I suspect - only a suspicion mind you - that my correspondent in Chiang Mai didn't plan to have bowel cancer; my friend with diabetes also didn't plan to develop a chronic condition that would cost him in excess of 1,000 baht a week in medication if he sourced his drugs in Thailand. None of us know what's around the corner (and that includes speeding drivers that can leave people as quadraplegics, for example). But perhaps Dr Pangloss is practising medicine in Khon Kaen?