Weighty problem

Amnuayporn Thongprapai, weighing almost 275kg, greets members of the public after she is lifted from her third-floor apartment in Kannayao district by an elevator. APICHART JINAKUL Getting 40-year-old Amnuayporn Thongprapai from her third floor room to hospital was not just a matter of calling an ambulance

It took a special hydraulic elevator, a large pallet on wheels and the dismantling of her room’s balcony.You see, Ms Amnuayporn weighs almost 275kg and she can’t walk. In fact, before yesterday, she hadn’t left her room in three years.

She was badly in need of help. According to Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra, who was present during the transfer, she has high blood pressure in addition to her weight problems, two cysts on one leg and bedsores.Doctors believe her condition was caused by an abnormal function of the thyroid gland.Deputy Bangkok Governor Malinee Sukhavetchavorakij said a team of doctors headed by the BMA General Hospital director would care for Ms Amnuayporn.

Her hospital stay is expected to last for one year and will be paid for by City Hall.

Ms Amnuayporn used to earn a living doing laundry and selling food at her apartment, where she lives in Bangkok’s Kannayao district with a relative's children, Sathaporn Charoensap,15, and his younger brother Sakulsak, 14.

The boys study in Mathayom Suksa1 (Grade 7) at a local school.She suffered pains three years ago which forced her to stop selling food and offering the laundry service.

Her weight increased sharply to almost 275kg, making her virtually immobile. With little income, she has ended up four months behind in her rent.

The governor said he had asked Kannayao district office to provide welfare to the woman and the boys. The district had issued a welfare card to Ms Amnuayporn and would provide a scholarship for the two boys in her care.

Adapted from a story in today’s Bangkok Post.Study the photo carefully because it will help you with some of the vocabulary.

ambulance – a vehicle for taking people to hospital รถพยาบาล hydraulic – using the pressure of water or oil to make something work ซึ่งใช้น้ำในการขับเคลื่อน

elevator – a lift; a machine that carries people or things up or down between different levels of a tall building ลิฟต์

pallet – a flat wooden or metal surface used for moving or storing heavy goods แท่นวางสินค้าสำหรับลากเก็บหรือลำเลียง

dismantle – to take something apart รื้อ

balcony – a place where you can stand just outside an upper window. It sticks out from the wall of a building ระเบียง

transfer – moving someone or something from one place, vehicle, person or group to another การย้าย

blood pressure – the pressure at which blood flows from your heart around your body ความดันโลหิต,ความดันของเลือดที่มีต่อผนังภายในเส้นเลือด

cyst – a lump containing liquid that grows under your skin or inside your body ถุง,ถุงน้ำ bedsore – a red painful area on your skin that you get from lying in one position in bed for a long time แผลกดทับ

abnormal – not usual or typical ผิดปกติ ไม่ธรรมดา

function – something that happens in your body, or something that a part of your body does การทำงาน

thyroid gland – an organ in your neck that produces substances that your body needs in order to control your behaviour and the way that your body grows ต่อมไทรอยด์

City Hall – the city government; the council members and officials who manage a city สถานที่ราชการส่วนท้องถิ่น, กรุงเทพมหานคร

laundry – washing clothes, sheets, etc. for customers กิจกรรมซักรีดเสื้อผ้า

sharply – suddenly and by a large amount อย่างเร็ว virtually - almost เกือบจะ

immobile – unable to move or walk ที่ไม่สามารถเคลื่อนที่ได้

rent – paying money for the use of something for a period of time ค่าเช่า

welfare – help given, especially by the state or an organization, to people who need it; good care and living conditions สวัสดิภาพ

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 08:44 AM

comment: I think it's not good.

Democrats dominate city vote
New Politics shut out in councillor elections

The New Politics Party failed to win a single seat in yesterday's polls.
The Democrats followed their success in last month's by-election in Bangkok by winning more seats than the Puea Thai Party and the NPP, the political arm of the People's Alliance for Democracy, in city and district council elections.
The Election Commission for Bangkok estimated the voter turnout at 42%.
City clerk and director of the Bangkok EC office Charoenrat Chutikarn said bad weather, not an ineffective EC campaign, was to blame for the low turnout.
A survey held on election day showed that 98% of people were aware of the poll and 80% of them said they would vote, he said.
"The BMA will look at the reasons why voters paid little attention to local elections," he said.
The Democrats last month won a by-election in Constituency 6, in Bangkok's outer eastern suburbs, which saw Panich Vikitsreth win a seat in parliament.
Most Democrat incumbents held on to their seats on city and district councils yesterday.
Democrat MP for Bangkok Natthapol Theepsuwan, who is in charge of the party's campaigning in the city, said the poll results were in line with party projections.
But Ong-art Klampaibul, an adviser to the Democrats on the Bangkok elections, cautioned people against assuming the results would portend a decisive victory for the party in a national election.
"This election does not reflect what would happen in the next general election," said Mr Ong-art, who also serves as the PM's office minister.
"Voters in the council elections made their decisions based on individual candidates, while in general elections, voters tend to cast ballots for particular parties."
The Democrats were still weak in the capital's outlying districts such as Phasicharoen and Bang Na, Mr Natthapol said.
The most disappointed party was the NPP, which failed to secure a single seat in its first set of elections.
Deputy leader Samran Rodpetch blamed the party's defeat on low voter turnout.
"Had 60 or 70 percent of citizens gone to vote, I believe we would have had a chance to win," he said.
Mr Samran said the low voter turnout reflected the public's disenchantment with politics.
But he said his party would not be deterred by its poor showing yesterday. It would regroup to address problem areas before the next general election and the next Bangkok governor poll.
NPP secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila hoped the "silent majority" would make their presence felt once general elections were called.
He said the party must learn from yesterday's results.
"We started [campaigning] a bit late. Voters were still not familiar with our candidates," he said.
Puea Thai MP for Bangkok Vicharn Meenchainant, who oversaw the opposition party's campaigning in the city, said the party was disappointed not to win at least 15 seats, as it had projected. Puea Thai had more work to do if it wanted to win over Bangkok voters in the next general election, Mr Vicharn said.
The city councillor elections took place in all 50 districts in Bangkok, while the district councillor polls took place in 36.
Only the votes in Din Daeng district had yet to be counted as of last night because of a Puea Thai protest over suspected voting irregularities..

commeant:

ye!!!! I'm so happy.Cause Democrats is win

555555555

Santisuk is gone

The police monkey, once part of a security team in Pattani's Sai Buri district, has died in a dog attack. PARES LOHASANT

Sai Buri is a district of Pattini, one of Thailand’s troubled southernmost provinces. It has been the scene of frequent clashes between insurgents and security forces.

It was not a place where you would think police would bring smiles to the resident’s faces, but there was one such “officer” who did.The officer’s name was Santisuk Promdao who worked at a police checkpoint in Sai Buri. Everyone could see that Santisuk was different. In fact, Santisuk was a monkey, a macaque adopted and trained by Pol L/C Yutthapol Promdao.

Dressed in a blazer with the words ‘‘Monkey Police’’, Santisuk brought smiles to motorists who passed by.Santisuk became famous enough for a French broadcasting to ask for an “interview”.That is what brought Santisuk and Pol L/C Yutthapol to Songkhla last Friday night.

The police officer first chained Santisuk at the car park of a tutorial school he was attending.Before long, he realised something was wrong.‘‘I heard dogs barking but I didn’t pay attention at first,’’ he said.‘‘They kept barking and that’s when I felt something was wrong. I rushed down and saw Santisuk collapse. I took him to hospital but it was too late.’’

Santisuk had succumbed to injuries sustained in an attack by three dogs.On Sunday, Pol L/C Yutthapol and eight other police officers bade a last farewell to the popular macaque.Santisuk was dressed in a police uniform and wrapped in a white cloth before being laid to rest at a police operation base in Sai Buri. Pol L/C Yutthapol thanked people who sent him condolences after learning of Santisuk’s fate.Adapted from a story in yesterday's Bangkok Post by Pares Lohasant.

Posted by Terry Fredrickson at 06:10 AM

comment:
I feel very sad about he leave never comming back.

to The brave heroes.I wish you happiness to Life after death.

Transliterate:

clash – a fight between groups of people การปะทะกันสองฝ่าย

insurgent – someone who belongs to a group of people fighting to take control of their country by force กลุ่มก่อการกบถ

resident – a person who lives in a particular area ผู้พักอาศัย, ผู้อยู่อาศัยในบริเวณ ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่

adopt – to take someone else’s child into your family and legally make him or her your own child รับเลี้ยงเป็นลูก

blazer – a type of light jacket that is often worn as part of a uniform, for example by schoolchildren or members of a sports club broadcast – to send out a programme on television or radio กระจายเสียง,กระจายข่าว

collapse – to suddenly fall down and become very ill or unconscious หมดสติ ล้มลง

succumb – to die injury – physical damage done to a person or a part of their body sustain – to experience, injury, damage, loss, etc. ประสบกับ (ความสูญเสีย การเจ็บป่วย)

bade farewell – said goodbye condolences – sympathy and sadness for the family or close friends of a person who has recently died, or an expression of this, especially in written form การแสดงความเสียใจต่อผู้อื่น