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5,878 miles If I had had to live within 20 miles from my home, I think I would be long dead by now!!

I just finished packing and in a few hours will be departing to Buenos Aires. I have not visited my second home in two years, and besides cuddling my 83 y.o. mother and my old friends, I am very curious about the city in pandemic mode. Things look bad over there right now, with restrictions close to Fase 1 in some places even if they are rolling vaccination with a good vaccine, Russian Sputnik. The exchange is back to have an official and a parallel value. Today, official exchange is around U$S 1 = $AR 100; while the "blue" exchange is 1 to 150. Due to this huge difference, I will be restricting the use of credit cards (they use official exchange rates) and instead I am taking cash. I will stay in an Airbnb for 30 days (less than 400 bucks!), a studio in duplex with two balconies in a 2nd floor (3rd for American standards), in Palermo. This is another reason I am excites. I always lived in Recoleta, and then kept staying in my family place or renting in that neighborhood. This is the first time that I am going to be exploring Palermo, a quite transformed area since my departure from the city. It is full of restaurants and bars, with a quite young/middle class demographic. Wish me a good trip!

Paris, inhabited by Italians speaking Spanish.

That Sandbox will have the same fate as the "Special Tourist Visa", it's a non-starter. It is so complicated and still has so many restrictions, nobody will do it. So typical. They think - quite correctly - that many people are longing for a nice beach vacation, and Thailand and Phuket are clearly popular. But wanting to come doesn't mean accepting all and every burden the Thais think they can just heap on the potential tourists.

I live in Issan. I have been registered for a couple of weeks now with an appointment for a first jab on the 23rd June. I qualified because of my age, I had to register and provide my yellow Tabian Baan (house book) and the admin lady asked me to go and get a pink Thai ID card before my appointment.- The lady registering me was very friendly and helpful, the person I needed to see for my pink ID card insisted on me and my partner, who have a UK Civil Partnership, returning with our Civil Partnership certificate translated into Thai - strange as Thailand doesn't recognise our relationship, but I got what was needed and now we'll see if I get the jab.

5600m/9000km Though since the vast majority of people obviously live in their country of birth the possible distance depends on the size of the country. Can't go far in, say, Luxembourg

From Pattaya Mail June is considered the month of pride among LGBTQ. The mall in Bangkok like Samyan Mitrtown has transformed its iconic tunnel walk with colorful rainbow decorations to celebrate ‘Pride Month’ under the campaign ‘Samyan Mitr Proud 100% Love’ to promote love and equality of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer). The event is taking place from now until July 11, 2021.

1600 miles

I grew up all over, so I guess the answer is 0, since home for me is where I currently live.

Hi Latbear4blk. Glad you took my criticism in good spirit anyway. There is a lot of food for thought in your opening post, though I think in general my own critique of what you say is that you are thinking about people’s lived experiences a bit too politically, (a bit like religious conservatives who criticise what they see as the “gay lifestyle” from their worldview, except from the opposite perspective) rather than as a criticism of any of your particular points. Enjoy your trip back to Buenos Aires.

maipenrai

Have a great trip! FullSizeRender.mov

Well, I now live around 7500 mi away from home, and I will soon be moving to almost 9000 mi

Palermo is a great area but I recall a nuevo part and a viejo part. Palermo nuevo looks pretty similar to Recoleta. Palermo Viejo is the part with cobblestone streets, leafy trees, and hip restaurants. And PV is divided further into sub-barrios I can't keep track of. Sounds like a great trip and I'd love to hear what it's like the time of corona.

Suerte papi. Que vayas con Dios.

From Supersonic to the back of the bus. Every year the Crystal Cabin Awards are dished out to designers who come up with innovative ideas for aircraft economy interiors. So far as I can see, none has been adopted since airlines have been determined to squeeze as many passengers in as possible. 777s used to have 9 across 3-3-3 seating. Not any more. Several airlines have added an extra seat for a 3-4-3 layout and reduced aisle space to make it possible. 2 or 3 extra rows have also been added therefore reducing seat pitch. On my first 747 flight around 40 plus years ago and for a few years thereafter, I can remember sitting in window seats and yet being able to pass by my two fellow passengers to get out to the toilet without disturbing them. In those days seat pitch must have been 35" to 36' instead of the 31" or 32" common now. This design is short listed in the 2021 Crystal Cabin Awards. It is an idea developed by a 21 year old Spanish student. It is based on a double level cabin, does away with overhead bins in favour of undersea storage. Interesting though it is, it seems those on the lower levels have a definite advantage. By sliding forwards, the seats [rivde a good recline, and having lots of space under the seat in front, there is a ton of legroom. Those in the upper level seem to have the same recline, but I would not be at all happy with not being able to stretch my legs. And there is no possibility of that space being increased. Maybe a two tier economy pricing might be necessary. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/double-decker-airplane-cabin-concepts-crystal-cabin-awards/index.html

Some members of the the Thai hi-so community acts as if they have a divine right to do exactly as they please, whether it is killing traffic policemen and escaping (sic), paying thugs to attack Red Shirts or (so it seems) acting as if there is no national health emergency. These spoilt brats are untouchable, while the Thai population sweats and labours in fields, or works long , underpaid hours in 7 11s...or for that matter, keeps the tourist business alive in Patpong. Unsuccessfully, for now. I won't say here what I believe is the root cause of the chasm between the very rich and the rest of the country but note (with a degree of optimism, though not much), that middle -class students , as well as Red Shirts, are challenging the status quo. About time too.

you are rights, plane loos are nor very conductive to productive work

were you born in Chernobyl ?

The 747 was the the true queen of the skies. First flight to BKK was a Northwest 747 from Minneapolis via Narita. Roomy, smooth, comfortable and reliable. Crews and passengers loved it. Can't think of any major carrier that didn't fly them.

From Bangkok Post Phuket set for July 1; Bangkok and others set to follow The government gave the green light to the plan to reopen Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists starting on July 1, although visitors are required to remain on the resort island for 14 days before leaving the province. The plan was approved on Friday during a meeting of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (Cesa) chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. It was proposed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Sport and Tourism Ministry. From July 1, Phuket will be the first province to welcome back foreign tourists and waive the quarantine requirement for those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 under the so-called "Phuket Tourism Sandbox" programme, which is touted as a model for the reopening of the kingdom's tourism industry as a whole, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. However, the tourists must remain on the island for 14 days -- an increase from the previously planned seven days -- before being allowed to continue on to other destinations in the country, Mr Phiphat said. Mr Phiphat said the meeting had not yet approved plans to reopen Krabi and Koh Samui off Surat Thani to foreign tourists next month because Cesa wanted to first assess the outcome of Phuket's reopening over the next two months. Officials at the meeting also approved the tourism reopening of Bangkok, Phetchaburi (Cha-am district), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin district), Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya) and Buri Ram from Oct 1, he said. Mr Phiphat previously said the combined tourism income of these 10 provinces in 2019 stood at 1.5 trillion baht, and that was the reason why they were selected to join the reopening pilot programme, which is scheduled to run from Oct 1 until Dec 31. "Under the sandbox programme, Phuket will also reopen to Thais who have already received two doses of vaccines," he said. "The TAT will sign an agreement with the Board of Trade of Thailand to fly vaccinated members of the board to Phuket to promote the reopening on July 1." Foreign tourists who plan to visit Phuket on July 7 are from Israel, while visitors from the United States will fly to the resort island on July 9, Mr Phiphat said. He said he was confident at least 70% of Phuket residents, and 100% of local tourism operators will be fully vaccinated in time for the reopening on July 1. As of Wednesday, about 60% of Phuket's target population of 466,587 had been injected with a first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 98,795 had received their second shot, according to TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn. A total of 376,427 people have registered for the vaccination drive, he said. Phuket will reopen to tourists who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 for more than 14 days but no more than one year prior to their visit, and they must come from low-to-moderate risk countries as announced by the Public Health Ministry, Mr Danucha said. Foreign tourists must have vaccination certificates from their countries and the vaccines they have received must be registered under Thai law or approved by the World Health Organization, he said. Tourists must stay at hotels that have Safety & Health Administration Plus hygiene standards certification, he said, adding they will still be required to use contact tracing apps during their stay in the kingdom. They must also report regularly to health authorities and strictly abide by the Covid-19 DMHTTA rules (distancing, mask-wearing, hand-washing, temperature testing, Covid testing and mobile app use), Mr Danucha said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2127043/phuket-set-for-july-reopening ================================= From Tourism Authority of Thailand

Imagine passengers falling off the ladder, delays loading and off-loading the cabin, trips to the restrooms. How many of the flying population could even negotiate the stairs? And it's doubtful the cabin could be completely evacuated in emergency within the time limits established by civil aeronautics authorities. I'm sure commercial aviation will continue to evolve in the future. We've already seen the movement to wide-body (747) to jumbo (380) and back to wide-body (350, 787). Despite the Crystal Cabin competitions, carriers will avoid acrobatic configurations and stay with the single level design.

For me it is as follows: 8,786.39 mi (14,140.33 km)

Leo, Singha or Chang?

According to Google 6017 miles from Lancashire UK to Isaan

I'd rather go for the CLOUD CAPSULE!

OMG.... short haul flight maybe, long haul flight no fucking way, especially in the upper seat, impossible to bear and probably prone to resulting in thrombosis

it may be true. Not my case though but looking at statistic sample of my high school class as we still keep in touch, 75% fits that margin

RIP Club Tobi . I hope it reopens in time somewhere, although that building was perfect. I met some of the best-looking muscle guys anywhere there for $18/hr just 3 years ago. The 57A seedy hustler bars will probably return after the pandemic but I never met anyone there worth seeing in 2 trips to Medellin. It's not an international city as much as Bogota but it does have the big luxury tourist area of Poblado with gay cruising in the central park. Also 1/4 of the guys on Chaterbate seem to be in Medellin in group sex shows and are eager to meet. Medellin guys are extremely attractive (as anyone in Bogota will tell you). But without pre-made arrangements too risky. What of Puerto Vallarta?

HI Tassojunior -- I didn't include Medellin on the list that I offered here because I don't find Medellin particularly "open" to foreigners, it takes some understanding of the culture to make contact, in my experience. But mileage can vary -- your experience could be quite different. Just to be precise, as posted elsewhere, the infamous "Calle de Pecados" (Calle 57A - Street of Sins) is almost completely abandoned now, including the sex hotel. The Machete Club is open infrequently, most of the other spots on this street appear to be closed permanently. This may change in the future, but there were just 2 boys working the street when I was there a couple of months ago. Sadly Club de Tobi is another victim of Covid19 -- the club closed last year (2020) and the building is now for sale.

I moved plenty of time due to my dad's work, so im not sure what do i call home or where i grew up lol. But i was born in KL, lived in neighboring state until 4/5, then moved to a southern state and stay there until high school, and moved to northern state and stay there until after high school before moving back to the first state, and work in KL, so yeah lol.

only 3400 miles, but I make frequent trips back, so was part of the decision of not being on the other side of the world. I think the % of people increase significantly if you ask how many live within 50 miles....in the 90% range

In my case, over 8k miles. I do not give an exact number because I grew up in more than one location in Argentina. Interesting, I have been in the elite group since very little.

The maximum possible would be about 20,037.5 km or 12.450 miles. So if you like you could still move a little bit further away.

Got my AZ first dose today as well. Now counting day to 21, when they say antibody should reach 76% efficacy. Incidently, its another round of full lockdown here anyway. Lol

Your bank REALLY should not be giving this error!!!

you're rushing to conclusions LOL, June 30th is too soon to believe it! Even July 1st. The first day to believe it will be when the first tourists actually arrive And even then it could be closed again in a split second if and when some outbreak happens, like seychelles-style. It can only be really trusted I suppose when it's been up and running for several weeks AND possibly survived new Covid cases there. I don't want to be overly negative, but the flipflopping (and other monumental government failures) in recent weeks and months has been just appalling

When I went to Sto Domingo the first time, almost 20 years ago, there was a chic nightclub in the colonial district. It drew a mixed crowd, as in many countries hip young straights head to the gay clubs. Several very hot guys made their availability known, and I picked out one of the wildest romp in my life. That club is no more, but there is news on these forums that a similar one is opening up. I love these kind of places. I suspect the OP would like them too, but they are so few. My guess is to find the most chic gay club anywhere you go and check out the vibe. Colombia has the friendliest, most gregarious people. That can present many opportunities, but also mixed signals, everywhere.

Maybe. That would depend on Mark Burnett's contract. Since Burnett is now the Chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group, he would never allow for the release of the outtakes. The last thing Burnett wants to do is piss off millions and millions of Trump voters, who do watch TV. And what does it matter? Even if the outtakes show Trump shooting a child on 5th Avenue (especially a Black, Mexican, or Asian child), his cult following will still love him, claiming the action showed "strength." The cult is the most worrisome thing to U.S. security, and those who work in security know it. The sooner Trump drops off the face of the earth, the better for everyone.

IME other jobs. Bear in mind, they lived with their sponsor who supported them for the first few years. So sex work wasn’t really interesting for them. In later years, I know one who became a model, another Cuban is now an accountant and a couple have office jobs.

From The Nation Expats can register for Covid jab from June 7 Foreigners living in Thailand can register for their Covid-19 jab at the nearest vaccination station from June 7 onwards, Natapanu Noppakun, deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry’s Information Department tweeted on Friday. "To register, they can use either their passport or social security number at hospitals that have their medical records or at hospitals designated by the Public Health Ministry,” he said. Vaccination for different groups of foreigners is as follows: Diplomats, international organisations and their families Around 7,000 names collected by the Foreign Ministry will be sent to the Department of Disease Control (DDC). This group can get vaccinated at their hospital, or at 2-3 designated hospitals for those who do not have health records. Foreign government agencies May register staff for vaccination with the Foreign Ministry's Department of Consular Affairs. Foreign nationals married to Thai nationals/family members of Thai nationals / retirees in Thailand / business people/foreign investors in Bangkok Bangkok: On-site registration at vaccination centres under the Council of University Presidents of Thailand. Other provinces: The Public Health Ministry will allocate vaccines to local vaccination centres and foreign nationals may register at hospitals with their health records. Foreign students The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation will arrange for their vaccination under the Council of University Presidents of Thailand. Migrant workers The Social Security Office will coordinate with employers on vaccination for this group. Thai students planning to study abroad Register online with the Department of Consular Affairs. Chulalongkorn University will arrange for this group's vaccination on June 3-4. https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001143 ============================================== COVID UPDATE (21 March) -- There have been 3,481 new infections announced today and 32 Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. 951 of today’s new cases come from Thailand’s prisons. STATE OF EMERGENCY UPDATE -- Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration is proposing an extension of the nationwide Emergency Decree for another 2 months. At a meeting today, the CCSA and Public Health Ministry noted that it may take until the end of July to bring the latest Covid wave under control. The last declaration of a State of Emergency has been in place since March 2020 and was set to expire at the end of May as the government can only declare the status for up to 3 months at a time.

Babe is making appearance in the latest moonlight video on their fb hehe

The key phrase here is "who have registered" - that has been impossible for the vast majority of foreigners so far