fredwiggy

People are the same all over the world. Cultures aside, there are certain personality types that are shared in every country. A culture might restrict a child, at least for awhile, but they'll eventually see how the rest of the world works, and might want some of that for themselves, as we see western ideals adopted here and everywhere else. I don't know what you mean by fairies at the end of a garden. If it's your bias against God, that doesn't explain that everyone reads the same books to educate themselves on various subjects, including psychology, as religion or God is only a part of life, and mental illness is something all walks of life encounter. You can be a believer or not and still understand mental illnesses by education. In fact, belief in God surely saves millions of lives every year, as the commandments are there to teach, and what happens when they are disobeyed? Problems, some major or final. Ever think how the world would be if everyone didn't believe in God?

Most of the time it's the father who's "missing", although there are many mothers who aren't good parents. I experienced two myself and have heard and seen many more, some personally.

Two good parents that spend time with their children and not just pay them off is best. One single parent is good for the same reasons. If they child has a good role model of the opposite gender of the parent they live with, it can be almost as good as having two good parents. A child with two selfish parents that only look at their own lives leaves a child unaware of what the world is about, and has to learn from peers. A child with one good and one selfish, disinterested parent struggles, especially if the "absent" parent is the father.A step parent can be a great role model if they understand their role, and a bad step parent can be a detriment to that child's future and also a possible danger.

You've had children, so should understand just how aware they are on what goes on around them. They look to adults for guidance and what they see going on gives them an idea how the world is, especially until their parents explain things to them, as there's a lot of liars and fake news they'll hear daily. Kids see adults drinking or doing drugs, they think it's normal, no matter how much you explain to them it's only for older people. They emulate us in every way, including our habits. If they see sex going on between their parents, especially when young, they're curious and want to know all about it. They also see people acting strange, aka mental illnesses, and wonder why. My ex wife's family has a few that are unstable, and she stays at grandma's house half the time, so tells me what goes on there, and then I have to explain that her mom, grandma, uncle, cousin and aunt all have mental issues. This at 8 years old, because she wants to understand why they do things she sees as strange, and they are. You can't hide things for long with children. Toddlers maybe, but you'd be surprised just how much a child absorbs from age 1-5, which is the time they learn almost everything about people.

Educate yourself instead of assuming...............https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2024/02/01/thai-youth-are-more-violent-due-to-a-weak-society-say-experts/

Get off the I don't have any clue. You obviously aren't aware of what really goes on either here or in the US, and make assumptions every day, which are always wrong. Maybe take some time and actually see what's outside. Teens are the same everywhere. I actually raised 4, so far, so I do understand teens very well. That there isn't any graffiti doesn't take away from the fact there are thousands of teen boys, fatherless, who treat girls miserably, use guns, knives, machetes and sticks to hurt and kill, steal anything not nailed down, and do all the other same crap teens do everywhere on earth. The fact there are so many running amok here has a lot to do with 1/3 of them raised by grandparents while their "parents" are elsewhere, a figure higher than anywhere on earth. I see graffiti here also, especially in big cities, and a lot is encouraged, just like large cities in the US, which you know little about besides the Jerry Springer show. You can't make any judgements on a country you've never lived in. I can. I see vandalism here and back home, most of it done by teens, and gangs, which are in the US and here also. I'm thinking you haven't any children, teens especially, so only go by what others have told you with no personal experience. But keep assuming, as it shows just how little you do know.

Pretty sad character. Some here sit all day in the heat for a few hundred baht and this scumbag has to come by.

I won't be here too much longer but i did plant Jackfruit, Rose Apple, Mango, Chilis, Eggplant (small), Long Beans, Bananas, Passionfruit and others planted which didn't survive. I'm in Isaan, Sisaket province. The Mangoes have come out 2 times, last year none, this year pretty good. First year having Jackfruit, 4 trees bearing fruit. Rose Apples out for the third year, usually stolen by local kids. Chilis are for ex wives mom, as I rarely use them. The Eggplants came out but just a few. I always like having food grown by myself and will continue this when we move back to Texas, especially the fruit trees. You have a good chance to grow strawberries if you're far up north, along with all the others and more, and a possibility of Apples, which need colder weather.

Is it any different in Australia? In the US where I'm from, many teenagers and young adults do stupid things as an attention getting device, to test their boundaries and to intentionally hurt others, all depending on how they were raised at home. Of course, many more don't break the laws and just want peace in their lives. No different than the young locals here, stealing gold, scooters, cash, mistreating women, ignoring their parents, if they have any at home, driving motorbikes and cars at high speeds, on alcohol or drugs, or sober, chasing someone down the street 5 against 1 armed with sticks and machetes. Just your usual behavior from children out of control worldwide.

You have to work to receive Social Security. To get health care, you need to be a resident. Only some refugees are eligible for assistance.

Seeing you think many of the farangs supporting families here are the types those causing problems, can you show me at least one or two instances of this? Tourists, some, yes, residents no. Much of the problems foreigners experience here are started by wives or girlfriends who try to get over on them. Thailand owes all those living here a good safe life, just as all countries governments do. People complain for a reason, as complaining is the only way bad things stop.

Of course I'm referring to modern history and not back in Genghis Khan's time where all countries were fighting one another for land, food and women. I\m speaking of prejudice itself, still ingrained in old school thinkers, where the younger generation is adopting more and more western ideals, and are more accepting of foreigners.

If you're in a tourist area, you might expect that at least some of the staff speaks English, and it would be in their best interest to have them, especially seeing the amount of foreigners here. The old "crow' (disrespectful) that did your processing might be an expert in the trade, with the other employees not knowing it as well as her, and they could be the ones that check you out for payment. I would much rather have some communication problems with an expert than one who speaks fluent English but isn't as skilled in the job, especially concerning eyes. They have been doing their jobs with the Thais for years where English wasn't necessary, so when they have an English speaking customer, it just takes a phone to communicate if any of the staff isn't proficient in English. I'm thinking you're the English teacher. If so, you should understand full well that most Thai English teachers here aren't very good at teaching English, and that's where you fit in. English is only necessary here if you're only dealing with English speaking foreigners. It does help if a worker can speak decent English if they have English speaking customers. Remember how many other languages are spoken here by tourists and those living here. You can't expect all the shops and businesses workers to be fluent in all languages. The "fossils" are the ones who taught the other workers the trade unless they went to school. Living here you have to adjust the best you can.

True, there are many who are neutral, seeing both sides have their share of good ideas and problems.

Why wouldn't you expect me to understand that concept? You don't know me besides from this forum, and that's only a fraction of a fraction. Wouldn't it be safer to say that a person that's spent almost 23,000 days in most of the states, working, training, traveling, hunting, fishing, going to school, watching the daily news and shopping, with the majority of the time outside the houses, would know quite a bit more? And seeing you only know the US from the Jerry Springer Show, which is fake, WWE Wrestling, which is also fake, and COPS show, which are just edited videos, wouldn't it also be realistic to say you know almost nothing about what really goes on in the US? So yes, I do understand what can't see the forest from the trees means.

And with that biased, fake and misleading very limited knowledge of the US, you assume you know more than someone who spent 62 years there? Or even someone who's spent 5.

Not easy to find healthy cereals but they're out there. I have to bring some back here in my luggage when I visit Texas. I've only seen a few here that are healthy choices, like Shredded Wheat, Corn Flakes, and Grapenuts. There might be more in Bangkok but here in Isaan the choices are limited. Eating fruit is never a problem especially if the rest of your diet is lean minded. One banana has only about 100 calories. People think potatoes make them fat but you can eat a lot and they're still low in calories. It's the things many put on healthy foods that does them in. Whole milk products, yogurt with too much sugar, high calorie salad dressings with high sugar and fat content, fried foods, I would never listen to what doctors say as many don't follow good nutrition practices and are quick to prescribe. Sugar is indeed the main problem but added sugars and not natural ones. Your body will burn sugar and stored blood sugar before stored fat, so keeping your carbs low helps keep you lean as long as you don't starve your body of good carbs too long.

He's actually right. Genes have some to do with metabolism, but most people that are overweight have been eating too much or a bad diet for too long. My family all had slow metabolisms and whoever ate wrong put on weight. Skipping meals, especially breakfasts, has people eating more later. Eating healthy, frequent small portioned meals will never have a person get fat.

Rice every meal isn't healthy and can lead to diabetes in those prone. Yes, it's western foods that has caused the rise in obesity, along with using seed oils, fried foods and that rice. Sugar drinks, along with juices and alcohol, also contributes.

If you read what I wrote you would see bad behavior isn't acceptable to me either. Re-read my reply.

I'm fully aware of the problems some tourists make here, but some lump them into the same category as those that live here and take care of women and children and help the economy. The anti foreigner thing here has been going on since the Vietnam War or before. Media has things shown more often than before. Most foreigners here do have a good reputation, especially the ones living here. Some locals see certain foreigners doing crimes, and then it's all foreigners bad. Foreigners get the news here because we are the minority. Crime here is 99% locals, but we stick out. Yes, it makes us look bad when another foreigner does some stupid things, and they should be held accountable, but prejudice starts when one person does something stupid, and some are quick to label all in the same category.

Skipping breakfast is never a good idea and is one reason so many end up overweight. Going from the evening before to the next lunch has people not getting enough for for the day's energy needs, and then they over compensate by eating too much for that dinner, and if it's before bed, a lot gets stored, which leads to weight gain over time. There are many people who are slim to their old ages, but that doesn't mean they are healthy. I know of many that are skinny and have diabetes. In a poor country, it isn't as much as knowing how to eat but having enough money for food, and looking at the normal Thai diet, which is mainly rice, this catches up to many when they hit their 40's, and if you look around during the day, there are a lot more overweight locals now than before, and the amount is increasing every year. They aren't nutrition experts by any means and the amount of junk food they eat and feed their children shows they are adopting bad eating habits from the west and the obesity level is steadily catching up to the west. You might see a few 40+ women here that are slim, as many still are hard working farmers who eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and work all day long, but for every one you see slim, there are 3 that are overweight.

True, but you can have high cholesterol even without eating eggs, with a high meat diet or full fat dairy. Genetics also plays a role, as does not exercising regularly. I've eaten eggs almost daily,2-3. most of my life and my cholesterol is low. Eggs are some of the best protein sources we have. If cholesterol is a problem, you can use 3 whites and 1 yolk and it tastes almost the same.

Actually you will never know half as much about the US as I did when I was 10. But you're daily assumption total is standing tall. Try staying there for a few years, and interacting, before you think you know as much as the residents. Watching a few videos doesn't qualify.

It all depends on the particular circumstance. If you are a driver who encounters deer a lot, you can drive around many of them if no one's next to you. All depends on if there's other traffic around you. If it's a 2 lane roadway and people are in the next lane, all you can do is brake and stay straight. It's not easy to say what anyone can do until it happens. If you have it in your mind to brake and stay straight that's usually the best policy, especially if you've never encountered deer in the road ahead of you. I've avoided hundreds of them on Texas and New Jersey roads as I never speed when I'm in areas where they live. They will run out in the roads right next to you and sometimes can't be avoided. I hope I never hit one as they cause thousands of dollars damage. What you said is basically true, especially for the average driver who rarely sees deer.