Ulysses G.

Berkshire, on Yesterday, 14:15 , said:

Or just read ThaiVisa, they might think we're representative of the other farang they'll meet and stay far away.

Yes, a rather ominous development.  We need to slow down this wave before it's too late.

What we need are these Thai-hating, Thai-bashing zealots to be more aggressive and vocal in announcing to prospective newbies that Thailand sucks.  "There's nothing here."  "It's expensive."  "Thais are racist and hate foreigners."  "Dual-pricing everywhere."  "Thai women are only interested in foreigners' money."  "The roads are dangerous because no one knows how to drive."  "It's dirty because everyone dumps their trash everywhere."  "The air is toxic to breath."  "The food is terrible and not safe to eat."  "Everyone is corrupt."  Don't come!  Go to the Philippines!  You've been warned.  

Maybe that'll do it.

"she pays absolute attention to personal requests"

"no Happy Endings"

Sounds like these two things are mutually exclusive.  Nonetheless I'll check her out.

Console yourself with the fact that you helped this man as best you could in the circumstances.  You did what the majority wouldn't in the same position and it is not necessary for you to do more.  You can't help every poor person that you see in a country that is full of them.

I am rather disturbed today, and have been thinking about this most of the morning instead of concentrating on work.  

During my commute this morning, I hit my first u-turn as usual.  This is a fairly high speed u-turn going under a bridge.  There are three lanes.  Two are adjacent with one going each way.  There is a raised median, then another single lane which is one way.  The exit off the main road is about 300 meters from the actual u, so cars get up a good bit of speed going, especially in the single, one-way lane.

I was in the one-way lane when I saw an old beat-up  bike in the road, so I shifted a bit not to hit it.  As I passed it, I realized that there was an unmoving man underneath.  I could not stop due to cars coming in back of me and there being no room to back up with those cars, so I went to the next u-turn and doubled back, which took a bit of time.  But the man was still there, so I stopped my car and blocked him from on-coming traffic.

The man was very still, and I thought he was dead.  But he had a pulse, even if he was unresponsive.  A motorcycle messenger driving on the other lanes over the median saw me and stopped, first asking me if I hit him.  I told him no, so he got on the phone.  Once the two of us were standing there, others took notice.

They guy was skinny man, filthy, with no shirt nor shoes on.  He had two thumbs on his left hand, and one was very obviously broken.  With us standing over him, he opened his eyes.  One pupil was pointed up somewhat, and the other had almost disappeared in the inside corner is his eye.  He would not respond at first, but then he seemed to get a hold of himself and told the other guy that he had crashed sometime during the the night.  I didn't catch if he just crashed or if a car had hit him.

The guy needed helped, so I told him, through the other guy, that I would take him to the hospital, but he refused, and got up before I could stop him (afraid of brain damage, I didn't think he should move.)  He thanked us, then got on his bike and rode off unsteadily.

I could smell no alcohol on him, so I don't think this was a drunk falling down and passing out.  I think he either fell or was hit and was unconscious.

What bothered me was that probably a thousand cars swerved to miss him (I am amazed that none ran over him), but no one stopped to help.  He obviously was in trouble.

And I wondered at this man's life.  Filthy, no short nor shoes, two thumbs on his hand.  His eyes probably were like that before, but these are things which regularly addressed within the medical system back in the west, even for the poor.  Regardless, one of his thumbs was badly broken, but he didn't seem to feel he should get medical care.

I have been bothered thinking about this throw-away man.  I come to work in a big factory.  Our employees are not rich, by any stretch of the imagination, but they live well,  I live in a nice complex, and everyone there lives well.  But this man does not.  And when in trouble, he is treated no different than a soi dog who gets hit by a car and left to rot at the side of the road.

He is gone now, but I wish I could track him down and see just how he lives, and how can his life be made better.

skybluestu, on 2012-05-26 19:59:41, said:

You seem to be rather obsessed with this notion that Thais are racist.  But in fact, you're confusing beauty preference for racism, clearly, not the same thing.  Do you prefer a large woman to a skinny one?  It's more like that than anything sinister that you're trying to conjure up.

What's happening in Thailand is similar to what's been happening within the African-American community in the US.  This article (http://edition.cnn.c...l?iref=obinsite) discusses this very issue.  Thais can't be racist against themselves any more than African-Americans can be racist against themselves.

Light-skinned Thai women certainly have an advantage in the beauty department, but they're not getting jobs that they are not qualified to do.  You're way off base on that one.  They're only getting jobs where looks matter, and these aren't exactly choice jobs (as opposed to professional jobs that require a degree).  As for the men, power and status trumps any sort of light-skin nonsense that women may have to deal with.  As have been mentioned before, there are plenty of clearly dark-skin Thai men in positions of power, both in industry and government.  I also know a couple of African-American men who are married to Thai women and they are treated no differently than any farang/Thai couple.  Of course, I'm sure every Thai person you come into contact with will tell you something different, i.e., whatever it is you want to hear.

As for kids getting bullied, I've never heard of that one.  But heck, kids get bullied for all sorts of silly reasons.  What I'm confused about is this:  Do you think there are more dark skinned Thais or light skinned Thais in Thailand?  I'd say there's more dark skinned Thais.  So you really believe that the majority group is somehow getting bullied by the minority group?

The only place where most TV posters are guaranteed to show up, is where there is free booze and food.

Exsexyman, on 2012-05-27 06:07:42, said:

Why are you referring to the so called "American Firsters" in this context.

As I recall the trial for Magrahi was held in Scotland before a group of Scottish judges with appellate jurisdiction held by the courts of Scotland.

Blame the Scots, even if it doesn't fit your agenda.

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No one except apparently the documentary maker. This is a classic conspiracy technique - claiming the existence of super, top secret information that no one on the planet knows about. No one except of course the guy in the tin foil hat.

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Too much competition.

Yes, go to bed and make "happy happy".

abhaya, on 2012-05-24 10:52:23, said:

Another chance to bash America.  We are discussing Thailand on this forum.  If you hate America, I'm sure there are countless forums where you can do your whining.  In the past decade, America has provided $Bs to Africa to combat AIDS with very few other rich countries doing very much.   And I do think you are basically wrong in saying that people die in the streets in the US.  Do you have any proof?   Americans are very generous in the private aid donated to the poor and homeless.

"You can't let a human being die on the street"

Well, apparently you can. The article provides an illustration of palliative care and mental health resources for Thailand's poor and destitute.

How about a generic warning that life is filled with danger and death is inevitable?

What we need to do is get another article published with a link to TV where potential newcomers can get a taste of all the whinging gits that currently live here. Maybe that'd put 'em off.......

Cheers,

Pikey.