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Dear Members, I have deleted a few member logins this week because they were the same person who was banned previously. This week, the "Organ" thread was recreated a few times which I thought odd from a new member. So, I started thinking. Who would want to be a part of a site when they request to be banned or when they are not wanted. I remembered ChicagoBoy years back and the 20 or more profiles he created to stir up shit. TampaYankee was much smarter than me and found him quick. However, I am slower. After this week, I went way back to the older emails Tampa and I shared about this character and it was the same person that started the long "Organ" thread a year or two ago and then asked me to removed. I think another member even left the site because they felt I was unfair to Larstrup. I bet he didn't know he has already been banned over 30 times. It wasn't until today when I started look back into time and pulling IP's that I realized they were all the same person. Holy Shit! Who has time to do that? Needless to say, once banned, forever banned here. I am sorry I fell asleep at the wheel with several new monikers. However, a new rule is now in place. No one will post until I approve them. Yeah, I know this dude will find a way to get a few posts approved before unmoderated. However, if anyone see any resemblance to the banned members, PM me. Let me know. I don't want that drama on here. I want a fun and open forum. But, I don't want someone who causes problems over and over again and will start to lean heavy with new members with watching them. Your help is appreciate. Your continued participation is appreciated. Oz

Guys - don't feed the troll.

It reminded me of my partner's reaction about 10 years ago to a suggestion he had been unfaithful. We had been together about 18 months but only meeting up when I came to Thailand on holiday, he did however assure me he only wanted one partner and that was me. Anyway on this holiday we were spending time in his Isan village and when I arrived he had a bad shingles rash on his back and side. Initially he wouldn't let me take him to a Doctor at the private hospital in the city but he did go to see the village "magic doctor" who to my disgust proceeded to spit over his rash. Of course there was no improvement and after a few days he let me take him to the hospital. There we had a consultation and shingles was diagnosed. The Doctor told him (in English) that he could have caught it from other sexual partners. The horrified look on my boyfriends face has always stayed with me as he strongly denied any such encounters and he contemplated our relationship disappearing. Just to complete the story I have never in 11 years seriously thought he hasn't been monogamous. (Apologies for deviating from the main thread - the subject of which and lack of consideration for his partners I find disgusting)

Agreed. But if you do not like/use condoms and you say you are totally free of STDs, then you must obviously get tested after each and every sexual encounter AND wait for the window for HIV to expire before you have sex again. That is the only way to ensure you are STD free. Do you do that? If you do not, then each and eery time you are always putting your partner at risk while you enjoy your risky behaviour. Oh and by the way, getting tested regularly for all STDs will make quite a hole in your wallet.

Trump is also Falsely Religious. Seeing Trump with a Bible in his hand made me laugh too hard. I can't believe Trump's tiny hands didn't immediately go up in flames. How does anyone define SCARY anymore?

I learned Portuguese in a hurry (six weeks, the interval between arriving in Rio and cashing in my aeromiles with Air Canada) with a Rosetta subscription. Most useful language I ever acquired after English. Polished it with subsequent visits. Motivated myself with “sex needs language.” Now that there is free Duolingo, it will probably be just as effective. I finished Duolingo’s Chinese course in a year but Chinese is a literate language, meaning, you need to be able to read it by memorizing a couple thousand characters. Same motivation.

The alternative to the above is be in a monogamous relationship with your partner after both have tested free of std (including all the window period), thus eliminating any risks of std. Of course there is still a risk of you or your partner being unfaithful and have sex with a different person.

Tough guy seems to have wet himself.

No one says it better.

Started with Pimsleur BrazilIan Portuguese CDs. Went from 16 Beginner (Level 1) CDs to 16 Intermediate (Level 2) CDs, then moved on to Level 3. Burned the CDs to mp3 files and uploaded them to my iPod. Bought a membership to Rosetta Stone and take lessons on the app every other day. Downloaded both Duolingo and Mondly apps and alternate taking those lessons daily. Every now and then, get together with Portuguese speaking groups for practice in person (Meetup and Facebook are good resources for this). Communicate with Brazilians through WhatsApp, email and phone — trying my best not to use translator apps, if possible. Read Portuguese and BrazilIan newspapers, magazines. Watch BrazilIan videos and news reports on YouTube. Visit Brazil often. Nothing beats language immersion. I’ve been going to Brazil regularly for 10 years, and I am still learning. I’d rank my Portuguese language skills as “proficient”, but my goal is “fluent”.

More news thai-airways-to-resume-international-flights-from-1st-july Starting from 1st July 2020, Thai Airways will officially resume international flight operations to 32 countries worldwide, following the end of travel restrictions imposed in response the COVID-19 pandemic. The news was confirmed by Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and follows the recent government decision to lift all travel restrictions and resume normal tourism operations nationwide from the beginning of July. According to CAAT, Thai Airways will recommence operations on international routes, reconnecting Thailand to (among others) China, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, India, France, the UK, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. Flight schedules vary for each destination, from daily to two-, three- and four-times weekly services. From 1st July, travellers in cities worldwide – from Paris and Copenhagen, to Islamabad, Karachi, Beijing and Brisbane – will be able to connect to the Land of Smiles with Thai Airways. From 2nd July, the carrier will also open return services to Bangkok from Bali, Dhaka, Lahore, Nagoya and Zurich. To ensure the safety of all passengers on board the new flights, the airline will enforce strict COVID-19 safety protocols. Travellers will also be permitted to bring sanitizing hand gels and alcohol sprays on board with them. According to the latest announcement, Thai Airways will discontinue its previous flights from Milan, Rome, Moscow, Vienna, Stockholm, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Sendai, Kathmandu, Oslo and Colombo. THAI Smile Airways will take over all domestic routes. International flight schedules are subject to change.

I agree, I kinda doubt it will be "real" Songkran including water, because it's time has passed and not sure people would be in the mood for it. You can't move Christmas or Easter of NYE, either. And Songkran is an equivalent to NY. Water fights would also not so much be among the people, but more like the Heavens vs the people with ample water pouring from above LOL. So that solves question 2, and even IF there were to be a belated Songkran, given the lack tourists and hot weather and rain to boot, it would be, as it were, a watered down version without constant water throwing throughout the city making it impossible to stay dry when out and about. So I'd just stay and celebrate with the guys in Soi 4. I couldn't seek foreign refuge anyway with the travel restrictions.

The app Duolingo was surprisingly effective (and free). You do have to add some of your own study on grammar, it was easy to find some learning guides online. Then I sealed the deal with listening to Podcasts. Just constant daily exposure even if it's just a few minutes at a time.

Being in the same age range as Reader - where international health policies will not price/sell policies that cover Covid, I suspect by later in the year health insurance will be available at BKK in the arrivals area, same as mobile phones are in the arrivals area.

Meanwhile, inside the bunker:

Of course, Anonymous has ways of distracting the government while they hack for the truth:

since you mention popular destinations for Thais, I just read a day or two ago (probably in the BKK Post) that Japan is considering to open for visitors from select countries, including Thailand, Vietnam and a couple of others I don't remember. In general you are definitely right, the whole thing will be a slow and difficult process. Exactly. My main concern with traveling abroad is getting stuck there. The epidemic might flare up very quickly in that country, in the country I came from (in my case Thailand) or others and prompt Thailand or the country I happen to be in to shut their borders again. That could happen rather quickly. Then what? This year there is no such thing as certain planning, everything is on a wait and see basis. Not good for us as individuals and not good for tourism in general

Maybe not so gutsy after all, as Jomtien Complex boybars and boy massages parlors all reopening very soon. maybe some foreknowledge, still gutsy!!!

it must be with their morning coffee

who have picked a perfect time to leave Earth.

being top does not mean there is no risk to get infected ...there is a risk ...

....that I just needed something to make me smile. This video about a Filipino and his dog did it for me. At least they have each other. It also made me more aware that when I say I miss Thailand, what I'm really missing are moments of intimacy. And the older I get, that matters more than all the other reasons for wanting to return.

Some people appear to be reading too much into the latest developments. The government announced an end to the internal lockdown. The opening up the government announced was the opening up of businesses within Thailand and internationally for only a very certain class of travelers - primarily business (work permit) travelers on a case-by-case basis with a need to travel to Thailand who follow a special process with the Thai Embassy (which is why the Embassy will be vetting the insurance policies). Thailand did not announce anything about tourists or opening up to tourists. Before people default into the usual crapping on Thailand or the Thai government, best thing to do is pause, relax, and make sure the facts are right. The Bangkok Posts is reasonably accurate but often imprecise. It's always best to check multiple sources before taking anything we read in the press as true. The same is true for most countries, I reckon. And check Richard Barrow. The Thai government gives very good English language press briefings Monday - Friday that are easy to find on-line, another excellent source that is direct from the water buffalo's mouth. If we take a cursory look at other countries in the region, opening up to tourists is but a glimmer in the eye of the local governments and Thailand seems to be the same. Indonesia has announced a planned opening of Bali to tourists in October. I don't think anyone outside or in the government knows what the final rules will be for tourist travel. I do think that unrestricted travel in the time of a pandemic is not a god-given right or even prudent; therefore, there will inevitably be some restrictions and those will be bothersome and maybe even make some people unable to travel. Spanish flu...second wave worst than the first...even Wuhan is nowhere near herd immunity....blah blah. A health insurance requirement would not surprise me at all. With luck the region will get together and have a uniform requirement so insurance companies can issue standard coverage certificates, as they do now when someone has to apply for a visa to a Shengen country. Or even better, the government can adopt the old proposal that there be a 300B tax on tourists to cover health insurance, and then people can complain about how that only covers government hospitals, 'cause we have to complain about something. Until an immunity passport becomes real, none of this will be easy.

I love you. If it was not obvious already.