What is with the high rate of deaths here?

[bowerboy]

About 4 years ago we moved to Rayong area for work. Since I have been here it seems like there has been a constant stream of people dying.

 

From people in our village, through to the wives relatives, people at work and their relatives and also other farangs that I have known (at least 6 that I know of and all from various causes including 2 suicides).

 

People here just seem to drop like flys. I never experienced this with 8 years of living in Bangkok as a single guy.

 

Fir many of the deaths it is due to car accidents but for most of the “relatives” of family and work people it is people from various upcountry locations dying of “old age” at anywhere from 55 to 60. For those upcountry folk I am convinced it is because of poor quality food and no knowledge of the health basics that leads to so many early deaths.

 

Seruously, I cannot believe how many people seem to die here. It is truly shocking. Until 3 or 4 years ago I could probably count the number of people I knew who had died on 2 hands. If I included everyone I know through work, Village, family and social then it is probably around 1 or 2 per month!!

 

is it just me that notices this?

[chippendale]

9 minutes ago, bowerboy said:

is it just me that notices this?

It's probably just you.

 

Statistically, 100% of lives end in deaths. Bound to happen sooner or later.

[jmd8800]

You might want to dig through these statistics:  https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/thailand-life-expectancy

 

 

[Swiss1960]

The older you and the people around you get, the higher the mortality rate, including yours, statistically proven. So be aware...

Sent from my SM-A730F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Gracas]

OP I don't know how old you are, but in my 20's, 30's and 40's I hardly knew anyone that died. Now in my 60's it is not so unusual.

This also includes Thailand as I have been coming here since the late 1970's.

[1337markus]

Too many coffin makers bit like 7/11 stores?

[Colabamumbai]

I returned to Kalsin after a years absence, five locals I knew had died, people I spoke to everyday.

[LomSak27]

1 hour ago, Gracas said:

OP I don't know how old you are, but in my 20's, 30's and 40's I hardly knew anyone that died. Now in my 60's it is not so unusual.

This also includes Thailand as I have been coming here since the late 1970's.

 This goes out to Panna ..

 

"that country has a high attrition rate"

 

An observation she made when revisiting Thailand 30 years ago and finding out multiple friends and acquaintances were ... dead. These were people in the 20 to 40 year old range. woops and of course that was back in kinder gentler times (right).  

 

By the way Panna is a doctor, we can rack that up as a "professional" opinion  

[connda]

Perhaps it's perception.  In the West you seldom know when or how many people die.  It's not a public affair.  It's covered up in almost a macabre manner.  And in the big cities (BKK) you don't really see it either.

But it's different in the villages.  Death is a pubic affair.  When a villager dies - everybody knows.  It's a public event.  Villagers who weren't even friends of the decease will show up at funerals.  Free food, free drinks, it sort of like a party.  Three days of lying in state, friends, family, and acquaintances get together, then the body in rolled up the main road to the crematorium with pomp and fanfare to be burnt, with a sendoff of fireworks!  So, you "See" death in the villages.  It's not shunned.  It's part of life.  As such, you also see how frequently people pass away.  It happens pretty frequently. 

[BritManToo]

9 hours ago, bowerboy said:

is it just me that notices this?

I've noticed it for a while, not only Thais but an unlikely number of white guys I met have died too.

Visit Thailand and die.

[bowerboy]

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

i had thought it might be age (I am 48) but it’s not that. No one I know (touch wood) has died from my family or social circles in U.K. or Australia and work circles in Singapore.

 

Also I don’t live in a “village” in the upcountry sense so it is not something I see everyday. It is what I hear from others (family and friends).

 

Also it really wasn’t that bad in Bangkok (some colleagues with families upcountry but nothing of the scale I see living out of Bangkok now).

 

i am convinced the Thais outside of Bangkok die much younger of “old age” because of the incredibly poor quality of the food (including chemicals etc). Trying to find decent quality food in Rayong (day to day supermarket type food) is extremely difficult and as a one time chef I know very well the difference between good and poor quality, I even worry about my own long term health from eating the food here and that is not something I have ever considered before in my life.

 

And then also the traffic is so jammed in Bangkok that they actually become less dangerous.

 

It is a fact that Bangkok has the lowest road death toll in Thailand and RAYONG has the highest (so in Rayong you really are driving quite literally on the worlds most dangerous roads).

 

Thanks for posting those stats and I have seen those before. I think they should separate between life expectancy in Bangkok and life expectancy in the rest of Thailand,

[1FinickyOne]

the older we get, the more people that we know have health issues. I have found that in my small country village that yes, people die young but most of the funerals my wife attends, the people are in their 80s and 90s.. the world is a polluted place... so it goes.

[sammieuk1]

Knock "em" out mow "em" down syndrome ????

[PatOngo]

For workers, it's not uncommon for their grandmother to die 3 times to get time off.

[Ulic]

Like flying, takeoff optional, landing mandatory. Sometime after birth, death is a certain outcome. In Thailand as in many parts of the world, it is often premature but ultimately not preventable.

[cyril sneer]

dying 10-20 years early is part of the package when moving here

 

accept it or try elsewhere imo

[digger70]

Nothing to worry yourself about, you won't die until your time is up  on this planet.  

[bbbbooboo]

hmmm..... maybe Thailand is a dangerous place ?

[a10ams]

5 hours ago, Colabamumbai said:

I returned to Kalsin after a years absence, five locals I knew had died, people I spoke to everyday.

If you see me ..... don't say a word.

[VBF]

Living in the West, similar scenario. When I was 20, hearing of a death of someone I knew personally was generally limited to elderly relatives which is, of course, inevitable.

Now in my 60s I've sadly seen the demise of several of my peers, a few good friends among them, scarily some younger than I! 

 

What I also notice is the increasing number of public figures, (musicians and actors especially) who, have always "been there" since I was young. What I am forced to remember, is that they were already in their 20s/30s when I was still in my teens therefore, now I'm over 60...well you work it out!

Much of  it is perception and the fact that we all tend to forget just how we're all aging!  Sad but true!

 

And on that cheery note.......

Edited December 13, 2018 by VBF