LevelHead

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7960798.stm

Thursday, 26 March 2009

Call for higher circumcision rate

Circumcision should be routinely considered as a way to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, argue US experts.

They spoke out after research found circumcision significantly cut the risk of infection with herpes and the cancer-causing human papillomavirus.

Circumcision is known to sharply reduce the risk of HIV infection.

But the study, featured in the New England Journal of Medicine, failed to convince UK experts.

The research, carried out by scientists in Uganda, involved nearly 3,500 men and monitored their sexual activity over a period of up to two years.

The researchers, from Johns Hopkins University, found circumcision reduced the risk of herpes by 25%, and human papillomavirus (HPV) by a third.

HPV causes cervical cancer in women, and genital warts in both sexes.

Circumcision rates have been declining in the US and are lowest among black and Hispanic patients - the groups with the highest rates of HIV, herpes and cervical cancer.

Writing in the journal, Dr Matthew Golden and Dr Judith Wasserheit, from the University of Washington, said: "These new data should prompt a major reassessment of the role of male circumcision not only in HIV prevention but also in the prevention of other sexually transmitted infections."

Dr Wasserheit went on to say: "All providers who care for pregnant women and infants have a responsibility to assure that mothers and fathers know that circumcision could help protect their sons from the three most common and most serious viral sexually transmitted infections, all of which cannot currently be cured."

UK scepticism

The reason why a foreskin might increase the risk of infection with various viruses is unclear.

However, research has suggested that a man with a damp penis has a greater risk of being infected by HIV.

Various reasons for this have been put forward, including wetness allowing viruses to stick more easily to the penis, or creating tiny ulcers on the surface of the penis through which a virus might enter.

Dr Colm O'Mahony, a sexual health expert from the Countess of Chester Foundation Trust Hospital in Chester, said the US had an "obsession" with circumcision being the answer to controlling sexually transmitted infections.

He said: "Sure, a dry skinned penis is a bit less likely to contract HIV, herpes and possibly genital warts but it will get infected eventually."

Dr O'Mahony also said pushing circumcision as a solution sent the wrong message.

"It suggests that it is women who infect innocent men - let's protect the innocent men.

"And it allows men who don't want to change their irresponsible behaviour to continue to sleep around and not even use a condom."

Keith Alcorn, from the HIV information service NAM, also warned against a knee jerk reaction.

He said: "We have to be careful not to take evidence from one part of the world and apply it uncritically to others.

"Male circumcision will have little impact on HIV risk for boys born in the UK, where the risk of acquiring HIV heterosexually is very low.

"Girls can be vaccinated against HPV and so protected from cervical cancer, and condoms protect against herpes."

Just found the statement of the year in a todays Bangkok Post article

The protesters left Sanam Luang about 1.30pm, after a brief delay, and began marching to Government House, demanding the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Protest leaders earlier delayed the start, explaining they needed to wait for supporters who went to collect their 2,000-baht gift cheques from the government in the morning.

Bangkok Post 26 March Full Story

Love it - they got the cheques then donated the money to the UDD.

Ha Ha Ha.

Looks like money cannot buy votes or support - even though they are trying hard to buy it.

Yes, maybe the PAD leaders should have been prosecuted, but surely it was the responsibility of the government at the time they allegedly broke the law to do so?

Very interesting, so why is it that the ASC set up after the coup under the control of the coup leaders, was allowed to make charges against the previous prime minister so long after the event ?.

And why was the previous prime minister tried so long after supposed events........years later ?

Surely it was up to the TRT to find Mr THaksin guilty then based on your precedent ?

The PAD have no excuses, and the present government no excuses not to try them and convict them, for there is plenty of evidence of their actions on television and in the media around the world. The evidence is overwhelming.

The Democrats will lose all credibility if the fail to take action, real action, against the PAD soon.

Also you will note that the coup broke the 1997 constitution laws, the leaders could be tried for treason, but they changed the consitition to make themselves immune from prosecution. Based on this precedent why cannot therefore all charges against other people be dropped and people be given immunity ? Or is it only allowed for people with guns to get immunity for their past actions ?

TRT !!

Takky came to power, an airport that the yellow democrats had taken over two decades to do nothing with, apart from spending billions, was suddenly finished under Takky / TRT.

TRT did lots of things, loads of new roads, loads of new investment, new airport finished, economy growing...............

It was only the intervention of the coup in 2006 that slammed the brakes on to everything, and with the yellows causing failure of everything from 2008 onwards, well........

Yes, the Thai people would love TRT and Takky back.

Back to when the country was moving forward, when people in the region were saying Thailand "could be the next regional leader".

Sadly, since 2006 the wrong people have been in control, and so, the country is falling down, so sad. So very sad.

From The Times (of London)

" The charmer making a mess of his country.The Prime Minister of Thailand, best friends at Eton with Boris Johnson, is presiding over a chaotic and callous regime.

However indignant you felt about him, and the calamitous mess over which he presides, it would be impossible ever to throw a shoe at a man such as Abhisit Vejjajiva. Among his peers, the new Prime Minister of Thailand challenges even Barack Obama for the title of World's Most Decent Leader.

As a young politician, he was a heart-throb among middle-aged Bangkok matrons. At Eton, where he was known by the name "Mark Vejj", he was best friends with Boris Johnson. He is handsome, youthful, brilliant, cosmopolitan, impeccably well mannered and rather posh. So when he gives a speech at his old university, Oxford, tomorrow, it is safe to assume that the audience at St John's College will be keeping its brogues securely laced.

But Mr Abhisit's charm should not be a distraction from ugly truths about what is happening in Thailand. In the past four years, it has gone from being one of the most free and stable countries of South-East Asia to one of its most chaotic and divided. Writers, academics and journalists have been imprisoned or hounded into exile for harmless comment on Thailand's monarchy. Helpless boat people have been chased out to sea to their deaths. Democratically elected governments have been forced out, first by the army and then by the power of the mob.

All of this has been done with the approval - sometimes passive, sometimes explicit - of the nice Mr Abhisit. The title of his talk at St John's tomorrow, "Taking on the Challenges of Democracy", could not be more appropriate, for Thailand's leader is indeed democratically challenged. Rarely since the days of Dr Faustus has a gifted and promising man achieved power through such grubby and disreputable means.

Since Mr Abhisit became the leader of the Democrat Party in 2005, there have been two general elections in Thailand. He boycotted the first one in 2006, which was won, for the third time in a row, by the man at the centre of 21st-century Thai politics, Thaksin Shinawatra. His next electoral test came in 2007, when he was defeated decisively. The greatest "challenge" of democracy for Mr Abhisit has been as simple as that - whenever they have been given a chance to elect him, Thai voters have chosen someone else.

Thaksin represents another challenge: a profoundly unsavoury politician who is adored by the majority of his own people. As Prime Minister, he used his great wealth to political and personal advantage (last year he and his wife were convicted in absentia of a multimillion-pound property cheat). In southern Thailand he ordered a brutal campaign against Islamic insurgents which left scores of innocent people dead.

Thaksin's version of the war on drugs was to license the police to execute without trial anyone they suspected of being a dealer. But for all of this, he changed for the better the lives of millions of rural Thais.

His cheap healthcare programme gave the poorest people access to affordable medical treatment for the first time ever. A micro-credit scheme allowed many villagers to lift themselves out of subsistence level poverty. But the majority of Thais chose him as their leader, time and again - and after he was forced into exile, and then criminally convicted, they have gone on voting for his political heirs and supporters.

By contrast Mr Abhisit owes his job, not to the will of his people, but to the support of powerful friends - and even they have required a comically large number of attempts to propel their boy to power. First there was the army, which drove Mr Thaksin into exile in a bloodless coup in 2006. Over the course of a year, the generals convened an assembly of tame delegates who rewrote the country's constitution to give Mr Abhisit a better chance of winning. To imagine the election which followed in footballing terms: the Democrat Party was playing downhill, against a team without a striker, in a game refereed by one of their dads. And still Thaksin's side won.

At this point, Mr Abhisit was helped out by a new and sinister force in Thailand - the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). At times he has had the decency to appear slightly embarrassed by this mob of yellow-shirted anti-Thaksin activists, led by a rich media owner and apparently supported by the Thai Queen. What exactly the PAD believes in is not easy to pin down, but at heart they want to strip the vote from those silly people who can't be trusted not to vote for Thaksin's side.

When they don't get their way, they resort to force, occupying first the Prime Minister's office and then Bangkok's international airport last year, in chaotic scenes that were broadcast across the world.

The Democrats have never employed such tactics themselves, but they have benefited from them. After the latest pro-Thaksin Government was forced from power by a court ruling last year, they formed a Government by jumping into bed not only with PAD supporters, but even former Thaksin cronies, under the watchful supervision of the army. Mr Abhisit might argue that these were political compromises necessary so that a decent man could finally get his hands on the levers of government. But in the three months since he became Prime Minister, he has come to look more like the puppet than the master of those who hoisted him to power.

A series of disgraceful incidents have made it harder than ever to understand what has happened to the liberalism for which he used to stand. In January, the Thai military beat up and set adrift some 1,000 boat people from Burma, scores of whom died at sea. Journalists and academics continue to be arrested and imprisoned under Thailand's Kafakaesque lèse-majesté law, under which a prison sentence of 12 years can be imposed for dispraise of the Thai King and his family.

At times, it has looked as if someone in power is consciously making a fool of Mr Abhisit - such as the speech he gave last week about the importance of media freedom, which was followed a few hours later by the arrest of the webmaster of an independent website.

Thailand is no Zimbabwe or China, and by comparison with most of their Asian neighbours, Thais are blessedly free and prosperous. But it has the alarming air of a democracy lurching into reverse and out of control, in which familiar freedoms are flying out of the window with unpredictable speed. It is all the more painful that this should be happening under a leader of such obvious talent, a man with all the qualifications except the essential one - democratic legitimacy".

Richard Lloyd Parry is Asia editor of The Times

Great post! Most of us agree that its time for Abhisit to step down. The corruption and anti-democratic slant to his administration is only getting worse and absolutely no good is coming from his clinging to power.

Good post !

This thread is a load of BALLS.

(as it seems the OP is allowed to use BALLS in the header with no moderation.........so BALLS is ok).

There........this thread really is a load of BALLS.

Edit: Unless, of course, you mean Lazarus Sriracha John quoting and re-quoting himself over and over again ad nauseam? That, I agree, is gross excess.

The law of the land says that Thai girls can start to have sexual relations at age 15.

That would be the age at which in the eyes of the law she becomes an adult.

However, this was later ammended such that although girls of 15 can have sex, if they are involved in any way with prositution, they must be 18 years old.

This also was later ammened such that any girl 18 or over is legal to have sex with, however, any girl between 15 to 18 although it is legal to have sex with them, they can, or there family can, bring charges against the other person should they feel they want to (eg extortion etc..).

This means the defacto age of consent although legally is 15, its actually 18.

Based upon this and that the family can still intervene if the girl is under 18, you would have to say she is therefore legally an adult at age 18.

So, once at the age of 18 she can do what she wants. If she chooses not to, for her family or other reasons, this is all her choice. She may choose to use her mother as an excuse, however it is her choice to be obedient to her mothers whims and demands.

Indeed, did Abbi get 100K baht too ?

Will he talk about any 100K payments in Oxford at the weekend ? Democrats got this due to democracy in Thailand......errrr........... ??????????

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...r-sondhi-claims

Suthep: Sondhi, watch your mouth

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 11/03/2009 at 11:25 AM Deputy Prime Minister and Democrat party secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban says Sondhi Limthongkul should be more responsible in his comments, after the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) leader claimed that each Democrat MP received 100,000 baht from King Power Group before the current government was formed.

Mr Suthep however believed the public would use their discretion in deciding who was right and who was wrong.

He also insisted on Wednesday the transfers of high-ranking civil servants under the Ministry of Interior were not part of the Democrat party's plan t

Indeed, did Abbi get 100K baht too ?

Will he talk about any 100K payments in Oxford at the weekend ? Democrats got this due to democracy in Thailand......errrr........... ??????????

Another disgusting anti- Thai girl thread.

How dare anyone say "Remember- Their Loyalty Is Always With Their Families, Thai girls"

I have found this not to be the case and how dare anyone suggest they all are, some might be yes, but this is no different to a girl in any country. This thread is reported to the moderators for being abusive to Thai girls, and will hopefully be removed soon !!

Will this mean we won't be able to buy the latest edition of Time in Bangkok?

Jeesh. I wish controversial folk would stop doing interviews

in the Economst and Time and instead do them in that awful rag "The Daily Mail."

More seriously, I think some people may be

underestimating the intelligence of Time's readership.

My thoughts are that many, if not most, of them

can work out what is really going on.

Yes, and what really is going on is why Thaksin is in Time, Economist and others........and why the unitelligent are getting their daily dose of PAD media spin from the Bangkok Post and The Nation and thats all.

The intelligent do know whats going on really and its all to do with that major event that sadly is not that far away now.

At the present moment, there are two threads fighting for the top spot in the "news clipping" section. One talking about democratically elected leader removed by a military coup, the other about the excess of the government appointed by the coup leaders.

It's very interesting to see who posts what, and especially how the most vocal posters in one thread are conspicuously absent in the other one. I believe this forum is somehow a mirror of the divisions of the Thai society, and helps explain these divisions to the western reader

Also reading both threads helps to understand the position of the free press .

PS : Posting in both threads is intentional; I believe my post is relevant to both threads and an invitation to the supporters of the government to post their opinion in the other thread as well

A very good post. Is Thaksin the one suffering from "lies told well".

Let me quote Mark Twain :

The History of our race, and each individuals experience, are sown thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill and a lie told well is immortal.

American culture

We have a culture? Just kidding, I wanted to be first to say it.

Brings to mind the classic question :

Whats the difference between a yoghurt and America ? (For those with inferior English language skills that would be "yogurt")

A yoghurt has culture...........

The PAD broke numerous laws, the blocked public access to roads, beat up Thai citizens, beat up Thai policemen, commited terrorist acts of blocking airports.

Whilst PAD supporters want this "swept under the carpet and forgotten", it cannot be allowed to happen.

It needs people to constantly talk about this disgusting acts by the PAD, and not let people sweep in under the carpet and try to forget it.

Whatever has been done is done. Charges are in courts, that's all there is to it.

No one posted endless reminders about Pojamarn's land for five years until it got to courts and became news again.

PAD occupying airports three months ago is not news, the whole thing is largely forgotten. Sorry you have nothing else to talk about, but you've got to move on.

Read this from the Nation.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/10/08...es_30085461.php

"Many policemen injured by PAD".

and yet no action is taken against the PAD. This is become a joke now..

He should be very worried when :

Gun totting PAD guards are never arrested.

PAD morons who beat up policement are not arrested

BUT

UDD men who are alleged to have beaten are solidier are hunted down with speed

I do not condone any violence, but it is pathetic that the PAD are "untouchable".

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...-issued-for-udd

Arrest warrants issued for UDD

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 5/03/2009 at 03:41 PM The Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for six of seven suspects accused of assaulting a soldier during the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protest in front .............

And then, to further make himself appear, to me, an idiot, he goes and says this about people who knowingly broke the law and caused hurt and pain for so many. Most should be arrested and locked up, not in a Democrat coaliton, not "advisers to the Democrats" and certainly not starting their own party UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH THEIR CRIMES AGAINST THAI LAW :

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...n-to-form-party

PM backs PAD's plan to form party

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 6/03/2009 at 09:51 AM Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva backed the idea of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD)'s consideration of setting up a political party, saying that it will serve as another alternative for voters.

The premier added that there is no problem for the PAD leaders to form a party, but.........

An interesting post and it rather says everything about the poster, as opposed to asking any questions.

How to reply ?

Well, firstly, what is the meaning of life ? and before anyone goes into fairy tale fantasy stuff about heaven and hel_l and God who watches everything but does bugger all (thats handy)..........what is life ?

Life simply is about staying alive, and if you want to, spreading your seed (or eggs) and creating children that will carry your name ? Yes...and what ?

Life is simply about staying alive.

So, to cut a long story short, you live for a certain number of years, you do whatever you can do in those years and then you die. Thats it, all over.

So ones efforts should be on enjoying oneself as much as possible in that time, because you do not get a second innings in this game and no little winged angels come down and fly you off to paradise, thats all complete nonsense.

So I have no problems with anyone enjoying lower Sukhumvit, simply as that is the essense of life, to enjoy. If you cannot enjoy Sukhumvit then you really are a sad barsteward who will probably never really enjoy your life and then you will die. Now that is a waste, but luckily its your waste not mine.

I have no prejudice, no qualms and do enjoy my life fully, whether it be "slumming it" in lower Sukhumvit or playing with pretty girls in Paragon, the only thing you can be sure of in life is that you will die, so enjoy it while you can.

But meantime, please enlighten me....Would you send money to help a girl when she has told you that she already has 1 or more men supporting her?

In fact anybody who reads this post, please state if you would send money to help support a girl that admits that she already has 1 or more men taking care of her. Maybe I'm wrong.

Some men do knowingly and willingly send money to "friends" who receive support from others. Yes, its kind of like charity. The girl is a single mother, she does have 2 kids at school, she is selling her body to pay for school and food, and yes, they find some solace in sending her some money sometimes to help her out.

As I have said, you will find those that abuse the system, but you will also find many a Thai girl is helped by a couple of men, and they all know the score.

As I said, draw the line between HELP and OWN.

If people think this thread is stupid, then they are doing themselves a rather large disservice. The giving of money goes back thousands of years, many scam artists have created "feel good" ways of doing, for example "RELIGION".........yes yes, the more you give you are a better religious person and you go to heaven.......do not give and you are not a nice person and you go to the back of the queue........and if you want to get to the front again, be good, donate more and more.

RELIGION has been the biggest scam for money for thousands of years, and its why there are so many different ones, all who happily "take your money and possesions".

Ever seen Catholic churches dripping in gold while those who pray in it are in poverty ?

Richest landowner in the United Kingdom is..........."The Church of England" - cause its always "good for heaven" if you leave your property to the Church.

Ever seen temples covered in Gold ?

Ever seem Bishops adorned in Gold and Precious stones.

And here everyone is, bemoaning those that give money to other people, and not scam artist but legalised insitutions.

Lots of people on here need to get a life, and stop being jealous that some people receive money from others who are good hearted.

If you have a problem, then take on the crass and extremely rich Catholic Chruch which for hundreds of years used such wonderous tools as burning at the stake, witchhunts, inquisitions, war, slavery, murder and other things to "spread the will of the Church"..........had it not been for blatent murder, genocide and persecution of people over hundreds of years "in the name of the Church and God", most today would not even consider most religions as anything more than a "fairy story"....like Hansel and Gretel.

Those of you who say good for her... What about the man who comes from a poor background who rips the gold from your neck, steals your motorbike or burgles your home? Do you also say "Good for him"?

Loong, you disappoint me.

Sorry to disappoint you Maigo...

Nobody forces these guys to send money, they don't have a gun up against their heads do they, how on earth can you associate that with being attacked and robbed ?

OK., I'll give you another analogy...

In the UK, a fairly regular scam that appears in the news. These people prey on pensioners, maybe a little gullible and not a good judge of character (sound familiar?). They go to the pensioners home and tell them that there is something wrong with their roof. Of course there is nothing wrong, but these men go up on the roof, bang about for a while and then charge the victim a ridiculous amount, often 5,000 pounds (US$7,000) and as much as 15 or 20,000 pounds.

Obviously they don't pull it off everytime, but knock on enough doors and you'll find the gullible victims.

They don't hold a gun to the pensioners head and they don't force the victim to hand over the cash, it's just that the victim does not realise he/she is being ripped off.

So do you say good for them? Or does just coming from a poor background make it ok to deceive, lie and cheat?

I know guys that are smoking 40 cigarettes a day in UK, 300 + Pounds per month going up in smoke, I know guys that spend most of their wages losing it in a bookies office, I know guys that spend nearly all their spare money saving up for a luxury Item like a Gold Rolex, I know guys that pizz all their money against the wall, I could go on and on..........

Yet one thing they all have in common is this, It's their money, and who am I or you to tell them how to spend it, and would I feel anything about how another man spends his money,........

Yes it's their money, they have made the choice to spend their hard-earned this way. It's up to them, but there is nobody lying and cheating to deceive them into spending their money this way. They make their decisions knowing that smoking may kill them and that they are likely to lose in the bookies (admittedly, some manage to deceive themselves into thinking otherwise).

.......is my life so uneventful that I could give a rats azz how another man chooses to spend his money ?

Why would it bother anybody else ?

The question is how many men would CHOOSE to send money to the Thai girls if they knew that other men were already supporting them?

For chooses to spend substitute is conned out of....

It always bothers me when I see injustice, I don't like to see anyone cheated.

It bothers me that so many Thai people think that ALL farang are just gullible cash dispensing fools.

It bothers me that this is a very poor example to set for the youngsters. Get rich by lying and cheating.

It bothers me when I listen to these Thai girls complain because customer "a" only sends 20,000 Baht per month when customer "b" sends 30,000 and customer "c" is really keeneow because he sends a paltry 10,000.

The trouble with your post is that is it is full of PREJUDICE and this shows clearly through.

You state that how many men would CHOOSE to send money if they knew the girl was already being looked after by someone else.

By this simple line you therefore in your utter contempt of Thai girls and what appears "raging prejudice" imply that all Thai girls receiving money are getting money from other sources.

How can you make such a claim ?

Do you have full evidence that all are doing the same ?

Or what kind of percentage are doing it ? and where is your proof ?

On the same basis that some UK women marry a man for his money and wealth are there ALL UK women greedy underhand money grabbers ? or is it just some ? or a few ? or ?

Really this is outrageous to make such stupid claims about Thai girls.

I know plenty, and some (very very few) do play the game and get money from a few people, but I would estimate it is very very very few.

In some of those few cases they will tell the guys they are getting money from others, and the guys still send money as they want to help the girl - NOT OWN HER.

Make a clear distinction between HELP and OWN.

So much anti Thai girl PREJUDICE on here, you all seem to love stroking each others ego's and Thai girl bashing...........that stinks of jealousy more than anything else.

The Thai citizen's of Hong Kong article was interesting.

Nice to see some expat. Thai's weighing in on their take on his affect on THEIR image abroad.

I found the Thai Citizens of Hong Kong article pathetic. If they want to write to a newspaper, then put their names on it and do not be shy. Who are they ? What are their names ? Is it just 1 person writing it ? Is it someone actually in Thailand writing it ? Did the PAD write it ?

If you are not going to back up what you write with your name, then stick to Forums and BB's on the internet.

I know some Thai's in Hong Kong, and they fully support Thaksin, and claim as others do that the ASC has no legitmacy as it was set up under a coup, by the military, with a single objective to find Thaksin guilty, by any way possible, and that was what happened with a heavy reliance on "spoken word" of a few "friends" turned foe's ??????

So where is their representation ?

Hilarious

Well, they have just let the PAD get away with all their damage.........perhaps now they will also drop all charges and convictons against Thaksin.

I find it disgusting that the PAD are not going to be held accountable, this is a farce, and shows just how embedded the PAD are into the Democrats. Total corruption ?

If the PAD are let off, well, there should be no worries for Mr T.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/13...uit-against-pad

Breakingnews

PM's Office cancels suit against PAD

By: Bangkokpost.com

Published: 2/03/2009 at 10:24 PM The PM's Office has decided to withdraw a civil lawsuit seeking 18 million baht in damages from the People's Alliance for Democracy, whose .....................................

It's all very easy for westerners coming from countries that have a welfare system to look down on others....

BUT............

Take that welfare system away, what would happen to all the unemployed, single mothers, low paid, needy people, pensioners, mentally ill, etc etc etc........

I know guys in UK who live on the state handouts, work cash in hand, sell goods on e-bay and have 3 holidays a year in Thailand.

That ain't bad for an unemployed guy is it !

Westerners talking about morals makes me laugh actually, jeez, look at all the <deleted> going on in the world and you're concerned about how much money is being sent to some poor Thai woman ?

How many innocent civilians, women, children have been killed this week in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan ?

Western Morals......

Save it for your own countrymen.

LOL - very true.

Its like lots of people try to make out that most Thai girls are money grabbers..........well, they have to be in some cases.

In the UK for example a girl can simply live with a boy for 6 months, then she goes to lawyer claims to be his "common law wife" and she can get 50% of everything he has.

Thai girls get what they can, how they can, or they can be kicked out with nothing. They have no support from divorce laws or "common law wife" status.

Should we say that all Euro/US girls are money grabbing barstewards as they hide behind very unfair divorce/common law rulings ?

Some people really need a rocket up the backside, and if they do not like the way the country is and how it works - get out and go home.

Don't mock the system when you in fact do not understand it and are judgemental without actually having the slightest clue

When the problems of the world are caused by greed, which they are, and the eternal chase to be "better off than your friends and colleagues" as it is, to have a bigger better more expensive house than your friends, to have a bigger better more expensive car/mobile phone/holiday home etc...

Then the world is in severe problems.

The world needs more people to give and share.

The process of a rich foreigner sending money to a Thai girlfriend, who then sends it down the line to brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents etc... is a very nice process, and if this was done more in the world, the wealth would be distributed more properly.

Sadly, most people will not send money to friends overseas, they prefer to run up debts with banks and get bigger houses and cars and other "useless" things.

And while the world remains in its "greed" and "me me me me" state, then it will always be a bad place. I am all for people giving money to those less fortunate, whoever they may be, wherever in the world, and I have no problems at all with farangs giving money to Thai girls and this money distributing in society.

Thailand would be similar to Cambodia were it not for the farang money supporting the poor over many decades through the various channels it comes in from , for sure most of the rich elite in Thailand do not give a dam_n about them.