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My visits have been limited to the Colonial Zone and after seeing this expanded view of the city with the somewhat irritating South African Kurt Caz I find that on my next visit I want to see more of the city.

The Bangkok Post, on the occasion of its 75th anniversary, thought it would be fitting to invite several "visionary leaders" to tell us how they imagine the Thailand of 2031 in all its potential guises, from the economic and political to the technological, environmental and social. Here's a few takeaways: "Mass tourism will give way to small groups of eco-conscious travellers, he said. National park regulations will be updated with sustainability in mind." The wet dream of hi-so bigwigs for several years, this portends the great advantage of leaving behind what has made Thailand one of the world's most visited destinations and instead catering to small groups of wealthy eco tourists. Why they think it's necessary to wait a decade to see how that plays out in reality when the evidence is available today in the streets of Bangkok and Pattaya. "The pandemic also triggered a big gap in income disparity because poor people are less able to cope with the crisis due to low education levels and lack of access to digital technology." No argument there. Unfortunately, nothing follows about changing the public education system that perpetuates those levels. "The private sector will continue to play a vital role in propelling growth and development in the next decade, but the country's stumbling block remains the bureaucracy, says Somkiat Tangkitvanich, president of the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI)." He's surely got that right. In regard to the political landscape over the next 10 years, Mr Stithorn predicts deep-seated divisions in society and politics will remain at least five years from now. The ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) is staying loyal to the "three Por" clique led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda. At the same time, opposition parties, made up mainly of large parties — Pheu Thai and Move Forward — vary in the way they operate in parliament, even as they are described as the mainstay of the "pro-democracy" camp. "A turning point will come after the senators lose their power to co-elect a prime minister along with MPs in 2023. That is when the progressive party will gain an upper hand in parliament as it draws on support from younger voters. The base of older voters captured by the PPRP will dwindle while most first-time voters are likely to cast their ballots for the MFP and Pheu Thai. "But the majority of votes from younger voters will go to the pro-democracy bloc. They won't switch sides," he said. If he's right, those deep seated divisions he cites could resolve themselves by about 2026. At least it's something to look forward to. You can read the article in its entirety at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/2158083/thailand-2031-a-glimpse-into-the-future

Like all of us

everybody wants to be Bhutan ("high quality", low quantity tourists). Thailand will struggle to shift so much of its economy away from the tourism sector. What's going to happen to all of those hotels they keep building?

There is no way these topics Will be mention in the Bangkok Post unless the writer of this post has an uncontrollable urge to be arrested.

9 Thai BL series to Watch this August :

With so much gloom at present, more and more posters are hoping against hope that the pandemic in Thailand will be under control much sooner rather than later and their visits to this Paradise can continue. It started me thinking about Paradise and how different the word can mean for different people. When we were growing up, did we really buy into the idea of Paradise as an idyllic nirvana, a place where the vicissitudes and pettiness of daily life would be replaced by perfect peace, love and harmony? A Garden of Eden where there are no serpents hidden in the apples (as envisioned below by William Blake) and we can bask in its glory amongst gorgeous flowers, sumptuous fruits and an endless supply of beautiful guys? For some adherents of a certain religion there will be an abundance of virgins ready to fulfill their every wish. Another interpretation of that particular religion, I understand, suggests that there may instead be youths attending to them, presumably also fulfilling their intimate desires. Seriously, though, is Paradise, in Hamlet’s words, the life-ending experience “a consummation devoutly to be wished?” After all, getting there is no certainty. It’s either up or down for us. There is of course a middle path, but then who wants to spend years zooming around Purgatory desperately trying to find that exit to Paradise? Does Purgatory exist? Does an exit exist? Is it purifying or punitive? As for Hell, well that excision of part of our proud dicks as mandated by certain religions is certainly not as practiced here on earth. Down there, they lop off the whole damn organ as well as a great deal more, leaving our never-ending supply of blood continuously oozing forth as illustrated on this painting from the door of a Buddhist temple I saw near Tibet. But before leaving the horrors of Hell, there is a rather interesting little tale in the Preface of an amusing book titled SEX: Who’s Had Who. Written a few decades ago it is a lighthearted summary of who might just have had sex with whom over a period of years. Having sex is called “rogering” and each chapter is a series of who might just have rogered whom – rather like getting from A to Z by taking short cuts. Some rogers are historical. More modern rogers included are from GETRUDE STEIN to CLINT EASTWOOD in 8 rogers and from PRESIDENT FERDINAND MARCOS to PRINCESS DIANA in 7 rogers. Naturally it’s all just a bit of fun. In the Preface is this thought. “What if God knows everything except ONE THING. What if He has a blind spot: there is no one around as intelligent as Him to put Him right, and He doesn't know He doesn't know it because that is the one thing He doesn't know . . . “What, for instance, if God has always pushed a red button to send people to Hell, and a blue one to send them to Heaven. And what if the one thing God doesn't know is that He is colour-blind. And sees red for blue and vice-versa.” * OMG! After reading that, I wondered what God would do if instead of being colour-blind He was suffering from a touch of dementia, to the point where His short-term memory would be unable to recall which button He had last pressed. And thinking that it had been red, he continuously was pressing blue. Wonder of wonders! A Paradise with one section filled only with huge numbers of all manner of young men. Could I find here all the boys and men I have loved and lusted after during my time on earth just waiting for me without their having aged and just as I have always remembered them? How many boys from my later years at school and at University whom I was desperate to bed but much too shy to do so? Since life up there will presumably be without end, perhaps Hamlet was right. I wonder how many realise that the word ‘Paradise’ comes not from Christianity or Islam. It does have a religious background, though. It was coined much earlier in Persia when Zoroastrianism, the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, was the state religion for more than a millennium. The God worshiped by the Zoroastrians was Ahura Mazda – yes, the Japanese car company did indeed appropriate the name for their Mazda cars. The prophet Zoroaster is better known to us today through Nietzsche’s novel and the Richard Strauss tone poem Thus Spoke Zarathustra (whose first 100 seconds is featured not only in the opening of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey but also as the prelude for years to innumerable sex shows in Thailand’s go-go bars). Pop singer Freddie Mercury was one of the religion’s adherents. Even today some 25,000 still worship the religion in Iran’s desert city of Yazd. The Ancient Symbol of Zoroastrianism The root of the word essentially means Garden. Not one with beautiful lawns, manicured hedges and perfumed flowers like Versailles or Hampton Court. Rather, Persian Gardens. These were and still are enclosed spaces with tall trees providing shade filled with orange and pomegranate trees but where water flowing in narrow channels and fountains, often with a pavilion in the centre, plays almost the most prominent role. A Persian Garden in Kashan Over time Paradise has graduated to become a much more mundane term. Nowadays anything that gives us a lift from our everyday lives tends to be termed Paradise. It can be cocktails on a fine sandy tropical beach at sunset, nuzzling up to our partner after the most intense orgasm of the year, speeding down an open road in a sparkling new red Ferrari . . . Even our gay community is associated with the word. Phuket is no longer very gay but most of Patong’s few remaining gay venues are clustered near the Paradise Complex. More recently I discovered another Paradise. From time to time I used to tune in to a light classical station when working. Some years ago I was listening to a rather pleasant piece of music quite unknown to me. The composer, too, was a name I had never heard before, Frederick Delius, an Englishman who composed around 100 years ago. The music sounded vaguely like a cross between the impressionism of Debussy with hints of the Germanic nationalism of Richard Wagner. I was quite surprised when the announcer informed listeners that the title of the piece was Walk to the Paradise Garden. Enchanted by its perfumed harmonies and sultry textures, I could imagine being led through shimmering golden fields of wheat and then towards a magical stairway to present myself to my Creator in the most beautiful of all gardens. My Angel Awaits Imagine, then, the comedown when, far from being a second Eden, the announcer informed listeners that Paradise Garden as envisioned by Delius in fact refers to a common or garden (oops) rather seedy country pub! Paradise – a pub? Oh well! I suppose in some parts of the world, a regular gay pub may be as close as many will ever get to Paradise down here on earth. But I still like the idea of all those youths up in the hereafter ready to look after my every need! Ah! But then I worry. What if I don’t end up by going up, as it were? What if I go down? What if the Creator is indeed colour blind? Clearly time for another drink. If thoughts of Paradise can’t cheer me up in these times of covid19, hopefully another large vodka martini will! Perhaps Delius was right after all. * from SEX Who Had Who by Simon Bell, Richard Curtis and Helen Fielding originally published by Faber & Faber, London

He counts out what appears to by about 485,000 COP (Colombian pesos). The current value would be around $130USD. The sound is not great, but what I piece together is that these are his wages plus tips from "private" sessions. Unclear of the number or timeframe. Both voices mention 'dos' (2) so this could be proceeds from two private sessions, including the minimal pay for time on screen. The offscreen voice asks to confirm the cam model's rate, but the sound quality doesn't help me understand the conversation completely. From what I have been told, most regular cam boys earn about 80K COP per day including tips, with the most popular models earning in excess of 200K COP daily which puts them at a very good monthly salary (comparable to a professional salary) in Colombia. Many models do not stick it out because they do not enjoy the work or they never find an audience. It's not a job at which everyone will excel.

If you blindfold some monolingual American and parachute them into the middle of the Barrio Norte, they would probably guess Paris or Milan or Madrid. But the great thing about BA is that's just one side of the experience. There is (or was) a sprawling shantytown within sight of one of the ritziest neighborhoods. Drive the length of Ave. Santa Fe and its continuation and you can rapidly go from New York/Paris to a provincial Italian city to Eastern Europe to Peru to Bolivia. (With a budding Chinatown along the way, IIRC.)

Andrew Sullivan's new column at substack explains how it happened through his perspective. He lives there. Let It Rip How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Live With The Virus Andrew Sullivan 20 hr ago 40 Brent Thomas, dressed as the historic figure Anne Hutchinson, leads a tour through Provincetown on July 24, 2021. Thomas said they limit their tour to 10 people and ask people to practice pandemic protocol. This group confirmed they had all been vaccinated. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) It started with a text. Hey Sully — I started feeling cold symptoms a couple of days ago and didn’t think that much of it but then found out a house of SF guys we were out dancing Fri-Sat-Sun tested Covid-positive despite vaccination. Started with sore throat, cough, etc which is what I have. Most of another house too I know have similar symptoms (and perhaps half of town from last week at this point). Anyway I went to the clinic this morning and I’m positive. Still have some smell and taste, feel just kinda cruddy But I don’t think a fever. He asked me to be on call if he needed something. A day later, he wrote, “Felt cruddy last night — chills, a little sweats, but slept 10 - 11 hours and slightly better so far today.” Symptoms lasted about a week, and we texted until I bumped into him as we were both walking our dogs on the beach. He seemed fine. Then I spotted an old friend near some distant tidal pools, began to walk toward him to say hi, and he waved me away for the same reason: he was sick. The next day, I spotted my next-door neighbor, wearing a neck gaiter alone on the beach, and I was about to tease him but saw the look in his eyes. Another one. Then three texts from health agencies in DC and Ptown telling me I may have been exposed. I’ve had no symptoms, so I haven’t gotten tested. But I’m a little bit happier I decided to get a Pfizer shot after my J&J. Is Provincetown our future? Count me skeptical. In Fourth of July week, the town was completely swamped this year, followed swiftly by Bear Week; lines for the bars lasted for blocks; the bars themselves were packed; the weather was dreadful, forcing most of the crowd to pack tightly inside. A tiny town built for a few thousand residents has to absorb up to 40,000 in peak season. One bar in particular — the home for a dance party with the inspired name of “Fag Bash” — resembles a kind of dank dungeon where sweat drips from the ceiling and mold reaches up the walls. It might have been designed for viral transmission. A big swathe of the crowd had also just come from a week of Pride partying in New York City and were likely not, shall we say, at their immunological best. It was a muggy, viral heaven in a classic post-plague burst of bacchanalia. I’m way too old for that kind of thing these days, and don’t like crowds, and so stayed away, finishing the audio version of my forthcoming essay collection. Good call, it turns out. But would I have gone if I’d had the energy? You bet I would have. Maybe not into the crammed basements, but I had a blast at the open-air tea-dance the same week and since. And why not? I’m double-vaccinated. The chances of becoming sick enough to be hospitalized are extremely small; the chance of death, none at all. My friend who first texted me is super-fit (as are most of the young torsos who show up that week), but he’s also my age (weirdly enough, he’s the same friend I went to stay with when I first tested HIV-positive in 1993). He endured a nasty week of a fluish bug: the kind of thing that happens without any plague at all. Just part of the inherent risks of being human on a planet that does not belong exclusively to us. And this seems to me to be the key question here: do we really want to get back to living? I do. So take the rational precautions — a solid vaccine — and go about your business as you always did. Yes, I’ll wear a mask indoors if I’m legally required or politely asked. But I don’t really see why anyone should. In a free society, once everyone has access to a vaccine that overwhelmingly prevents serious sickness and death, there is no reason to enforce lockdowns again, or mask mandates, or social distancing any longer. In fact, there’s every reason not to. We are at a stage in this pandemic when we are trying to persuade the hold-outs — disproportionately white Republicans/evangelicals and urban African-Americans — to get vaccinated. How do we best do this? Endless, condescending nagging won’t help. Coercion is not an option in a free country. Since the vaccinated appear to be able to transmit the virus as well, vaccine passports lose their power to remove all risk. Forcing all the responsible people to go back to constraining their everyday lives for the sake of the vaccine-averse is both unfair and actually weakens the incentive to get a vaccine, because it lowers the general risk of getting it in the broader society. So the obviously correct public policy is to let mounting sickness and rising deaths concentrate the minds of the recalcitrant. Let reality persuade the delusional and deranged. It has a pretty solid record of doing just that. The government cannot be held responsible for sickness and death it has already provided the means to avoid. People are responsible for their own lives. The government can do some things — like making vaccination mandatory for federal workers and contractors, and especially in the military as George Washington did in the Revolutionary War for smallpox. It could offer money — or entry into a lottery, as many states are doing. All good. But the most potent incentive for vaccination is, to be brutally frank, a sharp rise in mortality rates. The more people who know someone who has suffered and died the likelier they will see the logic of taking measures to avoid the same fate. In other words: if people recklessly refuse to face reality, call their bluff. Sullivan's column continues here: https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/let-it-rip-f9c

I agree that foreigners in the country should avoid protests and demonstrations. However, foreigners--wherever they might be--who believe that this poses a threat to the people of Thailand should not be inhibited from expressing those about fears the actions the government is taking. If people and nations don't do so about atrocities in Myanmar, that nation's junta will feel even more free to kill its citizens than it already does. If more foreigners had done so in the 30's, it's not impossible that the Holocaust might have been prevented. Excerpt from Thai Enquirer Opinion column This government has the temerity to think that they can keep passing decrees and laws that infringe on our freedom without consequences. They are wrong. So we are letting you know at Thai Enquirer that nothing will change, that we will continue to hold power to account. Though this new law was designed to target us and our colleagues who do a thankless job everyday, we will not be scared into biting our tongue or holding in our critiques. We believe that in a just society, the first line of defense against the encroachment of totality and despotism is a free and fair press. We will work and act accordingly.

This is how military juntas behave. It is just that- a junta- not a government. In fact, in some ways it has benefitted from Covid in so far as it put a lid on the street protests. And we all know that if, through an act of God, Covid disappeared tomorrow, the restrictions on dissent would remain. I sometimes wonder if the junta (like Bolsonaro and Duterte) may not be bothered too much about the epidemic. It's a perverted version of Rome's "blood and circuses"....it keeps the populations' collective mind off such minor issues as poverty.

I've visited Santo Domingo once but yearn to return after some semblance of normalcy has occurred in the world. When I was there, I used taxis to get around, but I had NO desire to go to the area that was suppose to be the worst part of the city. I feel for the poor, but I have no desire to witness their life as experienced on a daily basis. One dayI visited a principal market and was deluged by almost every vendor who had a shop. Their unusual bombardment onto me acutely lessened my interest in any of their wares/offerings. I returned to the Zona Colonial and made a few purchases: a sculpted wood turtle and some Cuban cigars. Because of my physical looks, I was taken as a native. Both the sales person and I had a good laugh about this. Whenever I do return to the DR and to Santo Domingo-- I, more than likely, will take those cable cars but with a local. I'll get my overview merely from the air. [While in Rio I took two tours to the favelas but with companies that had established them, one being the originator of favela tours that have the same surname as I.]

I too am a frustrated traveller. I retired 18 months ago with the main aim of travel with trips booked for last year including visits to the UK, Thailand and Brazil that of course did not eventuate. However we frustrated travellers should put our problem in perspective. In my country people have lost jobs, businesses etc with constant lockdowns and it is the same the world over. They are the ones who deserve sympathy at this dreadful time.

Don't imagine it's only happening in Thailand... Reichsleiter Patel has plans for England too: Fury at plans that could jail reporters for up to 14 years for stories that embarrass the government How a proposed secrecy law would recast journalism as spying When even the Daily Wail thinks it's a bad idea, something is seriously wrong.

I wouldn't mind hiring a man and a woman together for 3some.

If you stay in resort you will have problem in finding a boys. You can try on Grinder and if you find what you like you have to inform Hotel that you will have a visitor and pay Daypass for him. So guy need to send you copy of his ID. Better luck you will have in capital.

You are going to be shocked. But, the site is not working for most. And, a full data breach in the first hour. I know this is not typical of Thailand websites.

In the immortal words of Albert Einstein, "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one!"

I guess Variety doesn't subscribe to the One China policy either

@PeterRS Don't fret. The PM has said Covid will be a think of the past by end of August. I believe him. Just like I believe the new boyfriend loves me after our first date. I do hope they can get the site working. Hell, I could have done better with no programmers helping me. It wasn't rocket science.

Given the rate at which several other expat-oriented websites set up by the government have crashed or been offline for many weeks, I wonder who holds out much hope this one will not go the same way.

Your reports are better than any travel Insta because you really capture the feel of being there, feeling the cobblestones under my feet, smelling the coffee, getting dizzy from the graffiti. I didn't know that neighborhood was called Montserrat. I walked through there from Avenida de Mayo, comparable to and developed around the same time as the Gran Vias of Spain if the Argentines ever clean it up, to San Telmo. Isn't there a stunning disco in the area set in an old theater with two levels of gallery and sweeping chandeliers? I don't mind gritty neighborhoods if they have character and a story. The tango was born in places like this and the songs frequently name even grittier slums to the south.

If the Arena news is true, that is very sad indeed. The end of an era in BKK.

Oh, it was his "ring" all right...

It already has. The name is Trump. Keep well away!

The only good part of being in Thailand in recent months is the warm weather. Because of the previous and even current lack of enforcement of restrictions on travel between provinces the Delta variant is running pretty much out of control. Recent cases include guys who live in the Jomtien complex returning from a visit to Bangkok. I keep hearing more reports every day of Thai bar boys and their friends who are sick with Covid in hospital or isolating at home because there is no room left in the care facilities. The current wave of Covid may last for many months and i am not sure how much entertainment there will be left in Pattaya with some gay bars already giving up and closing. The new Dragon Music bar in the Complex is nearly finished with a full renovation and i hope they get a chance to open later this year but it may not be till 2022. There are mostly the same boys available on the apps for the last 18 months and many of them have recently returned home. With the amount of local infections It is very risky to meet anyone at present. It may be more frustrating being here in Thailand now with the many available Thai guys but not being able to meet anyone with the fear of catching Covid. Even if you are fully vaccinated i would not be rushing back to Thailand anytime soon. My advise is to stay where you are until well after the current wave is over and check if there is better management of the situation here in Thailand. The current wave would not have been so severe if the restrictions were enforced and lockdowns enacted quickly instead of letting people travel all over the country spreading infections. You do not want to return to Thailand after two years away to find that you are stuck in you hotel or condo in a lockdown with a curfew.

Just keep piling up the savings account. When the time comes, and it will, it will be a GLORIOUS time with the very grateful boys!

Vaccine is the way to go, and like everyone mentioned already, thai gov is not doing well on procurement. But they can still amke do with whatever vaccine they have to slowly restart the nation. Start small, health care workers, high risk individuals, then straight to those who must work for the economy, which includes tourist area/workers, factories etc. They can also divert the supply the heavily hit province like bangkok, and all the dark red provinces. And then only for the general masses. As long as thai gov follow this, depending of how fast they get the supply, several part of the countries can slowly open for us to enjoy. When will that be, its anyone guess. My personal hope is pattaya sandbox to open by october, provided that the manage to vaccinate their population. One can only dream. Worth to mention, even countries that dont have issues with vaccine supply, are still having trouble to achieve 80% fully vaccinated population simply because some portion of the people who wont get themselves vaccinated. Im not sure how much of these people are in thailand but for the time being, its a non issue until there is a vaccine surplus.

It's been 2 years since my last trip and I am only dreaming about my next, whenever that may be. I fully intend to make up for lost time if and when we can return and I can say that it will be a wild ride for sure😄

Pop Inn on Thappraya Road is 350 or 400 baht/night. I walked past Paramita Hotel at Pratunmak 6 earlier today which is a two minute walk from Thappraya road and they have nice rooms for 2500/month for Thais reduced now from 5000 baht/month. There are plenty of small hotels in Jomtien looking for customers and i am sure that he could find a decent room for 300 to 400 baht per night or even better a discounted monthly rate.

From Time A volunteer from the 'Saimai Will Survive' group in protective gear talks to a woman infected with COVID-19 on her condition while checking her blood pressure and blood oxygen levels Friday, July 23, 2021, in Bangkok, Thailand. AP Photo/Tassanee BANGKOK, Thailand — As Thailand‘s medical system struggles beneath a surge of coronavirus cases, ordinary people are helping to plug the gaps, risking their own health to bring care and supplies to often terrified, exhausted patients who’ve fallen through the cracks. In the Samai area of Bangkok, Ekapob Laungprasert’s team heads out for another weekend on the front lines of a crisis. His volunteer group, Samai Will Survive, has been working around the clock, responding to about a hundred SOS calls daily from desperate COVID-19 patients unable to get the help they need. “We realize how hard working and how tired doctors and nurses are,” says the 38-year-old businessman. “What we are trying to do today is to help relieve some of the burden. Before, all cases must go to the hospital, so today there are no hospital beds. So we volunteer to help out.” It’s not long before they’re in action: Malee, a COVID-19 positive woman whose breathing has suddenly worsened. The group, wearing personal protective equipment, delivers oxygen and much-needed reassurance to Malee and her husband, an army officer who also has the virus. “I lost hope even with the army. I called doctors at field hospitals. All they told me to do was to send information, just send information,” Worawit Srisang said. “I got the same answers everywhere. At least these guys visit us in person. What the patient needs is a chance to see a doctor, not just send information.” Thailand’s predicament is stark. Around 15,000 new cases are confirmed each day and still more people are getting infected. In Bangkok alone, 20,000 people are waiting for a hospital bed. So homespun heroes like Ekapob and his group — buying equipment and supplies with public donations — are an essential safety net, gaining crucial time for both patients and a health care system under severe strain. https://time.com/6083751/thailand-covid-volunteers/

Report one Tomy's OnlyFans.

I agree, lovely series. I also enjoyed "Calculating Love" by the same film studio "Mind Trio". I love to see scenes twice from 2 different viewpoints. I am not sure though, will there be more episodes coming? Both boys claim they are the better looking one, what is your opinion? My answer is clear, I am in love with Kong:

From The Guardian newspaper "The Thai government has outlawed sharing news that “causes public fear”, even if such reports are true, as officials face mounting criticism over their handling of the pandemic. On Thursday, the government tightened an emergency decree imposed more than a year ago that initially targeted false news. "The latest restrictions forbid people from distributing “information causing public fear”, or from sharing “distorted information causing misunderstanding which affects national stability”. The measures have been widely condemned by media groups and rights experts as attempts to shut down negative news reports and silence debate. Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand in Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, described it as a “serious blow” to press freedom in the country. “I think the government realises it is now facing a credibility crisis because of this disastrous response to the Covid situation, but instead of trying to find better solutions, more efficient solutions, it chooses to gag anyone from speaking about its failures,” he said. “This provision doesn’t care about accuracy or whether it is true or false.” "Under the regulations, if false content is spread online, the country’s broadcasting regulator will contact internet service providers to identify the individual’s IP address and block their internet access. "Internet providers who fail to comply will be deemed to have breached the requirements of their operating licences, and action will be taken against them." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/30/thailand-bans-sharing-of-news-that-causes-public-fear-amid-pandemic-criticism

Anyone of us who's traveled to Hanoi has walked around Hoan Kiem Lake. I always stayed in the old Quarter and made the loop every evening. Today, Hanoi is in lockdown. The Vietnam Express published a series a deserted, eerie scenes from the city that remind us that this time it's sadly different. Continues with more photos https://e.vnexpress.net/photo/news/hanoi-calls-it-a-night-after-sundown-amid-covid-restrictions-4332945.html