Are You Really Happy Living In Thailand?

[Lickey]

Hi, just found this, interesting read,http://www.thaiwebsites.com/healthcare(2).asp

Not forgetting BKK is the worlds no 1 city,

[wasabi]

I'm happy in Thailand but not in Bangkok. I want to get the hel_l out of here but I need to wait almost another year due to commitments. I'm thinking about Chiang Mai and Hua Hin when I'm free to go.

[RakJungTorlae]

I'm happy in Thailand but not in Bangkok. I want to get the hel_l out of here but I need to wait almost another year due to commitments. I'm thinking about Chiang Mai and Hua Hin when I'm free to go.

It will pass lots of people will go though that, but yeah hua hin seem like the playce to be. Might by a weekend condo there. Threes a another topic on it.

Yeah im good with Thailand, its my home. I want to spend some time in Japan thou when the Cash flow gets much better

[desi]

Hi, just found this, interesting read,http://www.thaiwebsites.com/healthcare(2).asp

Not forgetting BKK is the worlds no 1 city,

Ah, thanks. I came across that information a couple of weeks ago, then forgot to bookmark it. And google was no help at all.

"Food at foodstalls in the streets of Bangkok (where many thousands of people eat every day) use oil that is of course contaminated by car exhausts, and/or oil that has been reused over and over again, giving rise to a highly toxic substance to cook food with. Most regular restaurants (as in most countries) do not indicate what kind of oils they are using to prepare your food. Cheap oils, such as palm oil and coconut oil, are highly popular and used in most smaller restaurants around town, including the restaurants of most smaller hotels. These oils are not recommended if you are worried about your cholesterol levels."

And I happy in Thailand? Sure. It's exactly where I want to be. But after reading that article, I haven't been eating out as much.

[tracker]

Food prepared next to the road is indeed not recommendable, but, the remark about palm and coconut oils being bad for cholesterol levels are outdated.

For palm oil there is unfortunately little research available, but coconut oil is plenty. Coconut oil is probably THE most healthy cooking oil there is. The reason for this is that it is the most stable plant oil if treated with heat. All other oils have a lot of chemical changes, bad for health.

There is enough info on the internet available to back this up. A little search and reading will do miracles...

Another good reason to be in Thailand: palm and coconut oil easy available!

[desi]

There is enough info on the internet available to back this up. A little search and reading will do miracles...

Another good reason to be in Thailand: palm and coconut oil easy available!

Good to hear about coconut oil. So now to find out who is cooking with what. I haven't been able to get a straight answer, or even the same answer two times running.

The majority of my Thai (male) friends have high cholesterol. After reading that article, it seemed to fit that it was from the bad oils.

[kmart]

A lot of the Thai people I know have high cholesterol, even though they aren't fat or overweight. The type of, and re-use of cooking oil is partly to blame, and added high levels of MSG, sugar and other crap especially in processed food here, and there is a growing health problem, especially in children.

[dclaryjr]

For palm oil there is unfortunately little research available, but coconut oil is plenty. Coconut oil is probably THE most healthy cooking oil there is. The reason for this is that it is the most stable plant oil if treated with heat. All other oils have a lot of chemical changes, bad for health.

There is enough info on the internet available to back this up. A little search and reading will do miracles...

Another good reason to be in Thailand: palm and coconut oil easy available!

Yes!! There is another believer--I'm not alone!!!

Here's some good info on palm oil from Scott Kustes of modernforager.com:

When I talk about palm oil, I’m talking about the unmodified red palm oil like that sold by Tropical Traditions (where I buy my palm and coconut oils). Palm kernel oil and any clear palm oils are not going to have the health benefits of red palm oil due to refining, deodorization, and bleaching. Palm oil is an excellent source of numerous vitamins, including Coenzyme Q10 which supports healthy heart function. It contains all eight forms of vitamin E - 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols - along with high levels of vitamin A, mainly in the form of alpha- and beta-carotene, which provide the rich red color. Palm oil actually has fifteen times the beta-carotene (a form of vitamin A) content of a carrot and 300 times that of a tomato. Palm oil is the second most widely consumed oil in the world, behind soybean oil. However, if we remove the United States from the equation, palm oil is the number one oil. For some reason, we’d rather hydrogenate soybean oil than use natural palm oil for baking.

The whole post is here.

[Heng]

I'm pretty satisfied with my Bangkok-Pattaya schedule (about a week here and a week there), but I think my yearly one month trip back to Texas, plus various 4-5 day holidays scattered throughout the year make for a nicely rounded out balance.

[grantbkk]

I'm happy in Thailand but not in Bangkok. I want to get the hel_l out of here but I need to wait almost another year due to commitments. I'm thinking about Chiang Mai and Hua Hin when I'm free to go.

Well I learn something everyday here in Bangkok. I had no idea the prisons here had Internet access. I'm sure when you get out Hua Hin and Chiang Mai will be happy to call you one of their own. Do you need any cigarettes or whatever you use for currency there?

Like you, I'm stuck here until I can remove BKK from my log-in name.

If you have soap be careful if you drop it.

Cheers!

[GuestHouse]

The question to ask is 'Do you have any alternatives open to you'.

If not, then - get happy.

[grantbkk]

The question to ask is 'Do you have any alternatives open to you'.

If not, then - get happy.

Sage advise. Unhappiness causes ill health and wrinkles.

[farang555]

do roadside cafes wash their plates, etc with rain they collect that fall s from rooftops?

rain laden with birdsh i t, chemicals,etc.

[mikethevigoman]

A lot of the Thai people I know have high cholesterol, even though they aren't fat or overweight. The type of, and re-use of cooking oil is partly to blame, and added high levels of MSG, sugar and other crap especially in processed food here, and there is a growing health problem, especially in children.

True there seems to be no pattern, im 92 kiolos and not that fit ( 57) , zero cholesterol ,paul my brother in law ( 47 ), eats healthy ,gym every day just had a check up and his was really high,.he drinks and smokes, i dont smoke ,and drink very little, could it be related ?

[roygsd]

do roadside cafes wash their plates, etc with rain they collect that fall s from rooftops?

rain laden with birdsh i t, chemicals,etc.

I have seen maybe a hundred or more big f....... rats running around and climbing all over a row of street vendors cards that have been wrapped in tarps and tied up in BKK in the early hours,they were swarming all over them and had no problem getting under the Tarps and up to the work surfaces, dont do street food any more.

They seem to thing Hygene is the tall woman living up the road.

Roy Gsd

[Chaimai]

im 92 kiolos and not that fit ( 57) , zero cholesterol ,paul my brother in law ( 47 ), eats healthy ,gym every day just had a check up and his was really high,.he drinks and smokes, i dont smoke ,and drink very little, could it be related ?

I think you and your brother are probably related

[Shotime]

I like Thailand, too. I'm pretty sure I'll leave Bangkok for Hua Hin. Golf, beaches, clean air. My TWGF sings a song about farang who go to Hua Hin to meet ladies, but find there aren't any when they get there. She gets a big kick out of that song. There's ladies there, right? Happy is also a goofy word, but thanks for the link. I still have a few years left.

Edited July 12, 2008 by Shotime

[farang555]

wots a TWGF?

[mikethevigoman]

im 92 kiolos and not that fit ( 57) , zero cholesterol ,paul my brother in law ( 47 ), eats healthy ,gym every day just had a check up and his was really high,.he drinks and smokes, i dont smoke ,and drink very little, could it be related ?

I think you and your brother are probably related

Read it again ,brother in law, and i mean the smoking and drinking

[mikethevigoman]

im 92 kiolos and not that fit ( 57) , zero cholesterol ,paul my brother in law ( 47 ), eats healthy ,gym every day just had a check up and his was really high,.he drinks and smokes, i dont smoke ,and drink very little, could it be related ?

I think you and your brother are probably related

im 92 kiolos and not that fit ( 57) , zero cholesterol ,paul my brother in law ( 47 ), eats healthy ,gym every day just had a check up and his was really high,.he drinks and smokes, i dont smoke ,and drink very little, could it be related ?

I think you and your brother are probably related

Read it again ,brother in law, and i mean the smoking and drinking

[basjke]

A lot of the Thai people I know have high cholesterol, even though they aren't fat or overweight. The type of, and re-use of cooking oil is partly to blame, and added high levels of MSG, sugar and other crap especially in processed food here, and there is a growing health problem, especially in children.

True there seems to be no pattern, im 92 kiolos and not that fit ( 57) , zero cholesterol ,paul my brother in law ( 47 ), eats healthy ,gym every day just had a check up and his was really high,.he drinks and smokes, i dont smoke ,and drink very little, could it be related ?

Zero cholestorol?Are you sure you're still alive?

[Heng]

289 here and trying to bring it down. Although I don't think the main issue is roadside cooking oils for me, more likely the XX kgs. of milk, cheese, and other misc. yummy things I consume each month.

Have been having a less than delicious 2-3 months since my last checkup.

[Lickey]

Besides the issue of re-used and used again cooking oils, you have to consider the exaust and dust from passing traffic, also on a long shift, where does the vendor use a toilet, and how do they clean up after?

Personally, i never use street vendors, useually we cook at home, if we go to the city for supplies, then i will eat at pizza hut or similar, hoping that they have half decent kitchen faccilities ect.

There is an old english saying, :youve got to eat a peck of dirt before you die:, but not in 2 weeks i presume!!

[Kerryd]

So what is this, a "Happy to be in Thailand (or not)" thread, or a cholesterol thread (in which case it should be in the Health, Body and Medicine forum).

I could care less about what kind of oil is used to cook my food. I defy anyone here to live forever. Guess what ? Ain't going to happen. First it was MSG is bad for you. Then it was cholesterol. Oops, then it was only some kinds of cholesterol. Now the big red flashing danger sign is "Trans-Fats".

What will they discover tomorrow that will kill you if you don't stop eating it immediately ?

As for myself, yes, I am REALLY happy living in a place that isn't obsessed with trying to squeeze an extra couple of weeks out of life, just so you can spend those extra couple of weeks drooling like an idiot while some care-giver tries to feed you pablum before cleaning up the mess you made from sh*tting youself because you've got no control over your bodily functions. At least you'll have the satisfaction of knowing, providing you are still capable of coherent thought, that cutting back on all those little pleasures in life has allowed you to squeeze those extra couple of weeks of life out. Too bad you are only able to speak in grunts and groans, and are unable to tell anyone to pull the plug and get it over with.

[Naam]

words of wisdom Kerryd which i second!

[Jingthing]

I think kerryd's argument is extreme. The idea of taking care of your health is so that you can have more years of having a decently healthy quality of life. I agree, who cares about the last days, weeks, months, years if they are going to be miserable. However, there is a balance. I personally hate to exercise, but I push myself to, not to squeeze out a few more years, but to FEEL healthy now. Same can be said for a healthy diet and moderation in drinking, you will have a better quality of life overall in the present.

Of course, the research about what is good and bad for you changes at any given point, and that is all we have to work with. However, it is basically fact that certain things will certainly mess you up: too many animal fats, being obese, drinking too much, smoking. carcinogens, and yes, of course TRANS FATS are evil!

Edited July 13, 2008 by Jingthing

[teacherthailand77]

Food prepared next to the road is indeed not recommendable, but, the remark about palm and coconut oils being bad for cholesterol levels are outdated.

For palm oil there is unfortunately little research available, but coconut oil is plenty. Coconut oil is probably THE most healthy cooking oil there is. The reason for this is that it is the most stable plant oil if treated with heat. All other oils have a lot of chemical changes, bad for health.

There is enough info on the internet available to back this up. A little search and reading will do miracles...

Another good reason to be in Thailand: palm and coconut oil easy available!

I was pretty skeptical that coconut (and palm) oil could be in any sense healthy when I first came to Thailand. I'm someone who, although eating decently, had bad cholestrol and trigylecerides. I've eaten well since moving to Thailand 2 years ago haha... and amazingly, I went to the hospital for a physical a couple months ago and my stats were the best ever. I guess deep fried, pollution filled street food is good for you!

[Kerryd]

I think kerryd's argument is extreme. The idea of taking care of your health is so that you can have more years of having a decently healthy quality of life.

Perhaps. I look at my dad, 76 years old. Living on his own, every year shoveling snow, hauling firewood, long trips to the city every couple of weeks for groceries and so on.

Been smoking since he was 15. Drank whiskey most of his life. Eats whatever the h3ll he feels like. Wouldn't even know what MSG/Cholesterol/Trans Fats mean. Still pretty healthy (no diabetes, cancer, heart problems, alzheimers, ect).

I look at him and then I look at people that don't smoke, don't drink, exercise regular, watch their diets and die 15-20 years younger anyways.

I'd prefer to enjoy the good things in life and go out with a smile on my face and a 20 yo g/f in the bed !

(note: most other species on the planet have natural systems that kick in when there's a population problem. Some animals have smaller litters (or none at all when times are lean). Some develop diseases, or leap off cliffs. Many have predators that help thin the ranks and ensure only the strongest, fittest specimens survive.

Except man. Despite the best efforts of the planet (so far), humans have managed to adapt and overcome and throw the whole natural order of the planet into chaos.

By rights, there should be an stronger, faster, meaner predator (in smaller numbers) that would thin out the population, but alas, such is not to be. And when diseases do occur that would help restore the natural order, we find ways to fight them (mostly) and extend our lives far beyond what nature intended.

We are at (or near) the height of our power as a species, so perhaps it is time for something to come along and cut us down to size. Super-Predator ? Not likely. We'd eliminate anything that even looked remotely like a threat (except of course a Predator, or Alien, or Alien-Predator hybrid, or and Alien-Predator-Sigourney Weaver-Linda Hamilton crossbreed. That might be tought to beat).

Disease ? Possibly. Cancer seems to be a built in mechanism that can attack almost any part of the body, triggered by who knows what ? Not all cancer is smoking related of course, and even healthy people that do everything right get cancer (while others that by rights should be riddled with it, are healthy as the proverbial horse).

The way things are going now, somethings got to give soon (in the next couple of generations). I think the planet has bigger things to woory about than cholesterol and trans-fats.

(I should go start working out at the gym now. It won't help when the A/P/SW/LH crossbreed kills me, but at least I'll look good when I'm getting torn to pieces !)

[mikethevigoman]

A lot of the Thai people I know have high cholesterol, even though they aren't fat or overweight. The type of, and re-use of cooking oil is partly to blame, and added high levels of MSG, sugar and other crap especially in processed food here, and there is a growing health problem, especially in children.

True there seems to be no pattern, im 92 kiolos and not that fit ( 57) , zero cholesterol ,paul my brother in law ( 47 ), eats healthy ,gym every day just had a check up and his was really high,.he drinks and smokes, i dont smoke ,and drink very little, could it be related ?

Zero cholestorol?Are you sure you're still alive?

i think so, i just checked my pulse and there was one, so ill assume i am, does one need cholestoerol ?

[Heng]

Perhaps. I look at my dad, 76 years old. Living on his own, every year shoveling snow, hauling firewood, long trips to the city every couple of weeks for groceries and so on.

Been smoking since he was 15. Drank whiskey most of his life. Eats whatever the h3ll he feels like. Wouldn't even know what MSG/Cholesterol/Trans Fats mean. Still pretty healthy (no diabetes, cancer, heart problems, alzheimers, ect).

Yeah, my grandma is 96 and smoked for a couple decades when she was younger (handrolled cigs).

But the stats are way against folks like that. Ask any insurance actuary.

Edited July 13, 2008 by Heng