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"Premature Pregnancy"...Does that mean she became pregnant before the act?

"Unexpected Pregnancy"...Does that mean that pregnancy is not equated with unprotected sex?

From the way school authorities approach this matter, one would think that all of these pregnancies were results of immaculate conceptions, since no male has ever been associated with the pregnancy. This is a sign of an irresponsible culture...And please don't start this "Don't use western standards to criticize Thai society". The west has its own sub cultures within the overall population who shirk the responsibility of fatherhood. In America we call them "irresponsible scumbags" even though within their own sub culture they are considered heroes for spreading their seeds far and wide. Not any differently than a dog. Sound familiar?

If one believes that rules are made for the benefit of those making the rules, I am sure if one looks at the policies associated with school age pregnancies, those rules were formulated by males, some of whom are most likely responsible for many of the pregnancies they now condemn. I am sure if females were allowed to formulate these policies they would look entirely different. More like one would expect from a Buddhist society rather than a culture that appears to adopt its standards from the medieval Catholic Spanish inquisition.

"Thai Justice" Makes as much sense as "Virgin Bar Girl"

'Thai Justice'! After 11 years here I am still waiting to see it, and I doubt that I will be seeing it in this case.

Considering the awareness level of these teenagers, one more piece of advice. Crossing your fingers is not a good substitute for crossing your legs.

Please stop using the word "Accident". An accident is what occurs when the parties involved take expected and responsible actions and something out of the ordinary intervenes. This was a "criminal crash", where an underage, unqualified, unlicensed driver crashed her uncontrolled vehicle into another, causing death and destruction.

And please, do not try an tell me that her parents had no knowledge of their daughter driving. Why had they not taught her responsibility? How did she get the keys in the first place? Yes, they should be responsible for their neglectful parenting. Especially when it causes the deaths of others. Of course there's the argument that she developed all of her driving skills from watching the way adults drive. Let's face it, there are numerous adult drivers who don't possess any more driving skills than does this young girl. Perhaps if irresponsible adult drivers were held to a higher standard and were properly fined and punished for their infractions, a message would be sent to the youth of this country.

If Thailand wants to have modern technology it needs to develop the proper cultural infrastructure and responsibility that comes along with that technology. It cannot use the same safety standards that were in place for horse drawn wagons. It cannot hide behind to the mantra: "Much of our country is backwards and should not be held up to western standards" every time something like this happens. The cultural lag in this part of the world is strikingly obvious and needs to update itself if it wants to partake in western technology.

Here's a new thought. How about basing increased salaries on increased performance? Of course there are different interpretations of "increased performance". One is a hunger for better enforcement of the law. Another is quenching ones thirst for tea.

If the facts are as stated then she fought off a rapist who happened to be her estranged husband. The rapist died in the ensuing fight, self defense.

Just a though, but what if

She murdered him then bit off his xxx in a vindictive rage, then stabbed herself in the arm to make it look more real.

As he died before the divorce she gets everything ..... no witness to say what happened. Murder.

Oh sorry, forgot this is ThaiVisa ........ Man always bad/wrong ... Woman always good/right

The blood spill pattern would solve that. If he were dead before, there would be minimal bleeding, since the heart stopped pumping. Perhaps if you relied on scientific evidence instead of Neanderthal thought patterns some enlightenment would come your way.

If you stab a dead body in the back and lay it on its back then there will be plenty of blood, gravity will see to that, also every stab wound in a living person does not not result in blood spurting out.

Then the blood would have pooled and settled due to the gravity. A different pattern than when stabbed while the victim was alive. Sorry...there would be clear cut evidence one way or the other. Of course, clear cut evidence is only relative in Thai forensics.

If the facts are as stated then she fought off a rapist who happened to be her estranged husband. The rapist died in the ensuing fight, self defense.

Just a though, but what if

She murdered him then bit off his xxx in a vindictive rage, then stabbed herself in the arm to make it look more real.

As he died before the divorce she gets everything ..... no witness to say what happened. Murder.

Oh sorry, forgot this is ThaiVisa ........ Man always bad/wrong ... Woman always good/right

The blood spill pattern would solve that. If he were dead before, there would be minimal bleeding, since the heart stopped pumping. Perhaps if you relied on scientific evidence instead of Neanderthal thought patterns some enlightenment would come your way.

If one is intelligent enough to meet these standards, one is intelligent enough to realize that there is a lot more money to be earned in another profession, without having to deal with the backlash from the under qualified teachers in the present establishment. The English skills of the person who is the head of the program in the local high school makes a common bar girl look like and Oxford scholar. Somehow I would not be surprised that the other department heads are no different. It might sound like an extreme measure, but the best way to establish a better educational system in Thailand would be to terminate every teacher and rehire only the ones who qualify to adequately teach their subjects, regardless of how much face is lost. I believe that will happen when the Thai football team wins the World Cup.

Of course, this being a male dominated society, there was no mention of the father of these babies taking any responsibility. Did these students get pregnant by themselves? I suppose putting the babies up for adoption is preferable to having the sperm donor being inconvenienced from knocking up his next victim. I use the word "victim" because as is the usual MO, he most likely told her that he loved her and would be with her to raise a family. Only to move on to his next conquest as soon as she showed the first signs of morning sickness. Why did Chinnaworn disagree with the law? Was is because he thought that the law should have made the sperm donor share some responsibility for the pregnancy, or that he thought if the girl was so stupid to believe the old line of BS that she wasn't deserving of an education? Hmmmmmmmmm, I wonder.

Hey...Don't mess with natural selection. Anyone not intelligent enough to protect themselves should be selected out of the gene pool. Besides, what good is a helmet when you have three people sitting behind you, your cell phone in one hand, a cigarette in the other and are trying to steer you motorbike with your knees?

Unfortunately, with the male mentality as it is in Thailand, don't be surprised to see more murders of women who threaten to hold the sperm donors responsible for the support of their babies. The whole culture of male privilege needs to be changed from birth on. I doubt that any male fathering a child will be imprisoned for not paying support. No matter what the government vows to do, it can't change the national mindset.

I believe that should be: "Who Is Exploiting WHOM?" Just keeping things academically correct.

Now I know where the money TOT ripped off of me is going. It's amazing...You pay your bill...get a receipt...and when you get a new bill, they say there is no record on the computer. The computer is mightier than a piece of paper stating that the money was paid. I guess if it goes into the pocket before it gets recorded, you never paid. No matter how much proof you have. Switched to CAT. No problems.

Smoking will be banned inside apartments? Sounds all very 1984 to me.

I find it incredible in this country that the government is extremely good at passing laws that it doesn't need to rely on the police to enforce, but prefer to use the power of peer pressure and people spying on each other.

They can't get people to wear bicycle helmets since the police have to enforce that one. But they can get government employees to wear yellow shirts on Mondays.

And who stops the government officials from smoking???

Of course this had to be part of a WHO program. This is just a public relations opportunity to show the world that Thailand can be responsible when it comes to health concerns. Other than showing off a sign which is supposed to make the world see that Thailand is curbing smoking, there will be not teeth to back up the law. Open air areas include the front of the buildings where no smoking is allowed. Of course you have to go through an army of smokers to get into and out of the buildings. I would like to see how many people have been fined for smoking in no smoke areas. I think the number would hover around ZERO. The smoking areas in airports have the doors open and if you pass by them you are inhaling second hand smoke. All hotel rooms and hallways reek from the smell of smoke. I have seen law enforcement officials and monks smoking in bus terminals in front of the sign that proclaims a 2000 THB fine for smoking. There has been no effort to curb actual smoking in Thailand and the campaign in nothing more than a big JOKE. I wouldn't be surprised if the health minister is a two pack a day man. Of course this has a secondary gain for the government. They don't have to pay out many old age pensions or social security since the life span of the average Thai citizen is reduced due to unhealthy lifestyles. And...think of all the taxes which are collected from tobacco sales. The next thing they are going to try and convince the world of is that there is no consumption of alcohol on Sonkrun.

After another trip to Maesai and Chiang Mai I feel like I spent the week inside of an ashtray. The room I stayed in Maesai reeked of cigarette smoke and I was unable to get a night's sleep. I could not find a restaurant that was smoke free (in Maesai or Chiangmai). Where there was no smoking inside of a restaurant, smokers were allowed to smoke at tables near the entrances. So, one got welcomed with a barrage of smoke entering and leaving.

In bus stations where there are signs stating a 2000 THB fine, I have observed law officials and monks smoking in front of those signs.

I realize that these "laws" are a joke since they are ignored and not enforced. If I ask someone to smoke away from the premises I get met with a laugh or a "F-U"...in many different languages. The Thais seem to have no idea what the signs mean. If smokers want to commit suicide on the installment plan, that's their right. But, those who want to remain somewhat healthy do not seem to have much of a choice since we are exposed to second and third hand smoke each day. Let's face it, it's healthier to be around actively using heroin addicts than to be around tobacco smokers.

So, I have to accept that since people will continue smoking wherever and whenever they please as long as the management does not object, the only thing to do is find places where there is no smoking on or near the premises.

Has anyone put together a list of places where the No Smoking Policy is actually practiced?...or...Are there people who would like to compose such a list?

I had TOT ADSL service and they kept on double billing me. When I showed them my paid receipts and the double billing, I was told that their computer showed otherwise. On another occasion I received notice that I had not paid a previous bill. Again, I showed them the paid receipt and I was told that their computer showed otherwise. LET ME SEE....IS IT POSSIBLE THAT SOMEONE AT TOT RECEIVES THE MONEY...POCKETS IT...AND DOESN'T ENTER IT INTO THE COMPUTER??? NOOOOOOO, no one here would do something like that...It's dishonest...or is it business as usual? Naturally I switched to another service provider and have not had any problems since.

I am looking for malted barley to add to flour for baking bread. The wheat flour available in Thailand does not contain any malted barley, which usually comprises 1-3 percent of the flour found in the west. I am not looking for Malted Milk, which is readily available. Does anyone know where I might be able to obtain some? I know that the breweries have to use it to make beer, but I do not think they would sell any of it retail.

One in three are indifferent. The other two are all for it.

Oh...come on...There is no real campaign to stop smoking. Every day I see people (some in official uniforms) smoking cigarettes in restaurants and bus stations, sitting under the sign that states there is a 2000 THB fine for smoking on the premises. They are even offered ashtrays. Pointing to the sign has no effect. Smokers know the anti smoking law is a farce and never enforced. If this law was enforced the country would never have to worry about raising revenue for any public project.

ThaiHealth concerned over young female smokers

BANGKOK: -- A number of Thai females have gone into smoking when they are less than 13 years old, according to a survey.

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), which is stepping into its 9th year, is thus worried about the smoking trends among girls and women.

"We are afraid that the number of female smokers will rise in the future," ThaiHealth manager Dr Supakorn Buasai said Tuesday.

A 2007 survey showed that 6.4 per cent of females were smokers. Covered in the survey were 3,039 girls and women between 13 and 24 years of age.

Of the self-confessed smokers, 31.4 per cent said they started lighting cigarettes since they were younger than 13.

-- The Nation 2009-11-03

ThaiHealth concerned over young female smokers

BANGKOK: -- A number of Thai females have gone into smoking when they are less than 13 years old, according to a survey.

Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), which is stepping into its 9th year, is thus worried about the smoking trends among girls and women.

"We are afraid that the number of female smokers will rise in the future," ThaiHealth manager Dr Supakorn Buasai said Tuesday.

A 2007 survey showed that 6.4 per cent of females were smokers. Covered in the survey were 3,039 girls and women between 13 and 24 years of age.

Of the self-confessed smokers, 31.4 per cent said they started lighting cigarettes since they were younger than 13.

-- The Nation 2009-11-03