Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [664]
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WOMEN’S HEALTH
Pregnant women should receive specialised advice before travelling. The ideal time to travel is in the second trimester (16 and 28 weeks), when the risk of pregnancy-related problems are at their lowest and pregnant women generally feel at their best. During the first trimester there is a risk of miscarriage and in the third trimester complications such as premature labour and high blood pressure are possible. It’s wise to travel with a companion. Always carry a list of quality medical facilities available at your destination and ensure you continue your standard antenatal care at these facilities. Avoid rural travel in areas with poor transportation and medical facilities. Most of all, ensure travel insurance covers all pregnancy-related possibilities, including premature labour.
Malaria is a high-risk disease in pregnancy. Advice from the WHO recommends that pregnant women do not travel to those areas with Chloroquine-resistant malaria. None of the more effective antimalarial drugs is completely safe in pregnancy.
Traveller’s diarrhoea can quickly lead to dehydration and result in inadequate blood flow to the placenta. Many of the drugs used to treat various diarrhoea bugs are not recommended in pregnancy. Azithromycin is considered safe.
In Thailand’s urban areas, supplies of sanitary products are readily available. Your personal birth-control option may not be available so bring adequate supplies of your own. Heat, humidity and antibiotics can all contribute to thrush. Treatment of thrush is with antifungal creams and pessaries such as Clotrimazole. A practical alternative is one tablet of fluconazole (Diflucan). Urinary-tract infections can be precipitated by dehydration or long bus journeys without toilet stops; bring suitable antibiotics.
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Language
CONTENTS
Dialects
Vocabulary Differences
Script
Tones
Pronunciation
Transliteration
Accommodation
Conversation & Essentials
Directions
Health
Language Difficulties
Numbers
Paperwork
Shopping & Services
Time & Dates
Transport
Travel with Children
Learning some Thai is indispensable for travel in the kingdom; naturally, the more you pick up, the closer you get to Thailand’s culture and people. Your first attempts to speak Thai will probably meet with mixed success, but keep trying. Listen closely to the way the Thais themselves use the various tones – you’ll catch on quickly. Don’t let laughter at your linguistic forays discourage you; this apparent amusement is really an expression of appreciation. Travellers are particularly urged to make the effort to meet Thai college and university students. Thai students are, by and large, eager to meet visitors from other countries. They will often know some English, so communication isn’t as difficult as it may be with shop owners, civil servants etc, and they’re generally willing to teach you useful Thai words and phrases.
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DIALECTS
Thailand’s official language is effectively the dialect spoken and written in central Thailand, which has successfully become the lingua franca of all Thai and non-Thai ethnic groups in the kingdom.
All Thai dialects are members of the Thai half of the Thai-Kadai family of languages. As such, they’re closely related to languages spoken in Laos (Lao, Northern Thai, Thai Lü), northern Myanmar (Shan, Northern Thai), northwestern Vietnam (Nung, Tho), Assam (Ahom) and pockets of south China (Zhuang, Thai Lü).
Modern Thai linguists recognise four basic dialects within Thailand: Central Thai (spoken as a first dialect through central Thailand and throughout the country as a second dialect); Northern Thai (spoken from Tak Province north to the Myanmar border); Northeastern Thai (northeastern provinces towards