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From Thai PBS World National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has found 15 individuals, including former national police chief Somyot Poompanmuang and former deputy attorney-general Nate Naksuk, guilty of involvement in changing the speed of the car driven by Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya, to help him avoid speeding charges in the infamous hit-and-run incident in 2012. NACC Secretary-General Niwatchai Kasemmongkol told the media on Wednesday that they had reached a ruling, adding that the anti-graft watchdog’s ruling is not final and all the accused have the right to prove their innocence in court. Vorayuth was originally accused of driving his Ferrari at over 100kph when he crashed into a motorcycle, being ridden by a police officer, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert, on Sukhumvit Road in September 2012, killing him at the scene. Vorayuth was initially charged with speeding, but the car’s speed was eventually altered to under 80kph, so the speeding charge, which carries a higher penalty, was dropped. In 2020, all the charges against Vorayuth were dropped, mostly due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Fresh charges were, however, brought against him by the Office of the Attorney-General, but Vorayuth has been living abroad since shortly after the fatal incident. The other individual implicated by the NACC, Education Minister Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob, was found to have committed an offence which is not serious and the case will have to be sent to the government for consideration of an appropriate penalty. ======== From Thai Enquirer Impunity for the rich and powerful undermines Thailand’s democracy Thailand is a country where the harmonious façade is deeply cherished yet the grim reality of unequal justice frequently breaks through. The saga of Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the Red Bull heir accused in a fatal 2012 hit-and-run incident, paints a vivid portrait of an entrenched system that seems to favor the wealthy elite at the expense of everyday citizens. The National Anti-Corruption Commission’s recent accusation of 15 officials for alleged misconduct in dropping charges against Vorayuth adds another layer to an already complex tapestry of injustice and corruption. The charges against Vorayuth, initially dropped in July 2020 but later reinstated following public outrage, exemplify a pattern of authority figures turning a blind eye to the crimes committed by the privileged. High-ranking officers such as former national police chief Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmoung and former deputy attorney-general Nate Naksuk, among others, stand accused of bending the rules to favor the scion of one of Thailand’s wealthiest families. Although not all were accused of grave offenses, the message is clear: if you have the right connections, the law may not apply to you in the same way it does to others. Such actions tarnish not just the reputation of law enforcement agencies but corrode the very fabric of democracy. This isn’t a solitary case. Remember the infamous “Hi-So” crimes—cases involving high-society individuals who seem virtually untouchable? One glaring example is the case of Orachorn “Praewa” Devahastin Na Ayudhya, who at the age of 16 caused a fatal car crash that killed nine people. Despite the gravity of the accident, Praewa faced minimal consequences, leaving the victims’ families haunted by a haunting question: Is justice in Thailand only for those who can’t afford to evade it? Continues with audio https://www.thaienquirer.com/50663/impunity-for-the-rich-and-powerful-undermines-thailands-democracy/

Since it's already being discussed... useful to note that Singapore, although a city state, is a one party authoritarian country that's done exeedingly well. There are benefits to authoritarianism... but to realise it, the Government needs to be focused on doing right by the people and being highly resistant to corruption. A benefit of a well functioning democracy is that corrupt leaders can be voted out of office. Corruption is the disease that prevents these countries from growing and progressing.

Air New Zealand does weigh passengers for international flights but not to charge extra for those who are overweight. It is conducting a long-term survey to find out what the average weight of passengers on its long haul flights is likely to be. It still uses averages per passanger as set by nation's Civil Aviation Authority. But I remember seeing some years ago an episode of the Air Crash Investigation tv series about the crash of a small commuter aircraft somewhere in the USA. It occurred about 20 years ago and one reason was that the average weight of passengers as mandated by the FAA had been considerably exceeded. The Accident Report recommendation was that this average weight had to be increased. Clearly the larger the aircraft, the more likely it will be that the average weight is higher than mandated. In a small 20-seater, individual passanger weights become much more crucial.

This case has been before the National Anti-Corruption Commission for about a decade. And it has done absolutely f--k all! For the very simple reason that the government, the rich and the elite did not want it to do anything, and no doubt some of the Commission members received very substantial brown envelopes. This whole case stinks! The man at the centre of the charges has been seen both in Thailand and overseas several times - and nothing has been done. The government alleged it had had Interpol put him on a Red List. I went through the nearly 8,000 profiles on that red list. Guess who was not on it! His family is one of the richest in Thailand. Yet it paid a pittance to the widow of the motorcycle policeman this criminal mowed down and dragged along Sukhumvit doing what was then alleged as 200 or so kph at around 5:00 am. The family would not permit the police access to its compound until mid-afternoon, by which time the drugs in his system could have dispersed. It also at first alleged he had not been driving and tried to set the family chauffeur up as the driver. They are a bunch of disaceful crooks. If Move Forward ever gets in to power, I hope it uses all its powers to find this criminal and put him in jail for deacdes for outright murder - with additional years for having failed to turn up for about half a dozen court appearances.

I have never looked up Spacey's past. But there are plenty of other people who have been "tortured" in one way or another as they were growing up, often by relatives. I do not think that necessarily means their lives are "ruined". Therapy helps a lot of people who have endured often shocking childhoods. Did he seek any? I have no idea. I just know from the basis of what friends who have met him have told me that he is not someone I would wish to meet or whom I admire as a person. As an actor, I think he has shown many fine qualities. It is, I suggest, interesting that today we have news from the BBC's website of a massively long string of abuses of underage boys by the founder of the agency which had the largest stable of boy bands in Japan. In view of the depravity of this man, I have started a new thread. It's interesting, I think, that the legal system in Scotland is different from that in England and Wales. Under Scottish Law there is a third verdict a jury can deliver - Not Proven.

With red 100 baht notes in hand and waving, I am definitely not shy. The boys all rush to my table.

I saw it but it looks Thais side is not that keen afraid it may put country into debt like Laos. Certainly Thai railways need upgrade but whether it must by high speed type needs to be carefully considered. Country doesn't have few multimillion metropolis like Japan or China has so stream of passengers may not support expense

49 hours, def not direct, lol IAH-LGA-IAD-FRA-BKK-DPS...plus layovers

Is one of the reasons was such a long routing, to get Business class. I got these tickets sometime ago at 187,000 miles each, Houston-Bali then Bali-BKK then Bkk- Houston United later devalued their points and today same trip would cost 400-450k miles....or MORE, so ridiculous.

True, on trans-pacific flight, the price of 2 economy seats is about the same as one premium economy seat, which is half of a business class seat.

I always suspected he is NOT Chinese , thank you for making it clear

I feel beneficiary of Laos problems because I must say looking back , Laos boys are the best. Some are happy to be living in Thailand, some are sending money home and dream about day they will be back but best they are nevertheless

After all is said and done, workers from Laos are choosing to work in Thailand--and other paces--because they're industrious workers and can make a better living there. Among the factors that drove them to look elsewhere was runaway inflation, the fallout from the enormous debt service Laos pays to Chinese lenders, none of whom is Harold Wilson.

I'm going to have to start travelling economy soon ,getting too expensive BClass I heard you can buy 2 economy seats and being 108kg the seats are getting smaller and my bum 🍑bigger 😂

rightly so , actually it may be much easier to force changes, including those for common good, in authoritarian countries than in messy democracies dealing with NIMBY-ism at every turn. I'd not exclude Communist authoritarian governments either, it took one generation to turn Russia from agrarian to industrial country and records of some East European regimes in rebuilding their countries ravaged by war are nothing to sneeze at.

I would agree with a lot of that analysis. However, just to clarify, I never suggested that an "authoritarian" government is, in itself, a major restriction on development. Many non-Communist authoritarian governments, such as Chile under Pinochet, or South Korea under Park Chung Hee, achieved very high growth rates. Authoritarian Vietnam has had very high growth rates since it more or less abandoned trying to implement Communism properly in the mid-1980s. Laos, although not so far down this road as Vietnam, has managed quite respectable growth rates since the year 2000 or so. I get the impression that Laos is more corrupt than Vietnam (the main Achilles heel of an authoritarian government), which may slow it down. But, like Vietnam, it is now catching up with the likes of Taiwan and South Korea. By the way, I am not trying to minimise how terrible the experience of American bombing that Laos suffered between 1960 and 1975. However, I just don’t think it had that much impact on growth rates in Laos since peace came in 1975.

Biden has had to deal with pulling through Covid after Trump recommended Clorox, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a global gas and inflation crisis. Trump had to deal with where his next 18 holes were going to be and how to fool his supporters into believing a $1.5 trillion investment in billionaires was really a benefit to them. The latter being quite easy as his supporters have to share brain cells so they can breathe and waddle at the same time. It should be scaring people. If Trump and co fix their way through the current legal issues and somehow win, the world is in for a rollercoaster of shite. Biden is a terrible choice at this particular time, he's too old. Where are the alternatives? If the dems keep trying to play things straight while the GOP try to see if there are any laws they haven't broken yet then the US will be the largest Banana Republic in the world (and the most dangerous).

Just so I am clear, I understand a not guilty verdict. The jury decided that the evidence to convict Spacey could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. That doesn't mean they think Spacey didn't do it, it just wasn't proven. I have no idea what they think, but Spacey being acquitted is not Spacey being cleared.

In Japan, the name Johnny Kitagawa was until recently revered. In the 1960s he had started up the all-male agency which went on to manage most of the country's mushrooming boy band entertainment groups. He was arguably the most influential and powerful figure in Japan's entertainment industry. His agency was the gateway for many thousands of young men hoping to become stars. When he died in 2019 aged 87, his death was a national event. Even the Prime Minister sent his condolences. For those not clued in on Asian pop prior to K-Pop, J-Pop was its predecessor and a huge favourite both in Japan and around Asia for decades. When I worked in Japan in the 1990s, it was almost impossible to turn on the television without at least one programme featuring J-Pop bands. Now, thanks to an investigative team of reporters from the BBC, it has been discovered that Kitagawa was a sexual predator of the worst kind even before starting his agency. In the new documentary Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop, the reporters uncovered a scandal that is at the least on a parallel with that of Harvey Weinstein in the USA - only it seems to have gone on for much longer and involved many more individuals, in his case boys. As with Weinstein, there were many in the know - but no-one dared to speak out. Several singers openly tell the BBC they were scared their careers would be over if they did not give in to Kitagawa's sexual demands. One states the abuse started when he was 15 and lasted four years. When Kitagawa was alive, some of the allegations against him were proved in a civil case. But Kitagawa sued for defamation on more than one occasion. Japanese media failed to cover the allegations against him for decades. The reporters discovered that Kitagawa's family management knew of the abuse and allowed it to continue for decades. Even his niece knew what was going on. After his death, she took over the management of his company. She finally resigned today. But in her place is Noriyuki Higashiyama. He was one of the first talents recruited by Kitagawa's company. He states he was never abused by Kitagama. The future of the agency which was once known for fame and glamour which has been so publicly disgraced will no doubt be a matter for a long public debate as more and more men tell their stories of sexual abuse at the hand of a monster. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66737052

Tell me what the alternative is, the rapist under four (so far) indictments who's clearly less physically (not to mention mentally) fit with an extensive record of lying about everything including his health? Or one of the sycophants who find his record of constant reaching of new lows to be inspiring?

Or in some cases voted back in.

try purple 500 , then you learn what stampede is

golden words. but what is good in this case is that neither public nor media seem to forget about it and is still on the burner.

Spacey has never been found guilty. The actor who sued him for molesting him as a child, Anthony Rapp, lost his case. I didn't follow it. But it sounds just from reading that article like almost every other sexual abuse or rape case. Goal # 1 is to discredit the accuser. At least enough to make things cloudy. Which it sounds like Spacey's lawyers were able to do. The nice thing for Democrats is Bill Clinton can now just be part of our past. Unlike Trump for Republicans. Biden deserves a mention here, mostly as someone who is NOT like the others. He was accused, but by one woman. Who was not particularly credible, for lots of reasons. There's no comparison with how many people accused Spacey (or Trump or Clinton) of serially engaging in the same behaviors. My main point is that the LGBTQ community has not, and should not, treat Spacey the way Republicans treat Trump and Democrats treated Clinton at the time. I think this was clear, but when I used "tortured and ruined" it certainly was not an excuse for any of the things Spacey was accused of doing. As has been noted, Spacey himself used a version of "tortured and ruined" - his White supremacist neo Nazi father - as a way to explain why he never came out until he was accused. That's very understandable. My hope is that Spacey, and the whole concept of "tortured and ruined" Gays, is increasingly just a symbol of the way things used to be. Including how we were viewed: as predators. As this article spelled out nicely:

And think of all the land that has to be appropriated and then sold to the goverment at hugely inflated prices!

My award was with American Airlines miles.

My trip this week on CX was only 70,000 for Business. Boston Hkg Bkk. Deals are still out there but becoming harder to find.

As I understand it, the plan is to extend the rail line to Bangkok and then on to Singapore. Timetable of the existing high speed service is here - https://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/laos/

Yep. Egypt has approx 10% Coptic Christians and males are also circumcised.

Generally, yes. Sex/pleasure/money. Both wealthier Egyptians and expats (both men and women) were expected to 'thank' their sexual partners with money and/or gifts and/or provide employment where possible i.e. the longer you were acquainted. In the case of the "do you like my banana" scenarios, these can be financially lucrative for younger men and my understanding was certain families, who were often quite poor, turned a blind eye to how young men made their money in the the "tourist trade" as long as they were contributing to the household. A middle class Egyptian friend explained that many working class/fellaheen Egyptians think that well-off expats are just very generous tippers hence their sons coming home flush with cash...

as much as I like you I hope never seat next to you on any flight longer than 1 hr. Avoid Air New Zealand, somebody told me they start weighting passengers and charging them for over weight

I hope you at least sit in business class cabin.

Hope all is well. I don't have twittet anymore. It was too time consuming. The onlyfans doesn't exist anymore either. Sorry, my friend. I hope you're safe and well. Take care.

that's what happens when people are too cheap to take private jet. but finally you arrived and fun starts I presume. Salamat !

As has been noted in other threads, the world in general is much more welcoming for gay visitors than it was even a couple of decades ago. Many potential tourists have already been to Thailand more than once and done Thai temples and other cultural elements that the Tourism Authority of Thailand think should interest visitors. I have gay friends for whom a beach is the priority. They are tired of Phuket which has become expensive and overrun with tourists. They now prefer to visit the Maldives or Sri Lanka. They have also discovered Vietnam's beaches which in many cases are better and cleaner than those in Thailand, especially in the central area. The increasing availability of gay guys also makes Vietnam very attractive. I believe younger gay tourists have different priorities from those of us who loved coming to Thailand 20, 30 and 40 years ago.

...And in their own country, so they no need anymore to escape as tourists to foreign gay tolerable countries like Thailand to fulfill their sexual identity as used to in the past.

As I tried to suggest, the sexual cultures of Egypt appear very complex to new arrivals. As a Western expat, it took me quite some time to learn how to decipher 'signals'. For example, being asked (constantly) "are you married" and questions about your family appear to be everyday, polite questions. If you answer no, this is may be followed up with questions asking you to elaborate on why this is the case. Again, this maybe a straight forward question. However, as I discovered, if you explain that you "like your freedom" and that you live a very mobile life, this may be followed up with more questions asking you to explain why this is so, given that most expat men travel with wives/partners/families etc. If you then reply that "well, its just not for me" or other such vague, seemingly avoidant phrases, this may very well lead to further questions regarding your living arrangements ie. if you live alone, do you have a doorman. You can see where this is going... Interestingly, with some guys this questioning may take ten minutes. With others, it may unfold over several weeks, for example, as you run into the same guy at the local gym and strike up an (ongoing) conversation...

they kiss their boyfriends in straight places and nobody pays attention

Dongtan Beach as gay Beach gone , the gay Beach section in Patong Beach gone, Paradise Complex in Patong and Sunee Plaza in Pattaya reminds ghost towns, what more evidence do you need that the gay clientele in Thailand is not what is used to be ? Regarding the younger gay generation I agree with you they don’t feel the need to be in gay ghettoes and behave like the mainstream tourists.

I'm at the airport starting my journey over to that side of the world....I wouldn't be surprised if I ran into you somewhere while I'm there.

for me is that moment when I pass immigration and exit customs heading to escalators down to ARL station. Always think, wow I'm back again. Even now writing it I feel some nice tingling

OP is visiting thailand and asked about body builder type of guys in thailand. How is suggesting brazil helping someone who is already visiting thailand..... Anyway, most already answered OP question

When Spacey was still Artistic Director of London's Old Vic Theatre, I remember visiting Singapore to see him in a production of Shakespeare's Richard III. I doubted if he could bring it off but he was in fact excellent in the role. Thereafter the company went to Australia. One of my good friends there is a theatre Production Manager. What he told me about Spacey and the way he treated people in general (non-sexually) does not bear repeating. I cannot imagine what people in Hollywood actually think of him.

A finding of 'not guilty," desirable as it may be, is not a finding of innocence.

I visited Soi 13 on Saturday 18:30, June 10. Someone wrote here that it's the best sauna in Asia. I'd say maybe it's the best sauna in the world (Brazilian garoto saunas excluded)! Two non sexual things striked me in the first few minutes. One, everything including the floor is so squeaky clean, everyone is barefooted (maybe footware is prohibited). Two, there are unlimited free light drinks. Lots of young eye candies; didn't notice any attitude. Although, as usual, many walking around stone-faced zombie-like, there's also talk to be seen and heard. I guess it's mostly because friends come together, but - for example - an old local striked up a not-hitting-on-u conversation with me in English at the hot water pool (it's not really a jaccuzi). Better atmosphere. The best feature was the dark room, darkest and most interactive I've ever been to. Can't see a thing, no matter how long I stayed there. At some point I was taken care of by 2 guys. Only after I tried to decipher with my hands who was doing what, I found out that I'm actually part of a fivesome... The dark 'room' is actually a corridor, with 5-6 very small wooden cubicles opening on it's right side. For some reason, two guys making out prefer to do it in the corridor, so most cubicles r empty. By 19:15 there was a jam, everyone stuck together with intense action. Only when I finally got to the end of the corridor for the third time (still erect), I found out that the last cubicle had no back side. It opened into a parallel corridor, which was just as dark and almost empty. I guess most patrons aren't aware of its existence. It's much more conducive to 'normal' dark action. I enjoyed myself immensly. Never had so many anonymous guys take care of me.