The Thai Pirate - Thai Blog and Travel Stories

Chula Hospital Visit - Keep the Swine inside the Mask please!

Had to make a little visit to Chula Hospital in Bangkok. We were advised to 'get masked up', and so we did. Trouble was, I had the worst case of flu ever (which wasn't the reason for having to go to hospital). After having arrived back in Thailand from the UK, I have spent the next week with hardly any sleep cos of bad jet lag. After a few days (when I felt fine) I went swimming in a bit of a minging pool, and a bug pounced.

I must have looked pretty terrifying for anyone a bit jumpy about catching anything nasty. My eyes were bloodshot, I had a hacking cough and nose like Niagra falls. I really shouldn't have gone I know, but I had very little choice; I hoped my mask would keep most of my own nasties inside. I even took the stairs (nothing to do with the huge lift queues, honest). I was so ill by the time I got the sixth floor I was ready to check in.

(Just another weird Thai t-shirt) I reckon about 1/5 of people in Chula Hospital had masks on. I can't really see that making a big difference on infection rates, if swine flu is as virulent as the press would have us believe. The hospital staff impressed me though; as we sat in a large waiting room, nurses dished out antiseptic hand gel to everybody without exception. One of them even stood at the front and gave a demonstration on how to use it. All we strangers sat there, rubbing hands and fingers together in unison.

When we finally got in to see doctor (to see him about something completely unrelated to my flu), he took one look at me and surprised me when he asked in perfect English if I had a fever.

I said that I was a bit rough, yes.

He asked me if I had recently travelled.

Er, yes, I said, a few weeks ago (I'm not sure why I lied, but I felt pretty uncomfortable at this point).

He carried on taking a good hard look at me, and said 'If you have a fever, then I will need to make sure you go and get screened for H1N1 virus, swine flu'.

I told him that I appreciated what he was saying, but really, I was fine.....

He looked quite pissed off, and carried on with what he was doing.... making me feel worse for being there, as ill as I was...

I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little worried voice in my head at this point... Maybe I should get checked out? It's one of those occasions where you think, shit, maybe this is why there is all this press attention. Christ. Maybe I have got fecking swine flu.... !

We got finished up, and I legged it.

(Lovely view of a park from the Chula Hospital. Any Thai experts out there know what it's called?).

Anyway, a day later, tonnes of fresh orange juice, paracetamol, tomato soup and a full nights kip, and I'm fighting fit. I think I scared myself healthy. 

Moral of the story. If you gotta go to the Thai hospital, get a mask on, especially if you've got swine flu.

Celebrating a Grandfather's Birthday

I never met Sutiya's grandfather, he died some years ago. He was a popular man around town so I am told, and every year on his birthday, Mare invites a monk round to the house to partake in a little ceremony to remember him. As shown in the picture above, everyone involved joins one another by touch, and some blessed water is poured into a gold coloured bowl.

The monk places a ball of string in a silver dish, and uses some of the string to link the ashes of Sutiya's grandfather. Some small gifts are then given to the monk, which are placed just in front of him, passed over the silver dish. Everyone sits behind the gift giver, but is linked to her by touch.

The monk then holds his hands over a porcelain dish, whilst everyone takes turns pouring a little water over the monks hands.

The monk then sits and quietly chants in prayer for a short while, sending messages and merit to grandfather.

Working in Thailand - The Suphanburi Bake House

Some friends of Sutiya's who live close by began a local baking and cake making business some years ago. Apparently it's had its ups and downs, but is now going strong. The business is located under their main house, and stretches all the way to the road. It is busy, and hard work, but I think they do pretty well out of it; they own a nice house along a local river, with lovely views.

They built the business up themselves from nothing; but they now have a few regular customers that provide a regular income, so during non-busy periods they can afford some time to kick back and take a breather.

They produce a wide range of products, my personal favourite being their sponge cakes, which are just too delicious.

The whole family work very hard to see the continued success of the business. It's a stark reminder to me that there are really only two people in life, those that 'talk', and those that 'do'. Some 'talkers' may look on with envy at a business like the Suphanburi Bake House, without taking time to think about the risk, guts and determination it has taken to build it into what it is.....

And they forget, that for those that 'do', life still isn't easy. There is always a lot of clearing up ......!

p2yaiq6dth

The Thai Pirate's 'Films on the Plane' Film Review

OK these are not exactly up to date, but I rarely get a chance to watch films other than when I'm travelling (I realise that sounds lame, but it's true).

Quantum of Solace - James Bond
In my opinion, this is infinitely better than DC's first attempt, although there are still big moans from me. In his favour, Craig looks like a hard case, maybe too hard? But hilarious when he shouts ... Most Brits can tell he is a luvvy, dressed up like a hard case, when he goes all high pitched.

My other gripe is........... where is the humour? Come on! Bond charms the ladies into bed .... Craig just sort of struts and grunts a bit, then shags them. No real ceremony, and not exactly smooth like Connery.... or witty like Roger. And then these ladies go and get plugged in various nasty ways! OK, we all wanted a few changes to the normal format, but this is all a bit too 'gritty' no? For a Bond anyway?

But he is saveable..... I reckon if the writers lighten him up a bit, and turn on the old humour, maybe he'll morph into a half decent double 'O' (I didn't notice any pouting in this film, thank Jesus for that).

Yes Man
Jim Carrey. Go and see it. Notice Danny Wallace in the bar at the end (the British writer of the book). Well funny.

12 Rounds
Funny cos it's so bad. 11 year olds will enjoy. You won't.

Boiler Room
Not a new release, but an all time classic film created in 2000. Seriously, I'd forgotten how good this film is, and it's still eye opening, especially so in the light of the global financial crisis. Surely Boiler Room was as stark a warning as anyone needed? Brilliant!



Anyway, it's good to be back in Thailand. Dogs are all alive! It's still hot! Nearly as hot as England! ;)

'Lucky Charm' Making Factory in Bangkok

On a trip out to Bangkok we were invited back to a friend of a friend’s house for some lunch. Next to her house, our friend of a friend helps to run a coin ‘printing’ factory, producing coins stamped with a Buddhist image thought to bring good luck.

The coins, once created, are quite versatile, sometimes turned into necklaces, or just used as lucky charms. The coins are distributed around participating Thai temples, who bless them, and then are given to the monks who hand them to temple-goers as tokens of appreciation and good luck.

The machines used in the process are huge, and pretty fearsome. On the larger machines, the Thai operators sit at their base, feeding in circular copper templates, upon which the machines 'clunk' down on top of, to forever imprint the lucky image on the copper face.

Although the operators have total control of the machines (they use their left feet to push a peddle, which brings the shaft of the machine downwards) I dread to think what can happen to fingers and thumbs should one of the operators suffer a momentary lapse of concentration.

The fastest of the operators were feeding the bronze templates into the machines at a serious pace; the serial 'clunking' forming a near steady rhythm. Despite my general nosiness, none of the workers paid me the slightest bit of attention; leading me to conclude the little factory receives many visitors, or that these guys are just very good at safe guarding their fingers....