1. There’s a mouse in my house! We have a semi-open kitchen and the mouse must scamper over plates etc., is this dangerous to our health?
Grace:
Rodents can be a real nuisance, and could create some health risks to your family, as well as causing physical damage to your property. Mice and rats can spread disease around food and kitchen equipment, such as the very dangerous salmonella bacteria. Their droppings can cause allergic reactions, and even serious diseases including deadly hantavirus. In order to be mice-free, don’t make your house an attractive place for them by leaving food out. Keep it clean! Anything edible or that they can take to make nests should also be kept away. Try to block any holes that allow them into the kitchen. Trap the ones you’ve got immediately and get rid of them. If you must keep them alive, don’t just shoo them outside, take them far far away to a park or field.
2. Why are second hand cars so much more expensive in Thailand, compared to the US, UK etc?
Grace:
Used cars are ridiculously more expensive here when compared to other countries, even an old clunker can cost you over double western prices. Most new cars are imported to Thailand from Japan or Germany, the US or somewhere else, then they are stamped with a sizable import tax. This is why the second hand market prices are still so high in Thailand, cars tend to retain their value for many years. And this is perhaps why there are so many new cars on the road, because a second hand car isn’t actually that much cheaper. The price of cars means that motorbikes are still such a popular inexpensive mode of transport in Asia, hence the car being a more luxurious asset in Thailand. As a final thought, let’s not get too down about what is expensive here when compared to home. Let’s instead remember all the things which are much cheaper, and better, such as food, rent, massages, etc.
3. I want to do a degree, but don’t want to leave Thailand. Are there any degrees I can study here in English language?
Kwan (Intern):
There are many English language programmes in Thailand’s universities for both undergraduate, MA, and other courses. Top universities such as Mahidol, Kasetsart, Chulalongkorn, Assumption, Thammasat, and Rangsit, as well as Chiang Mai University and Payap, offer degree courses in health sciences, engineering and technology, business and management and social science and humanities. For more information about studying in Thailand, you can use this link: www.studyinthailand.org.
4. There is an abundance of colourful fruit at the moment, but it doesn’t seem to last all year. What are the seasons for different fruits?
Kwan (Intern):
It’s always better to eat fruits and vegetables in season, they taste better, will be easier to find and cheaper. Here’s a rough guide of Thailand’s fruit seasons:
• January and February: Watermelon, rose apple, jujube
• March to April: Marian plum, mango, jack fruit, watermelon, jujube
• April to May: Lychee, durian, jack fruit, mango
• May to June: Lychee, rambutan, durian, zalacca, mangosteen, papaya
• June, July, and August: Sugar apple, pomelo, langsat, sugar cane, longan
• August to September: Langsat, pomelo
• October: Jack fruit, langsat, water chestnut
• November: Sugar cane, papaya, sapodilla, watermelon
• December: Sapodilla, sugar cane, papaya, watermelon, rose apple, jujube
Fruit available all year round are tangerines, bananas, guavas, pineapples, and grapes.