Today we visited the Lamphun Provincial Health Office to learn about consumer protection and the process of inspecting food factories, clinics, and drug stores. The inspector gave us a presentation in Thai that was translated into English. We then followed him to visit the Lay's potato chip factory, a dental clinic, and a community pharmacy to better understand the process.
The Lay's factory was extremely cool! We got to go on a tour of the factory to see how the chips are made, sample a fresh batch to make sure they tasted as they're suppose to, and snack on some unique flavors like Nori Seaweed, Spicy Larb, and Cheese and Bacon. To meet sanitation standards, we had to wear coats, masks, hair nets, and go through a de-sanitation process before entering the facility. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any pictures :(
We learned that dental clinics and pharmacies get inspected every year, unless given a reason otherwise. The inspector will randomly show up without notice and the amount in fines varies based on the violation. While at the dental office, we also learned that Thailand's Universal Healthcare system does not cover dental costs. When looking at the price list, Thailand's dental procedures are still much less expensive in comparison to the United States.
The conversion of US Dollars to Baht is about 1:32
The owner was very nice and also gave us a tour of his office. I will leave you with a picture of his Louis Vuitton Chair & a group picture of us :)
Thanks for reading!
-Tiffany
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