wildewillie89

Village people should have been educated on the dangers of burning not only plastic. but leaves, trees etc numerous times by now. Not only should have they been educated at local conferences, but it should have been repeated over loud speakers, and also various educational days where the public health officials train the villagers on what other uses they can use their waste for. Example. mulch, recyclables etc.

I personally think the whole issue has two aspects to it. One, a way of thinking. We have done this forever, it is easy, why change? Two, the way the system is set up. Local officials cannot fine, they need approval from the Mayor and then the police act on the fining. The Mayor will rarely approve a fine for this as he will lose the house votes, and all their various cousins votes. Police find cases like this a waste of time. 

A fining system needs to be created that is not linked back to an election. Plus, the community would benefit, think of how much the Tessaban could save in fines to spend on creating more recreational activities for the young, elderly etc. 

Also as it stands now, Tessabans are limited in what they can do re rubbish. 30 baht a month covers nothing. There was talk to increasing this to 150 baht per month, and some Tessabans did. However, it is political suicide for many other Mayors. Many Tessabans even need to stop paying the small pension to the elderly to cover things like this. 

Tribunals have been set up for people who cannot handle neighbours burning off daily by the Army government, but many uneducated people are unaware of this. 

No easy short term easy fix unfortunately. So do what you can, at least make your immediate living areas relatively smoke free. 

If a big tick I would be wary regardless of the Frontline. Being big, you would assume it is an adult. Which means it has had 3 or so hosts before your cat (as ticks like a different host per stage of life). Just remember to check the cats blood every 6 months here in Thai. 

Hopefully the sore is just a reaction to the tick saliva. Would watch the cat extremely closely for symptoms though. Try not to look at taking it to the vet as traumatising it. Try and look at is as desensitising it for when it really does need to go. 

For example, ASPCA Animal Behaviour Center recommend taking a cat to the vet once or twice a week, not to be checked, but to get it used to going. We take our new puppy every month to get his spot on purely for the socialisation aspect. 

What can happen is that many parents also do not want to send their kids on the trips. However, some schools will tell them the student will be down graded because of this. Other parents just either have no common sense, education, or just don't have the time of day to think about possible consequences. 

End of the day, Thai is one of the most dangerous roads in the world, the trips are painfully long, the bus drivers are not well trained/tired, and what do the kids actually learn from many of these trips? How to take a photo of the teachers. 

From what I hear from the sister-in-law who is a teacher at a private school - many parents will not allow the kids to go on the trip and the school hires a police car for the bus to follow. 

Lots of concerns re the event, lots of concerns re Thai roads (and all rightfully so).

But, on the next thread it will be ''I love Thailand because my home country is a nanny state".

Go figure. 

3 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Another double standard:

Two Thai youths full of alcohol and testosterone were arrested after shooting guns into the air, allegedly to impress women and scare off rival suitors.

http://www.pattayamail.com/979/news09.shtml

Any actual punishment though?
If they were arrested, but later released without punishment then no double standard. Article doesn't include a punishment. 

I am 28 years old. I have one daughter (18 months) and will have a son born in the next few months. Forward planning I think is the key to make life successful here. I am luckier than some in the sense all health care is free for my children and I, government education is free until they finish their bachelor, and private/international education is at a significantly reduced price. Before schooling, I was lucky also that the local brand new 'free' nursery is staffed by some family members, and I can manipulate the safety of it (re teachers, security) as the Mayor (boss), is the children's grandfather. So someone cannot just go in and claim they have been told to pick up the farang kid (as happened with one Thai child in a primary school earlier this year - to be put in the begging trade). Also the nursery is directly opposite the wife's office. 

Surely, if deciding to bring up the kids in Thailand, you will educate them about how to cross a road. If they are of an age where complete comprehension is not there, then they should be supervised whilst crossing anyway (not walking about alone). 

Education is something that people need to be focused on. Usually the bigger schools (not even private) in the cities have their top two classes that the teachers do focus most of their attention on. These classes are where your doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, officials, business people etc come from. If your child is naturally bright enough to be in one of those classes, then really some outside work based around critical thinking, and more general knowledge is all that is needed to get into one of the top 5 universities in the country. A lot of that will come with day to day living with your child, the shows you choose to watch, books you choose to read etc.  

My Thai family and their relevant friends were all in those top two classes and all have professional careers now. Whereas the students not in those two classes are the secretaries (lower salaries). We all know teachers back home, so periodically test your children based on the curriculum back home to make sure they are of a good enough standard if they decide to move themselves when older. It is probably important to be a little more involved in your child's life here, rather than just relying on the government providing everything. Having said that, if your child is happy and wants to go down a completely different path not needing an education then great, but we should at least give them the opportunities to have those choices. 

*Make it clear to the school from the beginning that the kid will not be touched by a teacher. The schools worth sending the kids to usually know farang are a bit more strict about this than Thai families. 

I think dropping and picking the kid up from school is a must, and obviously have a designated area where the child must wait - near security/teachers (which I even had back home growing up).

In terms of general safety after school, then really people need to set up their own environment to make that a success. So for us, we have a bit of land patrolled by two giant working breed dogs who love our daughter. Gates are always closed for the safety of us (people/soi dogs not coming in), but also the safety of others also (our working breed dogs not going out). We also have fenced off play/eating areas away from the dogs for friends/cousins to visit in the future (socialisation). 

Also socialisation and safety can come in the form of extra curriculum activities. So learning instruments, sports, the odd tutoring work etc. It will also make sure your children are hanging around other like minded families, rather than the local drop outs. What I like, is the children will grow up in a community that shows just how tough life can be, so those morals of treating people equally regardless of their circumstances will be there on our evening walks around the village (3km from city). Whereas during the day, they will get a higher standard of living obviously to set them up in life. 

Generally speaking, of course a developed country will have a better health/education system and will be safer. However, developing countries are that bit easier to manipulate to get the best for your specific child, which can sometimes open up doors for more opportunities. 

Step mother had the Down Syndrome test done back home, but purely because of her age alone (late 30s). 

We had our daughter in a government hospital, and will have our son there also in a few months. Our daughter had to stay in the hospital for a couple of weeks when born. I couldn't imagine how much it would have unnecessarily cost if at a private hospital. Yeah, they may have one nurse instead of 4, but when they are at home they will have no nurses anyway so will be a good learning curve. 

If you are paying, then sending them to a government hospital and not even giving a private room and making them learn everything in front of everyone maybe will teach them good lessons about the future and to be more careful. Not to mention it will save a lot of money that could be spent on things like car seats, clothes, etc (as a gift). Also may give the hint to the gf re bad intentions (financial incentives), that the financial help stops now. 

I have made the relevant points that needed to be made. No point continuing the discussion it seems (from my end). 

If people want to continue to live a life of bitterness and jealousy based on a few examples that is completely up to them. It is the exact reason why many farang won't go to the farang hangouts. Less moaning happens in hair salons than farang pubs in Thailand lol. 

Enjoy that :). 

9 hours ago, JLCrab said:

Yes -- you said that I must be bored. But you were the one who said that you gave up a lot to live in Thailand, and other than being from the best city in the world to live in, I just wanted to hear you say just what. You seem to always talk about women who pay their own way and while that is great there are lots of women out there who don't who maybe bring scintillating personalities into the equation and that interests me more than hooking up with a government clerk.

What you want to hear is not relevant though. I didn't say I gave up a lot. I even called the study that made the claim 'useless'. It was thought and said by the Thai person. 

I have absolutely no problems what people do with their lives. Some languages of love work based on different variables. Emotional, logical, financial etc. If that works out then it is fine. 

However, if a conversation moves into the direction of irrational bashing out of negativity and what very much looks like jealousy, then people will set the record straight. An ignorant generalisation was made, it was corrected. Why take it so personally when it had absolutely no relevance to you? That is where it looks like jealousy. Who cares who ends up with who if the relationship works out. I thought that was a given.

The point was people shouldn't make ignorant generalisations. If I married a rice farmer all of my posts would be about farming as a job. But I married someone with a different job so my posts will talk about their job. It is an incredibly logical conclusion to make, for whatever reason you see it as some attack on everyone else - which is a problem on your end, not mine. 

9 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

These 2 girls were average 40 year olds, nothing to look at, and dull as ditchwater.

Should have had bar girls, way better looking, and the sex would have been better.

So you base your whole thinking off 2 people? I have even said in the benefits of marrying a public servant thread, that officials are not any better people. I know one who lied to a few guys just to get a farang. 

Like any woman, time needs to be taken to learn the woman. There is no job that has a label saying I am 100% moral. My point, however, was obviously if a woman does have her own paycheck, and the guy is very clear regarding his financial intention, then there is no such thing as a 'long con'.

12 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

BTW this isn't your show.

Show????

My show? As in I am a host trying to dictate the direction of the conversation? If I didn't, I am sure the mods would have come and done it for us. 

Or a show about me? If this, then why the line of questioning specifically about me?

Or show as in show off? If you consider that showing off it says more about you than me. 

I had a point/experiences directly related to the topic. Others found it more than useful/relevant to bother liking it. 

The point was made and finished, you continued it and led it into a direction of irrelevance.

I really couldn't care less how you live your life... What I did care about this topic, was silly generalisations relating to the women of a particular country. 

Time to sleep. Have a good night :)

Are you heading into any sort of relevance to the topic, or are you just bored again? 

What I was doing is irrelevant. The story was told to another member to show him that his generalisation was way off. 

Would be silly not to check a place out before deciding to live there more permanently, whether it has been voted the best place in the world or not. 

Just now, JLCrab said:

I see - six months. Must be a typo. You mean six years don't you -- what can you study in six months?

Just basic English first. She comes over 4 times a week to get used to my accent. From what I can see she is more going for the experience/check the place out - before making a final decision on her studies. 

3 hours ago, MaeJoMTB said:

You're right, my 19 year old daughter wouldn't even speak with a foreigner (If i or mom wasn't in the room with her).

Plenty of respectable Thai women, but not much use if they won't speak to you.

By 'respectable', I am assuming your daughter will also not talk to a Thai man unless you or her mother are in the room. She is still young, it would be a little bit worrying if she is like that in her mid 20s. 

Do you just automatically assume, because she is Thai, that if she says hello to someone she will then be in for the 'long con'? 

2 hours ago, JLCrab said:

?

Various useless studies have put my home city as the most livable in the world 7 years in a row apparently. To the point where the District Chief and his wife are now paying to send their daughter there for the next 6 months to study as they have done a lot of research on the place. So yes, they feel I have given up a lot to move to Thailand. 

1 hour ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Was at the start (my misses left school age 12), isn't now, as she's finished high school and half way through university.

She owns a rice farm and farmhouse outright, along with a chunk of forest in Nan.

Wish I had some land!

 

Plenty of guys on this forum been banging a young Thai woman for 6-12 months and thinks she loves them ....... boy are they in for a surprise! Thai girls are good at the long con.

 

What is this long con? 

My Mrs has her own home loan, various vehicles, she has a few separate fair chunks of land 5km from the city centre and she has a job for life (set for around a 45k pension per month until she dies). What is she trying to take off me in this 'long con'? I don't give her any money, and from day one with the family it was established that no Sin Sord or money would ever be given to them as there is no legal rights for me. They, also being educated, logically accepted that. I also didn't bring anything into the country to begin with, so I can never lose out - other than potential lost years which I don't consider wasted as I have a daughter and a son on the way that I have spent those times with.  

The point is there is tens of thousands of women living in Thai, who are economically sound, looking for a genuine guy. The Amphoe Chief's wife once said to my wife, if you expect him to live in Thai he should not have to work and you should fully support him (as she has met this situation many times). As he has given up so much and you have a good job. It is literally the complete opposite idea that members on this forum like to generalise about. NEW GENERATION.

Again, if men cant find them, it is because the previous factors listed (location, age, personality), NOT because all Thai women are the same and out to get 'farang'. If you have this thought process then, of course, the only women you will find are exactly what you are expecting - the ones wanting to con you. 

Surely we must take into account period of time, and the circumstances of how relationships are formed. If we are talking certain aged women or women met in what may be considered 'undesirable' places to find a match, then yes, receiving a paycheck may well be one reason they stay.

However, it is 2017 now. Women in Thailand have greater opportunities and have had for a while. There is now a very limited number of excuses to not be able to find a woman in Thailand who makes her own paycheck and seeks a man for the 'right' reasons. If someone cannot, then I feel either the location is wrong, the age is wrong, or simply, the guy's personality is off putting (probably bitter if we go off this thread alone). 

I would be more inclined to think many on this forum are living back in the day/possibly are in relationships with women who haven't had the same opportunities so probably generalise a whole countries newer generation from their own very isolated experiences.

From the 'farang' I know, who I would consider genuine relationships, they don't feel a need to go down to the pub every night to listen to the constant moaning. So would be no surprises if members only see it written on here rather than in the 'real' world if you like. I haven't been to the 'farang' hangout for a good 12 months for this very reason. Anything positive said, is either taken as a lie, or even if the proof is in front of them, they will behave incredibly juvenile about it (also like on this forum lol).

2 hours ago, Aussie69 said:

What about those high pitch sound devices, are they available and if so do they work?

I think their is a thread on them. They are the same as tasers. Will work on dogs that attack out of fear, but even a raised hand or the sound of a stick breaking would work on those dogs.

They are also used to train dogs (combined with positive experience), so to a dog it is just a sound that may initially shock them. So if it is used on a continual basis the dog will just become desensitised to it after a while anyway, unless of course it is associated with a negative experience.

Good there is a puppy school there. Even if the dog doesn't learn a single thing, the course will be worth it just for the socialisation. 

A few people on this forum have been asking about the Cane Corso and Bullmastiff from memory, so hopefully someone can point you in the right direction. 

What sort of dog is it? There is only a handful of breeds that are so 'naturally' aggressive and will really struggle with re-homing. So if it is unsociable due to it being a product of the environment or a health issue, it will take some work (but by no means impossible) to get to a standard most people would accept. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of people are in a position to take that work on though. 

Dropping it off at a temple would not only be adding to the stray population but also, by the sounds of it, adding risk of getting bitten to the community. Not to mention the poor quality of life the dog would have (i.e fleas, ticks, infections, poor diet, joint problems, hit by car, dog fights, kicked by monks and locals, chronic illnesses, the list goes on). 

The Mrs family or friends can't take it on? Everyone should have a plan for their dogs if unforeseen circumstances come up.

If a taser from the markets they are relatively useless on serious dogs. I have a couple, you can taser yourself quite easily. Will get a little burn, but will not stop something like a police taser would. They are good with the scared dogs, but those ones are scared of sticks anyway. My dogs are desensitized to tasers, and dogs that are really going to confidently attack will not be stopped by the more common tasers you can get here (whether physically stopped or stopped due to the fear of the sound). 

For starters, I don't know a whole lot about either, but it is a decision I will have to make in the future also.

Will have two kids (in car seats), but also two big dogs (55kg and 70kg). Was looking at either pick ups or SUVs. Obviously the car will be used primarily as a family car so interior comfort is important for the long trips, but we do live rural also and do have a farm (currently use two everyday sedans and the father's Isuzu pick up). So if pick up truck will be used with both farm related activities and transporting the dogs to the vet. If SUV then will just continue using the Isuzu for those things.

Ford seems to win out on Australia's 'how safe is your car' website in terms of safety (a big factor obviously in Thailand). 

But I did really like the Toyota when I drove one of cousins new ones around the city. The only problem I had with it was that it seemed quite cramped for me compared to the Ford. I am 198cm. Not an issue for a quick drive, but could see it being uncomfortable on a longer drive. 

Chev I don't think has a servicing centre where I am, and Ford is run by my boss' brother which may help re issues relating to customer servicing that people are saying. Is the reliability all that bad? The local municipality garden section drives an ancient Ranger around that looks like they have put it through hell and back without any issues.

Personally, I like the look of the Ford, and maybe feel an irrational attachment with it being Aussie, but in terms of the variables in my life (size, young family, know the owner etc), it seems a good fit for us. However, reliability/resale is obviously important. Moral of the story it seems is that not one car probably fits every lifestyle and their will be some negatives you may have to take on with any car.

12 hours ago, Gregster said:

 

Perfect! I’m more than happy with a mongrel - as I was with my last dog, also a mongrel that I chose from the pound instead of a pedigree from a breeder friend.

 

Although I have always had purebred dogs (as I require specific traits), mongrels in general are usually a little bit healthier. Some research found of the 20 most common conditions seen by vets, 3 were more significantly seen among purebreds (ear infections, obesity and skin issues). Mongrels are good sturdy dogs.

Good luck with the little fella :)