foolforlove

Sorry I have to disagree with this poster.

To paraphrase another poster: when the government uses the smokescreen of crisis to change the laws, it must be reported.

I would also add my comment: anyone saying how we must all pull together during this crisis..blah blah blah.

That's not to be trusted! That type of line is just used the world over for scoundrels to extend their time to keep doing bad things. It's just a load of cr**. The time to start doing things the correct way is NOW. On the flip side, the underlying message of such comments is that doing things the "right way" just can't be afforded during a crisis and it's a luxury to entertain such proposals. Hogwash.

Bangkok and Thailand are on the verge of huge devastation and this is what the paper chooses to print? Makes you wonder if having somebody control the press is a good idea if there idea of news at a critical time like this is to inflame politics. Absolutely no reason in the world to run this story now. After the waters recedes then you can inflame politics but at this point it seems like many people are simply using this natural disaster to put politics before Thailand and its people.

I'm all for seeing an end to Thaksin and his family in politics but this is a time when people need to pull together. If things do get very bad I have a feeling many people are going to die that would not have needed to die if politics were not taking front stage right now. I even think the government is scared to deploy the military for fear of a coup and instead are depending on the police who not only are taking care of themselves and their own families now but have nowhere near the capabilities the army does in handling something like this.

Very very sad and as you can see from the comments on Thaivisa and the English newspapers, this is not just a Thai thing.

And just plane wrong to mislead readers to believing this story has anything to do with flooding. Politicians lie, that is what they do best across the globe and if these newspapers had real reporters then we'd be getting facts instead of nonsense and politicians would be less likely to lie so boldly.

On You Tube, search for "At a School in South East Asia Near You" by waterbuffaloashuman

Poll: Government policies are unraveling

BANGKOK, 28 August 2011 (NNT)- According to Suan Dusit Poll, a predominant group of Thais have been following the hot debates between the Pheu Thai government and the opposition Democrat. The Polls states that the true colors of Pheu Thai policies are beginning to unravel as uncertainty and doubts linger among the public

.

Just what do they mean by "....a predominant group of Thais...?" Is this a specific group that has certain political beliefs/loyalty or did the article really mean to say "...a majority of Thais..." If it was indeed some predominant group then their views may be slanted. Sure hope it wasn't just a group of academics. If it was just another limited sample size poll of around 1000 people probably in the Bangkok and vicinity which the Suan Dusit Poll usually does, then I don't think you can say that is reflective of all Thais/the country as a whole. I'm not pro-Pheu Thai or anti-Pheu Thai, but IMHO, this article/poll is missing a lot of key facts such as the poll sample size, type of people sampled, area(s) of the country sampled, etc.

Are you saying they seem to be too smart to be country folks?

Nope, just saying IMHO, this article/poll is missing a lot of key facts such as the poll sample size, type of people sampled, area(s) of the country sampled, etc.

Those details are there in the Thai version: http://dusitpoll.dusit.ac.th/polldata/2554/25541314498519.pdf

They polled 1,352 people between August 25 to 27. The details just don't make it into the English-language news.

***

Maybe this is a crazy idea... but has anyone taken their upper mattayom class for a tour of a university library?

My school could easily go to Chula or Thammsart (Sanam Luang Campus)....

Anyone done this or have contacts to ask for a tour from the library staff?

Thanks

that's REALLY one of the things i lurve about living here ; people mind their OWN business

Mind their own business. I don't know where you live but all I hear is gossip and everything but minding their own business.

Well said; certainly in village life here people seem to spend most of their time talking about OTHER peoples business, normally concerning sexual gossip or other folks money.

I assure you that it is not only village life. In Bangkok, walking down any soi and overhearing what people are talking about....

it is most definitely not minding their business. Thai society is one of the most nosy and gossipy that I have ever encountered.

My Thai friends even remark on their perceptions of these runaway qualities.

In truth, I consider this to be the chief DISADVANTAGE to learning Thai language.

Your claims and complaints are, to put it succinctly, without merit.

First, the goal of a democratic electorial system should be consistent, periodic, orderly transfer of power.

The Thai approach to this is defined in the Thai constitution -- which was adopted by national popular vote four years ago. It doesn't matter if you call the Thai system "westminster" or "wallaby", the coalition government was formed openly according to the procedures and processes which the Thai nation adopted in their constitution. They have "followed the rules" as defined in the Thai constitution in forming the government. So, it is inaccurate to claim they have done something wrong, unfair, or invalid.

Second, it is a coalition government. It isn't one political party (i.e. Democratic Party). The coalition is made of a group of parties which hold more than a majority of the power in the parliament. Therefore, it is wrong to discount the "mandate" of the entire coalition based on one member (i.e. Democratic Party) of the coalition.

Third, if the current mandate is for Pheu Thai, as you claim, why have they not been able to convince the other political parties to abandon this coalition and (re)join with them to form a new coalition now?

Better yet, why was Pheu Thai unable to form a coalition with the other political parties, if their mandate has been so strong and consistent all along? Oh yes, it was because this time around those political parties said NO to Pheu Thai and decided to join with the Democratic Party for once. Traditionally, those parties had always sided with Pheu Thai (or its old names Thai-Rak-Thai or People's Power Party), but this time they didn't.

Fourth, you claim the Democratic Party lost badly in the "most recent general election". Actually the most recent general election was in 2007. The Democrats got 39.63% of the vote, and Pheu Thai only 39.60% (source: Wikipedia Last Thai General Election 2007 ). Perhaps this is why Pheu Thai could not form a coalition after the last general election?

Fifth, Pheu Thai (or TRT or PPP) has never had a simple majority of a popular vote win. They have always formed coalition governments themselves. You didn't trumpet their illegitimacy back then, so why claim now that this makes the current government unfair and invalid?

Sixth, if there was anything going down here that was not in accord with the laws, procedures, and constitution of Thailand, you really believe that Pheu Thai would not instantly be at the Constitution Court? If they had any flimsy leg to stand on, they would be at the high court with a team of five hundred lawyers faster than you can say "som-tom-gai-yang".

Perhaps you have a legitimate complaint about the Thai political processes, procedures, and rules. However, do not confuse that systematic issue with a complaint about the current government.

Democrats, Pheu Thai (%)

Management efficiency: 35.5 54.5

Economic performance: 35.4 64.6

Vision and policies: 41.0 59.0

Public acceptance: 39.1 60.9.........

It's time for these muppets to get out!! Unelected and unfit to govern. In the last election they were massacred 165: 233

Even though you Dem defenders claim the 'Westminster system' and 'fairly elected by fellow members of the house', the simple fact is; there is not another country in the world that is governed by a party who lost this badly in the most recent general election. And still they refuse to accept the condition that the party with the most votes gets the mandate...they know this will cause more political turbulence, but shamelessly and spinelessly they will cling to power by any means. You've had your turn (as unfair as it was) now listen to the people AND GET OUT!!!!!!!!

I am looking for a simple, neighborhood muay thai gym in Thonburi.

Somewhere around Siriraj Hospital; Chao Phraya River; Itsaraphap Road; Wat Arun; Baan Kaek/Big C intersection.

I have my own gloves and wraps. I just want a place with a punching bag that I can go to during lunchtime for a little exercise away from the office.

Simple and easy.....

Thanks.

Is there somewhere online that I can download (or easily get somehow) the standards for a particular level and course?

It can be in Thai or English.

I am particularly interested in Mattayom level standards for English, Math, Computers, and Science.

Thanks!

Can anyone suggest/recomment a service in Bangkok that prepares Thai income tax forms?

How much should this cost? A couple hundred baht maybe?

I don't have anything too complex. Just salary and RTF account from a Thai bank.

In the past, my employer has done this for me. But this year there has been a staff change and the new people in that department seem unable/uninterested in doing this. At least, they have been dragging their feet on doing the forms and filing for about 6 weeks now.

Thanks.

I am looking at getting binders for my upper mattayom students so that they can keep organized etc.

I have seen that other schools have students keep binders (and of course there are points for this)...

So my question is... can anyone recommend a particular brand or style that has worked well for their students?

It seems in Thailand that 2-ring binders are the most popular product in the stores (I am more familiar with 3-ring binders in my country).

Whatever we get, it needs to be of sufficient quality to take the use of students opening and closing to add papers often etc.

Thanks for any suggestions!

binder picture:

What do you pay (or think is reasonable to pay) per hour for...

* in Bangkok (central bkk)

* personal trainer who is also a Thai professional athlete

* they work independently (not for a gym like Calif)

* they come and meet you at your gym and train you there

* devise a training program for your needs and track your progress and schedule and program etc

Thanks!

The Thai name hasn't/wasn't helpful in locating this either. You have two choices:

* บอแรกซ์ which phonetically says in Thai letters "bor-raek"

OR

* น้ำประสานทอง which says "naam bpra-saan tong"

(and means something like "water with gold"???)

I expected to be able to find this common(?) household cleaner easily.... hmmm... but I have checked several supermarkets with no luck.

Any ideas?

No, not possible. It's been replaced by an optometrist which is fully open for business.

Is it possible it's just closed for the holidays, or was it cleaned out too?

This store had been in MBK, 3rd floor, for at least 7+ years. It was next to that big Maengbong store.

It was good because it had a wide selection of foreign dvds and also older films.

But I went today and found it has closed (or moved?).

MBK's information counter wouldn't say more than "bit laew" (closed).

Anyone know if they are open somewhere else? or online?

There really isn't another place like it that I know of in BKK as far as size of inventory etc....

Your last "excu-reason" about not copying seems like the winner.

Thanks much.

Simply tell them that the newer students need to have something easier, or tell the better students they will be bored. With mine, I used to humorously tell them it was so they couldn't copy.

Scott,

Thanks for your reply. Glad(?) to hear this isn't a rare situaton.

One thing I am not sure about in your answer: "give additional work or harder work to the better students"

I try to picture doing this in my head.... and all I can see is ten hands in the air asking "why don't I have the same worksheet as Khun Lek and Khun Noi?".

How did you overcome that?

I've dealt with this a lot over the years and it is frustrating and difficult. You guys are on track with your suggestions and ideas. Admin, unfortunately, seldom is willing to do much.

It might be easier, if possible, to teach 'down' to the lower students and give additional work or harder work to the better students. Use a lot of encouragement, the more the lower students are exposed to asking, answering, reading, the better they get. A lot of students do catch up, but some just can't do it.

Best of luck and hopefully others will have concrete suggestions.

I teach upper mattayom in an intensive English program (IEP).

We have English and Maths instruction in English.

The recurring situation that happens is each year's incoming M4 gets comprised of 40-60% of our former IEP M3 students and the remaining students come from another school.

The incoming students' ability in English is markedly lower than our continuing M3 students. So the class becomes bimodal in English ability -- the complete opposite of a bell curve. For example, continuing students should/need to be challenged on improving their paragraph writing skills. Whereas the incoming transfer students usually have trouble caballing a sentence together.

This bimodal breakdown then continues on as they pass to M5 and M6.

The school seems to have the idea that we should still just "teach to the middle". This results really in a minority of students being satisfied: for the continuing students it's too easy, and for transfer students it's too difficult. The school also mistakenly believes that the weaker (i.e. transfer) students will learn from the stronger students. This is also false. Instead the weaker students just mindlessly copy from the stronger students, or some in some fashion get the assignments done without doing it themselves.

Our various suggestions have fallen on deaf ears. We have tried suggestions of: split the class in two; split the class in two for particular subjects; add an extra "catch-up" session (period) to have the weaker students attend; etc.

The only solutions that we could seem to implement involve what we can control inside the classroom. For example, make-up two different sets of homework and hand each student one by ability. Or maybe design some sort of self-study map through the curriculum where students would follow that path.

What have others done in similar situations?

Thanks

Thanks, that's perfect.

ASk for Nizoral shampoo. they should have in drug stores

ohh u better pronounce it name in Thai way too coz most thai ppl cant get it with the english accent. ( Nai-so-ron )

I'm looking for a pure vegetable(oil)-based soap such as Dr Bonner's.

A liquid soap would be best (as opposed to a bar of soap).

(I can't put the link, but GOOGLE is your friend and you can search for "dr bonners soap").

These products are soaps made from coconut oil, palm oil, olive oil, etc only. No animal fat.

Sometimes these are called "Castile Soaps".

It doesn't need to be this particular brand, but I want to locate a place in BKK to

buy a liquid castile soap.

In North America, a product like this would sold in a health food store.

I don't know all the health food stores here in BKK, but I haven't seen it in the small

shops I have encountered by chance.

Thanks.

Anyone know a brand name and/or drugstore in BKK that would sell this over the counter?

A reliable Thai brand is fine (if exists) -- doesn't have to be an imported product.

Thanks

I saw some really beautiful glass dipping pens (not fountian pens tho , u need an ink well/bottle ) at the House and Garden show a few weeks back . They have a stall/shop in Chutuchuk. If you are interested i will dig out their business card if u pm me (if i can still find it). They ranged in price from 400 THB to about 1500 THB for really fancy ones.

Thank you but I really would like a fountain pen.

Where is a good place to find low-end (i.e. less than 1000 baht) fountain pens in Bangkok?

For example, something like a LAMY Safari (see picture below).

This is just meant as a gift for a teenager who is working on their handwriting.

I want a quality pen, but I just don't need it to be gold plated etc.

Thanks

I want to comment on the blocking of foot traffic. It seems often when there is some sort of architectural constricture to pass through, this is prime stop-and-block space. For example, after passing through any doorway, people immediately HALT and look around to plan their direction and destination. The same thing with stairs/escalators -- when exiting these, people HALT and assess their options. I attribute this to just lack of analytical skills -- people are not taught critical thinking and analysis. So they don't intuit that a particular place to stop is different or special in any way than anywhere else. They don't mentally perceive that a doorway would be a critical point because of its purpose (ie people passing through) -- because they don't recognize it HAS a purpose.

Anyone who has ever attempted teaching literature here can attest to the Herculean task of getting a student to produce any sort of literary analysis. If you aren't a teacher, than think about the time you went to a movie with a Thai friend. After the movie ended, have you ever had a discussion about the film you saw (beyond "Good huh?" "Yeah good." full stop.)?

Again about foot traffic, does anyone else notice that people dart across your path in front of you -- and it seems increasingly so when you are going fast? It's like if you are hurry, people who were on a course to cross your path but walking slow will suddenly hurry up so they cross in front of you instead of behind. I liken it to chickens or other farm animals standing at the edge of a road. When a car comes, the chicken hesitates and isn't sure what to do. Then at the last second, darts across the road narrowly clearing the speeding oncoming car.

About privacy at the post office and sending mail. What about RECEIVING mail? Where else is mail to your home or office just left lying on a counter or in a cardboard box near the outside door... and everyone just sifts through it for their own mail on the honor system?

Someone else made a comment about being served in line: Thai before non-Thais. Here is my classic story. One day, I was walking towards the entrance to a small shop. A young woman, coming from another direction, was walking towards the same shop. Upon seeing me, she literally doubled her speed to make it into the shop first (i.e. the chicken crossing the road mentioned above). She got to the counter maybe a half-second before me. Then, she stood there studying the menu -- not sure what she wanted. After about 15 seconds, another Thai person entered the shop and stood on the other side of her (she was in the middle between me and the other Thai person). Another 10-15 seconds passed of menu-studying with no sign of ordering. She decided she should let someone else go first, so she turned to her left and indicated the owner should take the order from the Thai person. Since I speak Thai and the owner knew me as a regular customer, I quickly verbalized that *I* was next. So I ordered and got out of there.

On a humourous note: books written by Thais about their own culture (which you have read if you have taken the Thai culture course as part of being a teacher here) indicate that one of the hallmarks of Thai culture is "standing in line and waiting their turn." I kid you not. Couldn't make this up if I tried. Clearly written by a Thai who has never taken public transport in this country -- at least not when they were conscious.

I am looking for a scale like this to use in a science experiment.

I've tried Suksapanit (at Democ Monu) and the adjoining science supply store. No luck.

I've also looked at some other Suksapanit branches and some other stores.

Any suggestions? Prefer in central BKK....

thanks!