Re: "Asking for too much", (PostBag, May 2).
Like Michael Nightingale, I have had a good experience with government hospitals in Thailand. Years ago when I went to one for a rabies shot I asked them, since I didn't even need a doctor for the shot, do I have to wait for an hour. They were nice enough to give me my shot in a matter of minutes.
By contrast I had a horrible experience with a private hospital in Pattaya. I thought they were extremely dangerous and irresponsible in the way they tested me (exposing me to unnecessary radiation) and then they misdiagnosed me. Thank God I had the test results from another hospital from years earlier, which proved the current diagnosis was wrong. Even the doctor at the Pattaya hospital admitted after seeing my old test results that I was "probably" right. That particular hospital promotes itself like a hotel and they regard human health as being nothing more than a business.
Eric Bahrt
Materialism malaise
Mr Michael Nightingale spoke wonderfully about the private versus government hospital system in Thailand. From personal experience, having had experience with both, my conclusion is the same as Mr Nightingale. I've noted that in government hospitals you are asked to pay after treatment. In private hospitals you are asked if you can afford to pay, before receiving treatment. Medicine is after all, just another business these days.
David James Wong
Jetting to ER
Re: "Wealth is not health", (PostBag, May 3).
David (can I call you Dave?) you certainly have a damn good imagination. Very funny, indeed. I love it!
But if I'm about to croak from an accident or a stroke, I would order the helicopter pilot, not the ambulance driver to fly me to the nearest luxury hospital. And if that ain't enough. I'll send my $70 million Gulfstream G650 to fly in a team of the best surgeons anywhere in the world to treat me.
Dave, when it comes to luxury, I am willing to go all the way.
Somsak Pola
No herd immunity
In your March 19 article "Minding the measles", the efficacy of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine is never called into question. In fact those who oppose vaccination, so-called anti-vaxxers, are cited as a health threat.
Recently, Reuters reported that 10% of those infected by measles have been vaccinated, suggesting the premise of herd immunity is a questionable one. It is also worthwhile recalling that in 2010 Merck was caught falsifying their MMR vaccine efficacy data.
Vaccines can cause sudden death and numerous serious side effects. It is a well-established fact that modern medicine is a leading cause of death; one study in the US cites 895,936 lives and $282 billion lost in 2008 alone due to the practice of allopathic medicine.
Health institutes, big pharma, medical insurance and hospitals are an unholy alliance dedicated to money and are trying their best to legislate public trust and silence their critics.
Healthcare is a complex and corrupt ecosystem in dire need of reform. If in doubt just look at the opioid crisis in the US. When doctors are right up there with cancer and heart disease in terms of the probability that they will kill you, the right of sovereignty over your body becomes of paramount importance.
"One factor responsible for such soaring measles cases is the growing anti-vaccine movement that threatens to undo decades of work to put the disease at bay," says your article. Unfortunately the truth is far more complex than a small group of individuals seeking to retain responsibility for their own health.
The health institutes need to become forthright and transparent about the facts, and become free of the influence of big pharma before they can expect the public trust to be restored.
Michael Setter
Blasting to disaster
Songkran has gone and the season for rocket festival is coming. About 30 years ago, farmers used small rockets and primitive toys.
But in the past several years, the festivals have become very popular as they drew tourists, and the events were expanded with the use of larger and powerful rockets.
Traditionally, we have allowed those unlicenced farmers to manufacture and launch those rockets as seasonal exception of laws. Fortunately, we have not experienced any big disaster. However, I'm afraid such accidents are now at our doorsteps.
I urge authorities to limit how much propellant rockets can use to prevent safety hazards.
RH Suga
WrongVisions
I am retired, living in Naklua for over 20 years. My condo building is older, 10 floors with 20 units. I would love to enjoy watching flowing videos and Netflix. I cannot. Both new buildings adjacent to me have fibre optic. My provider (3BB) claims "it does not install fibre optic in older buildings". I have checked with other providers, who seem to claim the same.
For us retired souls living in older buildings, this is a sad travesty. TrueVisions has dropped Turner Classic Movies and HBO, along with others, including my favourite classic car channel; this leaves little TV for me to watch. It severely limits my daytime viewing pleasure and probably others living in older buildings in other parts of Thailand.
Fibre optic requires only running an additional cable. I am sure there are others being excluded from this now quite common service.
Gary Hacker
Roll on, Riviera
I fully support the promenade as a resident of Bangkok. All structures in the river should be removed. This prome-nade would give people public access to their river. Its pretty standard in cities around the world.
The river along with canals should also be dredged on an ongoing basis. While we are at it, clear out half of walking street in Pattaya and many of the restaurants in Hua Hin. They shouldn't have been built there to begin with.
Dao Glahan
Conjugating coronate
Will some news media kindly note that "coronation" is a noun, but "to coronate" is a verb. "To coronate" is so archaic that it is the first time I've heard it used in about 50 years. The proper term is, "to crown".
A king is crowned at his coronation, not coronated.
Jack Gilead
Batsman returns
There was a recent release from the ICC (International Cricket Council), for many an obscure sport, that Steve Smith, the Australian captain, is now the top batsman in the world rankings, as has occurred before.
The difference now, however, is that he is a banned player as a result of cheating during a match. He is banned from representing his country for a full year and yet he is the best in the world?
He and two other players were banned for an attempt to damage the ball so that it would swing differently through the air. This sport like many has been subject to accusations of cheating, unfair conduct on field including racial taunts and a number of other misdemeanours although if people are caught there can be significant penalties.
It has been a long time from the baseball cheating and the supposed plea of "Say it ain't so, Joe" and everybody wants a clean sporting event when victories are rightly won and champions are cheered.
In a world of fake news and unrest why is it so difficult to have a sporting environment when the best team wins and the champion players have earned their praise and titles fairly earned?
Dennis Fitzgerald
Planet Horrorwood
Re: "A world in horror", (BP, April 28).
The perspectives offered in "A world in horror" are spot on. As regards Australia, the writer hit the nail on the head. Each week, ideas are expressed accurately and with humour. I await your thoughts on immigration rules and expat retirement! From one Aussie to another.
Margaret Jamieson
Blind eye to smog
On Jan 30 you reported that due to the AQI of 170, a total of 437 schools were closed in Bangkok. Here in Chiang Mai it was much higher, sometimes double that figure, and almost three months later, an AQI of 150-200 has become the norm. Schools that were closed here quickly reopened, football games that were cancelled are now being played, and everything has returned to normal as if it's no longer a problem.
The prime minister's order on April 2 to fix the problem within seven days made no difference, other than the introduction of a few laughable "fixes", like huge water-fans at Thapae gate and fire trucks spraying water. It seems that like too many other countries, if it isn't in the capital city, no one really cares. This health crisis, that got worldwide news coverage, has lasted three months but has now mostly disappeared from the headlines -- it's become yesterday's news.
There were reports of hotel bookings during Songkran being down 40%, and although it is now low season in Chiang Mai, it appears to be unusually quiet this year. Since Chiang Mai's image as the Rose of The North has now been badly damaged, I'm sure that its impact on tourism will be much longer than most people expect, and therein lies a glimmer of hope.
People's health appears to be of little concern, but if it starts affecting the income of the rich and powerful, maybe the government will be forced to act. It may even make the front pages of the national press again.
Sick in Chiang Mai
90-day scam
Am I the only one to notice that when you have to send in your 90-day report (because their website will not accept online reporting), you do not get another 90 days from your original arrival date?
Let's say you arrive on the 30th. Immigration wants you to report 15 days in advance of the 90-day report date via EMS. They get your request on the 16th and if they act on it that day, it is 90 days from the 16th. You have just been cheated out of 14 days and that will happen every time you report again, Sooner or later (probably sooner), you report five times a year instead of four.
Do the math. Immigration does not follow the rules and makes up its own depending on their mood.
It is time to do away with this, or as someone else pointed out last week, all foreigners will be told to wear a GPS ankle bracelet.
J James
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