Doxycycline 2 baht, Malarone 165 baht — the day I was shocked by an 80-fold difference.
Khao man gai, then to the Red Cross Hospital
I woke up at 1 PM. First I went to Chinatown to eat my favorite khao man gai. I took the BTS part of the way and then a Grab bike. The rider was a real pro, so the speed was great and he rode with a lot of momentum. I thought I really like people like that.
After eating khao man gai I went straight to the Red Cross Hospital to get doxycycline for malaria. When they took my blood pressure it was 131/70 and I thought that's a little high. I exercise, I'm thin, and I don't eat salty food — so why? Maybe I'm carrying stress without realizing it.
When I asked the receptionist they said it was sold out. They told me about another hospital, so I decided to go to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
Malaria medication consultation — three-to-one
I registered first, went up to the third floor, and filled out the medical questionnaire. I was worried whether they could prescribe medicine without a plane ticket. For now I wrote down Kenya, Nigeria, and Namibia — places I plan to go but haven't decided on yet. The first receptionist was unpleasant, but once she realized I was Japanese her attitude softened.
When I was called into the consultation room there were African people and someone who seemed to be a nurse, so I was a bit nervous being examined three against one. I leaned forward and calmly answered the questions.
They asked things like "Where are you going?" and "Which towns will you visit?" I had no knowledge at all, so I answered that I hadn't decided yet but would be going to those countries. The doctor knew a lot about Africa and was well versed in malaria-prone areas. He looked at a map with me and told me places where it was okay and places where I would need to take the medication.
Doxycycline 2 baht vs Malarone 165 baht
Doxycycline was 2 baht, Malarone 165 baht. I was shocked by the 80-fold difference.
Malarone kills the parasite before it multiplies in the liver; doxycycline acts after it has multiplied and entered the bloodstream by stopping protein synthesis. Doxycycline has side effects like nausea and increased sensitivity to the sun. They said I must wear sunglasses and always apply sunscreen.
Malarone is taken for seven days after leaving an endemic area and you're done, but doxycycline must be taken for 28 days. It only lasts 24 hours and malaria's incubation period can be one to three months. They even said not to wear blue clothing, and advised me to use mosquito repellent sprays containing more than 20% DEET. I learned a lot — another travel tip.
Joining a melioidosis test
After the consultation, an African person who'd been there with me came over and asked if I would take a quick test. Apparently there's an infection called melioidosis, a bacterium that lives in mud and is prevalent in Southeast Asia.
Because she knew I was traveling around Southeast Asia I apparently became one of the test subjects. She was a doctor working on her university thesis. They were going to draw blood to check for infection. I filled in various information and had my blood taken. As a thank-you they gave me 200 baht. That's about 1,000 yen. I appreciated it.
X100VI — out of stock again
I went to Siam looking for the camera. I visited the place in front of the shopping mall where cameras used to be sold, but that stall was gone. Even at camera shops, the X100VI I wanted wasn't there. I regretted again that I should have bought it back then. I really didn't have any luck. I'll buy it next time it comes out.
Kevin and the night market
Today I was catching up with Kevin for the first time in a while. We met at a night market near the Thailand Cultural Centre station. As soon as we met we hugged and couldn't stop talking.
We talked about university, future dreams, wanting to go to a PhD program, and the difficulties of working in government agencies. He was disappointed that problems haven't changed and that they've been discussing the same issues for six years, so he wants to write a thesis at his current university to prove something.
He studies for only three hours a day and spends the rest attending conferences and interacting with various people; he's very socially active and it's impressive. Also, he has a clear reason to study at university, which I thought was wonderful.
Apparently he dreams of working for the UN, which is the same as me. We said, "Let's meet at the UN someday." We shared each other's dreams. I thought friends like that are wonderful, and it was time well spent. While talking it felt really fulfilling and we only talked about the present.
We shared recommendations for places in Indonesia and travel stories, as well as our current environments and government issues. It was a very meaningful time and it made me feel I have to work hard too. It really was a great time. He treated me to Thai tea, takoyaki, and a seafood mix, which I appreciated.
At the end we said goodbye, promising to meet again in another country or in Thailand. It was a really fun time.
