Thai Lingo Info About Getting Sick - From People Not Rain Drops

[Chao Lao Beach]

I am fed up of in laws coughing up on me and my family and arguing that splattering over our face can't make you sick and you can only get sick from the rain, some of them can read Thai, some can't.

Anyone know any site in Thai that explains viruses and coughing and that there are not little green gremlins in rain drops I can print out for them.

Just show how little they learn in Thai Uni's and schools.

[farang000999]

LOL

[Gsxrnz]

You just can't make this stuff up!

Try this website. It has Thai PDF's, mainly about vaccines but does refer to how contagion occurs. The influenza link is probably the best.

However, even reading this will not convince a back-country semi or illiterate Thai that bacteria or viruses exist. Any documentation assumes a basic acceptance that these things exist and are communicable causes of disease and illness.

Somewhat akin to convincing a 17th century physician that "bleeding" a patient is useless and that keeping his hands and instruments sterile is paramount to prevent infection. He will tell you it's sheer nonsense and everybody knows it's the "bad air" that makes one sick.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/thai.html#C

Edited November 8, 2013 by Gsxrnz

[Stradavarius37]

You are going to try to convince old dogs new tricks? Good luck with that. I wait in breathless anticipation for your success story...

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[papa al]

You just can't make this stuff up!

Try this website. It has Thai PDF's, mainly about vaccines but does refer to how contagion occurs. The influenza link is probably the best.

However, even reading this will not convince a back-country semi or illiterate Thai that bacteria or viruses exist. Any documentation assumes a basic acceptance that these things exist and are communicable causes of disease and illness.

Somewhat akin to convincing a 17th century physician that "bleeding" a patient is useless and that keeping his hands and instruments sterile is paramount to prevent infection. He will tell you it's sheer nonsense and everybody knows it's the "bad air" that makes one sick.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/thai.html#C

Actually bleeding can be therapeutic.

Here is why:

People who eat considerable meat (a food high in iron) tend to accumulate too much iron in the body.

High iron levels are deleterious to most organs, including the heart.

The body lacks a mechanism to excrete the excess.

Blood loss (iron in the hemoglobin) is really the only way.

Consider:

1. Females have lower incidence of heart disease than men until menopause, then the rates between the genders equalize.

2. Studies in Sweden have shown that men who regularly donate blood have much lower rates of cardiovascular disease.

3. The treatment for hemochromatosis (high blood iron) is drawing blood.

I doubt that a 17th century physician will be telling me anything. 5 5.

Malaria, Latin for "bad air," has killed more people than any other disease. 5 5 & 5.

[Thai at Heart]

What?, the rain doesn't make you sick? Come on.

[dao16]

Wow.....my in-laws are pretty country bumpkin, but they know to cover their mouths/walk away when they sneeze or cough. They all read and write Thai, though, except a few really old people, so maybe they aren't as country bumpkin as I think they are. I am sure they just do this because the doctor told them to. They will make a mad dash for the doctor when they have the slightest sniffle, so they must really pay attention to what the doctor's say/

Sorry, i laughed out loud when I read the post....unfortunate, to say the least, and probably nearly impossible to change unless some older, more respected Thai comes around explaining it to them (you are a foreigner with weird ideas).

[Berkshire]

I've tried to explain to some Thai friends that the weather doesn't really make you sick, but catching it from someone else, usually to no avail. But just the other day, a farang friend mentioned that he got sick due to the change in weather. And he told me about some other farang friends who got the same. Maybe it's just some folks who believe this stuff.

[wernerkl]

I found following video about 1 year ago being confronted with a similar problem: Coughing Robot Spews 'Flu Germs'.avi. I think it was on youtube but just a DuckDuckGo search should help. Impressive and they maybe underswtand the problem after.

[flyingdoc]

Give them all some Beta Glucan, thus raising their immune levels, then they wont get the infections in the first place !

Problem solved ! Q.E.D.

[daoyai]

Environmental conditions can cause small lesions in mucus membranes creating a pathway for a virus to enter the bloodstream. Weather can also weaken the immune systen.

Edited November 8, 2013 by daoyai

[ThaidDown]

All this scientific twaddle, just shows foreigners know very little about this country.

You should know that Thai rain if different, and of course the rain drops have little green gremlins inside, how else do you think people get sick. Duh !

[h90]

only some amulets from the witch doctor can help

[Choonpon]

Just walk away if they start coughing or sneezing. You will be wasting time and effort telling them. The words simply won't get into their brains. Unless they hear it from a doctor or someone with authority personally.

[saroq]

So I'm the only one who has been told the "rain makes you sick" story. Couldn't believe it when I was told that and now I'm beginning to realize how wide spread this belief is in Thailand.

[thaiexpat21]

Live in the sticks ?

Better you learn the "rules" !

[lensta]

Simple solution. Stay right away from your inlaws. Why would you want to be

around them if they are going to cough and sneeze all over you.

[recycler]

You're all stupid falang and you don't know shit about it, this is Thailand and it's Thai viruses!

[robblok]

I've tried to explain to some Thai friends that the weather doesn't really make you sick, but catching it from someone else, usually to no avail. But just the other day, a farang friend mentioned that he got sick due to the change in weather. And he told me about some other farang friends who got the same. Maybe it's just some folks who believe this stuff.

Weather changes can do it to you if you are already low in your defenses it might just tip the scale. You have plenty of germs and stuff yourself but your imune system keeps you from getting sick if its low cold weather could just be the last little kick so its more then fantasy.

[osiboy]

a few years back my wife had a beauty salon and employed some help , ....one day she brought her son into work with her , when i asked why she said "because hab cough , cannot go sacool " , oh , i said, so you bring him to work so all the customers can catch his cough instead ? , no pombem she said . her son proceeded to cough all day ,..... by the morning the wife and i were also sick and so were all of our regular customers from that day , we closed the shop for 4 days and disinfected it , probably lost around 7k.. .......MAAAAN they are so thick it's unreal !

[loong]

What really gets me is the way people blow their noses in their clothes, or even worse into towels that others may dry their bodies and faces after showering.

When I see people closing one nostril and blowing the mucus onto the ground, it really turns my stomach, but thinking about it, there is less chance of the mucus transferring to other people that way.

[MobileContent]

Ask your wife to talk to your in-laws to stop coughing and sneezing at you.

[Dap]

Give them all some Beta Glucan, thus raising their immune levels, then they wont get the infections in the first place !

Problem solved ! Q.E.D.

Can the Beta Glucan be purchased in Thailand?

I need to pump up my immune system.

[osiboy]

I've tried to explain to some Thai friends that the weather doesn't really make you sick, but catching it from someone else, usually to no avail. But just the other day, a farang friend mentioned that he got sick due to the change in weather. And he told me about some other farang friends who got the same. Maybe it's just some folks who believe this stuff.

Weather changes can do it to you if you are already low in your defenses it might just tip the scale. You have plenty of germs and stuff yourself but your imune system keeps you from getting sick if its low cold weather could just be the last little kick so its more then fantasy.

Yes,it can make a virus worse ,............if that's what your trying to say , but weather cannot "give" anyone a virus

[canuckamuck]

My mother in law freaks out if I am out in the lightest drizzle, but she has bucket showers in January in temperatures lower than 10 C. How is it raindrops will make me sick when body shocking icy buckets won't make her sick?

It is also forbidden to have anything sweet when you have a cold, but it is OK to have the chickens rummaging through the pots and pans in the outdoor kitchen, an crapping all over the counters.

[Ninja4me]

This reminds me of a similar story... A guy living in the sticks was trying to convince the rest of the Family that they should not let all the flies crawl on the food. Since he didn't succeed explaining it, he finally found a video that described the problem and where you could see all the nasty details close up.

After showing the video he asked the Family (with a big smile on his face) if they where finally convinced. The reply was "not worry, you know the flies are not so big here in Thailand"

[papa al]

My mother in law freaks out if I am out in the lightest drizzle, but she has bucket showers in January in temperatures lower than 10 C. How is it raindrops will make me sick when body shocking icy buckets won't make her sick?

It is also forbidden to have anything sweet when you have a cold, but it is OK to have the chickens rummaging through the pots and pans in the outdoor kitchen, an crapping all over the counters.

There is a body of research that suggests ingesting sugar can depress the immune system for about 6 hours.

[buck99]

I have a simple solution if you should get the flu. I lived in the Philippines for 3 years and my housekeeper explained if you put salt in your belly button it will draw the "poison" out of the body. Yes, its the same in the Philippines. If you get wet from the rain, you will get sick. I never understood why the rain makes you sick but there seems to be no problem with a morning shower. The housekeeper explained it was different water.

[lensta]

a few years back my wife had a beauty salon and employed some help , ....one day she brought her son into work with her , when i asked why she said "because hab cough , cannot go sacool " , oh , i said, so you bring him to work so all the customers can catch his cough instead ? , no pombem she said . her son proceeded to cough all day ,..... by the morning the wife and i were also sick and so were all of our regular customers from that day , we closed the shop for 4 days and disinfected it , probably lost around 7k.. .......MAAAAN they are so thick it's unreal !

But it doesn't say much for you and your misses either, allowing her to stay there all day with her sick son.

You knew the consequences but didn't send her home immediately. Why would that be???

[FM505]

That happened once in my experience... haven't been back there since. Can't watch fingers in the nose... at dinner either... or anytime actually. 180 degrees and my problems disappear.