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Photo: Detail from Wat Rong Khun temple in Chiang Rai What's On This Page? |
Thailand - Hazards Page 4
A nearby restaurant keeps several cages full of live cobras to serve to Chinese customers and apparently they have no problems with supply. The owner told me that the snakes come from Nakhon Sri Thammarat province. The good news is that snakes are very rarely seen in Thailand. Apart from zoos and snake farms, the only snakes I have seen in Thailand have been dead ones like the one in the photo. They slither on to the roads and get killed by passing vehicles. If you look closely at this one you can see the indentation on its body which was probably caused by a motorcycle wheel. In areas where there is a lot of vegetation it is wise to take precautions to avoid being bitten by snakes. Wear sturdy boots that cover your ankles and don't stick your hands in holes or turn over logs where a snake may be lurking. They are not generally aggressive and will do their best to keep out of the way of humans. Normally they will only bite as a form of defence if they feel threatened or if accidentally stepped on. Perceived wisdom dictates that the best thing to do is to walk forcefully so that the noise and vibration scares snakes away. However, large snakes such as king cobras are territorial and if you announce your presence in this way they may be inclined to defend their territory. Snake bites are definitely not pretty. One time, while visiting the local hospital for a chest infection, I saw a young girl who had been bitten by a snake and her whole leg was black and swollen. The good news is that in a country where there are lots of venomous snakes, Thai doctors know exactly what to do and the hospitals keep ample supplies of antivenin. Knowing what to do if bitten by a snake is difficult. First-aid treatment suitable for one species of snake may have fatal results if carried out for a different species because the venom works differently on the body. Wikipedia, as usual, has a lot of good information on snakebites.
Mosquitoes in Thailand represent a real danger rather than just being an annoyance. In 2005 there have been thousands of cases of dengue fever reported with one fatality, that of a young boy who died from dengue haemorrhaging fever. Apparently there is an epidemic about once every three years. Malaria is still a big problem in the world killing over one million people every year but it is treatable in almost every case if diagnosed early enough. However, a particularly nasty strain has turned up again in Thailand that can kill. Areas near the Myanmar border have been highlighted as hotspots, such as Ranong. (I read this in the paper a day after leaving Ranong. I was in Chumpon at the time which was also named as a potentially dangerous area.) The following month (June 2005) more malaria reports appeared in the newspapers and the situation is quite bad apparently. Although the overall situation in Thailand regarding malaria is improving, certain areas are seeing more cases. The worst area seems to be the top part of the southern peninsular (Chumpon, Ranong and Surat Thani have been highlighted) and all along the Myanmar border. Vaccinations are not available for either disease as yet so the best advice is to try to avoid being bitten but this isn't always easy, especially while travelling. Mosquitoes tend to hide in the daytime and even if you search temporary accommodation quite thoroughly it is still possible they will appear once night has fallen while you sleep. The mosquitoes that spread dengue tend to bite in the daytime. An English guy I was speaking to who lives on Koh Tao confirmed what I already knew about dengue being a problem on the island. He also confirmed that it is not something the locals talk about. It is kept hushed up because it is not good for business. Something else he mentioned was an article he had read in The Nation. The Thai authorities had randomly sampled 100 people by taking blood tests. I'm not sure where exactly but in one of the affected areas. An incredible 20% of those sampled had the malaria parasite in their blood. Despite all this, most Thais I meet continue to have a fairly relaxed attitude towards mosquitoes, leaving doors and windows open after dusk. They don't seem very bothered by the presence of mosquitoes which is something I can't understand. If I know there is a mosquito in my room I can't relax until it has been hunted down and killed. Road accidents and contracting a serious disease from mosquito bites are the two things that worry me most about living in Thailand because the chances of being affected by either are fairly high. What continues to puzzle me is that most visitors are apparently not worried by these real dangers but are worried about things that are very unlikely to happen.
They are highly effective. In places where I get bitten to death if I'm not wearing any repellent, I don't suffer at all if I remembered to first wipe these cloths over my legs and feet. I dislike mosquitoes intensely for the suffering they cause whether it be annoying itchy bites or the potentially fatal diseases they transmit. I still haven't worked if they serve any useful purpose. Flies are annoying but at least their larvae gets rid of dead and decaying matter which could otherwise spread disease. As far as I am concerned, the only good mosquito is a dead mosquito. In Thailand though I faced a bit of a dilemma as a result of trying to learn about Buddhism. Buddhism respects all life regardless of how big or small and a few of my reading sources specifically mentioned ants and mosquitoes as creatures that should not be killed. I'd noticed that many Thais didn't have the obsession I had with killing them and put it down to their Buddhist beliefs. This gave me a bit of a problem trying to reconcile Buddhism (which I believe sets out an almost perfect way to live our lives) with not taking active measures against something that causes a lot of suffering. I am pleased to say that the government has helped me with my dilemma by making 23rd May to 27th May 2005 'War On Mosquitoes' week. Programmes have been set up across the country run by official government departments and volunteers to eradicate the pests. Spraying does take place periodically but this special programme is a major effort to reduce mosquito numbers. Areas that have experienced new dengue outbreaks will be targeted.
In a recent opinion poll, the bicycle was named as the most significant thing ever invented by man. This upset many academics who regarded other inventions and discoveries as being of far greater importance but the humble bike was the people's choice. I would like to nominate the electric mosquito zapper as my choice. They are wonderful devices that look like small, plastic tennis rackets. Not only do they kill the little beasts very effectively but the loud crackle that emanates when you hit your target, along with a bright blue spark, is most satisfying. In the picture a friendly chef from one of my local restaurants demonstrates. I am patiently waiting for larger, higher voltage versions to deal with other annoyances in Thailand; namely teenage maniacs on motorbikes, dogs that bark and howl all night, tuk-tuk drivers who think they can charge me four times the normal fare and Indian tailors.
This section has grown quite large so I have created a separate page to cover the subject.
Yes, this is a serious warning and mainly applies to foreign men but I guess it can happen to foreign women too. It's amazing how Thai girls from poor villages with only the most basic education instinctively know how to make themselves alluring to farang men. They are also experts in extracting money. Many visiting men are basically nice guys, financially secure with decent jobs but they would never stand a chance of finding a young, pretty girl in their home countries. They can in Thailand though but this can be the start of all kinds of problems. With time and experience in Thailand you get to understand how the girls operate but even that doesn't always prevent heartache as they can stir up strong emotions which defy logical thinking. Men can get desperate trying to hold on to a girl and end up losing a lot of money - even completely changing their lives to pursue a girl. Tread with extreme caution. If you haven't been there already you might want to read my page about Thai Girls.
I have asked Thai friends why there are so many of them and they are equally as puzzled. One of my students suggested it could be a result of GM food. They say it is only the current young generation and that the situation didn't exist in older generations. There seems to be some truth in this because you don't see 60 year-old katoeys wandering around unless at a certain age they revert to their original sex? Some ladyboys (katoeys) have gone one step further in their quest to become girls. They dress as girls and some have gone through the various stages of a sex change operation. Nonetheless, they still act like effeminate males trying to be drama queens. It's not my scene but everyone is quite entitled to live life the way they want to. Thai society is very tolerant towards them. I can think of other countries where they would get beaten up fairly regularly. I like very petite, very feminine girls so am not likely to get caught out with a ladyboy but to me they always look obvious anyway. Whatever operations they have had they still have man size hands, arms and feet, etc. They also act so effeminately it is obvious (to me) they are not girls. However, it does appear that a few men get caught out. It's something to look out for. In the case of a very convincing looking katoey the presence of an Adam's apple is a giveaway but apparently some now have surgery to remove it. If ladyboys are your thing and you deliberately decide to spend some time with one I have heard and read from a number of sources that they are generally very untrustworthy so be careful of getting ripped off. I would also give a more general warning to anyone who meets a ladyboy. Generally they are not the most balanced of individuals and many wear a constant expression that says they are angry with the world. They probably are as they weren't born the gender they wish to be. They are quite volatile and likely to throw a temper tantrum if upset. In this respect they differ enormously from normal Thais. Being Thai males, some are very powerfully built with a lot of body strength. Many Thai girls are afraid of them and I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of a bad tempered katoey. Thais call the very butch ones 'buffalo katoeys' (katoey kwai) but using this phrase isn't wise in Thailand. Being called a buffalo in Thailand is a general insult and katoey kwai is definitely not good. I am wary of Thai ladyboys but nothing scared me more than the sight of two farang ladyboys one day in Hat Yai. The two of them appeared out of nowhere in pink summer dresses and high heels. I don't know where they were from - maybe Germany or Austria. They were dressed like girls but it was obvious from any distance that they weren't born that way. I got the feeling they would not be able to parade around as freely where they came from for fear of getting a beating. However, no one cares in Thailand and they were making the most of being able to walk around in a quite ridiculous manner without fear of ridicule or persecution. Both had had breast implants and these weren't the 'A' or 'B' cup false tits favoured by most Thai ladyboys. They were at least 'EE' and completely over the top. It was a sight to see but unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me that day.
Permanently Moving To Thailand OK, you've had a few holidays, maybe even stayed or worked in Thailand for several months and now think this is a country where you could live permanently. I am referring to doing this independently rather than through work where your company is arranging everything. The first thing to be aware of is that very few foreigners are given Thai residency (I think I read somewhere the figure is 100 people a year?). Therefore most foreigners living in Thailand are permanent visitors with no residency rights and require visas throughout their entire stay. Even with one year visas it is necessary to leave and re-enter the country every three months. It makes no difference if you have a Thai wife (or husband), have children in Thailand with your Thai partner, or have bought property. You are still just a visitor. Let's take the worst possible scenario. You have sold up and left your home country to live in Thailand. You marry a Thai, have children and have bought somewhere to live. Maybe you work and maybe you don't but this is where you now consider home to be. You have a yearly visa if you are working (or maybe a retirement visa if you are over 50) or possibly you live close to the border and go for a new visa every month. This arrangement may work out fine for a long time. However, it could go badly wrong. Thailand imposes no limit on how many times visitors return with new visas. Perhaps this will continue but quite possibly they could introduce new rules - there is always speculation that this may happen. What if Thailand introduced something like Brazil where foreigners can only stay six months in any one calendar year? Where would you go then? You may also find yourself in trouble with the authorities and the consequences could be dire. It may be something as innocent as forgetting to get your visa renewed and being found out in a random check or through another completely unrelated incident. You would then be guilty of breaking the law through a visa overstay and detained. You could be deported and never allowed back in the country even though you regard it as your new home. The paragraphs above were all worst case scenario. OK it would be possible to set up a new life in Thailand and then not be allowed back in the country but that is unlikely. There are many other things to consider though before thinking about relocating to Thailand permanently. As I try to point out in these pages, Thailand and the Thais present a wonderful image to visitors but after living in Thailand for a while the glossy surface starts to disappear and some cracks start showing. Truths emerge, some of which are quite unpalatable and to some Westerners, quite acceptable. After a fantastic vacation (especially if you have met the Thai girl of your dreams) don't quit your job and sell your house too soon. Without going into any specifics I would respectfully suggest living in Thailand for a while but making sure you don't burn too many bridges back to your old life. Enjoy Thailand but make an effort to see the realities of life. Treat it as an education and try to learn as much as you can. After a period of time you may discover that all your expectations have been met, that Thailand really is as wonderful as you thought and it is where you want to live. If not though, at least you can go home again.
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