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What a horrible thing to say about someone that was murdered.

From The Thaiger Great news for punters, a committee drafting a new law governing prostitution has agreed that voluntary sexual service without criminal penalties should be allowed from the age of 20. Jintana Chanbamroong, head of the Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development at the Social Development and Human Security Ministry, chaired the committee drafting the new law. The new law is a landmark turn in Thailand’s stance on prostitution, the proliferation of which is probably the country’s worst-kept secret. The new law, initially called the Draft Act for the Protection of Sexual Services B.E., would serve as a replacement for the current Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act, B.E. 2539 enacted in 1996. Public and focus group hearings were held in five cities before a proposal was tabled to Social Development and Human Security Minister Juti Krairiksh. The committee’s main priority was to safeguard and legalise independent sex workers who are at least 20 years old and provide sexual services voluntarily. It would still be illegal to engage in sexual relations with prostitutes under 20 years of age. Also not legal under the new draft, and migrant workers would be barred from engaging in prostitution. Freelancers will be granted employment rights and welfare benefits, without being labelled as sex workers. They will also have access to fair compensation but are required to undergo health assessments to verify they are free from any communicable illnesses. The new draft makes clear that it applies only to voluntary services and that the government still takes a hardline stance on forced prostitution. Procurement and trafficking or coercion to force a woman into prostitution would still be a violation of the Human Trafficking Act. Operators of brothels will be mandated to operate within designated areas, specifically avoiding locations close to educational or religious institutions, and adhering to guidelines for safeguarding their workers who provide sexual services. The committee reviewed prostitution laws in various countries to identify an appropriate standard for Thailand to adopt. After careful consideration, they chose to follow the example of New Zealand’s law that decriminalized prostitution. New Zealand lawfully legalized sex work in 2003, allowing any individual aged 18 or above to purchase or provide sexual services. The committee will push forward with analysing the societal and economic effects of the draft law while keeping a careful consideration of not damaging Thailand’s reputation. The draft law is expected to be completed and tabled to the new government around August this year.

When living in Thailand it doesn't take long to expect it to be that way, so it rarely comes as a major shock or surprise to me. But things like that come as a very unpleasant surprise to people who don't understand the way things work in Thailand and have no idea how to deal with it when things happen. You either live with it and accept it as part of life in Thailand or Thailand is the wrong country to live in. The worst mistake I see foreigners make is if they try to argue when things like that happen. All that ever does is make things worse,often much worse, especially if they raise their voice.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon The city’s unique book exchange with soft-drinks cafeteria is more popular than ever after being advised it would likely face closure. Canterbury-born Dave Collier, who runs the enterprise with his wife Yao said, “We were told many years ago that the internet and electronic books would doom a business venture like Canterbury Tales. In reality, we have expanded dramatically with more than 60,000 second-hand books being bought, borrowed and traded on a regular basis.” He adds that the shop never closed during the recent covid pandemic and still hosts a traditional gossip shop for UK expats every Monday. The internet has actually turned out a boon rather than a threat. “We regularly use Facebook to promote the business with regular updates and reviews of new arrivals,” explains Dave, “whilst our new premises in Soi Bongkot are much bigger and quieter than the old premises in Soi Pothole.” Canterbury Tales moved last September away from a bar and club district to a brighter and more reader-friendly district a couple of kilometers away. “We get a lot more foreign ladies and couples dropping in since the move.” The bookshop stock, which also houses a small selection of classic DVDs, is around 50-50 fiction and non-fiction. Wandering around the aisles and checking the shelves is an evocative delving experience with some rare finds. There are lots of books about Thailand and Pattaya including the very first exposure of the sex industry: Jack Reynolds’ “A Woman of Bangkok” published in 1956 and described as a “brutally frank story that will shock and enthrall.” And where else in Thailand might you find classics such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, or a paperback highlighting the ten most ugly towns and cities in the UK? The books are mostly given or traded in by local expats, although Canterbury Tales now receives bulk donations and job lots from the estates of expats who have died. “We also ship orders all over Thailand as we have developed a niche market,” explains Dave. The book sections partially reflect the expat community population in Pattaya. For example, there are lots of volumes on the Vietnam war, recalling the arrival of many American expats during and after that conflict, plus an unexpected influx of medical books which may reflect the preoccupations of ageing expats more generally. The store is arranged alphabetically, though that’s more of a theory than a guarantee. The real deal is to wander and browse. On your right might be a large choice of horror fiction from Frankenstein to Stephen King and beyond, on your left science fiction and fantasy which go well together. European languages other than English are also represented, especially paperback novels. High on the shelves might be a history of football and a guide to self-improvement in golf, whilst lower down you’ll come across biographies of famous public executioners such as Albert Pierrepoint. Canterbury Tales is open daily 10 am to around 5 pm. Check Dave out on Facebook, or phone 086 575 4966.

@Home bar charge you 300 baht, but you don't pay a bar fine. So the same as taking a boy home.

it's just making legal fact that Wednesday is day after Tuesday but certainly prat grantinf sex workers some protection is decent and welcomed

Glad you got your inquiry answered, "Toronto2021." Do you plan to show your appreciation by sharing your experiences in Bangkok when you arrive?

and yet you still happily live there for many years so obviously that lack of logic is just minor obstacle

No doubt convenient for some crooks

Families fly kites on a beach during a kite festival in Pattaya, Thailand, on Sunday, February 26. Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images

From CNN The long-anticipated ETIAS visa waiver scheme, which will require all non-EU passport holders to get pre-trip permission to enter the bloc, was supposed to launch by November this year. But it has been pushed back to 2024. It’ll be a fast online authorization for non-EU nationals from the 60 or so countries that don’t currently need a visa to the EU – such as the United States and the United Kingdom – and will work a lot like the United States’ ESTA program. It’ll cost 7 euro ($7.43 on Friday afternoon’s exchange rates) and will cover you for three years. However, compared to the ESTA – $21 for two years – that’s admittedly kind of a bargain.

Why not? That's the only way you'll ever find it. I've been looking for logic for many years. I'll let you know if I ever find any . . .

A Thai Driver's Licence carries your Passport number.

And they were fined rather than the landlords? The landlord is exempt from any responsibility or penalty for failing to file the form? The renter ends up punished instead? That makes about as much sense as usual - in other words none. How are renters supposed to even know whether the landlords complied and filed? It looks to me if you're going to rent a condo, then you better go to immigration and complete a TM-30 form yourself rather than depending on the landlord unless you want to risk a fine and a black mark on your records at immigration. Apparently it doesn't matter whether it is ridiculous or not. It's just open your wallet and pay up - and do it pronto. If someone is in Thailand to commit crimes, what makes immigration think he's going to supply correct whereabouts information in the first place? Time to dig out my "I Don't Get It" list . . .

I guess you're right, though the son who was killed was actually also a killer and a man of ill repute himself...

I don't think that people who watch Fox news could care less about the truth.

for that sum I rather have 3 private overnight parties

you got that right !

From Reuters Two Labrador dogs, which have been trained by British police, are to be flown to Thailand to help crack down on the smuggling of critically endangered pangolins, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) said on Tuesday. Pangolins, nocturnal creatures famed for their full armour of scales, are the most trafficked mammal in the world according to the World Wildlife Fund, and all eight species are on the red list of threatened species and at risk of extinction, the ZSL said. The two dogs, Buster and Bess, who have already undergone an eight-week training programme with London's Metropolitan Police, will be sent to Thailand to complete their training, and then use their sniffing skills to detect pangolins being smuggled through airports, ports and by road. "Not all heroes wear capes: some walk on all fours and have extremely powerful noses," said ZSL Pangolin Technical Specialist Georgina Gerard. "Intelligence has been telling us that live pangolins are being trafficked all across Thailand - mainly by road. Some vehicles even have purpose-built concealed areas to transport the critically endangered species." Despite there being a ban on global trade of pangolins since 2017, the mammal is victim to high levels of poaching and illegal trade for their meat, scales and other body parts. Continues with video and photos https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/london-dogs-head-to-thailand-to-sniff-out-pangolin-smugglers/ar-AA185vNW

From Pattaya Mail The European Olympic Committees (EOC) has officially announced the inclusion of Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, at the European Games 2023, to be held in Krakow, Poland. The EOC also remarked that Muay Thai is one the fastest growing combat sports in terms of athletes and spectators. The website of European Games 2023 has this to say about Muay Thai: “Muay Thai has its origins in Asia. Several countries claim to be the birthplace of the sport, but there is no doubt that Thailand has made the greatest contribution to the development of Muay Thai. It became the national sport and it’s the most popular there.” At each Muay Thai bout in the European Games 2023, fighters must first shake hands and perform the wai khru dance – a ritual performed by boxers before and after a fight, according to tradition. Muay Thai will be held from 23 to 27 June 2023 in Myslenice Arena. (PRD)

Santos seems to be yesterdays news, or being swept under the closet carpet hoping people will forget or just get over it..... Like everything else the politicians do. You do not hear a word from them on the revelations from Ruppert Murdoch himself that Fox News knowingly assisted the GOP in spreading their FAKE NEWS Big Lie narrative..... Not a single word. I guess McCarthy is too busy handing over Jan 6th surveillance tapes to Tucker so he can re-write THAT script ? What a fucking pile of shit these people all are.

This is so true. A GP who speaks English has probably been around for a while. That's how they learn English. And, they know how to play games on you, deliver less than promise, fake an orgasm, cut short their time with you, ask more money while in the room for "extra" service...etc. I am speaking from my personal experience.

I don't like those small bottles simply because they are wasteful. If hotel provides them and I did not use whole content I take them to my next hotel. I don't mind dispensers but I don't like liquid soap and always carry regular bar of soap with me or buy it locally right after arrival so dispensers for me are for shampoo only

daily cleaning, avoidance of getting foul of anti shot term rentals in condos, proximity to your favorite bar , walk distance to a nearest church

Xclay, I tend to do the same and during each trip, I try to discover a new place. There is so much to discover in Brazil. Spending some time in Amazonas or in Pantanal is really awesome ... but boyless (there are a couple of saunas in Manaus). Travelling in Minas Gerais outside of the very well known cities (BH, Ouro Preto, ...) is also amazing. It is a totally different Brazil : I discovered recently the "montanhas cafeeiras" (moutains where coffee grows). Amazing ! I still have quite a lot to discover ...

From The Nation The ashes of 17-year-old Duangpetch “Dom” Promthep – one of 12 young members of the Wild Boars football team rescued from a flooded cave in Chiang Rai in 2018 – were given to his family at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on Saturday, after being blessed upon their return from England.

I'm glad to hear that scumbag won't see the outside of a prison for the rest of his life. He should get extra punishment for having such ugly sons! What an appropriate last name.