The week that was in Thailand news: We trusted in Thailand to change: At least she still makes us laugh!

[Jane Dough]

4 hours ago, Marpa47 said:

Enjoying your many articles.  The personal touch in “the week that was” is as always a very rewarding read.  

Cheers, this was consecutive edition #219.

 

See the archive for ones you might have missed.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Rooster

[Jane Dough]

2 hours ago, off road pat said:

Well,...Rooster,...

This one was one of your best !!!

I enjoyed it !!!

Best Regards !

Thank you very much,

 

and thanks for reading.

 

How many have you read!?

 

Rooster

[Soi Dog]

Another excellent column.  But I think it might be more appropriate to call the 1.9 Billion baht aid package the General welfare fund.

[SupermarineS6B]

Only in La la Land could you destroy the huge market of P*&^ and Pu%$# and come up with the idea of flogging grass......   Truly a Somchai brain storm.......   Oh dear me...... If you had a dog as daft you'd shoot it..... 

[Elkski]

good column rooster.  glad you finally pointed out some things  as truths.   I maintain that truth can't be Thai bashing.  it's nice you  pointed out the billionaire club.  please do more to educate  people on what's so terribly wrong in Thailand.  I hope you can see your destiny  and become one of the tools of change your life has groomed you for. 

Edited June 7, 2020 by Elkski

[KhaoYai]

5 hours ago, zyphodb said:

Wow, all that trust Rooster, just how tinted are your sunglasses? for that amount of trust I'd be surprised if you could see 3 feet in front of you in the midday sun...

I think you should research the word 'Ironic'

[Matzzon]

2 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

Actually it's a paragraph, but thanks for reading anyway!

 

Rooster

Ok, Mr Perfect.

[Marpa47]

5 hours ago, GAZZPA said:

It's an English term, don't think it is really used elsewhere as it is believed to have roots in cockney rhyming slang which is of course native to London. Here is a short description from the internet.

 

There is another route to the word and this is via rhyming slang. Farmer and Henley's 1893 Dictionary of Slang defines 'grasshopper' as 'copper', that is, policeman. The theory is that a 'grass' is someone who works for the police and so has become a surrogate 'copper'. The rhyming slang link was certainly believed in 1950 by the lexicographer Paul Tempest, when he wrote Lag's lexicon: a comprehensive dictionary and encyclopaedia of the English prison to-day:

Thank you very much.  Would say “ man after my own heart” or “ that’s right up my alley” only wouldn’t want the follow ups.  ????

[Marpa47]

3 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

Cheers, this was consecutive edition #219.

 

See the archive for ones you might have missed.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Rooster

... and (May there continue to be) many moooooore!   One more thing.  About the success in Thailand as well as other oriental countries, two things strike me as influencing the astounding positive outcomes.  One is that, hewing to a Confucian tradition of familial piety so thoroughly ingrained as to be taken as a matter of course, the western ideal of ‘rugged individualism’ is rare and in this case thankfully so.  The second thing is that, having so recently delt with one or more of the SARS, MERS, Avian influenzas, there is a more well-thought-out plan of action, medical and scientific opinion carries their due weight of authority unimpeded and crucial institutions and procedures seem to have fallen in line almost automatically.  Contrast that with the good ole US of A and we find floundering incomprehensiblity from the top down with the White House having thrown away all the planning and preparation instituted by the prior administration.  Rioting against sequestering, masks being interpreted as political statements.   The list goes on.  The Etruscans are said to have had a philosophy that measured their civilizations history in cycles of 90 years.  Why 90 years and why cycles?  Because history is condemned to repeat itself unavoidably. 90 years because that is the amount of time to pass until the last of the elder wise ones, (having learned about the catastrophies in life and how to avoid and/or prepare for them), have all passed away and now the wisdom has to be learned all over in a new cycle because that’s just the way we are.  

Edited June 7, 2020 by Marpa47

[GAZZPA]

1 hour ago, Marpa47 said:

Thank you very much.  Would say “ man after my own heart” or “ that’s right up my alley” only wouldn’t want the follow ups.  ????

the less said about your alley the better,,, ????

[GAZZPA]

1 hour ago, Marpa47 said:

... and (May there continue to be) many moooooore!   One more thing.  About the success in Thailand as well as other oriental countries, two things strike me as influencing the astounding positive outcomes.  One is that, hewing to a Confucian tradition of familial piety so thoroughly ingrained as to be taken as a matter of course, the western ideal of ‘rugged individualism’ is rare and in this case thankfully so.  The second thing is that, having so recently delt with one or more of the SARS, MERS, Avian influenzas, there is a more well-thought-out plan of action, medical and scientific opinion carries their due weight of authority unimpeded and crucial institutions and procedures seem to have fallen in line almost automatically.  Contrast that with the good ole US of A and we find floundering incomprehensiblity from the top down with the White House having thrown away all the planning and preparation instituted by the prior administration.  Rioting against sequestering, masks being interpreted as political statements.   The list goes on.  The Etruscans are said to have had a philosophy that measured their civilizations history in cycles of 90 years.  Why 90 years and why cycles?  Because history is condemned to repeat itself unavoidably. 90 years because that is the amount of time to pass until the last of the elder wise ones, (having learned about the catastrophies in life and how to avoid and/or prepare for them), have all passed away and now the wisdom has to be learned all over in a new cycle because that’s just the way we are.  

Well written but I think sadly flawed. Thailand did not close down flights from China (or indeed Wuhan) immediately, the experience that you refer to of dealing with outbreaks was not so evident at all. I remember a late closure of the businesses and then a mass migration of workers travelling back to their villages right across the country. I think it is as I have said many times, the lack of cases in Thailand and indeed many other Asian countries is simply a matter of climate. Below is a simple statement on abc news, you can google but there is a lot of evidence that simply states the virus does not do as well in hot/humid climates and the higher the temperature the lower the infection rate.

 

I think it is a blessing for Thailand and many other countries that perhaps do not have the health systems or welfare assistance in place to help people who would otherwise suffer terribly. I am not saying western countries did everything perfectly, of course they did not, however it is easy to see the enormous difference in infection rates across the world and any sensible person would see that there is a pattern that is pretty firmly backed up with science. Anyway, I am happy for the Thai people but as I previously said this is not the topic to start point scoring against Western cultures. Thailand did a good job in many ways but I believe they would never have suffered in the same way as New York anyway.

 

“For every increase in heat of 1 degree Celsius (the equivalent of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), we are seeing about 2% decline in transmission,” public-health expert Ali Mokdad, the chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told ABC News. “We find this relationship in our data and possibly it would be more when the weather warms up this month.”

[Ayemanomad]

Absolutely brilliant. I had a good a laugh and let's be honest, we could all do with a belly laugh at the moment. I particularly liked: 'Prayut – our father who art in khaki, hollow be his name', an absolute classic. Keep up the good work. ???? 

[Stargeezr]

Another great catch up on the weeks news Rooster, Thanks. At least in Thailand

you should be able to have at least one English TV channel that is not all about George

Floyd or the Covid pandemic. Here in Canada, the CBC or Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

has a 10 PM news hour called the National, and recently they did a whole hour just

on the Floyd death and aftermath. Since then they and the other 2 TV stations have

done at least 15 minutes of this story, and more time on Covid, with less than

20 minutes of actual Nation or International news.  I hope there are a few more positive

changes in Thailand before I go over there again. I dream of a day when I could go there

without a visa for 60 to 90 days at least. I am glad to see some of the Klongs getting

a much needed cleanup. I do hope that much of Bangkok will be around until at least

2150 as it is still a substantial distance above the sea level at least in some areas.

I hope Thailand has another good week and more people can go back to work. The USA

will need much longer if they keep on protesting and marching, I forecast a big jump

in Covid cases in the coming weeks, even in Canada there have been rallies, and marches

and I will have no sympathy for the people who get sick because of their decisions.

Geezer

  

[GAZZPA]

13 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Another great catch up on the weeks news Rooster, Thanks. At least in Thailand

you should be able to have at least one English TV channel that is not all about George

Floyd or the Covid pandemic. Here in Canada, the CBC or Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

has a 10 PM news hour called the National, and recently they did a whole hour just

on the Floyd death and aftermath. Since then they and the other 2 TV stations have

done at least 15 minutes of this story, and more time on Covid, with less than

20 minutes of actual Nation or International news.  I hope there are a few more positive

changes in Thailand before I go over there again. I dream of a day when I could go there

without a visa for 60 to 90 days at least. I am glad to see some of the Klongs getting

a much needed cleanup. I do hope that much of Bangkok will be around until at least

2150 as it is still a substantial distance above the sea level at least in some areas.

I hope Thailand has another good week and more people can go back to work. The USA

will need much longer if they keep on protesting and marching, I forecast a big jump

in Covid cases in the coming weeks, even in Canada there have been rallies, and marches

and I will have no sympathy for the people who get sick because of their decisions.

Geezer

  

its a very interesting point about the rallies, it stands to reason infections could increase. My friend in Berlin told me the story of a church that was permitted to open. 170 people attended mass on 1 day and 40 people were tracked as getting infected, 25% in 2 hours! I think though people have had enough now and they want to get back to work and take their chances, so the easing of the lockdowns will likely accelerate, as the old saying goes "give them an inch they take a mile". 

[Jane Dough]

4 hours ago, Elkski said:

good column rooster.  glad you finally pointed out some things  as truths.   I maintain that truth can't be Thai bashing.  it's nice you  pointed out the billionaire club.  please do more to educate  people on what's so terribly wrong in Thailand.  I hope you can see your destiny  and become one of the tools of change your life has groomed you for. 

Thanks, but I'm not sure I want to be a tool.

 

????

 

Thanx (a Scrabble word) for reading

 

Rooster

[Jane Dough]

3 hours ago, Matzzon said:

Ok, Mr Perfect.

I wasn't even a prefect!

 

 

Rooster

[Matzzon]

6 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

I wasn't even a prefect!

 

 

Rooster

Fantastic to go from there and now try to make an effect. ???? 

[zyphodb]

10 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

I think you should research the word 'Ironic'

No need, I wrote that with my tongue firmly in my cheek...

[rumak]

22 hours ago, rooster59 said:

We trusted that a democratic government might end corruption within 20 years. Trusted that people who traverse its roads and waterways might one day all arrive safely at their destination. Trusted that the environment might be cleaned up, rejuvenated where necessary, despite the cost. Trusted that schools might one day deliver the finest education that promotes free thinking. Trusted that a police force that will go out of their way to maintain law and order and instill confidence in an admiring public might one bright day solve all crime. Trusted that in time the judiciary would act in the best interests of the common man utilizing a system of law easily accessed by all. Trusted that those in authority might begin to say it like it is and never once spout the complete opposite of what they mean. Trusted in a drive for more fairness….

.....and last but not least,   we trusted that those pop up ads that appear in the middle of a page would once and for all be given a welcome death

[mikebell]

23 hours ago, rooster59 said:

a little “Shearing of the Sheeple”, previously known as fleecing.

As a writer, I particularly enjoyed this and can confirm everything written about Pattaya Plod's deserved poor reputation is true.

 

23 hours ago, rooster59 said:

I have almost never been the subject of discrimination or violence in Thailand because of my ethnicity.

I would say you have been remarkably lucky. You've obviously never tried to buy a house; never been pulled over twice a week by the police because your windscreen isn't dark enough to hide your white face; never visited a National park or Nong Nooch Gardens.

[paddypower]

16 hours ago, GAZZPA said:

I have no doubt that Thailand did what it needed to do to suppress the virus, not taking anything away but I am getting very tired of the constant comparison to Western cultures crowning Thailand as the King of the virus tackling world. It is so well documented if you can bother to research about how the virus responds in different climates,  hot / humid weather is not a favourable environment. Add in many other factors such as the far more comprehensive transport systems, ease of travelling between countries / states, congestion and the tendency for longer distances for commuting and it very quickly becomes apparent why the virus has spread so quickly in countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Not to mention the obvious economic difference, people (including working class) have much more money to travel and shop. Short international flights are also very cheap and almost as common as catching a bus.

 

There is not 1 single country that got this right 100%, nobody in our lifetime has had to deal with such a thing so not really surprising, however I very strongly believe that if the virus had taken hold in Thailand and if Thailand had a temperate climate they would have faired no better then Italy, Spain, UK, Germany, USA or anywhere else that has struggled. 

 

It is, in my view, a cheap, tasteless and desperate attempt to try and label Thailand as "better at something" then the west. So before falling into the trap of assuming Thailand takes better care protecting it's citizens then lets say Germany, do some research, engage your brain and get your facts right. 

 

This is not a trivial topic to play silly games with, people are dying in enormous numbers.

disagree completely. Thais adapted to mask wearing quickly. Every where i go in the towns and rural areas of NST and Surathani, I find them willing to use the tracing app or sign in at all the retail outlets. Ironically, most of my expat friends sneer and refuse to participate by signing/give their phone number. I have respect for this country and regard it as my good fortune to live here. end of story, other than to suggest that Rooster's style of sarcasm is unoriginal and wearying.

[brianthainess]

18 hours ago, Marpa47 said:

Wondering how the expression “grassed on” got its meaning ‘to inform on’.  as has found it’s way into numerous bylines this past week?  In the US of A there is a term, (grass roots), meaning a political movement originating among the common people.  But that term has some connection to it’s meaning since grass is kind of a symbol for something common and not of the upper class.  But “grassed on”?   Can’t imagine the connection although that’s probably the point. 

Grass = Grasshopper = Copper = police   rhyming slang mainly London.

[unblocktheplanet]

QUOTE: 80,000 baht a month over years, paid for by private tutoring

 

What the heck was she teaching, anyway?!?

[Jane Dough]

6 hours ago, mikebell said:

As a writer, I particularly enjoyed this and can confirm everything written about Pattaya Plod's deserved poor reputation is true.

 

I would say you have been remarkably lucky. You've obviously never tried to buy a house; never been pulled over twice a week by the police because your windscreen isn't dark enough to hide your white face; never visited a National park or Nong Nooch Gardens.

I did say 'almost'. On the two occasions I have bought houses for my Thai wives I have fully understood that I could not be the owner and it did not matter to me because these were gifts to them for providing me with such gorgeous children, two each (children not houses). Being a motorcyclist I have been pulled over almost as many times as I have had hot dinners, every time there are always lots of Thais around me so I never felt I was singled out because of that. If anything I got off more times because the police liked the fact I could speak Thai or were amused that I showed them a picture of the wife and kids instead of a driving license. 

 

I do take your point about national parks and places like Nong Nooch. During my time at Harrow when I was responsible for school trips I made it perfectly plain that any establishment - either state or private - that had dual pricing would not be used by our school. Thais and expatriates were all allowed entry at the local price. On private trips to national parks - where I agree the policies are scandalous - I always got Thai price entry based on my residency. On the one occasion I did not I turned the car around and went around the corner and told my wife that I was going to get in the boot while she took the wheel and her and the kids sailed through the gate. 

 

In the end I thought better of this after the wife started grinning suspiciously; we all happily went and had a pizza instead. 

 

Thanks for reading Mr Bell.

 

Rooster

[off road pat]

21 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

Thank you very much,

 

and thanks for reading.

 

How many have you read!?

 

Rooster

I have read most of them for a couple of years,...

[KKr]

On 6/7/2020 at 1:09 PM, Cats4ever said:

further restrictions on the true demon drugs that plague society, namely alcohol and tobacco.

Rooster is obviously not a fan of Winston Churchill, on both counts.

 

I normally like his columns, but this trend is off putting to me.

Love Hurts, and when addicted, a lot.
Truth Hurts even more so when in denial of addiction.

[ray666]

On 6/7/2020 at 1:34 PM, Jai Dee said:

 

It's an English term.

 

Origin Reference

'Grassing up' has been a commonly used expression in the UK since the mid 20th century, but is less common elsewhere. The first known use of 'grass' in that context is Arthur Gardner's Tinker's Kitchen, 1932, which defined a grass as "an informer". Grass was a well-enough established word in the 1980s to have spawned 'supergrass', that is, a republican sympathiser who later 'turned Queen's evidence' and informed on the IRA, and which gave the Brit-pop band Supergrass their name in the 1990s.

Informers are variously known as squealers, noses, moles, snouts and stool pigeons. These terms invoke imagery of covert snooping around and of talking. Grass is less intuitive. It could just have arisen from 'snake in the grass', which derives from the writings of Virgil (in Latin, as 'latet anguis in herba') and has been known in English, meaning traitor, since the late 17th century.

There is another route to the word and this is via rhyming slang. Farmer and Henley's 1893 Dictionary of Slang defines 'grasshopper' as 'copper', that is, policeman. The theory is that a 'grass' is someone who works for the police and so has become a surrogate 'copper'. The rhyming slang link was certainly believed in 1950 by the lexicographer Paul Tempest, when he wrote Lag's lexicon: a comprehensive dictionary and encyclopaedia of the English prison to-day:

"Grasser. One who gives information. A 'squealer’ or ‘squeaker'. The origin derives from rhyming slang: grasshopper - copper; a 'grass' or 'grasser' tells the 'copper' or policeman."