Awk

I have been told by a reliable source that the 'ambulances' if you can call them that (no equipment and not even basic first aid kit or skills in the one I was in, very effective lights and sirens though) that the are paid a commission by the hospital they take you to.

Last year Mr K was hit by a truck (which didn't even slow down) and broke his collarbone and 4 ribs, but a combination of alcohol and shock left him without pain and a member of the walking wounded, fortunately with no broken skin. An ambulance was passing and stopped, and was most insistent that he get in. He declined to and when it was evident that he was going home, he was rather aggressively asked for money. It was demanded really. He just got into a songtaew and that was that. Slept it off and I took him to McCormack the next morning (by which time he was feeling rather sorry for himself).

I really hesitate to call them ambulances, rather just delivery vans who head for the hospital they are contracted to or is paying the most. Please don't make the mistake of relying on them for anything more than transport, and if someone in your household or a neighbour is able to take you (depending on the emergency of course), save yourself the wait and go with them.

I once saw a farang laying on the road, and some Thais around, apparently trying to help. I didn't feel I had anything to add medical wise, but since Mrs. Awk was with me, I stopped in case we could help him with some translation between English and Thai, if nothing else. A few minutes later one of these "ambulances" showed up, and I'd have to say they at the very least did have basic skills.

The injured man had a lot of pain in his ankle, which I guess was broken (a hit and run if I remember correctly, with some Thais having written down the license plate number of the hit and run driver). I tried to help him as he asked for, to the extent I was comfortable in doing without accidently making things worse, not having even basic skills.

The ambulance guys however seemed to quite quickly understand the problem and attached some support to his leg/foot. This seemed to alleviate most of the pain/pressure he was complaining about. What hospital they took him to I don't know, but they did indeed have some basic skills (and perhaps more, I'm not qualified to judge) and some basic equipment.

Another time I saw from a window a similar ambulance arriving after an accident, and they lifted the injured up in the "ambulance" on a stretcher, so they also seemed to have some basic equipment, and skills presumably.

Whether they are paid commision I don't have any idea of. It seems unlikely to me anyone would give of his own time to freely drive around and help strangers in need, presumably paying for the gas himself, and perhaps even the car. Certainly not something I would do (though I know for certain there are people who are much kinder and more generous to strangers than I), so I guess there must be something in it for them, other than just good karma.

A lot of foreigners think about Thailand as one of the best countries in the world when it comes to find the best hospitals and doctors , but really after a few years here I find that just not to be true.

Not that I had a lot of problems myself (exept testis cancer ) but I know about others who spent a fortune on doctors in private hospitals and did not get cured here but had to go back to their home country to get a proper diagnosis.

Unless the doctors have been trained in Europe or the US you can't really trust them . The hospital may look nice , the nurses are smiling to you all the time because you're in a fancy hospital.

My story about testis cancer is well known, some years ago , one of the best private hospitals in Bangkok could not help me , just gave me some pills and suggested that I had some sort of infection in my left testicle. I took the painkillers and antibiotics and I should be fine in a copule of weeks according to the famous doctor.

But I was not , fortunately I had to travel back to my home country for some family business a few weeks later and went to the urologist. The first thing he did was to use ultrasound and within a minute he discovered a lump there that looked suspicious.

Within 1 week I was admitted to the cancer hospital and they removed my testicle . It was only stage 1 for me so still lucky they catched it early.

If I had chosen to stay in Bangkok I hate to think about the outcome for me. So no, I do not trust Thai doctors.

I had a similar experience, though fortunately not with anything as serious as cancer. In my case, two doctors in my western country told me that my problem, caused by an accident at gym, was minor and would heal up by itself, though that type of accident could take up to a year to heal fully.

One and a half years later, diagnosed quite different by a specialist here in Chiang Mai, with subsequent necessary surgery performed. Diagnosis was also confirmed at my western country later, where I due to a combination of practical and economical reasons had the surgery done.

So, I do not trust doctors. I think one must always get at least a second opinion (and third or fourth, depending on how serious it is), as well as read up on what one can find/understand about the subject one self. Unfortunately, I think any country has it's share of doctors who should have flunked, but for whatever reason, got to graduate.

Thanks, interested in chance to get it today or recent numbers of infected people etc. in Chiang Mai.

Any recent and local data or info?

The Chiang Mai City Life site has published an article with the stats you are looking for

They have quoted an official saying that up to 2500 will have been diagnosed with Dengue by October

Take precautions against being bitten in the day by the Aedes mosquito.

http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/dengue-fever-patients-increase-after-erratic-rainfall/

As I'm not a statistician but would like to know if the stated 16,000 cases (reported of of course) is significant.

I figure using a population of 2 million (one of many estimates I picked) that would be 1 out 12,500 ppl in CM per month. No idea if that's right or if that's a lot.

Anyone know how to extrapolate this info with the given data?

Even though my only experience with statistics is flunking a course in it, much of statistics are pretty simple mathematics I think, and it's interpreting it in a meaningful way which is hard.

Assuming the doctor and the quotation is correct - 2500 people will have been diagnosed with dengue by October - and that is out of a total of two million people, it would indicate

a 0.00125 percentage risk of being diagnosed with dengue. I.e., one out of every 800 people will have been diagnosed with dengue by October. That sounds like a non-trivial risk to me, especially assuming that only people who get seriously sick will go to a hospital and get diagnosed.

But then comes the interpretation part. What if, out of the 2500 people that will be diagnosed with dengue by October, 2,000 are people who work or live in the immediate vicinity of rice fields, assuming the risk there is considerably higher (I'm just guessing, mind you)? Then the risk for the rest of us - who do not work or live near rice fields, but who will be among the 500 that will still get diagnosed with dengue - gets reduced to one in 4,000 (0.00025%). That's a bit better, though still unpleasant enough.

And perhaps out of those 500 who do not work/live near rice fields, 400 are people who are unable or unwilling to take any precautions, keep their windows open, have poodles of stagnant water nearby, and whatever other things that attract these mosquitoes. Then the risk for the rest of us - the remaining 100 who will still be diagnosed with dengue by October - is one in 20,000 (0.00005%).

But since the article does not mention what type of population makes up the 2500 people that will be diagnosed with dengue, and perhaps that information is not available either, it seems most prudent to assume that one out of 800 people will get sick enough to go to the hospital and get diagnosed with dengue. And then one can try to do whatever one can to reduce the risk for oneself and one's family.

Yes, thanks for the info, sappersrest.

Here's a google translate of the schedule from a facebook page I found (https://www.facebook.com/ToyotaMotorsportThai):

Competition Schedule and Toyota Motorsport in 2015 at the 700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai. Then thread.

Saturday, September 19th, 2558
competition
12:30. The first round of the contest cheering
13:45 activity Walk About on Track
2:10 p.m. activities CAR PERFORMANCE SHOW Round 1
15:10 Qualifying ONE MAKE RACE 3 version
16.25 Activities CAR PERFORMANCE SHOW around two
activities
11:15 Activity MAKE YOUR OWN RACE CAR
11.40 Activities Training Safety
12.30 Activities TMS SPORTY DANCE. CONTEST
2:10 p.m. know about the women by car Natalie Davis
15:10 activity TMS SPORTY DANCE CONTEST
4:45 p.m. know about the women by car Natalie Davis
18:20 Activities Meet & Greet Toyota Racing Star Team.

Can anyone recommend any in or near Nong Hoi?

Thanks

The somewhat strangely named Soi 1 bar is there, within easy walking distance of Riverside and Holliday Inn, on the small soi that enters Chang Klan road after the bridge

between Holliday Inn and the hospital:

https://www.facebook.com/Soi-1-Bar-608189029217288/timeline/

Never understood the "bar" part of the name, as it feels much more like a restaurant than a bar. Food has been good every time I've been there.

After googling the hospital name ... does this one work better?

http://www.mckean.or.th/en/home/

are you in thailand for the trans? if yes.

1 you will get a call from the receiving bank offering a better rate than TT.last time we had 12satang.

2 yes you will need to say what the money is for and say its your savings, on transfer instructions.

3 just say future condo purchase and living exs.

that will be sufficient.

4 you will need to go into your recieving bank in thailand when the transfer is completed and they will give you a certificate stating that you transfered the money from ? and what it was for,make sure you keep it in case you want to trans.back out.

if you want a certificate for buying real estate you have to specify exactly what part of the amount is for that purpose and what part is for living expenses. best is to mention "purchase of real estate" which does not prevent that the money is used for any other purpose. this is also not only done verbally but the sending bank usually requires and mentions the purpose under "remarks".

swiss1960

there's also no requirement to fill out any form, neither for USD 50k nor for USD 250k.

note:

those who have transferred CHF and converted them into THB recently because they didn't get any interest on CHF are crying bitterly

let's hope you will not regret your decision in a few months. lifting the cap by the Swiss National Bank makes in my [not so] humble view CHF again a sought after commodity in the future.

Thought I am giving an update on what I did, with example dates:

• Initiated a transfer from my Swiss bank to SCB on day1 with transaction date day2. Amount in excess of CHF50K
• received a call from SCB local branch (where I opened my account) on day3 to let me know that they have the transaction pending (minus CHF5 transfer fee charged by my Swiss bank)
• was asked for the reason of transfer (living expense vs. property purchase) and was informed that if I do not yet have a contract, they will post the money as living expense (my Swiss transfer mentions "property purchase / living expense"), BUT that once I have a contract, I can go to the local branch and change the reason from "living" to "purchase" at any time.
• was informed about the exchange rate AND given the option to hold the transaction for up to 365 days until I find an exchange rate that I am more happy with
• exchange rate offered was from day2 when the money actually arrived in Thailand
• was informed that within a month time, I need to show up at the local branch to sign the " Foreign Exchange Transaction Form (FETF)".

Completely happy with that service, and specially happy with the option to hold and wait for better rates for up to one year. I assume - but need to find out - that I would probably not get any interest until conversion date, so this probably would be a mixed calculation to do (how much interest do I lose and by how much, the exchange rate would need to go up for me to make a win)

Wonder why my experience with Bangkok Bank a few months ago was so different.

I transferred what became the equivalent of slightly less than two million Baht from abroad to my account at BB. A few days earlier I visited the branch office where I opened the account to enquire about holding the currency exchange, armed with a printout from the BB website detailing this possibility. After waiting for around 20 minutes while the bank manageress talked with various people on the phone, I was told I would need to fill out some form(s) at least seven days in advance (as the BB website printout also said), requesting them to hold the currency exchange. Since I did not have that many days, I just smiled and mai bpen rai-ed my way out.

In this case I would in any case not have had more than a handful of days to chose amongst, before I would have been forced to exchange currency so I could buy what I wanted to buy, but certainly it would have been nice if the regular procedure had been to call me and offer me the option to hold the currency exchange. Perhaps I should change to SCB?

Can someone explain to me why the staff often don't write down the order and in these cases usually what's served to you isn't right.

The restaurant can loose money either then or not getting repeat business and the customers usually isn't satisfied when this happens, if they say something or not.

There's a reason that this simple procedure is followed all over the world but I find here it just seems like just too much work for the staff to do an adequate job by making the small necessary effort to serve the customer what they order.

Don't know what restaurants you go to,every one i go to have order books,and always repeat the order back to us, then the bill you get shows what you ordered and itemized.

Not ones in nice hotels or McDonalds kind of places. Thai restaurants where often the bill is just a total.

Even last night I went to one of the Shabu Shabu places in Central Mall and was just told my total when I went to pay at the front desk so I asked for a bill and the manager wrote down 2345 (bht) on a piece of paper and this was a chain in a mall!

If you have your order ALWAYS repeated to you and get an itemized bill EVERY TIME you should really get out more or exaggerate less

The thai write down orders...in some places. But it is totally TOTALLY standard to serve something, anything, whether it is correct or not. Thai always say yes to everything. You want chicken? Ok no problem! They put the order into the kitchen and...there's no chicken. Mai pen rai! Just serve pork and hopefully the customer doesn't notice. That's what it is man, if you point out that your dish clearly isn't chicken, well guess what, YOU lose face, not them.

I disagree, maybe in their eyes I lose face by pointing out the wrong thing was served but if done politely really I only can see that they might be trying to pass the blame and not really think it.

So if your a Muslim you should just not eat and pay or worse eat the pork as to not lose face?

I do agree it is standard to serve the wrong thing for numerous reasons but most boiling down to mai pen rai.

Do I eat the pork when I ordered the chicken, sure as I don't care which is it but if my steamed fish comes out deep fried, which I do care about as I don't eat fried food for health reasons, I would send it back.

Am I embarrassed? Maybe for them that they aren't able to get an order right.

By you pointing out their mistake you have failed gren jai and therefore make them feel bad...thus you lose face.

I'm no expert on Thai culture, but your understanding of it does not match my experiences at all.

Some time ago I was having lunch with a Thai friend who is both unusually well mannered and well educated. One of the things we ordered was a Thai salad, specifying no chili. When it arrived, it was full of chili. I said I'd try a mouthful anyway, but it was inedible to me. My friend pointed out the mistake to the staff and promptly sent it back to be replaced with what we ordered. I cannot imagine my friend doing that if it would mean she would lose any form of face at a restaurant she frequently eats at.

Should anyone be interested:

There is afaik only one non-hotel gym in Uttaradit. If you go past the hospital, so the hospital is on your left hand side, after one km or

so you will reach a traffic light. Continue past that traffic light for another km, and turn right into the soi where a green building is facing the street. 200m down that soi, there is a gym. The name is "Extreme Gym & Fitness" and it has no cardio equipment, just an mediocre (by local gym standards) selection of machines and free weights. It does however have a squat rack.

Sorry about the wrong info. There is a second floor to the gym, and that floor has plenty of treadmills, bicycles, and eliptical machines.

And gym or fitness with weights or cardio machines around the city?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Should anyone be interested:

There is afaik only one non-hotel gym in Uttaradit. If you go past the hospital, so the hospital is on your left hand side, after one km or

so you will reach a traffic light. Continue past that traffic light for another km, and turn right into the soi where a green building is facing the street. 200m down that soi, there is a gym. The name is "Extreme Gym & Fitness" and it has no cardio equipment, just an mediocre (by local gym standards) selection of machines and free weights. It does however have a squat rack.

The Seeharaj hotel also has a gym, though not sure if it is open to non-guests. Probably it is, but the gym is poor, although they do have some aerobic classes there in the evening.

If not entering the soi with the gym, you can continue down the same main road till you reach the roundabout. Take a right at the roundabout, and after a km or two, on your right hand side, there will be a 400m running track nestled in between various school buildings.

I have been waiting for this to happen for a while now!

Previously I used to work for a outdoor adventure company that offered visiting students and corporate clients zip line activites as part of their programme, so for this instance we had to used a local company as we did not own our own zipline.

I would always go and do a recce of their services before the groups arrrive and I ALWAYS ALWAYS found the same problems., When I brought these issues up with the management, they either claimed I was making it up and that they know what they are doing and have never had an accident, or they said they would take the comments under advisement, obvioulsy, when I went with the clients the same issues arised.

Due to me not owning the outdoor company I worked for I could only do so much, and if the clients wanted to go ziplining there really was not much I could do about it, as it was "what they requested" was the answer given from above.

Safety concerns that ALWAYS came up in EVERY SINGLE company I checked out in Chiang Mai ( i recced at least 6 diffenet companies)

May I, out of curiosity, ask if Chiang Mai X-Centre was one of the companies you looked at?

Though I don't have experience with Internstional schools was under the assumption that proficiency in English was necessary. The bilingual school I mentioned has Thai speaking teacher to help those students making the transition. I feel that a child doesn't have to or that one wouldn't want their's to miss out on the education of the other subjects while learning English.

From what I've read, bilingual is rarely the best choice, and children often end up with only poor to mediocre knowledge of either language, though I am sure there are many exceptions.

No doubt the first months at an international school will be somewhat traumatic for a child who does not know any English, but I have seen children like that at my daughters school. I think those children are required to attend (and pay extra for) extra or "special" English classes until they are up to speed. At least I have seen that up to and including the age of grade one I think, though I am not sure about older children. Perhaps there is a English proficiency requirement there.

Also, I think most international schools here operate on a "two teachers per class" principle. One is the native english speaking teacher, and one is the native Thai teacher "assistant". Presumably the latter would be more involved in the beginning if the child speaks only Thai.

Perhaps your right. I stated my expertise or there lack of with Inter schools but the reason I decided on a bilingual is that my children are Thai, live here and might very well do so for the rest of their lives. Not only does this solution give them options if they choice to go elsewhere as the school's program is 70% in English. But they also do the full Thai curriculum which is not only necessary to do well in the Thai exams for higher education here but also I know some Thai kids who are graduates of Inter schools here and cannot read or write Thai well which doesn't bode well for them if they plan on a life here.

You are right about some kids falling behind in Thai at international schools. A friend's daughter's Thai was neglected at the school. She is a very bright kid top or near top in most subjects. He took from the school and put her into a more Thai biased school but was so horrified by their general education standard that he had to return his daughter to the international school. He solved the problem by having her tutored in Thai.

Mrs. Awk also noted that was the case with the daughter of an acquaintance of her's, so I suspect it is quite common. Extra tutoring in Thai in a few years is my plan too.

Though I don't have experience with Internstional schools was under the assumption that proficiency in English was necessary. The bilingual school I mentioned has Thai speaking teacher to help those students making the transition. I feel that a child doesn't have to or that one wouldn't want their's to miss out on the education of the other subjects while learning English.

From what I've read, bilingual is rarely the best choice, and children often end up with only poor to mediocre knowledge of either language, though I am sure there are many exceptions.

No doubt the first months at an international school will be somewhat traumatic for a child who does not know any English, but I have seen children like that at my daughters school. I think those children are required to attend (and pay extra for) extra or "special" English classes until they are up to speed. At least I have seen that up to and including the age of grade one I think, though I am not sure about older children. Perhaps there is a English proficiency requirement there.

Also, I think most international schools here operate on a "two teachers per class" principle. One is the native english speaking teacher, and one is the native Thai teacher "assistant". Presumably the latter would be more involved in the beginning if the child speaks only Thai.

If money is not the main consideration, one of the International schools seems like the obvious choice to me.

Fox(Peter) and son (Jackson) dropped by a few hours ago,

Fox had no sign of steroids he was really laughing about those comments...so I got him to pose

They both copped it bad on the back and shoulders but only bruises now.

maybe that ripped body in pic#1 was more to do with getting beaten up.

The knife wound was deep but in a lucky position under Jackson's ribs (lucky?).

Fox says the actual bill was 16K for 6 Heinekins only (after they were presented with bill version 2 at the Police station)

He also says he gave the Karaoke a bottle of Bundaberg rum when he first arrived didn't drink it himself.

..... make of that what you will.

He says they were well treated by the Royal Thai Police.

The assailants have a court date set already but these 2 don't need to attend.

The Karaoke is mainly in trouble for taking customers in after 1am according to Fox.

Goodnight all.

It is good to hear they are more or less ok now.

Was a story not too long about about somebody being blinded on one eye by these low-life criminals. A pity if nothing more than the small fine will be the consequence for the ones that assaulted them. But I guess that is what it will be, if it even amounts to that.

Since I just did the same a few days ago I think I can still remember the procedure.

Going towards Nong Hoi / Holiday Inn from Nawarat bridge, on the same road that the old Duke's and Rimping is. Continue on that road for about 3-4km. 10 meters before the traffic light that is before Holiday there is a government office. And 5 meters before this office, there is a garage that checks your motorcycle if it is more than X years old (perhaps more than five, as toybits says?). So stop at that garage with your bike first and give them your green book. They'll do a small check while you wait for a few minutes, you pay 60B or so, and they give you back your green book with a paper from them.

Next go 5m up the road to the government office, and on the left side of the building entrance there is a small office where they sell the mandatory insurance. Get a queue number from them. When they call your number, give them your green book and paper and pay for the insurance. Next go in the main entrance, show the person giving out queue numbers your book and papers, get a queue number, and finally get a new sticker after paying at the counter after your number is called.

It all takes about 15-30 minutes normally.

Dave (Dukes) answers any critique and follows through on corrective action when fault is found in any of his restaurants. Can't see why other notable establishments operated by farangs can't do the same. It's good customer relations, good for business when fault is SEEN to be corrected.

Well, that just goes to show how everyone's experience is different. One of the last times I was at Duke's (the one next to the river), I tried to order a glass of Whiskey for Mrs. Awk's mother. I ordered it from the waitress, and we waited. After waiting a long time, I asked the same waitress again. And then I asked again. The restaurant was not particularly busy, so it was easy to ask her.

After asking for the third time, and still waiting, I finally I went over to what I assumed was Mr. Duke himself, sitting nearby. After him conforming that he was indeed Mr. Duke, I told him that I'd asked for a glass of whiskey three times now, and was still waiting. Mr. Duke told me it would probably arrive "soon", and went back to whatever it is he was doing (chatting with someone I think it was), and we went back to waiting. Eventually, the glass did arrive.

That must have been 4-5 years ago now, and just shows how easy it is to remember a bad meal, bad service, or in general, any bad experience at a restaurant one before used to frequent semi-regularly.

The response Junglechef got at Pern's was obviously moronic. Up until that point in this thread, I was planing on going to Pern's for dinner one of these days. As I often eat at Salsa kitchen next door to Pern's because it's in a good location for me, I might even have become a regular customer at Pern's too. So now Pern's has lost two customers.

And the prize of the week goes to poster, Dante99 for his suggestion:

I've just come back from talking to Amnuay Air who tell me they install a range of different films on house and cars, they even have a light and heat test box set up to demonstrate the extent to which each film reduces heat and light penetration, PLUS, they know all the numbers and specs.

Best part is that their price is about 50% below my local installer and around 20% cheaper than anyone else I've come across here.

A deal has been done, and Dant99 is the man, don't let anyone tell you different.

The thread can be closed now is Mods so wish.

I suspect I want to do something similar, perhaps others too, so a follow-up regarding the experience and effect would be nice.

99.99 percent of the world's salmon is now farmed. If it is wild, the establishment will be advertising it, and charging a premium for it. Like locally caught coho, sockeye or king salmon. But that is rare, seasonal and available in only some areas. All the rest is farmed. 1% of that is sustainably farmed. But you have to know your suppliers. Otherwise it is toxic as hell.

Toxic how? Some factual information please. Also, refer to the Paracelsus maxim: " The dose makes the poison ".

Just one of hundreds of articles out there on farmed fish.

By Dr. Mercola

Environmental experts have warned about the unsustainability of fish farms for over a decade, yet nothing has been done to address such concerns. This is an important issue for me as I consume most of my protein as salmon. I purchase mine from Vital Choice, which is certified wild caught from Alaska.

Most people don't realize seafood labeled as 'Alaskan' cannot be farmed. Alaska is incredible at protecting their brand when it comes to seafood, and do an excellent job to ensure quality and sustainability. If you don't see the 'Alaska' label or a logo from the Marine Stewardship Council - the seafood you are buying is likely farmed.

Instead of addressing these issues, government agencies and environmental organizations around the world have consistently chosen to ignore predictions of disaster, both to the environment and human health, to protect instead the profitability of this burgeoning industry.

Biologist Alexandra Morton, featured in the documentary film Salmon Confidential, has posted a number of recent developments with regards to farmed salmon and human health on her blog.1

During the first two weeks of June, reports of farmed salmon toxicity spread through Norwegian news, and on June 16, the Norwegian Health Department actually went on the record warning against eating too much farmed salmon:2

"We have reviewed the Scientific Committee report again and looked at the recommendations that were there and how this was discussed in the report of the National Nutrition Council in 2011.

There, they discussed all research related to toxicology and health effects thoroughly, and we have based our evaluations on their report. They did not provide this clarification. Now we see that there is a need for clarifications to pregnant women and young women."

The new, official recommendation to Norwegian women of childbearing age or who are pregnant is to limit consumption of fatty fish such as salmon to a maximum of two such meals per week.

Farmed Salmon—An Environmental and Nutritional Nightmare

Alexandra Morton was one of the first biologists to discover that wild salmon in British Columbia were testing positive for dangerous European salmon viruses associated with salmon farming worldwide—a finding that the Canadian government has since fought to suppress.

The revelations of health hazards discussed in the Norwegian media came as a surprise even to her, seeing how Norway is the “motherland” of salmon farming; the entire industry originating from Norsk Hydro, which is the country’s largest public company.

“The salmon feedlot industry in British Columbia is 98 percent Norwegian-owned, and one of the companies is largely owned by the Norwegian government itself, Cermaq,” Morton explains.

On June 19, media reports stated that "Russia fears that Norwegian salmon is unsafe and is critical of Norwegian food security."

And the Norwegian National TV2’s website recently reported that the country’s four major grocery chains are threatening to ban farmed salmon from their stores unless the farmed salmon industry agrees to “change their production to closed pens and guarantees that the fish are safe to eat.” According to TV2:

“Norwegians spend 130 Billions [Norwegian] kroners each year on food. Four big food chain stores: Rema 1000, ICA. Norgesgruppen and Coop, more or less control most of the food retail market. According to ICA’s managing director, it gives them the power to make demands to their suppliers for ICA in Norway, Sweden, and The Netherlands...

ICA demands that the salmon farming industry becomes environmentally sustainable within three years. Prototypes of closed, recirculated fish farms have been developed, but the fish farming industry has shown very little interest in investing in these.”

In response to these threats, the Environmental Association in Bergen, which is leading the campaign for sustainable fish farming, received a letter from a law firm hired by the national fish farming industry (FHL), threatening to sue the organization for urging the food chains to stop selling farmed fish...

Why Farmed Salmon May Be Hazardous to Your Health

As explained by Morton in the video above, Dr. Anne-Lise Birch Monsen at the University of Bergen, Norway, has raised serious concerns about high levels of contaminants in farm-raised salmon. The contaminants in question originate in wild salmon, courtesy of environmental pollution. These toxic contaminants bind to the fat molecules in wild fish, and when these fish are ground up for use in fish meal together with added high-fat fish oils, these molecules can enter your body where they bind to your cells.

While this can certainly cause health problems for you, it can also pose a very serious threat to the health of your unborn children. As explained by Morton, when you give birth, your body dumps up to 90 percent of the accumulated toxins in your body into the body of your first-born child. More toxins are later expelled through your breast milk. This is why it’s so critical to avoid toxic exposures throughout childhood and early adulthood, to prevent damage to future generations as well as your own life cycle...

According to Dr. Monsen:3

"I do not recommend pregnant women, children or young people eat farmed salmon. It is uncertain in both the amount of toxins salmon contain, and how these drugs affect children, adolescents and pregnant women... The type of contaminants that have been detected in farmed salmon have a negative effect on brain development and is associated with autism, ADD / ADHD and reduced IQ. We also know that they can affect other organ systems in the body's immune system and metabolism."

As reported by Alexandra Morton, a large European study involving about 8,000 newborns found that pregnant women with high levels of toxins in their bodies tend to give birth to children with lower birth weight, which in and of itself may have an adverse on the child’s health.

Omega-3 Levels in Farmed Salmon Is Nearly Half of That in Wild Salmon

Another Norwegian article reveals that levels of critical omega-3 fats have been reduced by about 50 percent in farmed salmon, compared to wild salmon, due to increasing amounts of grain feed. One article4 refers to farmed salmon as “swimming corncobs.” Furthermore:

"[T]he Norwegian food production’s four Norwegian feed producers now have an exemption to use 19 different genetically modified ingredients in their feed. Genetic modification (GM) is very controversial, and completely excluded in Norwegian agriculture," the article states.

The following chart from the Pure Salmon Campaign’s website,5 reveals the nutritional differences between farmed and wild salmon, according to USDA data. While farmed salmon is much fattier than wild salmon, it contains FAR LESS healthful omega-3 fats, and less protein.

Omegan chart

Image credit: PureSalmon.org (link: www.puresalmon.org/human_health.html )

Norway Lobbied to Raise Allowable Toxin Levels in Salmon Feed...

In 2006, Russia banned Norwegian farmed salmon, claiming it contained excessive amounts of lead and cadmium (originating from the feed). The Norwegian Food Safety Authority (FSA) rejected the accusations, but Dr. Claudette Bethune, a researcher at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) spoke out6 saying that “given the amount of research, there is no way Norway can be so sure its salmon is completely safe.” She also told the media that the FSA’s recommendations on how much salmon is safe to eat actually exceeded the level set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for poison ingestion.

Despite that, and in the midst of all these rising concerns over the past several years, a June 17 story in the Norwegian media7 revealed that Norway lobbied the EU to raise the permissible level of toxins in salmon feed, which has now been granted. A translation reads:

"After yesterday’s debate on the danger of eating farmed salmon due to high levels harmful pollutants, it was revealed Norwegian authorities have lobbied in EU to allow more toxin level in salmon. According to Aftenposten’s report, Norway has for years tried to get the EU to allow 10 times more toxin [Endosulfan—a bioaccumulative toxin] in salmon than previously allowed. Now, Norway has received approval in the EU.

The consultation document from the FSA shows that there are economic reasons why Norway is eager to raise the limit.'The limit value for the concentration of endosulfan in feed for salmonids is of great economic importance for the aquaculture industry in the short and longer term,' stated the letter. Endosulfan was previously forbidden to use in feed for all salmonids, but research has shown that fish can withstand poison through better feed than by being exposed to it in the water."

As explained by Morton, Endosulfan is a toxic pesticide known to attack the nervous system, and can increase the risk of autism and cause birth defects to the male human reproductive system. Further complicating the situation and raising new questions about safety is the fact that, in April of this year, the EU also made it official that pigs and chickens can be used in farmed salmon feed! Since when do salmon eat a diet of grains, pork and poultry? Just what kind of fish do you end up with when they’re given this kind of diet?

Farmed Fish Pose a Number of Health Hazards to Your Health

It’s important to realize that farm raised fish of ALL species can spell disaster for your health in a number of ways. Just like you need an optimal diet to be healthy, all other animals need their optimal diet as well. And fish were never meant to eat corn, grains, or poultry and pork for that matter. In addition to this unnatural diet, farmed fish of all species are also given a concoction of vitamins, antibiotics, and depending on the fish, synthetic pigments to make up for the lack of natural flesh coloration due to the altered diet.

Without it, the flesh of caged salmon, for example, would be an unappetizing, pale gray. The fish are also fed pesticides, along with compounds such as toxic copper sulfate, which is frequently used to keep nets free of algae.

Not only do you ingest these drugs and chemicals when you eat the fish, but these toxins also build up in sea-floor sediments. In this way, industrial fish farming raises many of the same environmental concerns about chemicals and pollutants that are associated with feedlot cattle and factory chicken farms. In addition, fish waste and uneaten feed further litter the sea floor beneath these farms, generating bacteria that consume oxygen vital to shellfish and other bottom-dwelling sea creatures.

Studies have also consistently found levels of PCBs, dioxins, toxaphene and dieldrin, as well as mercury, to be higher in farm-raised fish than wild fish. The reason for this, as discussed above, is because wild fish are caught and ground up into fish meal to be fed to the farmed fish, which concentrates any contamination found in each individual wild fish... Sadly, even wild-caught fish have already reached such toxic levels that it's impossible to recommend eating them with a clear conscience anymore.

For example, according to a US Geological Survey study, mercury contamination was detected in EVERY fish sampled in nearly 300 streams across the United States. More than a quarter of these fish contained mercury at levels exceeding the EPA criterion for the protection of human health. So, when you consider the fact that factory farmed fish typically are even MORE toxic than wild-caught fish and also contain an assortment of antibiotics and pesticides, avoiding them becomes a no-brainer – at least if you're concerned about your health.

To learn more about the differences between farmed salmon and wild salmon, specifically, please see my interview with Randy Hartnell, founder-president of Vital Choice Wild Seafood and Organics. I'm a huge fan of their wild sockeye salmon, and beside a fish dinner at a restaurant here or there, Vital Choice salmon is about the only type of fish I eat. Wild Alaskan salmon from Vital Choice is well over 75 percent of my current choice of protein when I’m not travelling.

Download Interview Transcript

Buying Local Increases Food Safety and Food Security

Morton recommends buying local foods and wild fish. I couldn’t agree more. It’s worth keeping in mind that disease in farm animals is one of the primary sources of epidemics in humans. Therefore, the health of food animals is really paramount. Fish farms are the aquatic version of a confined animal feeding operation (CAFO), and just like their land-based cattle and chicken farms, aquatic CAFOs are a breeding ground for disease and toxic waste, and produce food animals of inferior quality.

Due to the dramatically increased disease risk—a natural side effect of crowding—these animals are further contaminated with drugs, and in the case of salmon, synthetic astaxanthin, which is made from petrochemicals that are not approved for human consumption as it has well-documented toxicities.

The industry will tell you the world needs inexpensive food, and inevitably, they insist that such foods can only be created using the latest technology and artificial means. The latest example of this craziness is the creation of what amounts to a vegetarian fish diet designed for carnivorous fish.8 Instead of fishmeal, the protein in this feed comes from bacteria, yeast or algae instead. This way, fish farms will not need to use valuable wild fish to feed farmed fish, and this, they claim, will help alleviate world hunger... Nevermind the fact that by altering a fish’s diet in such a drastic way, you’re undoubtedly altering its nutritional content as well.

At present, industry profits are being prioritized over the health of the people and unborn children, and cheap foods are being produced at the expense of our environment and, potentially, the very lives of our descendants. The ramifications of our large-scale, mass-producing, chemical-dependent food system are incredibly vast, which is why I urge you to become more curious about your food. Where and how was it raised, grown, or manufactured? These things do matter; for your health, and the health and future of our planet.

Toxic as hell is an alarmist argument. Yes, there is room for argument that long-term exposure to toxins or exposure of developing children is not good. However, the evidence is that humans are living longer due to advances in medical science. Obesity is fast overtaking smoking as the primary cause of cancer. So it's a question of reasonable intake.

If we all followed the principle of minimum exposure to toxicants, we'd never go into a pine forest because of the cancer risk from terpenes. We wouldn't be involved in desert warfare, due to the risk of silicosis. We certainly wouldn't drink alcohol because of the risk of cirrhosis of the liver.

There is not very much in the food chain which is not harmful if over-indulged. There is also not much in the food chain which is harmful if consumed in moderation. The hysteria over GMO foods is a case in point - not many people realise canola oil is 99% GMO. Obtaining it as a wild strain would be horrendously expensive.

As a 72-year old, I can't see these scenarios affecting me, and the human race has proven itself to be quite adaptable.

Salmon is dirt cheap in Norway, tastes delicious, and the Norwegian government has for decades promoted it around the world as some of the most healthy food you can buy for money. Having frequent work stints in Norway, I in the past ate Salmon up to 3-4 times a week. It's fresh and delicious.

I suspect most of us do not realize the enormous amount of pressure that must have been present for the Norwegian government to, finally, after what can only have been an incredible amount of pressure from the medical community, issue a warning to the Norwegians about not eating "fat farmed fish" (in Norway, this is in practice Salmon) more than a maximum twice a week. As of last I heard, the warning was however limited to young or pregnant women. While I am neither, I have no doubt the reason for this limitation is mostly due to economic pressure from those with vested interest in Salmon farming.

This is a radical change from the previous advice from the Norwegian government, which was eating it at least two times a week, and the more the better.

That the Norwegian government finally issues such a warning, contra the vast economic interests Norway has in farmed salmon around the world, one can only take as a sign that farmed Salmon must be very, very, bad for you to eat.

One of the things I still find hard to understand are the bikers, Farang and Thai alike, who prop a helmet on their head, but don't lock it. I can understand not wanting to use a helmet and do not equate that with being an idiot, but when you are already suffering whatever discomfort the helmet gives you, locking the straps hardly adds a significant amount of more discomfort.

- what currency?

- which TT rate from which time where displayed?

- why not talk with the bank beforehand if you submit "large" sums of money and negotiate the best rate?

Could you please elaborate on that last point. How is this done, and what sums are we talking about before the bank would even care to have a talk?

I will very soon transfer the equivalent of 2,000,000 baht from my european account to Thailand. From what I've read, I should always send the money in my local currency at the sending end, and let the receiving bank (Bangkok Bank in my case, though I will open an account in another bank if there is any reason to do it) do the exchange into the local currency at the receiving end. So I presume it is Bangkok Bank I would need to talk with. But is 2,000,000 a sum too small for anyone to care, or?

For what it's worth, it's a big sum for me, so I'd like to get the best rate of course.

Thanks.

Just for refence, I think 5-star chicken is pretty bad

The best bbq chicken is imo to be found at Warorot market. There's a woman that has been selling it there for at least 10 years, and it's great.

If entering Warorot market from the Chang Moi side, into the right hand soi before the road along the river, just go straight for about a 100m. There will then be a soi on your right hand side with various food stalls on the left side of the soi. This woman is at one of the first stalls and you will usually see the steam rising from her bbq. She only seems to get going around 11 or so, and I guess quits at around 16-17.

Sorry, but having not entered from that side for a while, my memory was wrong. The description above is correct, except that one enters Warorot not from the soi before the road along the river, but the soi one click further away from the river. So it will be the first soi into Warorot market if coming down Chang Moi.

Having recently tried the chicken bbq next to Dayli bar mentioned by a few people (next door to Grace Dental clinic may be more easy to find for some) I agree, that place is good. Still, the chicken bbq-ed by the woman at Warorot is a notch or two better IMO. Strictly takeaway, though. :-/

Sharktooth, your comments about Rimping are disturbing. One reason I always shop there is because I expect a higher degree of cleanliness but I am aware that the culture here is not up to most of the western world standards, such as HACCP, regarding food safety. It would not take much effort to train food/meat servers at Rimping to wash hands and don gloves when preparing food for customers. I've seen servers behind the meat counters wearing gloves most of the time. Maybe I have to pay closer attention. I haven't had any health problems so far but I don't eat in street stalls and I have had Hep shots in the past. Maybe that helps a little. Thanks for the post!

I think so too. Good on sharktooth for trying to get in touch with the correct person, and a pity the correct person was not available.

Videotaping it also sounds like a great idea in hindsight. If not getting any response from the one in charge, put it on youtube/facebook.

And once you work out that portion sizes in Dukes are vast, and order 1 lasagne for 2 people (enough for us) the cost is certainly not prohibitive- unless you choose to compare with 25baht Pad Thai in the street.

Will they allow you to buy one meal between two people ie pay for one meal only with two sets of cutlery?

I've tried to get my wife into Sizzler on that basis, but she won't do it as she says they won't allow that.

I've never experienced a restaurant that will not allow that. Is there any?

But Sizzler is different as you pay for a meal that includes a large buffet. I can't see how anyone would expect it there.

Follow your wife's advice and save yourself the embarassment of all the staff laughing at you when you pose them such a silly question.

His sets have in the past started too late for me to hear them most of the time, but it's obviously up to him and not me if he wants to start them at 01:00 or 22:00, so I'm not really sure what your point is. Has he regularly announced that he will play at 22:00, but then only sauntered on stage at 01:00 or 00:00, after everyone has been waiting for a couple of hours?

My point is the one you just confirmed!! Took is a perfectly reasonable man to talk to but even when his audience is ready and waiting he "saunters onstage" whenever he feels like it, and thats just not professional !! Even the likes of Eric Clapton ( and Took aint him !) dont disrespect their audience !!

As far as I know, he has not committed himself to play at any given day or time. Was CM, or even just his own place, full of posters announcing he would play Friday at 22:30, and he instead sauntered on stage half-drunk at 01:00, after sitting by the bar and feeling up groupies for the last hour or two, you'd have a point. As it is, your point makes no sense to me I'm afraid. I cannot see any disrespect in this behaviour from the man, and cannot understand why anyone would. As somebody else said, it's not like anyone has bought a ticket to see him play at a given time on a given day.