After looking at the reading for this week, Changing ethics in medical practice: a Thai perspective, please comment on what you understand to be the overall meaning of it. What is the changing ethics that the title refers to?I'm also interested to know if the Thai perspective described in this short essay reflects what you think. If you are non-Thai, you may also describe your own perspective on this issue in your experience as it relates to this text.
Mathas Clements 5480979
ReplyDeleteI am Thai. Yes , I know a lot about this strange believe in Thailand , especially from books. It is weird but it does work for the people in the past! This is kind of like a "placebo". If (they think that) the ghost(for example) is gone , they will be better! By miracle! Wowwwww
I have to confess that after I heard about what a "placebo" is ,
it makes me wonder that maybe some of the medicines are fake. Maybe the sickness doesn't cure by the chemical inside but it is our mind that does the job! (T^T)
So , I don't think that this a totally wrong believe. I think that everything comes from our mind , I am not old-headed though. And I am good in science too! There is a lot of things that science can't explain!
Remember..... Beware your medicines. Just kidding. LOL
Thank you for reading. I think I might missed the concept but this is what I think after I read this article. XD
I like this comment. Not only in Thailand, but I think for my own culture as well... some people think they are sick all the time, therefore they are sick all the time. Our healtsually is in our head.
DeleteNaipaporn Sirijariyaporn (5480866)
ReplyDeleteAfter I read this article, it makes me feel that religion plays an important role in influencing the original Thai medical model. Its result in healing people's mind and emotion. However, the western medical model seems to cure mostly about our physical bodies. therefore, I think it is better to combine both medications to cure people physically and mentally
About the subject, I think it's about Thais changed their mind to believe in the western medication.
Western medicine has created a lot, but there is a trend back to Eastern and Thai remedies these days... people want to improve their health, not with drugs, but with peace of mind... there is a lot to learn from everywhere.
DeleteGURPREET KAUR ID....5481073,,SECTION- 4
ReplyDeleteAs I am not Thai, so I don’t really much know about Thai beliefs in medicine. Basically this essay is about how western medicines influencing in modern life and changed the Buddhist approach about medicines. It also says that because of colonization those western medicines came in Thailand.
Thailand is popular for massage center and many people get cure of joint by just doing massage because they know the techniques and have special oil. Some people in Thailand mainly doesn’t rely on medicine but some want to get cure fast and that’s why they take medicine because cure by massage or home cure take time.
Thai Buddhist believes that person is get suffering because of ghost, jinn, ancestor, or it must be a bad karma which effects on health. Somehow people still believe in these aspects and they give just rely on the doctors. I consider that science has gone so high that they got cure for every disease. I don’t know much about Thai beliefs but in India as it is also an Asian country, before they don’t have western medicines and they rely on god or plants from which they make medicines. In India people have same issues about bad karma and all. In India I can tell that they will go the doctor but sometime the medicine doesn’t work then even the doctor says that now only god can help and then people start offering to the gods. Doctor can only have control in our body system but not in emotions and in our spirit. In many cases I saw that miracles happen and even doctor cannot understand. In conclusion I want to say that it’s both that are linked together and that’s why god exists
This is an interesting comment. For me, I don't really have spiritual or religious beliefs, so it is so difficult for me to accept these mystical approaches to medicine. On the other hand, I also don't think people should rely so much on medicine. I think our bodies are amazing, and can do a lot to fix themselves.
DeleteSection 4 – 5480834 - Narongdej Sarnsuwan
ReplyDeleteThe essay is about the change in medical practice and the change in how people believe what’s the cause of health illness. Before, Thais use Asia-based medical model until 19th century when Christian missionaries from the western introduced western medical model and then it became more famous. Also traditionally, Thais people used to believe that health and illness are causes by spiritual elements (ghosts, demons, jinn or ancestors) or causes by the karma from previous life.
In my opinion, I do agree more on the western biomedical model that separate mind and body. I think the spiritual elements (ghost and stuff) are just illusions created by our minds.
I feel like this too. Our minds can create many illusions day to day, including whether or not we are sick. If I think I'm sick, I'll probably feel sick. Right?
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ReplyDeleteFrom the essay, the medical practice in Thailand are done differently from the western. The medical practice in thailand are base on religion such as Buddhist annd Taoist. From the belief of thai peoples disease and injury doesn't happen only by accident or virus, but can happen by the cause of spirit or demon. In contrast, the western medical practice are base on fact of how the disease or injury happen.
In my opinion, I prefer the way of the western because they have the prove of how they cure an injury or disease.
section13 ID5480874
ReplyDeleteThe essay is about the medical practices in Thailand which have been changing over time. In the past, religions influenced all medical models as people strongly believed in spiritual elements. They thought that illness is caused from karma. Later, the Christian missionaries brought in western medicine and it seemed to be more reliable than Thais medical models.
In my perspective, Thais traditional about medical practice is not making sense at all as people believe in something that cannot be proved. They should find the reasonable way to cure the disease not blaming on surrogate agents such as ghosts and demons.
Proof is important to me too. If a doctor gives me a needle to make me sleep, I want to be confident that I'll wake back up again!
Delete5481096 Section 4
ReplyDeleteThe essay starts talking about medical practices in Thailand. In the pass, Thai medicine had been affected by religions and animals. According to the belief of spirits, Thai people think this may cause the illness. It's like the idea of Karma. If you do something, you'll get that thing back. During the western colonization, christian missionaries introduced western medicine to Thai. It's strange to Thai, because original belief of Thai is about the spiritual factors.
In my opinion, belief has a lot of influences to our living style. We do for what we believe. It is pretty hard to change what someone is believing in. Besides, I agree with the western medicine than Thai one. It's because I think it's more reliable than what Thai people is believing. There is nothing to proof that ghost does exists, and sickness always be explained by using science method, and finally ends up with the western medicine. Also we can see in nowadays that a lot of medicine we use everyday has been influenced by western style.
After reading the article, I would like to summarize it into three parts.
ReplyDeleteThe article illustrates how The Buddhist approach of medication is different from the Western medication. Thai Buddhist-based approach view human beings being comprised of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual elements where they perceive the health of a person as a combination of all these elements. For example, if a person is mentally ill, the medication deals with not only the mind but it also involve treating the body. Also in ancient times, when a person was inflicted with a disease, the cause as believed then was from bad karma or possessions from demons. Their cure was through ritual practices, such as praying to the spirits, etc. The western medical approach is entirely different. For example, the body and mind are 2 different parts and are treated separately.
The changing of medication practice in Thailand took place in the mid-20th century, where Thai society slowly replaced the Buddhist-based medical model with the western medical model. The changes were brought about by the Christian missionaries who introduced the western medicine in Thailand.
Western medication is now widely accepted by the Thai people where they consider as the cure to all diseases and illnesses. In short, they rely on doctors to cure them or heal them from their suffering. However, one cannot ignore the fact that the ancient Thai Buddhist-based medical approach does not exist. In my perspective, even though western medication has engulfed our society, the ancient medical practices are still used in many parts of Thailand, especially in the rural regions.
Section 4
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"engulfed" is a strong word... Do you think the Western influence on medicine is a negative thing?
DeleteIt is not a negative thing. On the contrary, it's a more practical way to cure and save people. "Engulfed" in this sentence is more in the sense that it is accepted. Hospitals, clinics or pharmacies are found everywhere in Thailand. Even though there are people who still practice the ancient medication but the western medication exists.
Delete5480934 section4
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the Thai medical practice. This kind of treatment is totally difference from wesrtern. Thai medical practice has an influence from Buddhidt, Chinese Taoist and animist. In my opinion, I am Thai. I have an experience about Thai medical practice. I used to try it before because of my ankle pain. It is hardly for me to walk. Fisrt, I dared to do it, but after that 3 days, my pain is get better.
The purpose of this article is to show the various viewpoints of medical practices in Thailand and how it effects to normal people. Thai medical practice is influenced by Buddhist, Chinese Taoist and animist. It has been a controversial issue because this kind of treatment is controlled by a shaman or buddhist monk who interpose between human and spirit world.
DeleteI wonder if this description fits your experience of medical care in Thailand?
DeletePongsakorn Prohdeengam #5480995
ReplyDeleteI am basically Thai, I realize that it's pretty hard for Thai people to change their minds if they deeply think on something. After reading, I know that most Thai medical treatment is based on belief especially in religious that is an important role in Thai society. But nowadays, I do believe in modern treatment that can heal us because it is ensured by scientific process and can rely on it.
Do you agree that the description in this article is widely true? Is Thailand not using more modern treatments?
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ReplyDelete#5480999
Many Thais people think that deceases is cause from the ghost, which made religion involved in medicine practice. The differences between Thais and Western medical practice is Thai medical practice will cure about mental or emotional but in Western medical practice will cure about physical, which based on the science experiment. After Western came to Thailand around mid 20 century the western medicine started to spread out in Thailand, which change many Thai people believe. In my opinion, I belief in western medicine more than Thai medical practice because Western medical practice have more reasonable explanation. Therefore the change in ethic of Thai people mainly because of the science explanation seem more trustworthy than ghost or spiritual elements.
Yes, it is difficult to trust ghosts and spirits.
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ReplyDelete#5480843
According to the essay, the changing in ethics refers to the renovation in what people believe. Normally, Thais believes in spirits and karma which is influenced by religion, Buddhism. For instant, Thai people believe that illness is caused by karma. That is, Buddhist-based sticks with spiritual environments. In contrary to western missionaries, they bring the western model which marks that body and mind are separated as an important things. These two mentioned points show the renovation of the ethics about medical practice. For me, this short essay reflect perfectly what I think.
"renovation" isn't the right word here. When we use this word, we usually think about improve a building, room, or structure. (But I get what you mean.)
Delete5480864 section 13
ReplyDeleteThe essay is talking about the belief in spiritual of Thai people such that they believe that the cause of sickness came from the karma, ghosts, demons and the ancestors. However, in western countries, they tend to separate mind and body of human. When people get sick, they believe that it’s happen because of the body part that are working abnormal.
In my personal opinion, I believe that the reason why Thai people tend to believe in karma is because of the Buddhist-based due to the fact that Buddhist teach us to do good thing and you will receive a good thing in return. In the other hand, western countries usually based on scientific approach to find a way to cure the sickness.
Nopchan Warawit ID : 5480836
ReplyDeleteThe medical practice in Thailand are influenced by many culture which most of the practice were lead by monk or shaman. Later on the western medical practice came in and effect the medical model of Thailand which focus on the "cause and effect" theory which is unlike Thailand's that focus on the spiritual elements that effect our body.
For me i grew up in a educational system that teaches me to look things from the cause and the effect, so i feel that the medical practices in Thailand doesn't seem to be effective because it's seem that they're treating thing in a wrong perspective.
id 5480655 section 13
ReplyDeletethe article discussed about the thai perspective toward the change in medical practice. Thai people with the older taught along the country side with the buddhism believe some people still believed that some of the illness that happened to them are cause by the demon, ghost, and ancestors. those people need the help from the government and knowledge that the sickness are cause from the virus or sometime bacteria not the superstital. if the people could get the education the perspective of the thai people will get better
Weerapong Pinijsakkul (5481079) Section 4
ReplyDeleteHello Aj.Matthew. I had studied about Thai medical perspective from the website and had discovered many things about it. In the past, Thai medical perspective seems to be the only way that Thai people could be discovered from the sickness. Surprisingly, they didn’t only mention the sickness comes from the flu, bacteria or any bio-organism and virus, however, they also indicated about the spirit, ghost, devil and witch/wizard too. They also blamed that the sickness also occurred because of the magic and the curse. Therefore, not only the doctor was getting involved to cure the sickness but also the monk was getting involved too. Moreover, most of Thai people in the past also believed in spirit and magic that caused them to be sick, therefore it wasn’t weird at all to have monk, curing Thai people on that time.
However, when the Western medical perspective has influenced Thailand, the Thai medical perspective seems to be unpopular. In Thai medical perspective, they usually use a herb to cure the patients from sickness, however when Western medical perspective influenced, the “chemical” medicine” seems to be more popular. The monk that usually helped the patient to be gone from sickness is starting to be disappearing. In the present, it is very difficult to find monk curing the patients from the sickness. Also it is very difficult to find the doctor, who still use the herb to cure the patients too.
In my opinion to Thai medical perspective, in medical term, I think using the herb seems to be better to the human because some chemical medicine can cause the patients to be worse. I agree the chemical medicine is faster than the herb but if you have it often, it can cause the cancer too.
For spirit issue, it is very difficult to give the opinion because it’s quite complicated as the scientific cannot answer about it yet. However with my experience, I believe about it because my aunt had found three nails in her stomach. She confirmed with everyone that she hadn’t eaten the nails. So, where did it come from? I took this issue to the monk and then he said “My aunt had been cursed by her friend”.
So I think it is not important either Thai medical perspective or western medical perspective is better, it is up to the case that which one is more appropriated.
Student ID: 5481051 Section: 4
ReplyDeleteAs I am Thai so I am going to describe you about Thai perspective that had affect most of the Thai people in the pass.Thai people believed that if they were cured by this,they will be fine soon.In my opinion,I would say that this medical treatment is not quite effective way to heal Thai people.For instance, If you got cancer it is such a waste to use this treatment to cure you,so I think that it depends on what people believe but you have to bare in mind that the only way that would cure you must be something that is tangible.
Thai people do most of their activities based on their beliefs rather than science. Most of us believe in karmas, spirits, and reincarnation. One's health is destined by karmas and holy things. We believe that if we pray behave well, do good deeds, we can surely cure sick people
ReplyDelete5480951 Mook Nutnicha Keerakiatwomg section 7
There is a lot of superstition in Thailand... I see it all the time. I just think that when one gets cancer, is it better to go to the temple or go to a doctor?
DeleteThank you for your comments on this journal blog. It is now closed.
ReplyDeletepim 5480916 section4
ReplyDeleteThis essay is about the change of people thinking and medical practice in Thailand. As you can see, in the past, Thai people are more likely to believe in karma, so they thought that illness is caused by this. After that, christian missionaries brought the western medicine.
In my opinion, medical practice is not reliable because it does not has evidence to support this idea. Moreover, people should find the way to cure the disease instead of blaming karma. I also think that education is very important to change the thinking of people.