A warning concerning the consumption of Puffer fish in Thailand.

The deadly meat of Puffer fishes (Tetraodontidae) which contents Tetrodoxin can only be sold in Japan in restaurants having a special license and a cook specially trained to prepare this meat (Fugu) for consumption and has been sold in Thailand by unscrupulous vendors as Salmon.

A doctor reported that over the last years already more than 15 people died. The Puffer fish has been banned in 2002 but seems to be sold in large quantities at local markets and restaurants. There are vendors who even color the fish to look like Salmon.

The skin and certain internal organs of many Tetraodontidae are highly toxic to humans, but nevertheless the meat of some species is considered a delicacy in both Japan(as Fugu) and Korea (as boh-guh).

Tetrodoxin is a powerful neurotoxin that can cause death in nearly 60% of the humans that ingest it. A human only has to ingest a few milligrams of the toxin for a fatal reaction to occur. Tetrodotoxin is an exceptionally lethal poison. Tetrodotoxin is approximately 1200 times deadlier than cyanide. It is estimated that a single Puffer has enough poison to kill 30 adult humans.

Antoni P. Uni – Bangkok, 23-8-2007

China shuts 180 plants for using toxins in food 27.6.07 | 10:26 By TheMarker

The world has become worried about Chinese quality control and evidently, Beijing has its concerns too. China has closed 180 food factories after inspectors found industrial chemicals in products from candy to seafood, the China Daily reported today.

Nor did food manufacturers cavil at recycling old food, the paper says.

One toxin detected in the food products - intended for the Chinese market - was formaldehyde, famously used to preserve tissue, not nourish it, the China Daily reports.

Government inspectors also found prohibited dyes and industrial wax in candy, pickles, snacks and seafood, the paper said. Nor were a few miscreants at work, the administration admitted in a sharp reversal from its previous position that there were a few crooks, but the general industry was law-abiding.

Toxins have now been found in Chinese exports from toothpaste to dried fruit. Wheat and rice gluten used by the pet food industry was found to be spiked with the coal-production byproduct melamine, causing an unknown number of pet deaths in North America.

Melamine was used to falsely boost the readings of protein in the pet foods. It did achieve that aim, but also caused fatal kidney failure in an unknown number of cats and some dogs as well.

Later melamine, apparently originating in feed in which Chinese raw materials had been used, was found in pigs and chickens that had reached the human food chain. American officials hastened to postulate that the concentrations of the toxin on the carnivorous consumer's plate were apparently too low to cause them any harm.

Other products turned away by U.S. inspectors include toxic monkfish, frozen eel and juice made with unsafe color additives, AP adds.

Beijing said that most of the 180 plants it targeted were tiny outfits with few employees. But then China Daily put things into proportion when it reported that three-quarters of China's roughly 1 million food are small.

Striving to repair its tattered image, China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce claimed to have closed 152,000 unlicensed food manufacturers and retailers last year for making fake and low-quality products, AP reports.

Food isn't the only problem suffering from quality control in China, it would seem. Certain Chinese tires for trucks imported to the U.S. were found to lack gum strips that keep the rubber intact.

TheMarker 27-6-2007
Collected by Antoni P. Uni – Thailand, 23-8-2007

Bangkok power supply and maintenance

The years I have living in BKK now learned me that although the amount of distribution facilities and impressive high-voltage power lines all over the country the final delivery is very poor or is it just regional?

OK, I do not speak about the distribution in the outskirts where I live (Nimitrmai Rd.), that should not be fair or??

After the approach of a bit dark sky am looking worried, thinking oh, oh again? Or when I am not at home and I phone to my restaurant in the evening they reply already with an “it is raining cats and dogs so not necessary to go home: a big chance no light”.
A couple of raindrops and/or a strong wind and that’s it. Well, we may not moan, the “repair” never takes more than a couple of hours.

The ruining effect at motors of airco and the fridge (because of the power-cuts of some seconds or the frequent waves in between 120 and 240 Volts) we accept patiently and the only computer hardware which suffers is the UPS.

As I said, the repair team is moving and they suffer with me, working in the dark and heavy rain. Unfortunately the Company seems not to be willing to PREVENT the problems (means investment) but rather like to have the costs afterwards. Proof for that is when I look at a pole for the high-tension line feeding the small distribution-transformers. This pole I have seen for more than two years now under an angle of about 20-30 degrees with a heavy load of cables pulling on three sides. Prevention? No. Repair? Yes, when the whole lot is coming down causing a main power cut for a long time and the risk of injured or even dead people on the road. They do not seem to have responsible inspectors reporting expected problems.

No, the most annoying is the same problem in a busy District where one does not expect such nonchalance. Yesterday around 16.00 h. power-cut again (Koobon Rd.) so fridges, freezers, airco and light off. Nicely phoning after some time learned us that “we were the first to inform them” although the whole row of shops and other businesses were without electricity. Well, let us believe that the Thai are afraid to phone when there is a power-cut but I think it was more an excuse to be late because “we have a lot of problems to solve now”. They left us until around 21.00 h. in the dark with the result that the restaurant was empty for the Friday-evening. And after September we cannot afford a lot of losses because since that time local businesses (we have more) went down drastically.

Oh, it just happened again without having rain and wind, well I may not complain: it was only a half minute and the UPS buffered! Mai pen rai!

Ailing textile workers win 12-yr fight for compensation

An extract of an article in Bangkok Post – Thailand, 2-7-2007 about a shaming battle of ill ex-worker of a textile factory for their rights.

PENCHAN CHAROENSUTHAPIN

After a 12-year battle, 37 former employees of a textile factory who developed a work-related lung disease have been awarded compensation ranging from 60,000 to 110,000 baht ($1,800-3,300) by the Central Labour Court……………

………………The management has indicated it will appeal and has until July 27 to do so.

Thirty-seven former workers of Bangkok Textile Factory were diagnosed with byssinosis, or cotton-dust lung disease.

They filed a 50-million-baht lawsuit in 1995 after the factory management turned down their request for medical costs of 2,000-3,000 baht a month. Without jobs they had to turn to loan sharks to borrow money to pay bills and feed their families……………

………………..On September 30, 2003, the Central Labour Court ordered Bangkok Textile to pay 120,000 baht to each complainant. The management appealed and the Supreme Court, which on May 14 last year referred the case back to the lower court. The court was asked to check the statute of limitations and any safety measures taken by the factory to protect workers’ health. The court found that workers were exposed to health hazards and that protective masks were substandard………………….

Collected by Antoni P. Uni, Bangkok 23-8-2007

“How to make money”

A shame at TOT

A wonderful report in Friday’s Bangkok Post highlighted much that hampers Thailand’s progress into the real world.

The acting president of the TOT was fired because he “defied” the information and communications technology minister at a seminar. The TOT chairman, naturally a general, said: “Thai society has different social aspects from Western society and knowledgeable people should avoid showing disrespect to their seniors and commanders.” Presumably, he wants them to continue in blithe ignorance.

The general said that he had invited the unfortunate man onto TOT board as he wanted him to demonstrate his ability. Great! So he was demonstrated his knowledge and was promptly fired.

Setting aside questions as to whether he should have aired his differing opinions on private, it’s clear that this expectation or kreng jai perniciously permeates Thai socity, business and education. Do not voice a dissenting view, however well-founded, if the person with whom you disagree I senior, older or simply politically better connected.

RICHARD ZATLOUKHAL

PostBag Bangkok Post – Thailand, 27-6-2007

Collected by Antoni P. Uni, Bangkok

Tiny dog saves 1-year-old from rattlesnake

Masonville, Colorado – Zoey is a Chihuahua, but when a rattlesnake lunged at her owners’ one-year-old grandson, she was a real bulldog.

Booker West was splashing his hands in a birdbath in his grandparents’ northern Colorado backyard when the snake slithered up to the toddler, rattled and struck. Zoey, weighing 2.3 kg. jumped in the way and took the bites.

“She got in between Booker and the snake, and that’s when I heard her yipe,” said Monty Long, the boy’s grandfather said on Thursday.

The dog required treatment and for a time it appeared she might not survive the snake bites she suffered earlier this month. Now she prances about.

“These little bitty dogs, they just don’t really get credit,” Booker’s grandma told the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald. AP

Source: Bangkok Post – Thailand, 24-7-2007
Collected by Antoni P. Uni, Thailand 22-8-2007

The difference between a call-center and a call-girl.......

A call-girl serves professional without hesitation, is not anonym and is mostly satisfying

A call-center serves without face, anxious to trespass given rules and mostly very disappointing

Antoni P. Uni, Thailand 2007

The Thai culture

“The absence of a confrontationist doctrine in Buddhism and a strong understanding of what is polite (village) behaviour are what make Thais such a gentle and tolerant people.”

Reaction of a Farang reader in The Bangkok Post, July 2005

SUPERLATIVE:

Read once in the Bangkok Post (Thailand) about fashion:

"Up-to-the-minute”, thus beating the meaning “up-to-date”.

Waiting now for another who can do even better in this enlighten century wit atomic clocks!

Antoni P. Uni, Thailand 2005