Despite our best efforts, life in the big city can get pretty complicated, trying to juggle work, social life, personal problems—not to mention the never-ending stream of stressful traffic. We can talk to friends and family, but their involvement might be a little too close to home…sometimes a professional opinion really helps to put things into perspective. Calling our concrete therapists from New Counseling Service (NCS) to the rescue for some solid advice! 
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Do you have a question for one of our counsellors? We will never print your real name, you can ask anything anonymously. Just send your problem to: info@ncsbkk.com or message @ncsbangkok on IG, FB, or Line.

Despite our best efforts, life in the big city can get pretty complicated, trying to juggle work, social life, personal problems—not to mention the never-ending stream of stressful traffic. We can talk to friends and family, but their involvement might be a little too close to home…sometimes a professional opinion really helps to put things into perspective. Calling our concrete therapists from New Counseling Service (NCS) to the rescue for some solid advice! 
​
Do you have a question for one of our counsellors? We will never print your real name, you can ask anything anonymously. Just send your problem to: info@ncsbkk.com or message @ncsbangkok on IG, FB, or Line.

Dear Smiling/Crying,

■ Clearly things are not OK for you, even though it might seem so from the outside. You describe a feeling of emptiness and sadness, despite being surrounded by people at work each day. This must leave you feeling very isolated, disconnected and unable to be yourself, and it is not working for you. You say you don’t have any big problems or dramas, so that suggests your emptiness might be due to your key emotional and social needs not being met right now. Maybe you’re not sure about how to change that, but there are some things you can do, so don’t lose hope.

Maintaining this reputation of being the “helpful, together” person means that everyone else believes it, which also means they don’t know that you need support right now. Therefore you are the only person who can do something to change your situation, which involves having to reach out to others and be honest with them about how you’re feeling. This might seem a bit risky and daunting at first, especially as it will break that illusion people have of you. However, it’s going to be necessary for any change to occur, because you don’t deserve to feel sad and lonely all the time.

What kinds of things do you think you could change or add to your life to help relieve some of these sad and lonely feelings? More time and support from friends or family? Social activities with new people? More meaning in your work or personal life? Make a list starting with “I need” and then write down anything that comes to mind. Identify your own true needs (not what others have said about you) and be proactive in the steps you could take to get what you need most. If you need to improve your current relationships then don’t be afraid to explain this to your friends and family and ask if you can spend more time with them. Start with the people you think are most likely to respond in a positive way and if you’re comfortable, tell them why you’re asking for this. Since they care about you they won’t be upset by being asked, although be aware that some people may be limited in what they can offer you time-wise. If you want to develop new friendships then try asking your more sociable friends if they could invite you along when they meet with their other friends. Alternatively, there are many social or sports groups in Bangkok where you can get involved in new activities and meet people. Join a local Facebook group for activities or hobbies you enjoy and put out a specific request to meet new people. 

Ultimately, increasing your social and personal connections with others will help you overcome your sense of loneliness and hopefully your sadness as well. But if there are other things that you know need to change in your life—such as work, relationships, or health—these issues might take longer to address. Once you start taking steps resolve them at a deeper level, this should increase the sense of control you have over your life and give you hope that things can be better for you. Whatever you decide, be sure to find support in this process, whether that’s a trusted friend or family member, or a counsellor to guide you and cheer you on.

​Dave
Counsellor

To read DENGUE: THAILAND'S OTHER FATAL DISEASE (PART I) : https://bit.ly/2PugJeX​

In recognition of the fact that dengue is prevalent in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, the 10th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting in 2010 declared June 15 as ASEAN Dengue Day. Since then, this day has served as a key regional advocacy point to strengthen relevant information exchange and raise awareness about prevention and control measures.

Dengue is a global and regional threat causing a major additional public health burden for all communities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This neglected tropical disease has a wide clinical spectrum which includes both severe and non-severe clinical manifestations. Dengue continuously spreads as a mosquito-borne viral disease throughout the Asia Pacific Region, and is no respecter of national borders. Nearly 75% of all dengue cases worldwide occur in Asia and the Pacific. National leaders recognize that preventive measures need to be taken at the regional level in order to protect people within their borders. ASEAN is a driving force in preparedness against dengue and all regional health threats.

Mosquito-borne menace raises its head again in Southeast Asia hefty fines and even jail for property owners failing to get rid of mosquito larvae.
​By MAXMILIAN WECHSLER

On June 14 last year Dr Sukhum Kanchanapimai, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), announced strong measures aimed at stopping the spread of dengue fever in Thailand: Owners of properties who fail to get rid of mosquito larvae are subject to jail terms of up to three years and/or a fine of up to 25,000 baht.

Thailand is not alone in taking aggressive action to fight a public health menace that takes a lethal toll in this part of the world during monsoon season. The Singaporean National Environmental Agency announced on June 22 for households who repeatedly fail to eradicate mosquito breeding areas will face harsher punishments. Three-time offenders are subject to a fine of up to S$5,000 (about 112,000 baht), or imprisonment for a term of three months, or both, for the first court conviction.

Even heavier penalties are levied on construction sites where mosquitoes are allowed to breed. The fine for first offence has been raised from $2,000 to $3,000; the fine for second offence has also been raised from $4,000, to $5,000. Three-time offenders must appear in court instead S$5,000 fine, where they face a fine not exceeding $20,000, or imprisonment up to three months, or both, for the first conviction. The new penalties went into effect on July 15.

Despite our best efforts, life in the big city can get pretty complicated, trying to juggle work, social life, personal problems—not to mention the never-ending stream of stressful traffic. We can talk to friends and family, but their involvement might be a little too close to home…sometimes a professional opinion really helps to put things into perspective. Calling our concrete therapists from New Counseling Service (NCS) to the rescue for some solid advice! 
​
Do you have a question for one of our counsellors? We will never print your real name, you can ask anything anonymously! Just send your problem to: info@ncsbkk.com or message @ncsbangkok on IG, FB, or Line.

Despite our best efforts, life in the big city can get pretty complicated, trying to juggle work, social life, personal problems - not to mention the never-ending stream of stressful traffic. We can talk to friends and family, but their involvement might be a little too close to home…sometimes a professional opinion really helps to put things into perspective. Calling our concrete therapists to the rescue for some solid advice! 
​
Do you have a question for one of our counsellors? We will never print your real name, you can ask anything anonymously! Just send your problem to: info@ncsbkk.com or message @ncsbangkok on IG, FB, or Line.

Just a few short months ago, hardly anybody had heard of coronavirus, let alone COVID-19. That’s no longer the case, of course.

Today, this nasty virus is recognized around the world as a mass killer. Here in Thailand, thankfully, we’ve been spared the worst effects of the disease with a relatively small number of deaths (50+) compared to the US (61,656) and Spain (24,000) – and counting.

For now at least, COVID-19 is less deadly than Thailand’s long list of other killer diseases - cancer, malaria, dengue, hepatitis, measles, tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, leptospirosis, seasonal flu and HIV.

But there’s another disease that few people know about – and yet it’s responsible for up to 2,800 deaths a year. Called melioidosis, it’s the country’s third most-deadly infectious disease after AIDS and tuberculosis. The number of fatalities could be even higher, according to some reports, because of a lack of information about the disease.​