Clearly there are greater hazards for visitors to Thailand than explosives. Bangkok Post reports:
Heart and circulatory failure, and diseases common in old age generally, are the most frequent causes of death among German tourists, according to the German embassy in Bangkok. … “A lot of people are less inhibited while on holiday than they are at home,” noted Olivier Meyer, a Swiss physician who practices in Pattaya. Older men with fragile health are particularly at risk. “Someone with heart problems who thoughtlessly plunges into Thailand’s pleasures is endangering his life,” Meyer said. His colleagues agree – the heat on the beach, several shots of hard liquor, a Viagra and then vigorous sex with a bar girl is “a life-threatening cocktail.”
You’ve been warned!
10 responses so far ↓
1 anonymous // Feb 28, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Thaksin is to blame. He didn’t crack down hard enough on the underground market for counterfeit Viagra. And just like he sold Thai assets to foreigners, he allowed old fat rich foreigners to have their way with Thai women.
2 Maylee Thavat // Feb 28, 2007 at 5:14 pm
actually a while back I read an article about “The Lemmings of Pattaya”. Apparently farang men suicide rates can be as high as 9 per week in the beach city. Many escape western life and marriages and live it up in Pattaya with Thai girlfriends who spend up large. When the money runs out the girlfriend leaves and the horny old farang realises that he has no money, no connections back home and inevitably plunges to his death from atop a condominium or is found hanging in a crusty old hotel room.
3 Srithanonchai // Feb 28, 2007 at 6:46 pm
“he allowed old fat rich foreigners to have their way with Thai women” > No. He allowed tricky Thai bar girls to have their way with old fat low- to middle-income foreigners.
4 anonymous // Feb 28, 2007 at 9:59 pm
“He allowed tricky Thai bar girls to have their way with old fat low- to middle-income foreigners.” > Whatever. Just as long as Thaksin is to blame
5 Pig Latin // Feb 28, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Thaksin sold me ecstacy! I’m not even old!
6 Jon Fernquest // Mar 1, 2007 at 2:54 am
Actually, despite the shadenfreudenistic pleasures of laughing at some elderly people and their follies exhibited above….
Retirement is a HUGE growth industry that Thailand will inevitably cash in on, even more than it currently is. Offshore medical services fits into it this too.
In Chiang Rai, Japanese retirees are much more visible than white people.
So the comment by the German embassy makes sense because of the large proportion of retirees. There are also a fair share of dot.com millionaires and Europeans with early retirement. And it makes perfect sense that they come and live in Thailand often contributing to education and culture. Chiang Rai is a city full of artists, who are avidly supported by the Europeans in town. There is a good market for paintings, wood carvings, etc of up and coming artists. Quiet peaceful places like Chiang Rai where people can have peace of mind are really where progress can be made. Bangkok is such an unbelievably chaotic mess, free for all…
7 21Jan // Mar 1, 2007 at 10:32 am
First thanks Andrew for the warning (but don’t we all dream of stepping down at the climax)
While this may be the first newspaper-article about this theme in this year in Thailand I think I have read dozens of similar articles. Usually these articles fail to mention that heart-failure is also in Farangia the most common cause of death among 40-60 year old (maybe overweight) male singles (correct me if I’m wrong, I just made a rough guess).
8 polo // Mar 1, 2007 at 11:49 am
Yeah, we all know the story: “the heat on the beach, several shots of hard liquor, a Viagra and then vigorous sex with a bar girl” and the next day you are over a balcony railing and all your money’s gone missing.
Some intrepid reporter could do a good story on how many tourists die in Thailand each year, though I doubt TAT would like to see it published.
9 Johpa // Mar 3, 2007 at 11:28 am
“the heat on the beach, several shots of hard liquor, a Viagra and then vigorous sex with a bar girl”
You’ve been warned!
Heck, I will take that warning as an unintended compliment! Alas, Hades will freeze over sooner than the above shall happen.
10 The Webmaster // Sep 1, 2007 at 2:33 am
I have never read so much rubbish on one page in my life, most visitors to Pattaya and the likes have never even been to Thailand. Let alone know something about its culture and traditions.
Farang who go to Pattaya then tell everyone at home what Thailand is like give the Kingdom a bad name. Pattaya and the likes were “man made” to get louts and idiots to part with their money, it works, stop complaining and go home !!
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