HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Dengue revisited

Re: Global warming hysteria

Do not swat flies

Not talking about hookers and houses

Thai Proverbs for Farangs

Dengue revisited

Dear Editor,
I recently developed flu-like symptoms and amid fear of the new flu outbreak I visited my local hospital to ensure the safety of my family. The doctor’s first concern, despite H1N1 being global at this stage, was to test me for dengue fever. He informed me that it’s everywhere in the area and they are receiving many new cases each day.
Having been cleared of swine and insect related diseases, now to my main problem; almost 2 years ago you published a letter of mine (Aug 24-30 2007 issue) referring to a dengue hot-spot in Moo 5, Soi 12, Naklua. The cause of this small lake of stagnant water is two-fold: 1) the development in 2006 of a large resort to the rear of Moo 5 housing resulting in the blockage of all drainage water from the estate and 2) the incompetence of Pattaya city council in allowing an existing housing area to be isolated from the city drainage system in this way.
I remember in the print edition of your paper (not the e-edition for some reason), you indicated that you had contacted city hall and their response was that they were waiting for government funds to be allocated for the correction of this health hazard and other problems. Visits to city hall at the time also revealed same.
Let me update you on the scenario. Attached is another photo taken this week of the same corner. Still under water which is now of various shades of green. At this stage the stench in the area is to say the least, tough on the nasal passages. Each day kids are playing in the immediate vicinity of this pool. Now, if there’s rain, the level rises so that it backflows into some of the houses via their utility drains - it’s not so nice to paddle about in your living room and kitchen in the morning after waking up. In the event of rains, the city is sometimes gracious enough to send a truck around to suck what water they can away. And needless to say the mosquitoes are having a field day.
Incredibly, yet another visit to city hall has now revealed that funds have become available. Good news? Not for Moo 5! Now city hall is saying that they have no record of any such issues in Moo 5, Soi 12, Naklua and even though funding became available they will not be attempting any such drainage repair works in this estate since we are not on their list of required works. The pencil marks must have rubbed out over the last 2 years...
Would it be possible for Mayor Kunplome office to come clean on whether they plan to tackle this issue that has now become a location for one of the primary health hazards that the Thai medical profession fears?
Or maybe the Moo 5 residents have been bumped off the bottom of the city hall ‘to-do’ list, to be replaced with ‘Build new 744 million baht stadium for P. Utd’.
Sincerely,
M. Guiney

Re: Global warming hysteria

Editor;
Bob of Pattaya does Rachael Carson a disservice. In her book (obviously he hasn’t read it), she advocated responsible use of pesticides rather than blanketing everywhere with huge amounts, which indeed has led to insects becoming resistant to various pesticides.
While I do not contest the efficiency of DDT in anti-malarial programs, it is wise to remember that DDT doesn’t just kill mosquito, it kills almost all insects in the area. If you agree with the common belief that 80% of all insects are ‘good’, then the indiscriminate use of DDT is very worrying.
Rachael Carson wasn’t a hysterical activist, her research was meticulous and most of her writing still stands the test of time.
‘Bob’s’ letter is a classic example of picking what fits your views and ignoring the rest.
Oh and by the way DDT has never been banned for anti-malarial use.
Regards,
Freddie

Do not swat flies

Editor;
Eric Bahrt recently wrote another letter condemning the way chickens are killed for consumption at McDonald’s and KFC. Eric is a long time outspoken animal rights activist and vegetarian, who is from America, living in Thailand, and on a crusade against KFC of the USA, and others, for the most horrible manner in which the chickens are killed. I have raised the question as to why attack USA companies on the killing of chickens in the USA and have no compassion for the poor chickens in Thailand. Eric, how are the chickens killed in Thailand?
One thing that I have noticed is that some animal rights activists also have strange ideas on what is important or how to express that concern. During a recent TV interview, Pres. Obama publicly swatted and killed a fly. The outspoken animal rights group, PETA, admonished the President for killing the fly and wished he had served a better example. PETA supports the “brushing flies away rather than killing them”. So people, do not swat flies, brush them away, otherwise you may face the wrath of animal rights activists.
There is another animal rights activist who has gone to the extremes. Daniel Andreas is the first domestic terrorist who is on the FBI Most Wanted Terrorist List. This animal rights activist destroyed property and tried unsuccessfully to take lives with his bomb attacks. Now Eric uses letters to get his point across, but his actions do put him in the class of some strange people. Eric, I just have to wonder what you think about late term abortions.
Bob,
Pattaya

Not talking about hookers and houses

Editor;
Richard Franklin made a request for some sort of report on the circumstances leading up to my marriage, so I’ll do the best I can.
I met my wife in a bar in Bangkok, the night I arrived to take up residence. She had a beauty salon in Samut Prakan but her family was in trouble and she regularly went to this particular bar because it was famous for girls being able to meet farangs and “augment” their income. Not exactly a perfect breeding ground for true love, but there it is.
I saw her two additional trips shortly thereafter and finally she came to Pattaya to visit with me. I was trying to avoid that because I thought she was too young, but things happen.
When she came to Pattaya, she never went back again. We closed her beauty salon and reopened it in Pattaya and the rest is history.
We have been together for eleven and a half years and married almost as long. We have two children, a 10 year old girl and a 7 year old boy. I bought a house and later a three acre farm just outside of town which she now breeds orchids on and also has a beauty salon on.
There is no doubt in my mind that the relationship was borne out of my desire for good companionship and her desire for security. Any man of retirement age that thinks it can come from anything else is a fool. If you are lucky it could turn into love, but let’s face it, we’re not the studs we once were.
Where Richard is wrong is that he believes that this all has something to do with whether or not the women in Thailand that marry farangs should have a claim on property purchased by the farang. Maybe I didn’t state my case clearly so let me do it again.
If a foreigner comes here and meets a girl who has no children and wants to cohabitate with her, than he should buy a condo. If he does anything else, he deserves whatever happens to him. If she already has kids and he feels that he wants them to be in a home, then he is taking a big risk, but one must ask oneself, if he thought they deserved a home in the first place, why would he feel any different should the marriage break up?
As for guys like me, my wife was already pregnant when we bought the house and I was committed to my child (and eventually children), having a home whether me and their mother “made it” or not. Homes are not that expensive that children should be uprooted in the event of a breakup. This is as it should be. Far too many men like to make children and then, if they don’t get what they expect out of a marriage, leave the children to fend for themselves. And that’s a malady that is worldwide. And yet you will see these same men sitting in a bar carping about why there are so many juvenile delinquents in the world.
We are not talking about hookers and houses. We are talking about homes and the responsibilities that we create.
As for my marriage, I am not so naive as to believe that I have “a lock” on anything. It could all blow up tomorrow. I simply consider myself like the man that jumped from the ten story building. As he was falling, people near windows on each floor could hear him repeating over and over; “So far so good; So far so good.”
John Arnone
Yasothon

Thai Proverbs for Farangs

By Thai-lish
Are you interested in Thai culture, mentality, and language, but find it hard to understand and get to the hearts of the people?
Learn these Thai proverbs and you’ll have a deeper understanding of Thais and even impress a few.
Thai proverbs are centuries old, and are widely used among the Thai people to explain situations and matters so to give a clearer picture about what they are conveying.
Some of the proverbs have words that usually rhyme the end of the first clause with the beginning or the middle of the second clause.
It is an artistic and fun way to communicate. Try it!
Adage 7

กินน้ำพริกถ้วยเก่า (gin-nám-prík-tuây-gaò)
Gin = to eat
Nám Prík = chili paste
Tuây = bowl
Gaò = old
Meaning: “To eat chili paste in the old (same) bowl”
It is refers to someone who, after fooling around for a while, eventually goes back to the old bowl, I mean partner.
However, if you are unfortunate, when you go back, you not only may be refused of any food, but you may also get the chili (along with the old bowl) thrown at your face. So think twice, things could get hot!
Sawatdee

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