AsianAtHeart

One problem with many Thai drivers--perhaps because of their drinking habits since Thailand is among the highest in the ASEAN region for alcohol consumption--is that they lack quick reflexes and are unable to make critical decisions in the split second where it is required. In many perilous situations on the road, decisive action is necessary. In the case of hydroplaning, there's actually little that one can do--once the loss of control takes place, it is too late for action. The time to take action was before it occurred, i.e. slow down. For myself, I don't trust my tires to maintain control above 80 kph on wet roads, and if the roads are flooded, not just wet, I would drop that even further. The deeper the water, the lower the speed needs to be. But it takes attentiveness to the details of the car, its handling characteristics, and to one's own condition for driving at that moment (e.g. awake & alert or tired & drowsy) to be safe when attempting to push the limits. I don't have a problem with qualified drivers pushing the limits, especially for emergency services. But they better know their limits. It is possible to drive fast and yet maintain a safe level of control. Many, however, would be better off never trying to push the envelope. I, personally, have been gifted with fast reflexes. It has saved me from tragic accidents on the road many times. But not everyone has this. It has been my observation that most people here are very slow to take action while on the roads. Just consider how long it takes them to proceed when the light turns green. They're not slow because they were still checking both ways--at least, not from what I have observed.

I was once in a pickup w/ camper when an emergency call came in. We hit the road going between 80 and 90 MPH in a 55 zone, hazard lights flashing, back toward the hospital. Whizzed right past a cop car--who did not hinder us, fortunately. The police knew who we were. Got there barely in time to save the guy's life -- a railroad worker who'd gotten caught between two cars and crushed to within a quarter-inch of his life.

Could it be that the dealer refused to replace it because it would be even worse for them when the customer found that the replacement vehicle had the same or worse problems?

Those who have similar problems are often the least forgiving. The strong criticisms you have received may well come from others who are or have been in a similar boat. I have never drunk alcohol in my life, for which I am very grateful to my parents for having brought me up well. I have taught thousands of people about the harms of alcohol and have encouraged them to leave it. You are doing the right thing to steer clear of it. If you want some encouragement toward your new course without it, you might experiment with cracking a raw egg into some rubbing alcohol ("lao 70")--70% ethyl alcohol. Beer averages 5%, so this is stronger and you will see the reaction more quickly; but one of the biggest reasons I always used rubbing alcohol is that I don't want to support the beer companies. When you crack the egg into the alcohol, remember what an egg is. It is a cell--just like one of the trillions of cells you have in your body. The egg is a very large cell, and the nucleus of that cell (the yolk) is easy to see, as is its cytoplasm (the egg white). With just the alcohol, you will see that the egg is "cooked" (coagulated), no heat required. Alcohol kills. That is why they use it in the hospital to clean a patient's skin before administering an injection. This will prevent living bacteria, viruses, etc. from being inserted past the skin barrier. The alcohol people drink also kills. It kills cells in every part of the body: lung cells, blood cells, liver cells, brain cells, etc. We usually talk about alcoholics losing their brain cells, with little mention of the others. Why? Because when you kill your blood cells, more will take their place. Ditto for lung cells, liver cells, skin cells, etc. But brain cells are not regenerated. That is why we often focus on them. Neighboring cells may be able to take over the role that the dead brain cells used to serve, but the cells are not replaced. Alcohol reduces memory capacity, in addition to the more temporary effects of impairing judgment and reflex. The liver, the only organ able to break down and destroy the alcohol, is especially harmed. Even though it can break it down, it is also hurt in the process--perhaps akin to the mouth cooling hot food--yes, it is cooled, but the tongue got burned in the process. If you burn your tongue, you will not wish to eat anything hot for several days. But the liver has no nerves to tell you that it has been burned. So most drinkers have a glass every day, and their liver is further weakened, bit by bit. It is an amazing organ and has the capacity to regenerate if given time, and allowed to do so early enough (before damaged beyond repair). But once one has been diagnosed with liver cancer, there's little hope of survival beyond six months. I'm not preaching, I'm teaching. Knowledge is power. Everyone knows that drinking is bad, but most don't know all the reasons why. When you know those reasons, it gives you more ability to decisively say "no" the next time your craving hits. Good for you for not succumbing in your lonely moment after she left! It takes a real man to be able to be self-controlled like that. Keep going! The temptation to just give in and enjoy at least "something" will be strong yet for weeks to come. Doctors in my family suggest that B-vitamins may help with reducing those cravings. Having never drunk alcohol, I cannot say anything from personal experience about this, but it would be harmless to try if you think you need some additional help in laying the cravings to rest. I'm rooting for you! Once you are alcohol free, you can carefully examine your life to see if there are any other changes you might like to make. I tend to agree with the sentiment that you should move on. Adultery is certainly grounds for divorce, legally and morally. It gives you an opportunity, at this point, to get out of a relationship that may have been dragging you down and to plant your standard on higher ground. I would wait at least awhile before trying to replace her, though. Focus on who you want to be in your new life. Make sure you are comfortable and confident there. Then, you will be ready to find someone who is at that same standard, who can equal you--and not need to be "controlled." Women need guidance, but most will chafe if they feel controlled. There's a difference, and a loving way to guide that will not be off-putting. Ignore those who only seek to make themselves look superior by condemning you. None of us is perfect, and they aren't either. Focus on doing the right thing for yourself because it is right. You have the right to change, and to upgrade to a better life--even when you are already mature. You always have that right. There's no need to think one can never learn something new nor turn over a new leaf. You can, if you will. Go for it!

None of us, at least not me, knew the exchange rate was going to do what it did. I entered Thailand in August of 1997. I exchanged dollars to baht within three weeks of that I am sure. I don't remember the exact dates, but at that time that I exchanged, I got 32 baht/dollar. It cannot have been more than two months, I think--my memory has it at about 6 weeks, but I was not expecting a change, mind you, and was not watching it every day--it had gone up to 57. I clearly remember seeing the 57. That may have been the peak, or maybe 58--I don't remember. But my recollections would place this nearer to October or November, not January. Back in those days, I suppose, the internet was less developed and we probably have no online records by which to confirm our memories. Memories can play tricks on us at times, but the reason I remembered this so clearly is because, at the time, I remember regretting having exchanged so many of my dollars in that first round and thinking that if I had only waited a few weeks, I could have gotten nearly twice as much for them. I won't say my memory is perfect--nobody's is. But I tell it like I remember it, with no intention whatsoever to alter the facts just to "be right." I'd be happy to be proven wrong, if the actual details can be confirmed from historical records somehow. Until then, I'm going to have to accept my memories. What I remember, too, was that the swing to 57 happened more suddenly. That could be because I was not watching it every day, and only saw the bank's signboards when I went into town. But to my memory, it had been relatively stable in the lower 30's almost right up until it spiked. I probably got into town about once a week, or once every two weeks, so there's no chance I saw it every day, and I don't remember how much of my memory may have been based on what others were talking about--but I know it came as a surprise to most.

I was here. It happened just as I said. I saw it at 57 only a few weeks after I had exchanged at 32. In Chiangmai.

Good question on sourcing the grit. I just provide coarse sand to my chickens. But I haven't looked very hard for better stuff. Presumably, concrete makers should use a variety of grades of rock, depending on concrete thickness and strength requirements--so you might try asking at place that sells the sand and gravel for construction purposes. (Of course, they'll typically sell it by the cubic meter--not expensive, though.) Per my dictionary, you can try asking for "gruat"/"gruat-sai"/"gon-gruat" (กรวด/กรวดทราย/ก้อนกรวด), but, TIT, and they still might look at you funny when you do. Locals sell whole rice (unmilled), regular rice, broken rice (polished), rice bran, whole corn, crushed corn, pellets and mash for chicken consumption. Often, it will be sold from a mom-and-pop shop that is focused on just this, perhaps in combination with other pet foods, or, more probably, in combination with other farming/agricultural items. I've never seen sunflower seeds sold for animal consumption other than the in-shell variety intended for parrots, or millet--but you might find it somewhere...??

This statement, while of course true, is a bit naive. When the baht/dollar exchange rate spiked to 57 baht/USD in 1997, the prices of domestic products did not change measurably. What changed were the imported goods: steel, milk, corn flakes, etc. Most Thai people didn't consume foreign foods, but the steel prices did have a delayed impact. Even though the baht was nearly half its original value, within Thailand you could still buy a plate of fried rice for 20 baht, somtam for 15-20 baht (despite the old radio hit with the lyrics saying somtam could still be bought for 5 baht...ha!), and most other products like rice, locally grown or produced foods, garments, etc. stayed the same. Thailand was still exporting--that hadn't changed. Within Thailand, very little changed--at least at first. That all happened pre-Taksin. By the time Taksin took office, the trickle-down economic effects had definitely hit, and Thailand was experiencing inflation due to the costs of imports. Taksin was able to turn the economy around, and Thailand soon saw some of its best economic developments in its history. The baht returned to around 37 per dollar, then headed toward 35. It took years before it finally got back to around 32 where it had been trading before the crash. Of course, some may lament that it never got back to 29 or better where it had been at one point in time. But when the baht is too strong, exports will be fewer. American buyers, and perhaps those of other Western nations, do not fancy the idea of supporting sweat shops when purchasing their cheap goods. They like good prices, but not at the ethical/moral cost of encouraging economic slavery. Yet, in order to market more cheaply, Thai manufacturers would be forced to cut their own expenses somewhere. Their profit margin is not typically as high as a typical profit margin in a more developed country would be. To reduce their costs, and sell their products for less, might eventually backfire when the product is found to be of poor quality by the consumer. So, can they really just lower their prices? Not without sacrificing somewhere in the process. When an exchange rate gets set, it equally affects both imports and exports. In a country with a neutral balance of trade, all other things being equal, the exchange rate itself will balance/cancel out. But if the manufacturer reduces sales prices without having a commensurate reduction in the prices of the raw materials used for production, the difference is felt as pressure on that particular manufacturer. It's like a tug-of-war: add more pulling force to each side and balance still exists. For a manufacturer to reduce prices is to have less pulling force on the manufacturer's side only.

This, while possible, would not be the norm in Thailand where insurance usually covers the vehicle, without respect to who is driving it.

The very fact that a foreigner would be treated differently than a Thai for doing the same thing speaks volumes. No wonder they traded places.

I've been told that what happened in 1997 was that a few elite among the Thai bankers had been corrupt (one of whom was recently in the news having been sentenced for his part), and had deprived the banks of most of their holdings in foreign currencies. Not being backed by the gold standard, and having no ability to buy back their baht, when the IMF floated some baht, Thai banks were unable to purchase back their own currency--quickly devaluing it. The baht went from 32 baht/dollar to about 57 baht/dollar overnight. This had little to do with any particular foreign currency as a standard against the baht--the baht could have been redeemed in pounds, marks, or other currencies. It had everything to do with corruption and improper preparation for market stability of the Thai currency. Because Thailand's economy is central to many economies in the region, the entire Southeast Asian region suffered a tremendous blow--reaching as far as to Australia. When we're all propping each other up, it's dominoes when one goes down.

It seems the acting PM needs to take some lessons in Economics. When the baht is undervalued, it will be excellent for the Thai economy. For example, when dollars can buy more baht, the Thai products become cheaper to other nations, leading them to import more Thai products. This means Thailand's exports will increase, and everyone who knows anything about economics will know that a good economy is supported by a "favorable balance in trade," i.e. a country exports more than it imports. This is the exact reason America was upset only a few years ago when China artificially held its currency to a lower value. Thailand wants its baht at a higher value? Why not just say you don't value the country's economy anymore and just want to be able to spend your baht elsewhere?

Did the boy belong to the house? It seems, according to the linked article, that he did not live there, as they suspected him of scaling a fence to get inside. The pool owners, if they had a fence, seem to have done their part to secure the facility. Of course, the sign, in Thai, saying children must be supervised, would only be directed at the parents who weren't there. Boys will be boys--which is why supervision is important. Let this serve as a reminder to parents: Teach them obedience. Also, be sure your children learn how to swim. It could save their lives.

THIS.

It would have been less expensive to install GFCI breakers. They could have continued using the lights they already had. The solar lights work well, though, for the first year. After that, they seem to run into battery problems.

You will want to read through an entire thread on this topic by Thaifish who setup his own on-grid system here in Thailand. @Crossy will also have some helpful advice on this subject.

I will quote an inspirational thought here, of which the bolded paragraph especially seems pertinent to this discussion. May you be blessed.

Is there any more information about the cause of the accident beyond simply that the motorcyclist appears to have lost control on the curve? Was the roadway wet and slippery? Was the van parked unexpectedly in the lane? Did one or the other of the vehicles cross into the oncoming lane, and if so, which one? It would sure be nice to have at least a basic idea of why it happened included in the article. If these facts are not known because the surviving witnesses are not talking, they lend themselves to suspicion as being at fault.

Ouch! Unfortunately, hip fractures are very serious injuries to one of that age. Over one in five persons over the age of 60 will die within a year following a hip fracture (see HERE for more). Let's hope that the same strength and energy that gave him the daring to try such a stunt at his age will help him pull through and heal quickly. It's better to live doing what one loves than to die for it. Best wishes for a soon recovery.

While I agree with some of your thoughts, I cannot agree on this one. I can tell you for certain that, 1) I am not God--so there's no way to know God by knowing me; and 2) there is nothing in me worthy of knowledge, for the more I know myself, the more I see how wretched and unworthy and selfish I am. There is no help to be found by looking inward. The best we can hope to gain by doing so is a knowledge of how weak we are, and how much we need help from our Creator--from a power outside of ourselves.

The truth is that there are other beings, "aliens" if you will, on other planets. But they will not make any appearance on earth. They are watching us, and learning from our experience with the evil sickness of sin--and they themselves, by seeing what has happened to us, have steeled themselves against falling into the same trap. If we were ever to see these "extraterrestrial beings," they would be kind and friendly toward us. But these "aliens" are not angels. Apart from humans, the only beings to be present, and sometimes seen, on earth are the angels: both the good, heavenly angels, and the fallen angels more commonly known as devils, demons, or foul spirits. These angels, both good and bad, are with us constantly, though we see them not. Every human being has at least two of the good, heavenly angels with him or her throughout life. One of these is a guardian angel, who can serve as the person's protector, and the other is the recording angel, who writes a record of every word and action that the person does. This record will be consulted in the judgment, and used to pass sentence on each one. Those who pray to God for spiritual help and strength are sent more angel helpers to help keep back the evil angels which are also pressing in to tempt and to annoy. Those neglecting to pray may lose these helpers, who go, instead, to the aid of others who request their help. Entirely unseen, and unconsidered by most, is this constant spiritual struggle going on behind the scenes. The Ouija board earlier mentioned is a special tool used by the demons to sent their nefarious messages to us. Those who toy with one are putting themselves on Satan's ground. It is virtually the opposite of the Bible, which would lead us heavenward; the instruments of Satan will direct us in the path toward destruction. Ours is the only planet in the universe which has fallen into the trap of sin. But it will soon end. Soon, God will come and put an end to both sin, and those who cling to it, forever. We are each being tested to see whose side we will take. If we choose the selfish pleasures of the world, we take the side of God's enemy; if we choose to be like God, cultivating His attributes of love, mercy, unselfishness, kindness, forgiveness, righteousness, and patience, we are choosing to be on His side. As we confess our sins and forsake them, God accepts our service to Him, and will lead us to a close relationship with Himself. For these people who choose God's will and way over their own selfish nature, God will come and rescue them from this blighted planet. Ultimately, the choice is ours. God wants everyone to choose Him, because He loves us. He does not wish for anyone to perish. On the other side, Satan, who knows that his time is short, wants us all to perish with him. Satan and his angels want nothing more than to have company in their misery--as the old saw says: "misery loves company." Those who accept Satan's company will receive Satan's fate: eternal death. In God's kingdom, no one would be happy who has come to enjoy sin. For example, suppose one likes to criticize other people--he or she would be unhappy there because God's people would not be eager to listen to the negative talk, and also because there would be nothing to criticize. Living forever in a place where one could not be happy would be worse than dying and never existing again. Hell is God's equivalent of our human compassion on a severely injured animal when we "put it down" or "put it out of its misery." Hell is the most merciful thing a loving Creator can do to stop the pain from being prolonged.

Well, if you have a medical or biology background, this stuff won't be hard to grasp at all. I just added that caveat to make sure you wouldn't be disappointed and/or think the material was too mind-boggling to waste time on. There are multiple studies published in the NIH online library that address vitamin B12 deficiency and its link to cognitive issues. Here are a few links, with abstracts and/or excerpts following, to get you started. (NOTE: I may bold certain parts that are especially pertinent for easier skimming.) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31094486/ (Neurological disorders in vitamin B12 deficiency) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3137939/ (Effects of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency on brain development in children) Here's a more public-oriented article on the subject (layman's terms): https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-Consumer/ (Folate) As you might glean from the above, getting adequate and/or too much folate (a B-vitamin; also called vitamin M) can prevent a person from realizing that he or she is not getting enough B12--which can lead to brain damage. The fact is, enervation of the nervous system through overstimulation of any type, which might be through drugs, sex, roller coasters (motion sickness), etc., will deplete vitamin B12 levels. To know more about vitamin B12 supplement forms and absorption rates, please refer to what I shared in a separate thread HERE, HERE, and HERE.

While I agree with some of your points here, and I share your distrust of the government always doing the right thing, I have legitimate concerns for those using marijuana. As I have said, not everyone will be affected identically, and you may be one whose symptoms are less noticeable. I agree that balanced research is hard to come by, which is why I feel one must have good judgment by which to filter any "study" that may come off the press. There are myriad reasons why studies can be flawed or compromised by conflicts of interest. However, there are some very good reasons to steer clear of marijuana. Time will bear this out here in Thailand as more marijuana-using subjects increase the size of the experimental study group. I would encourage you to look into the B12 connection and how nervous stimulation (which any drug enhances, including marijuana) will deplete this important vitamin. If you're interested, I could provide links to some of the studies--but some of it is "medicalese" and not written in laymen's terms.

Would you be interested in seeing the studies that show how vitamin B12 deficiency can cause permanent brain damage? There is no security in simply believing you are okay. The brain damage becomes permanent because of a lack of early treatment, and the lack in early treatment is a result of the fact that the individual did not immediately exhibit symptoms of deficiency. In other words, thinking you are fine is the indirect cause of the permanent damage. You might be fine. I hope so. But not everyone, and perhaps not you, will be.

Tuberculosis is a greater danger than SARS-CoV-2. It is much more difficult to eradicate it, and people with TB can easily pass it along to others given sufficient exposure. So that one makes sense. Leprosy (also called "Hansen's disease") is treatable these days, just like HIV is treatable. It should not be so concerning. I'm glad they finally are sensible enough to lift the restrictions on covid, though. In this case, if you're allowed to come (presumably without even masking as masks are also no longer required) with an active case of it, then all the vaccines, mask-wearing, PCR/ATK tests, and quarantines have been....a charade?