Krillin

Just out of curiosity, why did she leave?

One would be hard-pressed to think of a language as difficult for a Western person to learn as Thai. 1) It's a tonal language. 2) There is no universally standardized way of even writing the alphabet in English so that a foreigner can try to pronounce it. 3) Tonal languages use both cerebral hemispheres; non-tonal languages only use one. So it's technically easier for everyone the world over to learn non-tonal languages than tonal languages. 4) Dialectical variations across the kingdom. 5) Thai media probably does not portray Westerners trying to speak Thai as often as it ought. Because of that, the Thai ear is not accustomed to what that particular train-wreck sounds like and so can't easily understand what's being said when they encounter a farang trying to speak it in the wild. 6) Like it or not, Thai is not an international language like Mandarin. There aren't many university courses that offer it. And because of that there isn't as much global effort put into providing Thai instructional materials as there is for other languages. Thai is still very much a niche language on the global stage. 7) Thai learning apps are not as good as the apps for other languages. 8 ) Not only is Thai a tonal language, but its list of vowels and consanants is different from that of many other languages. Those who try to learn Thai must learn how to, effectively, make sounds they've never made before. And all of the effort that that demands is just to learn the language of one single kindgom that, despite its other virtues, still does not amount to much on the global stage in comparison to some of its richer, older neighbords; a kingdom that, wrongly, has an unfortunate international reputation as a throw-away locale for tourists to visit, abuse, and then discard. Learning Thai takes a lot of effort and a lot of time for what amounts to relatively little pay-off. It's unfortunate, but true. I am presently on my third attempt to learn basic Thai. If even after this, nobody can understand what I'm trying to say, I will give up. Many other foreigners would give up after the first go. Perhaps the most difficult pill to swallow -- a pill I don't anticipate being swallowed any time soon -- is that if Thailand really, really wants to become more culturally accessible, there will need to be a nationwide movement away from the Thai language and toward either Mandarin or at least English. Thai will never be a global language, even though the Thai people really ought to be globally respected and listened to.

Thailand is incredibly unsafe.

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I look forward to the day when known foreign child-molesters, drug-dealers, sexual assaulters, and the severely mentally ill are not allowed to enter into Thailand.

From ASEAN.

What would it take, and how long would it take, to elevate Thailand from its current state to one comparable to Japan or South Korea? I have been living here in Isaan for nearly a year. The economy seems to be largely tourist-based, the political landscape seems to be unstable at best, sloppiness and corruption seem, from others' reports, to characterize law enforcement and bureaucracy. STDs and illegal drugs are everywhere, and the rate of infidelity ranks among the highest in the world. Much of the population lives in poverty, draconian laws with equally draconian punishments are still in place, and animal welfare is on almost nobody's radar. Infrastructure is poor, and many people do not have ready access to potable water. To top it off, the country suffers from a reputation (earned or not I will let you decide) as a place for visitors from wealthier nations to visit, cause problems, and leave. What would be the fastest, most effective means toward elevating the country toward a safer, more prosperous existence? Does a way even exist, or is it too late at this point?

So it was you in the car?

I live in Khon Kaen and would like for someone to explain the reasoning behind something I see and encounter almost everywhere I go. There seems to be a widespread dislike of tanned skin, and a desire for bright, youthful, unblemished faces without wrinkles. I presume there is also an awareness that direct sunlight causes the very kind of skin they want to avoid. A simple remedy for this would be wearing a helmet while riding motorcycles and mopeds. Wearing helmets would also cut down on head injuries incurred from ubiquitous poor driving habits. Despite this, few people seem to wear helmets while riding -- not even sunglasses! And so they get wrinkles and crows' feet by their mid-twenties. I don't understand the reluctance to wear helmets when doing so would clearly be in their best interests. Would someone please explain to me what their actual thought processes are pertaining to this? Thanks.

I said meth and weed.

Don't frickin do drugs. Just don't. Don't even. Personal sanity, well being, and legal innocence are some of the surest things to be lost. The well being and even lives of others can sometimes also follow, as in this case. And if you do know of anyone who is on both weed and meth, be proactive. They aren't sane enough to take the necessary steps to stop themselves; make sure that those who can stop them, do. This young man will spend decades if not the rest of his life behind bars because of drug abuse which robbed him of his sanity and left a crazy person in his place to ruin his life, take the life of another, and deeply harm the lives of three others.

Then he was one of the the few living in this country who actually deserved to care for a dog.

I hope that he makes it. His stoicism and level-headedness reminds me of the Plutarch's account of the Spartan boy and the foxes.

Can you imagine if the Thai Government began effectively pre-screening would-be expats and tourists for previous arrests for violent crimes, crimes involving drugs, crimes involving rape, or crimes perpetrated against minors? ... Hmm. You're right. The tourist-based economy would take a significant hit. Yeah, maybe that's why they haven't been doing that.

"Up to 80% of some villagers" have liver parasites? What in the world?

The differences between the two languages and the challenges involved in providing adequate learning materials are breathtaking. - English and Thai do not use the same vowel sounds or consanants. - There is no universally utilized way to transliterate Thai words into the English alphabet, and visa-versa. - Thai is a tonal language; English is not. Thais learning English must force themselves to ignore any tones that they hear to, effectively, learn each English word in every possible tonal variety. - English words are often not spelled phonetically. - The English language uses about 170,000 words; Thai, 30-60,000. - Many, but not all, of the native English teachers in Thailand are unqualified, psychologically unwell people who sometimes have criminal aspirations. Sometimes they are not even native English speakers. - Every school day at school begins with an attendance-mandatory patriotic/religious celebration and lecture that often cuts into first-period classes, including English lessons.

Thailand needs to brace for even more STDs, then. HIV rates are going to soar.

This is tragic. One can only hope that somehow his neck was the first to break so as to spare him any more agony. I would also like to applaud his company for not trying to cover this up, but to publicize it so that other companies and workers might learn from the accident. I do find it remarkable that this occurred the same day and in the same city as this other grousome workplace accident being reported on ASEAN Now.

Maybe it's the angle, but that ditch doesn't look deep enough to result in certain death, especially for someone who was still middle-aged. Broken bones, perhaps, but not death. Was the passenger wearing her seatbelt? Did she have a heart attack? Did her neck snap upon impact?

No but for real, are both husbands legal, and if so, how?