notorious for ripping off farang!

You will also need to price everything independently by going to a big builders merchants where prices are on display. Small bulders mechants will inflate the price and share the profits with either the builder or wife. Once you have a working cost for the house's building materials, the actual labour costs work out at twenty percent of the building materials by normal Thai building standards. Again, these are not applicable where farang are involved as builders will work together to give highly inflated quotes, taking turns to milk the farang. A house that would cost a local half a million baht could easy cost three or four million if a farang is involved.

A nice quality two storey, three bedroom, three bathroom house with a minimal kicthen with a total living area of 150sqm would cost around the one million baht area to build incl materials and labour.

Many wifes collude with the builders, splitting the profit between themselves and the builder, the free money going to support her local husband. In my opinion, it is highly unlikely that you would be allowed to live in the Thai countryside unless a local husband is being supported!

The whole deal of farang in the Thai countryside about Face and making sure the farang has none! So a lot of hassle when you can buy a rather nice house with a lot less hassle outside places like Chaing Mai, Bang Saen and Cha Amn for the same money (two million baht, in this case half for the land and half for the house) but on a much smaller land plot.

Unfortunately no-one can tell you the price of land in a years time as many factors depend on where the land is, does it have full title, is it on a surfaced road, is there electricity and water available. Is it farming land and what kind as the price of land is rising some of the time especially as cassava growing for bio fuels is getting popular. If your wife has family in Phiysanulok it may be a good idea for your wife to talk with them and explain what she would like then they can look around for both of you and get a better idea of current prices and future pricing trends.

Well 1 acre is approximately 2 1/2 rai and it IS a good idea to get your wife to buy the land and YES it will be much cheaper than if you show your face. It certainly was for me.

I live about 65 km southwest of Khampaeng Phet and when we bought the the second plot of land (my wife already had the first before I met her it was about 25,000 baht a rai.

My wife then stayed with a friend while we started to build a 3 bedroom 2 storey house and we soon built a 5m x 5m 1 bedroom house on site for her to live in full time and me at the weekends

She took on the responsibility of finding and managing the builder, obtaining all the material andensuring that the building went according to how she wanted. If there was a problem she would talk it over with the builder and they would come to a conclusion.

We paid around 250,000 baht for all the construction work and supplied the materials ourselves and together with the small house, raised concrete floor, eucalyptus walls and roof tiles in an unfashionable colour, 10 rai of land the total bill came to around 1.25m baht.

The land is in a tarmac highway with main water and single phase electricity 6km from the village and in a mooban.

Whilst I appreciate that SOME but not all wives MAY collude with the builders, generally speaking this is not so in my experience and I have been in Thailand some 15 years on and off.

This is where I disagree with Greg Chambers

I know of many farangs who live perfectly happy lives with their Thai wives, children and assorted family out in the countryside and strangely enough nobody can stop you living in the countryside with your wife. Not ALL Thai wives have Thai husbands as well.

My wife certainly doesn't have a Thai husband or children other than our son nor do a lot of other Thai wives. We have known each other since 1993 and I divorced my UK wife in 1998 and married my Thai wife in 2000. Our son was born in 2004.

If you have known your wife for a fair while and trust her then cement the trust by allowing her to do the things that she can do better than you especially when dealing with other Thais. She will appreciate your love and trust in her and believe me it will be returned many times over the years.

I hope that this is of some use to you Unfortunately I live about 150 km away from Phitsanulok.

I disagree with Greg too. We live near Nakhon Sawan, my wife doesn't have a Thai Husband, and the builder of our large house didn't rip us off. Land here is some of the most productive in Thailand. It varies from 30,000 per rai away from the road to 120,000 with main road frontage to 1.2 mill.+ for a small block with house by the river. Currently local rice farmers are in trouble having had too many floods and seen the cost of fuel and pesticides increase dramatically, but the land prices continue to increase. You can still find some good plots here but its becoming popular with people buying in from Bangkok, former locals, and farlang. A good quality 3br house and land in a good location will cost about 2.5 - 3million -with everything included. Tim

Just when you thought you heard it all:

In a just-finished study that's being submitted to the Journal of General Psychology, psych professor Dr. Jeffrey Rudski and two of his undergrad students at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, report that they found characteristics of addiction in at least 10 percent of the 4,000 Potter fans they polled online. For "Harry Potter and the End of the Line: Parallels with Addiction," they used craving scales that had been established for smoking, substituting "Deathly Hallows" for cigarettes. They surveyed fans before the book's release, upon completion of the book and six months afterwards as a follow-up. The 10 percent of respondents that Rudski considers addicted described spending more than four hours a day on Potter-related activities, experiencing interference with appetite and sleep patterns, engaging in less physical activity, having a lower sense of well-being and being more irritable after completing the series.

"Some readers can become so engaged in the series and the ancillary world that grew out of it that they report behaviors that truly fit definitions of addiction or dependence," the synopsis of his draft reads.

Granted, there are at least two more Potter movies (three if they split "Deathly Hallows") and a theme park to come, but for these participants, reaching the end of the story triggered a withdrawal, akin to quitting a drug cold turkey after having being hooked for years. "An addiction is an addiction is an addiction," Rudski said. "An addiction to a drug is no different than an addiction to Harry Potter or the Internet or pornography. Although it's not always a bad thing. There's a community that you get with Harry Potter that you don't get with heroin."

The threshold for addiction is even more blurry than the one for alcoholism — with alcohol, you note whether someone's drinking alone or more of a social drinker. But if the addiction involves a community, it's harder to draw the line between fandom and compulsion. "A lot of the addiction isn't even to the series itself," Rudski said. "The series is over. The addiction is to everything that goes along with it, the ancillary world." So while he only characterizes 10 percent of participants as being addicted, there was an additional 20 percent who gave him cause for concern, reaching what he called "a critical threshold."

That would likely include participants who wrote things like "I want Rowling to know that I hate her ... because I have nothing to live for now," "I feel like someone close to me has died" and "I had trouble getting out of bed Monday morning. I was depressed and had nightmares all night long. I dreamed I was being attacked by Lucius Malfoy and Fenrir Greyback and didn't have a wand because I was Muggle-born."

Rudski, who teaches courses in psychopharmacology and learning theory, originally wanted to make a study about addictions to popular culture when he saw people "walking around in a daze" following the O.J. Simpson verdict. "I thought, 'These people are addicted to the trial! And now they're going through withdrawal,' " he said. "And I thought, if I ever have an opportunity to look at this phenomenon, I'm going to study it."

It was a toss-up for him between studying people's reaction to the end of "The Sopranos" and the end of Harry Potter, but ultimately, Rudski chose the boy wizard because his 15-year-old daughter is a fan — well, he calls her an addict but says her addiction has positive outlets. "She's picked up guitar because she wants to be in a wizard-rock band," he said. "She's studying Latin because she wants to better understand J.K. Rowling's choices of names for her characters. She started reading Stephen King and John Irving because they spoke with Rowling at Radio City two summers ago." If that's being an addict, he's down with it.

Likewise, Rudski's subjects didn't all turn their addictions into negative forces, but he found that those who were the most creative with their fandom showed the least disruption to their personal lives, addicted or not. For instance, those he calls the "core" fans, who read the books and liked to theorize, had the greatest amount of withdrawal symptoms. Online community fans, however, showed more of an intermediate level of withdrawal after reading the last book, but six months afterwards, still reported continued disruption (as opposed to core fans, who moved on). And for those who turned Harry Potter into a creative outlet — either through fan fiction, fan art or wizard rock — didn't show hardly any withdrawal symptoms at all, though they continued to spend just as much time engaged in those activities as they did before. What does that tell us? "It's more like a caffeine addiction," Rudski said. "The withdrawal can be over, but the addiction is still there."

Source MTV.com http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/15...r=rssColdFusion

The whole Harry Potter series was a great bit of fantasy and escapism, but I really wonder why academics have to get hold of it and invent so much nonsense like this ! It was a great story, people enjoyed it all - by the thousands, thats it. Leave all the pseudo- analysis out of it ! Go and research something useful ! Tim