Leaderboard

It has to be a good omen.... ...that Jupiter is advertising for staff on Facebook.

Very short-sighted. The inhabitants who have to live in slums are the same people who clean the streets of Silom and the malls of Sukhumvit. And the same issue arises worldwide. Until all are safe, none of us are.

I think along the same lines. Quite a few guys I was with and talked to had pretty firm plans as of what they will do with their money after they move from the scene. I recall one Tawan guy proudly showing me his pick up truck he bought back home which was being rented for various jobs while guy was still toiling in BKK. And another one whom I took for few days from Pattaya to Bangkok who asked me to pay agreed tips in lump sum at end of his stay so he can save all that money ( and of course creating excuse for asking me to buy him occasional small items as he did not have money )

What's up, Doc?

Lil Nas X and Elton John try on each other’s clothes in hilarious video Elton John and Lil Nas X tried on each other's looks for a new Uber Eats campaign. (Uber Eats/YouTube) Lil Nas X and Elton John tried on each other’s iconic looks in a new advert. The two singers have joined forces for the new Uber Eats campaign, which sees them ordering elaborate meals and heaping praise on each other. In the first of three adverts, Lil Nas X wears a replica of Elton John’s famous featured glam look, which the legendary singer first debuted on The Muppet Show in the 1970s. “Tonight, I will be eating lobster ravioli with shaved truffle,” Lil Nas X says while sporting the iconic look. The camera then pans over to Elton John, who is wearing a pink cowboy outfit inspired by the “Old Town Road” rapper’s 2020 Grammys look. “You look amazing,” Elton John says. Nas returns the compliment, and the advert ends with the pair repeatedly thanking the other. A second advert shows both singers riding children’s coin-operated toys as John asks Nas for money, claiming he doesn’t have enough to pay for his food order. A third sees Elton John putting on his best high-society British accent as he and Nas argue about whether or not chips should be eaten with mayonnaise. Elton John and Lil Nas X had a ‘blast’ working together on the Uber Eats advert The pair seem to have had the time of their lives on set recording the adverts. Lil Nas X shared some behind the scenes photos of himself wearing his Elton John-inspired outfit on social media. He also shared a hilarious outtake where John tells him: “B***h stole my look!” before both men descend into laughter. “Baby Montero will be so lucky to have @EltonOfficial as their godfather,” Nas tweeted. Elton John heaped praise on Nas in a statement released through Uber Eats. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/09/10/lil-nas-x-elton-john-uber-eats/

All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.

From The Thaiger / BP Developments in next 2 weeks to decide next steps An advisor to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says what happens in the next 2 weeks is crucial to determining any further easing of restrictions. According to a Bangkok Post report, Dr Udom Kachintorn says there is unlikely to be any further relaxing of measures until officials are sure the situation is under control. Udom says the easing of restrictions on September 1 could have caused a surge in news infections, adding that the recent decline in infections is because of the lockdown introduced from July, coupled with more people being vaccinated. He says that in order to keep infections trending downward, people must continue being careful. “The lockdown easing from September 1 has flattened the downward trend and cases will begin to rise, so we must rely on the public’s precautions and universal prevention measures. State agencies and the private sector must conduct random spot tests every week.” Udom adds that having people fully vaccinated might not always translate to falling infection rates, as can be seen in the US and Europe. In Thailand, the predominant Covid-19 strain is the highly contagious Delta variant. Thailand has reported 132 Covid-related fatalities and 12,583 new infections in the last 24 hours. 1,177 were detected as a result of mass testing, while 163 were found in prisons. There are currently 132,113 patients undergoing treatment for Covid-19 in Thailand. https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/ccsa-monitoring-developments-in-next-2-weeks-to-decide-next-steps

The following interview is with a former female sex worker in Pattaya who is now living and working in Isaan. But I think what she has to say could have just as well been said by her male contemporaries. From National Public Radio (US) By Suchada Phoisaat and Aurora Almendra In February, NPR published a story on the tolls of the pandemic on Thailand's sex workers. Before COVID-19 hit, international tourism made up 20% of the country's gross domestic product — and fueled a thriving sex industry. That collapsed in March 2020 when the country shut its borders to keep the coronavirus at bay. Sex workers in the cities of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket struggled to cope with the lack of sex tourists. Most were barely scraping by, and many returned to their home provinces in the rural countryside. We check in with M., one of the sex workers whom we interviewed and who has asked for anonymity because individuals have been disowned by their families or ostracized by their communities for association with a stigmatized, illegal industry. When we interviewed sex workers in Thailand back in September 2020, many were holding out hope that the coronavirus pandemic would end soon. But the country's coronavirus crisis has only gotten worse, with the average number of daily new infections reaching its peak on Aug. 13 at 23,418 cases. While some resort islands, like Phuket, have reopened to vaccinated foreign tourists, tourism is far from having rebounded. We caught up with M., 33, whom we met in the Thai tourist hub of Pattaya. Before the pandemic, she was earning good money as a topless dancer at a go-go bar and as a sex worker. But when we spoke to her amid the crisis last year, she said she was struggling to send money to her mother, who was caring for her two sons, and was sharing a studio apartment with two other women who worked at the same bar. In January, she returned to her rural hometown in the northeast region of Isaan and started a job in accounting at a local hospital. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. A year ago, you were worried that if tourism didn't improve in Pattaya, you'd have to move back to Isaan. What led to your decision to leave the city? The COVID situation became more severe. There were no tourists or foreigners staying in Pattaya, and I was very worried about COVID. I started to think about going home because there were almost no customers. My roommates went back home around November last year. It was sad. Our room was quiet, and I still had to pay rent for the room [on my own]. Luckily, over New Year's Eve, I made some money from a customer from Bangkok who came to Pattaya for an island holiday, and I saved it. In early January, the bar owner decided to close the business. I wasn't sure what else to do in Pattaya. I called my mother and told her I was coming home. But I didn't leave for another [few weeks] because I was trying to find a job in a [government-designated quarantine] hotel in Pattaya, but no luck. What was the city like on the day you left? I was speechless. I lived in Pattaya for [six years] and never thought that Pattaya would become a deserted city. Pubs and bars that were always lit up at night are now shut down. The beach is lonely without tourists. At night, the beach has become a place for people [who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19] to sleep, and others go there to donate food to the homeless. When I think about it, my heart aches. I'm happy I survived. Before the pandemic, you had dreams of saving enough money in Pattaya to buy more farmland for your family and starting your own rubber tree plantation in Isaan. How much of a dent did the pandemic put in your savings? I only had a small amount of money left. I had about 10,000 baht [$300] saved and used it to pay off my rent in Pattaya. I sent some money [in advance] to my mother for the expenses of my two sons, about 3,000 baht [$100]. What was it like when you first got home to your province? When I returned to my hometown, I still couldn't stay at our home. I had to report to the village leader and was required to quarantine for 14 days. My mother sent me to live on our [small] rubber plantation. She sent me some food and drinking water. After the quarantine period was over, I was able to go home. I didn't have much to do apart from [helping my mom with her] rubber plantation. I was frustrated because I didn't know what to do next with my life. I began to look for work, starting with applying for a job as a Grab rider [a motorcycle-delivery and ride-hailing app]. There are not many restaurants for food-delivery service in my hometown, so most of my job was picking up passengers or parcels. It did not earn much money but was better than staying home and earning nothing. I was also picking up a few shifts at the 7-Eleven and working as a life insurance agent. Your mom and sons depended on your income as a sex worker to supplement their living expenses. How did they survive when you returned to Isaan and did not have a steady job? Living at home without any money [in Isaan] is not as difficult as living in Pattaya. In the countryside, we own a house so we don't need to pay rent. My mother grows vegetables for herself. Sometimes we buy meat from the market, and the price of fresh food is not expensive like in Pattaya. Last year, my mother leased half of her rubber plantation to some farmers, so she made enough cash to live on. What are you doing now? I [started] working as an accounting officer at a hospital [in early July]. My friend told me that the hospital was looking for staff. I had to take an accounting exam to be able to apply. I wanted this job because I intended to [make enough money to] continue improving our house. Before the pandemic, you said your job in Pattaya's red-light district earned you more money than from your previous office job. Are you making enough money in your office position now? I'm a full-time employee with a monthly income. The salary may not be much, but there are health care, child's education and pension benefits. How does COVID continue to affect you? I'm afraid I will be infected with COVID because there are infected patients who come to the hospital. I protect myself by wearing a double mask. What is life like for you now? My routine has changed. On the weekends, I have time to be with my family. I'm making new friends. [Instead of going to bed late because of my evening shift at the bar], I get up early and go to a daytime job. It's funny — I used to complain that someday I would have to sleep like a normal person! Do you miss anything about Pattaya? Party life, handsome men, drinking with friends. I hardly drink now because of my new profession, but I miss it so much. Suchada Phoisaat is a Thai producer based in Bangkok. Aurora Almendral is an American journalist based in Southeast Asia. https://www.wbur.org/npr/1033267519/whatever-happened-to-the-thai-sex-worker-trying-to-rebuild-her-life-in-a-pandemi

"Are you talking to me? ARE YOU TALKING TO ME??!!" "It's beyond my control"

More guys make a success of their time in Pattaya than some may think. Yes, there are certainly casualties- hiv, drug abuse and, alcoholism take their toll and sometimes, an apparent LTR with a falang is suddenly curtailed when a new and younger boyfriend is found. A few years sago, P went through a list of ten or so of his friends (now Facebook contacts) from Dream Boys circa 2003, who had found their falang and were still enjoying financial support. Some of the falangs had relocated to Thailand to live with their boyfriends. And to underscore this, I've noted more couples recently in Pattaya consisting of a falang in his sixties (or thereabouts) and a Thai in his thirties, suggesting that these are indeed LTRs.

The following excerpts are from a special report from Channel News Asia on what happened when individual Thai volunteers decided that they couldn't idly stand by as Covid overwhelmed Bangkok's health care system. When the city emerges from the depths of the crisis, it will be volunteers like this, and the front-line medical workers, who can be credited for turning the corner and not the posturing politicians who grab the daily headlines. Volunteers travel on a motorbike as they transport an oxygen tank for a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient in Bangkok, Thailand August 5, 2021. Picture taken on August 5, 2021. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun BANGKOK: In April, a video clip of an e-sport legend went viral in Thailand. It was a Facebook live recording broadcast by Kunlasub ‘Up’ Wattanaphon, who once led a big e-gaming clan named VGB or Vagabond Team to successfully compete in various tournaments. “I’m close to collapse. I’m quarantining myself now but I don’t think I’ll make it,” said the 34-year-old ex-gamer in the clip. He had been trying in vain to seek treatment for COVID-19 for about a week and his condition was deteriorating. Coughing and struggling to breathe, Up recounted his ordeal with despair. “The hospital wouldn’t take me. Hotlines didn’t help. Hopeless. I’m going live in case any friends of mine could help. Please help me.” Up was admitted to a hospital the following day. By then, his lung function was only at 20 per cent. He died two days later. His final Facebook broadcast not only captured his painful moments, but also put the state of the public healthcare system in the spotlight. At that time, Thailand was witnessing the start of what would soon become the worst wave of COVID-19 it has dealt with so far. Infections spread very quickly from one of Bangkok’s fanciest neighbourhoods, where the wealthy had partied in exclusive nightclubs, into poor communities, crowded prisons and squalid worker camps. In just over five months, Thailand has reported more than 1.32 million cases and 13,826 casualties. Most of the cases are concentrated in Bangkok. Several months of soaring infections has turned the Thai capital into a hotbed of the pandemic, placing an enormous strain on its public health infrastructure. Many people have been left frustrated and disappointed by the government’s handling of the health crisis amid reports of limited testing, full hospital beds and shortages of vaccines. Voluntary groups started by ordinary citizens have since jumped into action, doing whatever they can to help the most vulnerable people. ZENDAI: A SOCIAL THREAD THAT SAVES LIVES For Bangkok residents, each day begins with reports of thousands of new infections. But for Kamonlak ‘Mahmud’ Anusornweeracheewin, a former inmate on death row, his day starts with a race against time to save as many lives as he can. He walked free from prison after serving 15 years and 10 months for drug charges. His sentence had initially been reduced to life imprisonment, and good behaviour later resulted in him being released. Currently, he volunteers with a COVID-19 response group called Zendai to rescue people in critical condition. Many of them are old, debilitated and living alone, with no family member to care for them. Mahmud, 41, knows what it is like to be forsaken and suffering. He also remembers how it feels to be given another chance at life when there is no hope. “Whenever I come across a severe case, I feel sorry for them. So when I have a chance to help them, I want to do it,” he said. Zendai has provided healthcare assistance to tens of thousands of people in Bangkok and nearby provinces, often when help from the government was unavailable or delayed. Its Facebook page receives about 1,000 requests for help daily - from hospital transfers to finding hospital beds - while its hotline is flooded with a further 1,000 calls every day. Taking its name from a Thai word for ‘thread’, Zendai functions as a connector between patients and healthcare providers. It was formed in April, shortly after Up’s death, by people who did not want his story to be repeated. The group offers emergency hospital transfers for people who are infected with the coronavirus but unable to travel by themselves. It also assists those in need with basic medical care and provides rapid testing in local communities as RT-PCR tests remain limited in public hospitals. Zendai’s volunteers in white protective gear are often seen tending to elderly patients and the less fortunate in underprivileged areas. Day and night, they travel around Bangkok to visit patients stuck at home, supplying them with food, medicines and oxygen cylinders to keep them alive. “The public healthcare system is truly overwhelmed. Government schemes - whether it would be the home isolation system or the registration of patients in the yellow and red groups for hospital beds - aren’t working so well just yet. Their COVID-19 testing isn’t working well either. This could be because they weren’t designed properly,” said Zendai co-founder Chris Potranandana. “Zendai’s mission isn’t just about helping people. We also want to encourage the right way to manage a system.” With 130 volunteers, Zendai has managed to save many lives when Bangkok’s healthcare system is overflowing with patients. CONSTRUCTION WORKERS LEFT ON MARGINS OF SOCIETY Since April, the Thai government has introduced various measures and restrictions to contain the deadly virus. Public movement has been reduced by a night curfew and several bans on social activities in highly infected areas such as Bangkok and its nearby provinces. While most people have been allowed some freedom of movement, one profession has spent at least a month in enforced confinement - construction workers. In June, clusters of COVID-19 broke out at construction sites and worker camps in Bangkok. As a result, hundreds of such venues were shut and sealed off for at least 30 days from Jun 28. All construction work was suspended and workers were prohibited from leaving the sites, even to buy food. Security officers were also employed to guard the entrance and exit of camps with cases of infected people. Bangkok is home to some 80,000 construction workers in more than 500 work sites, according to Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin. Many of them are not covered by social security and had to live with zero income for several weeks. Continues with photos https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-focus-civil-society-covid-19-bangkok-health-system-2164051

Sex workers in places like Pattaya have a shelf-life, and 33 is on the older side anyway. Past 30 and it becomes harder to compete with the pretty 18 and 19 year olds arriving in Pattaya 'off the bus'. It becomes harder to get the same flow of customers; instead they have to rely more on their 'regulars' and hopes of, at least a level of, sponsorship. Some will find other work in Pattaya, others will return home. The sensible ones will have built up savings; and/or maybe already invested in land or a house back in the village while others, living more hand to mouth, go back home with very little. The other observation that I would make is that many of the boys already had other part-time day jobs. For example, one lad from Cupidol I know, worked daytime shifts as a (junior) chef in a local hotel kitchen, but would be at his bar by 8pm, scrubbed-up and down to his tighty-whiteys. Others at Sunnee had regular daytime jobs in factories and construction, and their bar work had always been essentially freelance, but potentially offering welcome supplements to their income. Low season, also saw many others getting part-time jobs, etc etc. Only the most successful were ever only full time stage performers and/or sex workers. Many boys have also always regularly returned home for protracted periods during low season. So I think the 'case-study' presented above risks painting a very simplistic picture of the complexity of a sex-workers life in Pattaya for example. They are already pretty resilient to the vagaries of their 'working lives', although the pandemic closures and restrictions will have hit them far harder than they had perhaps hitherto experienced. The question for me is how many will eventually decide to return to the bright lights of their bars and partying, and how many see the pandemic as the catalyst to move on with their lives.

I have been wanting to write about my crazy adventures in Brazil. Because for the better part of the past year I have been living in Rio working remote. It’s been a life changing experience. Once I broke free of the GP scene (be careful it’s a trap). I discovered a whole new world! I have experienced places in Rio that I don’t think many Gringos or expats wouldn’t dare to venture to. Bailes in Mandu, São Joao, Penha, Providencia, CDD, Rocinha, Vidigal and so many other cool places. Which were all very safe for me because I used common sense. Also because I’m a young black man and I’m accompanied by other black Brazilians I never don’t feel safe. It’s been amazing getting to know people and really finding my place in the city. The experience of a younger bisexual black American man is a unique one. And it has gotten meinto some amazing situations. There are also some amazing parties outside the favelas gringos don’t go to. Park Bar in Lagoa on Wednesday night! When I do log in here I get a lot of questions about the sauna in Bangu. It’s called Boate Casa Grande google it for the address and all that info. It’s best on Sunday but open on Friday and one other day I don’t remember. Don’t pay more than 100 and don’t go if it’s raining. Invest in learning Portuguese, the past 6 months I’ve taken it serious and it feels great actually knowing what people are saying around you. I've also spent significant time in Bahia so if you have any questions lmk. And to think just a couple of weeks ago I found out the beach showers is where most people go to take a piss.Especially when the ocean is cold. Lol!!!

I'll start: As you wish.

@bucknaway yes I find our experiences can be very different than others. I find there is a shared connection between most minority communities. But when it comes to GP no matter how much you think they like you it’s about the money. They might give you a little more time at no charge if they enjoy your company but it’s about the real! Lol The community outside the GP world is where I think the difference really shows. Black culture is global and something we can all easily connect on. Plus we don’t stand out too much when we decide to go off the normal Gringo path. No one looks at me weird when I go to Rochina on a Saturday night to listen to Somba in the street. The truth is I have never seen any violence in the favelas. The bandidos don’t allow it. There are steep penalties for commuting crimes in the favelas. I’ve been to more than 50 this year and never saw anything past a heated argument. Now if you go to a favela where you don’t know anyone you will prob get robbed because you don’t know the bandidos chefe. @davet I’ve always taken an Uber there and back and never had any type of delay in catching one. You can go as early as 3 or 4 but I usually get there around 6 and stay until around 9:30-10. The area is safe.

'Round up the usual suspects.' and... 'Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'

all boys employed previously found sponsors? it can't be anyways good sign certainly

From the video, it looks to me that the entire beach-front road and the pedestrian footpath, parts of which have been washed away, were literally built on sand. No, "built" is too grand a word here. "Laid on sand" would be more accurate. I don't see any sturdy piles reaching down to bedrock. Hardly any wonder that even without major storms the road and walkway deteriorate rapidly, cracking and subsiding, as we have seen in years past. Seeing how much depth of sand there is under the road, it could well be that the orginal beach reached a further 30 - 50 metres inland, which suggests that the first row of houses have also been built on loose sand or soil, though some may have deep piles. But this is a legacy problem. If the orginal building owners built right up to the sandy beach, or even encroached onto the sand, then when the municipal government desires to put in a road, or widen the road in front of these houses, the road must necessarily be on sand too. The proper solution when planning to improve road access and public amenities would have been to exercise eminent domain (compulsory acquisition) with the authorities acquiring the first 30 - 50 metres of land for this purpose. That way, the investment to be put in to road and facilities construction would be on more solid ground. Of course I know compulsory purchase would come up against any number of powerful stakeholders with political connections. It may be too much to hope for. As for drainage, the video's subtitle at about 55 seconds says that "every 20 - 30 yards, there is a ditch". At 2:05, we see why. There is a fairly large diameter drainage pipe that goes no further forward than the edge of the bitumen. It was delivering storm water into the sand base about 1 metre below the beach surface. Perhaps there is a similar pipe running from the sois, perpendicular to the water line, every 20 - 30 metres. This is crazy; naturally, the flow of water from the pipe (which stops short) would undermine the stability of the sand beach. Even worse, in normal times, the pipe(s) would be delilvering untreated brown water from drains into the under-layers of the beach, dirty stuff which would naturally leach into the sea. Or, I shudder to think, perhaps even sewage. If they really wanted to protect the beach and keep it clean, then there should have been a deep (but covered) storm drain, almost a mini-canal, running parallel to the beach, e.g. on the seaward edge of the bitumen road. The capacity of the mini-canal should be sufficient to collect all the brown water from the drains, even on very wet days, taking said water to a treatment facility a few kilometres away. Water from the urban areas should not be allowed to flow into the sand or into the sea in front of the beach. But, TIT, I suppose!

I've been surprised by the number of the times the escort turned out to be hotter than the guy who's photo he used in his ad.

One aspect many posters may be unaware of…Greek policemen often work in ‘plain clothes’. They do this to catch visitors and locals who think to break the law, particularly nowadays the pandemic regulations. On-the-spot fines are levied. One example is that it’s lawful to NOT wear a mask when eating outdoors at a taverna, but you MUST wear a mask when stepping inside to use the bathroom. It didn’t happen to our party of friends, but one dinner time 3 people from 2 nearby tables entered, forgetting to put on masks first. All were grabbed by plain clothes police officers as they tried to rejoin their friends - the fine was €300 each (if paid instantly) but it escalates sharply if you argue about being fined, go to court etc

Anything that rankles Red China...I'm all for.

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." The opening scrolling credits on all Star Wars movies for those who didn't know it....

Here are a few of my favorites: "Go ahead. Make my day" "What a dump" "Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night" "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" "Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape" "Open the pod bay doors, Hal" "Is it safe?" "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too" "They call me Mister Tibbs" “I'll be back”

"I'd love to kiss you, but I just washed my hair"

"I'm having an old friend for dinner"

'Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown.'

Over 20 years of visiting Pattaya I have experienced the floods but the ones this year seem to be more severe than previously. Whether this is to do with global warming and climate change I would not like to say. I suppose nature is trying to reclaim the land and turn it back to a flat swampy terrain covered with trees and scrub which you see in areas which have not been developed or farmed. 80 years ago the small fishing village of Pattaya consisted of wooden houses built on the slightly higher land near Walking Street and raised above flood levels with piles. Man has concreted over the natural terrain which used to allow the rain water to soak away gradually. All this has happened also in more developed countries but there it’s emiellorated by a higher standard of infrastructure not like that present inadequate engineering in Pattaya for the described by z909. Thais are capable of erecting impressive structures but they are spoiled by greed, lack of planning and general bribery and corruption.

Bond, James Bond!

Hasta la vista, baby

Vessey’s account of the economics of being a rent boy in Pattaya is an excellent presentation of the realities of their lives. It caused me to reflect on my own experience of rent boys in Pattaya over the last 20 years concluding with my last trip in February last year. One boy I remember going back to my second trip years ago stands out in my memory. I was sat talking to a pal in one of the concessions on the gay beach during the late afternoon when two boys appeared and after some hesitation seated themselves close by. One was a really nice looking twink in the 18 to 20 range whereas the other was rather older maybe 26 to 29. We very quickly invited them over and bought them drinks. The older one could speak some English but the younger none. He said that they both worked nights at a laundry but the younger had only been there a week having arrived from Korat. He (the older)had come to the beach to try and find a farang to help him with his rent, whereas the twink was just sightseeing. After perhaps half an hour my pal went off with the older to his hotel whereas I took the younger to a short time room. I returned to the beach the next day hoping to meet him again but he didn’t appear and the day after I went back home. Returning a couple of months later I visited Sunee and spotted him dancing in the Euro Boys Gogo. I offed him and discovered that after our first meeting that he had transitioned over a week or so into full time work in gogos which he found much to his liking than the laundry.

I find the incredible delay in testing in packed slum areas like Klong Toey one of the government's biggest failings. They just had to look at the huge clusters discovered among Singapore's migrant workers dormitories or even that among both legal and illegal workers at the Samui Sakhon fish market way back in December - both a result of failure to test. But then this Thailand government has little time for the poor. They have to fend for themselves no matter that we are in the midst of a pandemic.

how do we know? Not that I don't agree or see merit in such gloomy statement but, specially 2nd part ( my underscore ), may or may not prove to be accurate. Material devastation may take longer to repair but one of immaterial nature like pandemic effect may be repaired surprisingly fast.

The problem is that Pattaya economy rely almost exclusively on Int'l tourism so the closure of the borders had devastating affect not only sex workers are suffering but the whole city collapsed , Unfortunately Pattaya won't be the same again and it will take many years to recover.

and this is question answer to many workers world over are pondering during pandemic not restricted to sex workers. I see people settling in new jobs, deciding to retire, going back to school and making all kinds of decision forced by the situation they found themselves in during pandemic so situation of sex workers in by no means unique although it may be much harsh because , as you noted above, their limited shelf life. As for what happens to the scene anybody's guess is as good as next person. All scenarios are possible from most of venues closing permanently for lack of funds or /and personnel all the way to rebound happening much faster than anybody expects since bringing bar back to life requires dusting of spider webs, mopping floor and making several phone calls to former staff. We can only speculate but in fact nobody knows , even people in the business. My guess is that it will be mix of those extremities, some venues will go back to life very fast and many of others breathed their last already without even knowing it. So for first several months we will have less choices in more crowded places. The same will probably happen to us - some will return as soon as it will be possible, others will take 'wait and see" approach resulting in coming later on or abandoning idea of travel to Thailand at all because they find other interesting places or even that life without travel is quite bearable.

Typical of most governments who all normally seem unwilling to break-up any part of their bureaucracy and instead replace/rename it with something even bigger 🤣 But also any unpopular government, facing street protests, will also seek all means to extend state control. So nothing surprising in any of this; disappointing yes, but surprising no!

From Pattaya Mail The inferno on Pattaya Walking Street, which consumed the entire structure, could be seen from kilometers away, with a towering plume of smoke visible in nearby subdistricts. A ferocious fire destroyed an Indian nightclub on Pattaya’s Walking Street, injuring no one, but taking 10 fire companies to extinguish. Flames broke out at the Nashaa Club around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 12 and spread rapidly through the four-story shophouse and damaging two adjacent structures. Nashaa, along with the rest of Walking Street’s nightlife businesses, have been closed since April and the blaze broke out after Pattaya’s 9 p.m., so the building and the street were vacant, save for a lone security guard. No firefighter injuries also were reported. The inferno, which consumed the entire structure, sending flames shooting out on to Walking Street, could be seen from kilometers away, with a towering plume of smoke visible in nearby subdistricts. Security guard Patvioda Srisuk, 32, said his first hint at trouble began with the sound of an explosion, suspected to be a gas cannister. That would trigger a serious of dangerous explosions over the next hour that made it extremely dangerous for firefighters to enter and battle the fames from inside. Pattaya Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department officials classified the fire as nearly a Category 7, one of the worst on record, with heat the made it nearly impossible to approach. They feared the building’s metal roof would collapse, but the blaze was controlled fast enough to prevent any parts of the shophouse from falling. Based on the number of “for sale” and “for rent” signs across Pattaya during the coronavirus pandemic, nearly all bars in the city have gone, or are close to going, bankrupt. Owners have been deprived any sort of compensation for the government, leaving owners few options to recover their losses. Continues with photos https://www.pattayamail.com/news/massive-fire-destroys-indian-nightclub-on-pattayas-walking-street-371714

From CNN / MSN Six members of an Islamist militant group were sentenced to death on Tuesday by a court in Bangladesh for the brutal killing of two gay rights campaigners five years ago. The killings were part of a series of attacks on atheist bloggers, academics and other minorities that shocked the South Asian nation of 170 million and led many to go into hiding or flee abroad. Of the eight defendants in the case, six were found guilty of murder and sentenced to death, public prosecutor Golam Sarwar Khan said. The Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal also convicted the six of belonging to a terrorist organization, the al Qaeda-inspired domestic militant organization Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, Khan said, a group that police believe is responsible for the murders of more than a dozen secular activists and bloggers. The men's defense lawyer, Nazrul Islam, said they would appeal their sentences. The tribunal acquitted two other defendants, who are on the run and were tried in absentia, Khan said. Of the six men sentenced to death, two are also on the run and were tried in absentia. One of them is Syed Ziaul Haq, a sacked army major believed to be the group leader and accused of masterminding the killings. Mannan's magazine, Roopbaan, had no official permission to publish in Bangladesh, a Muslim country where same-sex relationships are illegal and the LGBTQ+ community has long been marginalized. "We are happy with the judgment. At least after a long time, we get justice," said Shahanur Islam, a gay rights campaigner. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bangladesh-sentences-6-militants-to-death-for-killing-gay-activists/ar-AANXH9K ================================= Gay Games in Hong Kong face attacks as China’s proxies target LGBT groups HONG KONG —When Hong Kong was announced in 2017 as host of the 11th Gay Games next year, the first time the event would be held in Asia, it was a nod to the city's status as a cosmopolitan place and a relative bright spot in the region for progressive causes. Now, attacks on the Gay Games from local lawmakers aligned with Beijing are revealing bigotry in the financial hub, where space for promoting ideas such as equality and diversity has shrunk under China’s tightening control. Amid a crackdown enabled by a national security law introduced last year, the Hong Kong activists who would typically push back against such attacks are either behind bars or in exile. Leading the crusade is Junius Ho, a pro-Beijing lawmaker who has called the Gay Games “disgraceful” and a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” that could violate the security law. Another lawmaker, Priscilla Leung, said activists could use the sports and cultural event to promote political causes. Peter Shiu, a member of a center-right party, said Hong Kong can “tolerate” but not promote homosexuality. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gay-games-in-hong-kong-face-attacks-as-china-s-proxies-target-lgbt-groups/ar-AANVAdE