jak2002003

Anyone helping save the beached jellies?  Poor things, so sad. 

On ‎16‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 4:37 AM, SaintLouisBlues said:

Worst of all, Westerners who wai other Westerners

Ha!. I found myself doing that by accident a couple of times.  Its just a reflex action now.. as I usually am around Thai people.  If you live here a long time and usually mix in Thai circles, its an easy 'mistake' to make.  I have been back to the UK only once for a week in all my years here.. and its hard to stop saying 'thank you' in Thai language for the first day or 2.

Also I sometimes caught myself speaking a little pigeon English with another farang subconsciously (particularly if the farang is not a native English speaker).  This is because I speak Thai day to day more than English.. and when my lazy brain translates back to English I find myself speaking the English words, but in the same sentence structure as the Thai sentence.  I even forget a few English words now and again and have to ask my Thai friend (who speaks very good English) what the English word is for something. 

7 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

I'm actually surprised people have no black shirts. How is that even possible? 

Judging by a few farangs I see here a few of us only own one beer chang wife beater vest.. which never gets washed.

That shows real love.  That Elephant Nature Park is very good and treats the elephants very well.  Its the only elephant place I have been too here where the elephants were really happy and enjoying their lives... no chains, shows or elephant rides. 

They likely will just leave it to die.  That's the way here.

If you really want to help it, take it to a vet now.  But be prepared to spend a lot of cash.. and the cat could die despite vet help.

10 minutes ago, Kermac said:

funny.....half the posts see the glass half empty......and the other half...half full......life is a matter of perspective....some have no desire to see the good in anything......while others want to ignore the bad and focus on what is right. Nothing in the universe stays the same....NOTHING .....everything is in constant change.....either you can handle it or you look for excuses as to why you cant.......but thats just my opinion

Wow..  Did you just get back after reading a Buddhist book? 

Think the fears about it being unhygienic are a bit over the top... unless it actually pisses and s**ts in the shop.  But I agree its not appropriate or polite to take dogs into places like that.

Other people are far ore likely to give you a disease or sickness than a dog.  I went into a Topps Store here and walked past the self serve food counter to see a group of Chinese people dipping in the spoons / ladles and tasting / licking the food... then putting the spoons back into the food vats.  Another farang saw this going on for a while and then went to tell the staff.  The staff just stood about watching in shock... but none told the people to stop doing this.  I won't be buying the self service food there ever again. 

51 minutes ago, Rob13 said:

 

Silly statement. There are thousands of individual personal experiences similar to the OP's, including myself.  Too much of the stuff causes problems for some people.

There are also thousands of personal experiences of alien abduction, big foot sightings, lock Ness Monster, UFOs, predicting the future, ghosts sightings, demonic possession, etc... 

This is a very interesting thread.  After 10 years living here I am seriously considering returning to the UK.

Things have been very good for me here over the years.. but this past year or so I have been finding it more stressful to live here... even in my rural village.   I also find the immigration here In Chiang Mai a bit frustrating, and have noticed the change in attitudes to farangs living here... with some people having some distrust and resentment to us... and lots of bad news reports on the TV and in the papers about farangs being dangerous sneaky criminals. 

My long term plan was to return to Europe... get a job and house in a warm climate.  However, now the Europe thing seems not to be too safe an option in current times, and living here the devalued pound is also hurting a little.

Problem for me is I have most of my assets here... in the house, land, banks.  Its going to be hard to sell the house and also take the money out of the country.  Then finding a place to live and work in the UK is not going to be a walk in the park, especially as I have a disability with prevents me from being able to drive. Also my partner will not want to return to the UK.. so that will mean problems sorting out finances between us and a lot of heartache. 

So I am a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. 

MSG is a natural substance from naturally grown plants and has been a flavor enhancer for a few millennia.

Your symptoms are more likely from consuming too much sodium in those restaurants you go to.. for example, soy sauce has huge amounts of salt in it. 

Its a myth that MSG is bad for you. There is zero evidence that MSG is bad for you.  Here is a link I found that show  high quality clinical trials that help to explain away the myth... scroll down to the bottom of the website for.... or better still read all the information to help you understand the chemical and biological make up and breakdown of MSG.

http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/msg-myth-versus-science/

Getting back to my point about vitamin b12... how do you actually know you are not deficient?  Have you had a blood test to make sure?  This, as well as high sodium intake, is far more likely the reason for your heart flutters. 

How have you tested your cortisol levels?  Have you been to a hospital or have a testing kit? Or are you just guessing and believing the web sites?

18 minutes ago, MalandLee said:

 No I only drink water & one cup of coffee per day (occasionally two if friends drop by). I do not consume alcohol or soft drinks and do not smoke. My wife & I cycled around the world, (took about 3 years) both Vegans, with no known health issues - neither of us take medication of any type.

 

It was not difficult to see a pattern after eating at the two restaurants. Of course the assumption that the "only" ingredient to cause issues was MSG, could be flawed, it may, be pesticides - no way to be certain. Neither restaurant "cooks to order", hence we have little control over what "condiments" are used in the cooking.

 

Bottom line is we don't eat there any more and I do not have those issues.

 

 

This could be your problem in not getting a balanced diet.

Vegans are often deficient in vitamin B12 which is found mostly in meat, eggs, fish etc. This leads to a form on anemia with symptoms of HEART PALPUTATIONS. 

http://www.livestrong.com/article/546303-low-b12-heart-palpitations/

I suggest you go to your doctor for a blood test... and also you may need vitamin B12 injections.

I rent 'my' land and have build a house on it.  I have had no problems with this method.. with all the correct paperwork.  But I would never do it again.

Renting is the best option... you can rent beautiful houses out in the countryside as very reasonable rates... and in the end if you get bad neighbours (like I have now) you can just up and move out and are not trapped for years trying to sell your house in this bad financial and political times. 

You would be working illegally?

There is no insect here with a 20 cm sting!

1 hour ago, RawboneFunksta said:

 

More and more I think Thais will come to realise that westerners are generally respectful and appreciative of Thailand and while we may not need to adopt all of the cultural behaviours we see here (I'm never going to grovel or even wai) we at least attempt to understand Thai people somewhat. There may be some examples of farang crime but they are pretty rare outside of pattaya.

 

 

I think they already know that farangs are generally respectful and appreciative of Thailand and their culture, BUT that does not pay the bills... and most of the population here will not give us a second thought when they start getting the money from the Chinese. 

10 hours ago, MiKT said:

 

Sorry jak, you seem to be a little bit mixed-up. There is not anywhere near enough "wild" left in Thailand to support more elephants, I wish their was, but their just is not.

 

Look at Africa if you want to see what happens to wild elephants, many, many, many slaughtered every day for their ivory. 

 

Some form of conservation is necessary and elephants are intelligent enough to know to keep within areas where people are actively trying to stop the poaching.

 

 In the few areas left for wild elephants in Thailand the main problem is speeding motorists and poisoning, not hunting.

 

A little more research to go with your admirable, but uninformed rants please.

 

PS never heard of Lions or Tigers?

What do you mean I never heard of Lions or Tigers?

I am not ranting.. I am only stating my opinion. 

There is plenty of space for wild elephants still left in Thailand.  You suggest I do some research... so here you go....

Kaeng Krachan was declared as a national park on 12 June 1981. Covering an area of 2914 km² it is the largest national park in Thailand. The park is located in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan Provinces, bounded by the Tanintharyi Nature Reserve along Myanmar's border to the west. The park is not only part of the rainforest area north and south of the park in Thailand, but also part of the Western Forex Complex that covers 18,730 km² across 19 protected sites between Myanmar and Thailand.

You must not have read or understood what I was saying in my post.  Because I suggested alternatives.. such as safari park kind of habitats.. where the elephants could still be cared for and monitored... but they were free to roam and act naturally over a huge area... and never chained up or forced to do shows and carry people.  Tourist would still come to see them and get educated about the conservation of elephants.

What if I go out of my house in the evening and have a few drinks and get invited to 'sleep over ' at someone house, then go home the next morning? 

On ‎05‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 9:55 PM, Grubster said:

This would require killing of a few thousand elephants that were trained for logging, They don't know how to live in the wild. Its a big problem for Thailand and nobody really wants to pay to feed them except tourists.

Of course they know how to live in the wild.  They are wild animals with wild instincts... they eat plants and drink water and have no natural predators... so how hard can it be?

They don't have to learn to hunt food. 

Don't lie about paying for feed.  The tourists pay well over what the elephants need for food.  That's why its such a profitable business and makes lots of money from ignorant ill informed or uncaring tourists.

Food bill if release into the wild... zero.

On ‎05‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 6:22 PM, Wilsonandson said:

Meanwhile in Koh Chang....

The baby elephant stays with it's mother for the first 2 years. Then if there are other babies a cresh is formed. A bit like going to preschool. They go off together in the morning. Say goodbye to mum. Walk down to the beach have a swim in the sea. Some of the older elephants might let some of the younger children ride on it's back. Then it's back to camp for breakfast. Which takes up alot of the elephants time, eating lots of fresh elephant food. Then its check up time. Each of the elephants feet are checked, they're skin, temperature, teeth, ears, ...

During the hot part of the day all the elephants return to camp. So the babies are reunited with their mothers. Then late afternoon they all travel down to the beach each holding the others tail for an afternoon dip and then it's back to camp for more food and an early night's sleep.

I know this, because I have spent the whole day with them. Just once. 7am-5pm. A day I shall always remember as I hope the elephants do also when I visit them again. Hopefully soon.

You are putting human sentiments onto elephants.  What they are doing is not natural and is cruel.  Surely you know elephant mothers and calf are never separated from each other in nature.  How is the elephant mother or calf to know they are not being separated for good every day?

Why are the baby elephants make to carry humans in the first place?

Why are the elephants feet checked?  Its because in captivity they develop foot disorders from walking on concrete and hard surfaces and carrying humans about.  That never happens in the wild.

Why do they hold each other tails?  Its because they are forced to do it by humans ... this is not a natural thing for them to do. 

So you are an expert because you spend only 10 hours of your entire life with that camp as a paying tourist?  Did you look closely behind the scenes?

Did you see the first time they took the baby away form the mother?  Did you see the chained up for hours alone over night?  Did you see them getting stabbed over and over again day after day with metal spikes?  Did you see them in chains for the rest of their lives, like criminals? 

You really think they are happy?

22 minutes ago, zd1 said:

Elephants are a truly majestic animal, they are also a lot smarter than they are given credit for.

Maybe the unripe bananas affect the elephants digestive system, the elephant didn't want to eat them the mahout knew this and obviously warned the woman not to feed the elephant, the woman ignored him and the elephant took action. The elephant behaved in a restrained manner as the woman is still alive, if the elephant wanted the woman dead she would be, the elephant just picked the woman up and flung her to the ground as a warning.

In this case it looks to me that the elephant took this woman to be a threat and dealt with her the way it knows best.

I agree with a lot of people who say that elephants shouldn't be in captivity, but what is the answer, is there an area that could be used as a proper elephant conservation area it would have to be huge as elephants in the wild tend to roam looking for food. I just don't think that this would be able to happen due to the amount of people who would be displaced to set up this vast area for an elephant reserve and then there is the money for the land where does it come from?

I love elephants and have to admit that I will feed them pretty much any time I come into contact with them, I don't care for the tricks that they are taught as in my opinion I think it degrading towards the elephant.

To the poster who suggested putting the elephant down, what planet are you on idiot.

 

They could be rehabilitated and released into the larger Thai national parks that already have elephants.. to boost the wild population.

OR

They could even be let 'free' in a huge area and live like elephants in a Safari Park in the UK. 

Tourists could pay to go and see them in that more natural state and get educated about them and help their conservation. 

At least them they would have space to do as they like and interact with each other.. and would not be forced to do shows and carry people about every day while getting stabbed with metal hooks and yelled at.  At least they would not be chained up for hours at a time over night or when not in use.. swaying from side to side going mad with frustration.  And at least they would not have their babies taken away from them and tortured into submission.

3 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

Ok so if you see one of those paintings in Europe showing an ongoing war using horses "Cavalry" these are domesticated animals, while if you see those wall paintings in Ayuthaya showing a war between Burmese and Thai conducted on the back of Elephants or same thing in India, these are not domesticated? What would you call those Elephants then?

Horses are domesticated animals.... like cats and dogs.  They do not exist as wild animals and they have been selectively bred over thousands of years for their personality to become placid, calm and trusting around humans.

Elephants are wild animals.  They are captured from the wild and tortured or 'broken' in order to destroy their mind to make them basically slaves, scared of their human handlers.  Even though a few elephants are born in captivity this is a very small percent.. and its only 2 generations from wild ones.  They still have to be tortured to subdue them.. and many die during this process.

Many of the baby elephants you see in Thailand are actually stolen from the wild and smuggled to Thailand and then broken in. 

I hope now you can see that elephants are wild animals and should not be kept in chains and stabbed with metal hooks for the amusement and profit of ignorant or stupid people.

Hope you enjoy Fern 'Paradise'.  That's near my house. 

30 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

I grow weary of the selfish ignorance on display here and it is time to  shut it down as it serves no purpose save to illustrate how uneducated and disconnected some folks are from reality. Yes, I understand that there is an issue with some of the feral animal populations. We all do.  That's why some people have  actually done something positive that makes a difference.  

 

Hua Hin has a dog shelter and it was set up under Royal patronage.  I am very grateful and appreciative of the  work the volunteers and  employees perform.

I was not in Hua Hin when HM the King donated the lands and funds to set up the first shelter. His guidance on the matter was textbook and it did not involve massive kills, poisonings or other ineffective methods.  I was not in Hua Hin when he visited the shelter he so kindly contributed, but I understand it was an emotional experience for everyone involved. The smiles in the news reports were genuine and the happiness factor was high.  

 

(The above was from the PBS report on HM the King's 2003 visit and announcement of financial support for the assistance of feral dogs.)

 

There will always be a few foreign jerks who have no understanding of the local culture nor of population biology who will argue that the population should be mass slaughtered, as if that will solve the  problem. It does not. Only education, spaying and neutering will do that.  I use the term jerk because that is what someone who seeks to impose a poorly thought out and non scientific solution is.   Hua Hin has the benefit of Kasetsart University's veterinary college and it has provided guidance on the issue. Unfortunately, many local officials and  many of  residents do not wish to heed sound scientific advice.

 

Hua Hin's dog centre "aims to take care of stray dogs, feeding them, treating them for illness, vaccinating them against disease and finally trying to find them a permanent loving home and a better life. It is worth pointing out that is against the Buddhist way to destroy an animal, so no dogs are put down regardless of how long they stay." 

 

Luckily, there are more compassionate and thoughtful people around than there are ignorant selfish types, otherwise society would collapse.  There are volunteers from the expat community who give generously from their wallets and of their time to address the issue of uncontrolled dog and cat populations. If anyone is that concerned about the growing population of feral dogs and cats, then please volunteer at one of the animal charities and contribute to the education, spaying and neutering programs.  Sterilized animals that are caught and released are considered one of the most effective methods of  controlling populations.  

 

This thing does a very very good job for a small proportion of street dogs.  The dog there are very lucky and well cared for.. and the people helping them are very kind hearted to the dogs.   But its not the answer to the feral dog population... if it were, why are there still feral dogs in large and increasing numbers there?

Also to the poster saying to take dogs to the temple... what temple?  Is there a temple that will gladly look after thousands of sick and aggressive feral dogs?  Temples are not dog rescue places.  You can't just dump animals you don't want in temples!  That is a sin to abandon animals and burden the monks there.. who are there to practice meditation and Buddhism, not run a dog rescue and hospital.  Also the dogs will continue to breed and increase in population if not sterilized. 

With this logic I catch all thousands of village rats and dump them at 'the temple'.  Temples are not a rubbish dump for people to throw away unwanted animals and children!!!!! 

Catch the dogs, euthanize them as cruelty free as possible.  Anyone that says they own the dogs needs to be fined and told how to look after then properly and not allow them to stray.

Simple.

What is the problem? 

And in our own counties, Europe and America thousand of dogs are killed every month... unwanted dogs that people threw away or dumped.  Yet breeder still churn out pedigree disease ridden dogs and sell then for thousands of dollars.  We are more immoral to dogs.