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Your Health & Happiness:
Aid devices for elderly
and disabled locals and tourists
Extensive use of technology to develop
devices for senior citizens and disabled people will play a vital role in
improving their quality of life, the director of the National Electronics
and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), Taweesak Koanantakool recently
announced.
Senior citizens will make up more than 10 percent of the
Thai population by the end of this year, while the disabled will be about 10
percent, he said. One in four of the elderly will suffer from some form of
disability. “Another six percent of them will be dependent on other
people,” said Taweesak, during a seminar at the Public Health Ministry.
“The government is currently working on three projects
- a reading aid for blind people, a hearing aid using solar energy and a
robotic machine for remote eye surgery,” Dr Pannate Pangwuthiphong,
director of Metta Pracharak Hospital, in the central province of Nakhon
Pathom.
Dr Daranee Suwaphan, director of the Sirindhorn National
Medical Rehabilitation Center, urged inventors and researchers to produce
medical equipment that would help lower the cost of treatment for the
elderly and the disabled in Thailand, and reduce the import of expensive
equipment. She said the production of artificial knee joints, wheelchairs
and walkers could potentially be made in Thailand. (TNA)
The Doctor's Consultation: Foetal Alcohol Syndrome for boozy babies
by Dr. Iain Corness
Foetal (Fetal if you come from the left hand side of the
Atlantic) Alcohol Syndrome is a rather serious condition, but one that is very
hard to circumvent.
To show you the relative importance of this condition,
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is the western world’s most common and preventable
cause of mental retardation. The reason lies in the very easy crossing of the
placental barrier by certain drugs and compounds, and alcohol is one of those.
When the pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it is absorbed into the blood stream,
and if she drinks enough, she will get drunk. However, whatever the blood
alcohol level in the woman, the baby gets the same, as the transfer is so easy
across the placental barrier. So if Mum-to-be is uproariously drunk, so is
baby-to-be!
While this sounds slightly amusing, if the exposure to high
(intoxicating) levels occurs during the first three months of the pregnancy,
while the baby is developing its various internal systems, this can cause a
breakdown in the completion of these systems. The end result can be central
nervous system problems, low birth weight and mental retardation. Some
children also suffer facial abnormalities, such as a small head, flat face,
stubby nose and tiny eyes set wide apart.
Now before all pregnant ladies who might read this run to
ring their obstetricians in a panic, let me also assure you that one drink
does not mean disaster! In fact, for some women, many drinks don’t mean
disaster. The research has been done (in fact is still continuing) and it
confirms that the effects vary widely - some babies escape harm, even though
their mothers are heavy drinkers, while others are severely damaged by small
amounts of alcohol.
What compounds the problem is that many women who enjoy a
social light drink and the occasional heavy one, may be pregnant and not know
about it at the time.
The world incidence of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is not
all that high at 1.9 per 1,000 live births, since there are many other
congenital problems that rate higher. For example, congenital heart disease
occurred in 10.1 per 1,000 births in the UK in 2002 according to the
University of Ulster who reported the research in 2003. The figures for
Down’s Syndrome are around the same level as FAS, but remember that the FAS
statistics are numbers that are preventable, whilst Down’s Syndrome is not
under our control.
Because taking alcohol while pregnant is an
‘unnecessary’ risk, medical authorities over the world are calling for
some sort of ‘blanket’ guidelines, with the USA. The Australian Medical
Association (AMA) President Bill Glasson, at the end of last year, called on
the Australian federal government’s health and research council to revise
its guidelines on alcohol consumption by pregnant women, which currently does
not advise women to give up alcohol during pregnancy, since the United States
has recommended no alcohol at all during pregnancy since 1999.
The AMA says there is enough evidence to support avoiding
alcohol altogether during pregnancy; however, a spokeswoman for the federal
health department said, “The National Health and Medical Research Council
(in Australia) guidelines were developed by experts in the field but are
always under review as a result of current knowledge …” going on to say,
“Pregnant women should consult their general practitioner about safe
consumption of alcohol during pregnancy.”
I feel that there is probably a ‘safe’ level, which we
cannot ascertain, and probably depends on many factors. If you get
‘tiddly’ very quickly, then I agree that no alcohol during pregnancy
sounds reasonable.
Agony Column
Dear Hillary,
Her bar was closing and she offered to take me home on her motor bike. I
accepted and sat behind her. She gave it a fistful of throttle, the rear
wheel spun wildly as thick plumes of blue smoke and the smell of burning
rubber filled my nostrils. The rear wheel gained traction, the bike went
into a wheel stand and we roared off into the night. I wrapped my arms
around her for stability and grabbed onto whatever I could, but the sharp
point of her elbow pounding into my ribs told me that I had grabbed the
wrong place. She was racing through the gears and the bike was
accelerating rapidly. I held onto the seat as she swerved left and then
right, just missing a telegraph pole. Ahead I could see a bunch of
pedestrians in front of a food cart and she was heading straight for them.
They scattered screaming and it was a miracle that she missed hitting any
of them or the cart itself. She kept accelerating and almost collided with
a telephone booth. It was then that I realized we were still on the
footpath. She turned onto the road and had that bike going full speed. We
overtook everything in our path. She shouted to me how pretty the lights
were as she sped through every red traffic signal on the way to my room.
She had to peel me off the seat and carry me inside, I think I was in
shock. That night I was good for nothing. She slept soundly but I sat in
my chair shaking uncontrollably until sunrise. Are all female bike riders
this wild or was she just anxious to get me home?
Mighty Mouse
Dear little Mouse,
You have such a poor self-image that you worry me. What’s this “I was
good for nothing” nonsense? You have to learn to stand up for what you
want in life, none of this lying down on the job and being a passenger
through life, my shrinking Petal. Goodness me, Mighty Mouse, being carried
across your own threshold by a little girl who rides a 100 cc step-thru is
a little too wimpy, really! However, if you do decide to give up this
needless pursuit of ladies of the night, I would suggest that you try your
hand at writing, instead of wringing. You do have a nice turn of phrase,
even if not a nice turn of the throttle.
Dear Hillary,
With my friend Leticia, I came here on holiday from the UK and I am
appalled at what I see. Letty and I are spinsters, to use the misused
term, but still in our prime, and available, and we cannot understand why
men of our age are so drawn into relationships with young and pretty Thai
girls. Do these young girls know how to play hockey? Have they ever ridden
to Hounds? Could they produce edible cucumber sandwiches or petit fours?
They flaunt their bodies in abbreviated garments, not a panty hose in
sight on the lower limbs displayed, that men seem to find attractive! We
are the product of the finest education at St. Witchley Girls School,
Lower Beeding, England, highly skilled in all the attributes to make any
man a fine wife; cooking, needle point, punting and all the social graces.
I was even Captain of the School Skipping Team in my last year, but
despite this, we are losing ground to these young, nubile, scantily clad
local girls and when approaching some of our male compatriots with a view
to starting a meaningful relationship are told to get lost with such
inelegant and unwarranted language being used as reference to ‘cows and
silly old gits’ and sometimes some rather rude sounding foreign words.
Hillary dear, do you think we should try and absorb some of the local
culture such as body part patting, ear kissing and sub-table fondling to
enable us to find our true mates? Should we really discard our tights and
modest wear for something more revealing, expose our ankles and shoulders
as a lure for love? We are ready for anything you suggest. Adore your
column and it’s clear that YOU have a genteel background unlike so many
others here.
Winifred Gruntfuttock
Dear Winfred,
Edible cucumber sandwiches! How could any man in his right mind turn you
down? And been to the Hounds and skilled in needle point too! What
veritable paragons of virtue you both are, slipping away from under the
gaze of all these rough people here in Thailand. Mind you, I have to say,
genteel ladies that we all are, you might have to bend to some of the
customs of today, no matter how crass you and I realize them to be. I
agree that a subtle flash of the shoulder here and there, a glimpse of the
gams as you uncross your legs, will give the effect that you are trying to
achieve, of being glamorous - available but so terribly “refeened”,
you know what I mean. Personally I have given up the ignoble art of body
part patting, as I have found a quick grab of the goolies gets the
male’s attention a lot quicker, at which juncture you can stuff a
sandwich in his mouth. I hope you have more success following my advice,
Petals.
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Camera Class: Black and White, and it’s not a minstrel show!
by Harry Flashman
 A
few weeks ago I was asked by a reader in Chiang Mai whether there was any
‘classical’ Black and White film available. You remember the type that is
used with its own special chemicals for ‘dip and dunk’. After that you
expose yourself (figuratively speaking) with the full creative control that only
this kind of developing and printing process can give you.
Unfortunately, it is now more than a dying art, and the
availability of film (and labs that can process it, if you don’t do it
yourself) are becoming less. To be honest, I do not know of any outside Bangkok
that can help the amateur photographer these days.
However, all is not lost (yet). There may not be the
satisfaction of slopping chemicals into trays out of brown bottles under the
subdued red lights, but it is still possible to play with contrasts (as if it
were different contrast papers) using modern technology.
All the popular computer programs have a facility so that you
can turn off the 256 colours and get into the ‘grey scales’ that will allow
you to manipulate the images, as if you were dealing in black and white film
printing. I know it’s not as much fun as ‘dodging’ and ‘burning’, but
that is about where it begins and ends in today’s world in Thailand. In fact,
if you know of some dip and dunk labs I would appreciate the information.
How fast is your film?
The “speed rating” of film is generally given by an ASA
number. The higher the number, the faster and more sensitive the film. The most
“usual” film speed is about 100 ASA; however, it makes a lot of sense to go
for some different film speeds.
The trick is to adapt your film use to the kind of picture
you want to take. Confused? Don’t be. The rationale behind film speed is
simple. The faster the film (the higher the ASA number) the better it is in
lower light levels. To put it simply, if you want to take shots in the evening
without using a flash then select a film with ASA number up around 1600 or even
higher. That film is five times more sensitive to light than your usual 100 ASA
film. Or put another way, it will satisfactorily expose film at one fifth of the
amount of light that the “normal” film needs.
All this super sensitivity comes at a price, though. And
unfortunately that is “sharpness” and clarity. The faster the film, the more
“fuzzy” it gets. Sometimes you may want to get that “soft” romantic look
in a portrait. Again this is where you use the fast film and enlarge for the
portrait. That “grainy” look is now at your command! Good for “glamour”
portraits too. Around 800 ASA is good for this style, and keep the image small
so that you have to enlarge to get the final print. This increases the chances
of seeing ‘grain’.
At the other end of the scale, the lower (and slower) ASA
numbers need a lot more light for proper exposure, but the film emulsion gives
pin sharp clearly defined images. Pro shooter will often use 50 ASA film to get
that crisp picture that will withstand big enlargements.
If you have a camera with DX de-coding, then the camera will
automatically adjust for the different films used. However, if your camera has
manual adjustment for film speed, remember to set the new ASA rating or you will
have wasted a complete roll. And also remember to re-set the film speed when you
go back to your usual film again.
In answer to your question, what film do I use for everyday?
For me it’s 200 ASA for a good all-rounder, and I use a mixture of Konica
(nice and cheap too) and Kodak, if I can’t get the former brand. No matter
what film you use, though, keep it cool in its canister. Nothing ruins film
quicker than heat.
Dr Byte's Computer Conundrums
by Dr Byte, Citec Asia
I was watching BBC Click-online not so long ago and one
comment in particular caught my attention. Many countries, including Thailand,
censure internet connections to “inappropriate” web site content. This
comment was in segment relating to how China managed its internet and access the
immoral and unethical wider world.
Quite what was meant by inappropriate I am not sure, because
what is inappropriate to some is not inappropriate to others. However, let’s
focus on Thailand where the Thai Government has openly admitted that they
require Thai Internet Service Providers to prevent access to a blacklist of web
sites that they consider inappropriate for Thai internet users. Usually but not
always, you will see a message that tells you the web site you are trying to
access is not available. Hardcore and softcore gay pornography, pedophile
content and what is viewed as abnormal sexual activity are just some of the web
sites now blacklisted. The question in my mind is what else are they preventing
access to and how would you/I/we know?
This very rigid and authoritarian management of our right to
access internet content good and bad (remember that the internet was all about
access to information anywhere in the world, about anything you could
conceivably want to know about) prompted me to start doing some digging to see
just what I could connect to. I drew the line at nuclear bomb manufacture and
other such web sites as well as web sites devoted to child abuse, drug use, and
so on. What is fascinating is just how much remains available if you know where
to look and how to look.
Now for some readers questions.
Philip from Lampang asks: I think I am losing emails.
When I download e-mail using Outlook Express, the number downloaded is displayed
but I can’t find some of them. Can this be attributable to messages received
from my growing number of blocked senders?
Answer: There can be a number of reasons the total
doesn’t add up. In case you have not already done so, go to the View menu,
then Current View and make sure “Show all messages” is selected. Blocked
senders or other message rules can also divert some emails straight to the
deleted items folder, while they’re still counted as downloads. An
inconsistent email count can also be a tell-tale sign of a damaged mailbox file.
Have a look at http://www.insideout
lookexpress.com/ for more information on dealing with these and other common
problems.
Khun Pratchern from Mae Rim asks: Every day I receive
a message which says “Microsoft critical update information” and it reads:
“New critical updates are available for your computer. Microsoft strongly
recommends that you install these updates now.” Is it a legitimate message?
Answer: This message is legitimate and you should
consider downloading the critical security patches if you have a licensed
operating system. Many viruses or trojans spread because these patches are not
applied. You can check and update by visiting windowsup date. microsoft.com -
Now for a word of warning: Do NOT click on a link or file if you are notified by
mail from Microsoft, because it is almost certainly a virus. Microsoft NEVER
sends this advice with an attached file.
Khun David, Chiang Mai comments: I recently connected
to ji-Net home use broadband but I am concerned about the possibility of
infection. I am running Sygate’s personal firewall but presumably there are
still vulnerabilities. Can you minimise the risk of infection by reducing
connection time which means several connections per day, or is it better to log
on once and stay connected? Is infection more likely when one logs on?
Answer: Publicity about viruses and trojans is
certainly causing readers more anxiety in this area. Most firewalls are very
good at keeping human hackers from accessing your computer. To give you peace of
mind, go to the Gibson Research Corporation (http://www.grc.com/) and use
“Shields-Up” to check your firewall by attempting to break in yourself. This
is a reputable site and, even if your computer is wide open to the world, you
will just get a list of all your vulnerabilities.
Don’t forget to keep your preferred anti-virus and
spysweepers up to date. Do a full hard disc scan and sweep at least once a week.
Don’t open e-mails with funny attachments if you’re not expecting them and
last but not least, make sure your firewall is on. Dr Byte appears in Chiangmai
Mail every 2 weeks and if you have any questions or suggestions you would
like to make, you can contact me at Dr Byte, Chiangmai Mail.
Money Matters: Will Mu create friction?
Alan Hall
MBMG International Ltd.
An excellent research paper published by BCA Research is
the basis for this week’s view. Much deliberation has been going on in our
office about our commodity exposure, particularly with reference to Chinese
growth, high prices and rising interest rates/slower US demand in the year
ahead. Much has been written recently about US$ weakness and commodity price
rises (including contributions by ourselves). We continue to remain
commodity bulls as long as commodities remain dirt cheap, from a perspective
of supply and demand. We have moved from a secular bear to secular bull and
price action has turned upwards since 2000. China and the East are obviously
key to this next bull cycle.
The G7 felt it prudent recently to invite China to their
Davos meeting, so what does the next economic powerhouse have to say? Mr Mu
is senior policy mandarin in the Chinese government and his interview with
BCA covered Chinese economic outlook, credit policy, foreign exchange policy
and China’s demand for energy and resources.
Mu feels the Chinese economy is in a low inflation
expansion phase, which could persist for some time, although the economy has
recently slowed a bit. The inflation threat is being removed as recent oil
prices have helped contain corporate cost pressures and the recent decline
in the USD is providing fresh stimulus. Mu is also pleasantly surprised at
how the economy has responded to the government’s growth-curbing policies.
To the “hard landing” forecasters, Mu reckons they have always been
bearish towards Chinese policymakers and will be disappointed. While
rhetoric like that perversely makes me even more bearish, it seemed to
convince many less perverse observers and Mu does have many compelling
arguments.
China has a mandate to manage a steady but fast growing
economy, as job creation remains paramount.
Mu points out that China had 15 million new entries into
the labour market last year. Yip, 15 million school leavers!
When quizzed on credit policy, Mu explained the surge in
credit growth and the central bank panic actions. Mu feels that the action
was “just in time” and that the falling RMB (due to a weak USD) is
proving too stimulatory. Interest rates may need to rise again as fiscal
policy is already tightening. Mu was adamant that the authorities were not
considering changing the exchange rate at the moment, although he stated
that the decision was not “if” but when was in their best interests, and
those favouring a one off adjustment were winning the debate on “how”
for now.
The conversation finally turned to China’s demand for
energy and resources. Mu stated that the high economic growth had severely
strained their natural resources. They are running out of oil, water supply
is a major problem, forests have literally been destroyed and the mining
sector is running on full throttle. China as manufacturing floor to the
world will need an ever-increasing supply of natural resources and this
problem needs to be addressed quickly.
Mu acknowledged risks to the story, although probably not
to the extent that we see them. However, in the short term, China saves 45%
of GDP and the authorities do need to promote consumption while reigning in
investment; problems that Alan Greenspan would love to face!
Mu was perhaps more concerned with the impact of US
policy on the global economy -”The US dollar is no longer (seen) as a
stable currency and is devaluing all the time and that is causing
trouble.”
He went on to say that “the real issue is how to go
about changing current US Dollar peg to a more manageable reference, say
euros, yen, dollars, that kind of diversified system.”
In our opinion, postulating about whether the Chinese
will or will not revalue their currency is pointless. Firstly, the Chinese
will only change their Renminbi peg when it suits them and secondly it is
not likely to make a huge amount of difference to the US’s trade deficit.
In a fascinating article in the FT, David Hale (a Chicago based economist)
wrote about why a weaker dollar is not the cure for the deficit. To cut a
very long story short, he pointed out that manufacturing is now such a small
part of the US economy, that to export their way out of the deficit would
require manufacturing capacity to operate at over 100%. This would in turn
bring about higher inflation and ultimately a recession in the US and
ultimately a normal recession. The bottom line is that the USA is not
capable of relying on the export side of the equation to clear the deficit;
they need to reduce their purchasing of imports. If the property market does
struggle this year, we might indeed see a reduction in the deficit, but that
will come with slower growth in the US.
In more evidence that a Renminbi revaluation would not be
the cure all for the States, Stephen King (not the famous author, but chief
economist of HSBC) points out that China only accounts for 10% of
America’s total trade, hence a 10% revaluation of the Renminbi would only
reduce the dollar’s trade weighted value by 1%. This is small compared
with the dollar’s (trade weighted index) decline of 16% since early 2002
and not nearly high enough to make any real impact on the trade deficit.
Stephen King also points out that the Chinese might revalue their
currency, not because of pressure from the rest of the world, but because
they wish to switch to a more reliable store of value and unit of account.
It is ironic to think that the biggest problem for China’s current
exchange rate policy is not the Renminbi itself, but the performance of the
dollar.
The above data and research was compiled from sources
believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG International Ltd nor its
officers can accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the above
article nor bear any responsibility for any losses achieved as a result of
any actions taken or not taken as a consequence of reading the above
article. For more information please contact Alan Hall on
alan@mbmg-international.com
Life in the Laugh Lane: Think Thai or Die: Chapter Three
by Scott Jones
14 percent of Bangkok policemen (665 of them!) recently
failed an official test on Thai traffic laws and are not allowed to write
tickets until they pass. Personally I don’t know how anyone keeps track of
the ever-changing laws in Thailand. Bars must close at 2 a.m. From now on, bars
must close at 12 a.m. Okay, you can stay open until 1 a.m. if you’re on the
corner. Okay, fine, until 4 a.m. if your doors are closed, you have
scantily-clad women cavorting about and your uncle’s an Official Whoever. As
of yesterday, you can’t buy beer in the afternoon at the Convenience Store on
the corner. Okay, you can buy beer in the afternoon at an Inconvenience Store
down some tiny soi. Until October Whatever, there’s no charge for a tourist
visa in Mae Sai. As of Whenever, to cross the border for 3.94 days, you must
show us 21,354 baht, perform a traditional Thai dance naked and leave your
first-born child or a bottle of Spey Royal, depending on how we feel at the
moment.
 I’ve
never seen an exact speed limit sign in Thailand except on 30 km curves in the
mountains. How do you enforce this sign/law?: REDUCE SPEED. (“Officer, I was
going 126 but slowed to 124 through town until I saw a RESUME SPEED sign but
there wasn’t one so I slowed to 122. Do I have to continue reducing speed
until the car has stopped or until I’m dead?”) In America, they’re very
strict and have fancy machines that know how fast you’re going, whether
you’re carrying drugs in your spare tire and how much beer you bought at the
last convenience store. (“I’m sorry, Officer, but my speedometer doesn’t
have a 7.”)
Speed limits here are more personal than universal. You have
a hunched, wizened, one-legged bicyclist traveling a bit below worm pace and a
young buck in his new Nissan Deathfinder with his foot glued to the floor,
speed determined only by which gear he’s in. The bigger it is, the faster it
can go and the bigger right of way it has, no matter how wrong it is.
 The
Wisdom of the West says: If you’re on a motorcycle, ride like you’re
invisible. Cars don’t see you. In the East, they see you. Bikes are
everywhere. And they assume you’re on the far side of the road, traveling
about 50. If you’re on a big bike, in the middle of “your” lane going
126, or on a Honda Dream at 90 dreaming you’re going 126, THINK THAI OR DIE.
A very, very big bus is going to pass, come into “your” lane, straight into
your face, assuming it has enough time to get back in its lane or that you’re
going to be meekly riding on the edge of the ditch. If you think American,
angry it’s “invading your space” and start yelling, your own words will
be the last thing you hear before the final “THUMP” and you personally get
to meet your personal deity.
You can’t fight ‘em. Join ‘em. Get into their brain before their front
bumper gets into yours. Or I’ll bring a beer and toast you in the morgue, if
I can figure out when the store sells it.
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