thaiclan

We have bought 3 pedigrees over the years from a company called PerfectPedigreeThailand. Below is from their website. They always post new puppies available. We were able to see Mum & Dad with every purchase via video call https://www.perfectpedigreethailand.com/available-puppies.html Prices ranged from 20k - 35k depending on the breed. Our Vision We want you to enjoy the process of finding a new family member while we take care of all the details. We are approachable and always ready to help. We provide an ethical and convenient service to enable dog lovers in Thailand to find world-class purebred puppies.

Interesting that in just a few short decades it has become perfectly 'normal' to send toddlers off to school. The first 5 years are the single most important stage in a child's development. I get that everyone needs babysitting. No-one seems to want their young children around the house all day. The role of Mothers has changed so much that she wants and needs more time away from demanding young children (and boy are they demanding!) Over here in Asia 'pre-school' and 'nursery' means scheduled instruction time. Group reading at 10am, paint play at 2pm etc. If you have the time, energy and money and are purely focused on the brain development of the young child, then a stimulating home environment offering plenty of resources for curious minds is the best avenue you can take. If you can afford it then hiring a babysitter/aupair type (someone who will actually do things with the child and not just watch TV) is a great addition. Children do not actively group-play until they are around 4-7 years old. Prior to that they 'parallel play'. This means they play alongside other children but do not actively seek much engagement in order to develop the understanding of the task at hand. But I do get it, and especially among the Thai Mums, they seem to love the structure, lifestyle, uniforms and 'cuteness' of their little toddlers going off to school everyday. Just don't be in a rush to start the institutionalised learning if you really could adapt home and all the loved ones there to nurture the young mind(s) at home and around your local community. ????

Pattaya has changed a lot in the 20 years I have been here. Today there are 12 international schools here in Pattaya and many English Programme schools on top of that. Families are a large part of the Pattaya community and it shows with all the schools, activities, malls and restaurants that cater to families. Naklua area (especially Wongamat) is a very family friendly holiday location. Just stay away from Soi Buhkhow and the adjacent roads - that's where you will find all the girls and boys showing their wares to passerby clients, and of course Walking Street is a place to steer clear of as well as Pattaya beach after dark. You may find specific info on family friendly places at www.PattayaParent.com

For the parents and families here it can be a great event to watch if you get the location right! We have a few families getting together to watch as a group https://pattayaparent.com/community/events-pattaya/fireworks-festival-25-26th-nov/#post-53

Wherever you go, make sure you get a DVD of the procedure. That way if you need a second opinion you won't need a new procedure. My husband had a coloscopy at PIH and was told he had 'advanced cancer' directly after the procedure. Not only did he NOT have cancer (biopsy was clear) but he had diverticulitis - a very serious infection. Bumrungrad seems to be better priced these days compared to BPH. Just the other day I needed quotes for a spine MRI. Bumrungrad 17k, BPH 54k

I can recommend Bumrungrad Horizon Centre as a fantastic oncology unit. Dr Apichart is one of the oncologists there (radiation) and an absolute rockstar. Also look into the metabolic pathways of the tumour (how the tumour feeds). Usually (but not always) breast cancer is fed by hormones. It is important to start hormone blockers to prevent the tumour growing (or re-growing after surgery). I think the drug is called Tamoxifen and breast cancer survivors take it for a few years. There is an excellent book by a British cancer survivor, it is called How To Starve Cancer by Jane McLelland. Documentaries - Cancer can be killed (available on Vimeo) and Radical Remissions (Hay House) are very informative and inspiring. Wishing your lively Mum friend all the support and blessings at this time. Good Luck!

Not sure when it was implemented. I went in June (Bumrungrad) and then October (BPH). Had PCR both times prior to the operations. Was told by both hospitals that PCR was mandatory before any anesthetic procedure but that the govt covers the charge for that. Maybe the policy wasn't implemented in March? Or maybe your procedure didn't require it? All I know is I was getting quotes for first procedure and PIH gave me a quote plus the 4k PCR test. When I questioned them on it and the govt's policy they confirmed in their email they did not follow that policy (!?)

I'm with you there! No social media and I don't even have email on my phone. The simple life! Anyway, searching on my laptop brought up this info.... https://medisafepharma.com/ 080 057 5113

I was disappointed with PIH earlier this year when they said I needed to pay for a PCR test prior to an operation. It has been all over the press that PCR tests prior to medical ops are paid for by the govt and no hospital should be charging for them. The govt even published a hotline to report hospitals who charge. I double checked with PIH that they were allowed to charge the 4k baht fee for a pre-op PCR test and they confirmed that this was their policy despite the govt initiative! I ended up going to Bumrungrad for the 1st procedure and Bangkok Pattaya for the 2nd. Had to have a PCR test prior both times and I was never charged and told the govt pay for pre-op PCR tests. I don't understand why PIH didn't comply with the govt policy, and then it makes you wonder what other policies they do not comply with.

Big C Extra sell marrow bones. They are about 2 inches depth and 1.5inches wide. Very cheap around 50baht for a pack of around 3-6 depending on size. I cook them in the slow cooker (6-8 hours for stock or 10+ hours for broth). Add a dash of apple cider vinegar or other acidic condiment which will help break down the bone. Villa sell oxtails - about 600baht for a pack of 4-6 depending on size. I like to roast these first for about 40-60mins (from frozen) which adds a great flavour. After roasting add to the slow cooker with the marrow bones. Siamsburi have had oxtails occasionally too. Same price as Villa. For a change from beef broth, Big C Extra sometimes have lamb bone off cuts. Very cheap (around 40baht a pack) and this makes a good lamb stock or broth. I keep a tub in the freezer which I add veg and salad offcuts into. Bits of veg I didn't use because too limp or the end cuttings. Lettuce leaves, onion peelings, tops of carrots, floppy celery etc. Keep these accumulating in the freezer instead of throwing away and then just add a handful into the slow cooker. Gives a great flavour (don't use cruciferous veg though). Just remove them with a strainer when fully cooked.

I used an international driving license (the cardboard book type from UK) for 20 years here. However 3 years ago things changed and there were more police checks (I live in Rayong). The police asked to see my visa and told me I could only use the Int DL for 30 days (?) as a tourist. I wasn't fined but I was stopped again about 5 months later and was given the same 'advice'. I went and got my Thai license after that - 20 years late ???? I discovered too that when I return to the UK and hire a car I have to use my Thai license (preferable anyway because cannot get any points). The insurance clearly states you must use the license where you predominantly reside even if it isn't your official address. Seems funny to be a UK driving license holder and use a Thai license to drive in the UK!

True. The international schools are all at least 40% full Thai, followed by the half-Thais and then foreigners. Back when the baht was extremely low, many wealthy Thai families sent their children to boarding school abroad. When the baht crashed (and never returned to it's glory days) many Thai's returned and the expansion of international schools proliferated. Now Thai students make up the majority of international school attendance here. The international schools here are often more expensive than a private school back in the UK. It has never made any sense to me. The cost of running a school campus in a country with high wages like the UK - even for the auxiliary staff, plus all their employment benefits (maternity, sick, pension, overtime) still allows them to have lower school fees than the international schools here which use cheap local labour for the grounds, kitchen, drivers, teaching assistants, back office staff etc. Many schools here are around the 300k baht per term mark (3 terms per year). That price bracket in the UK would get you into a higher than average private school (average term fee for UK private school is 200k baht per term -of course you can pay much more or far less). Either the schools here are running at a far higher profit-margin, or the Ministry takes a big cut for the 'international' licensing....or maybe I'm missing something else entirely.

In fairness there are several exam boards offering GCSE's (and iGCSE's). I remember taking my GCSE's and I had no idea of which exam board my UK school was using - I just knew I had to do the subject for the GCSE. My daughter recently did her iGCSE's and she only knew which exam board they were because she is a homerschooler and took them at the British Council in Bangkok. She took 11 iGCSE's and that involved 3 different exam boards.

Thanks for the links. I am a patient at Bumrungrad endo dept (for the past 8 years) but haven't found them to be very helpful or modern in their approaches. Like many 'old style' endo's they treat the numbers and not the patient, they also don't use any of the newer research which links nutrition (leaky gut) with hormone production and uptake. Most infuriatingly they do not use optimal levels of hormones when assessing deficiencies. However on the positive side they have been very open to guidance from overseas endo's when I received advice from them and relayed back to Bumrungrad. Seems like the best endo's and the most progressive thyroid doctors are based in the US. There is some fascinating research being done there.

Never treat on a TSH reading alone. Yes your TSH is far too high, but you also need to know what your T4, T3, FT4 and FT3 is (the F stands for 'free'). Even better would be to also have your RT4 and RT3 measured (R stands for reverse). The TSH is just the amount of hormone your pituitary is sending to your thyroid to stimulate thyroid hormone (T4 and T3). The T4 and T3 however cannot be used by your body until converted (FT4 and FT3). So basically a stand alone high TSH says that your thyroid is not producing enough hormone and in turn sends a message back to your pituitary to make more TSH because it needs more T4 - this negative feedback loop will make you feel quite ill with many 'vague' symptoms. Get yourself a good endocrinologist and find out WHY your TSH is so high. You would do well to get an ultrasound of your thyroid too as this may show up any damage to the gland. Many people with low thyroid (hypothyroid) have a condition called Hashimoto's. This is the most common reason for a low thyroid problem. It is easy to test for with an anti - TPO blood test. Good Luck! I have been through this myself and it is not easy to get a great endocrinologist here in Thailand. If you find one then let me know!