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Maybe it has a little bit to do with the guys. 😉

Didn't know that. What's the attraction--besides the guys? Climate, cost of living or just being around like-minded folks?

From Pattaya Mail According to Forbes, a leading financial and business magazine, which has written an article on the topic “Quit Your Job And Move Abroad: 10 Cheapest Places To Live,” Thailand ranks 9 — and it is the only place in Asia that made it into the top 10. There is an interesting passage introducing Thailand: “There is no doubt that the allure of Thailand begins with its sun drenched, warm climate and appeals to those who have a keen sense of adventure and an eye for natural and cultural beauty.” On the topic “Where to Move,” it says, “Its diverse natural beauty means that expats are spread from islands surrounded by emerald waters, the high-rise metropolis of Bangkok or the rice fields and laidback lifestyle of Northern Thailand.” And as for the cost, “Thailand is affordable, especially when it comes to real estate.” 1st place – Portugal; 2nd place – Mexico; 3rd place – Panama; 4th place – Ecuador; 5th place – Costa Rica; 6th place – Spain; 7th place – Greece; 8th place – France; 9th place – tie between Italy and Thailand. The original Forbes article can be viewed at https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2023/01/02/quit-your-job-and-move-abroad-10-cheapest-places-to-live-in-the-world

From Forbes Nearly 28% of the 524 passenger arrivals from mainland China at Taiwan’s top international airport on Sunday tested positive for Covid, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center, or CECC. Taiwan starting on Jan. 1 is requiring travelers from the mainland to take a saliva-based test when arriving, the Central News Agency reported.

How about someone else's body?

The Bangkok Post is reporting separately that ALL visitors must show proof of at lest two covid vaccinations. From Thailand News Agency BANGKOK, Jan 5 (TNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand was well prepared to welcome visitors from around the world including those who would start to arrive from China next week while relevant officials would be monitoring the COVID-19 situation. After chairing a meeting on measures to welcome visitors, Mr Anutin said that existing disease control measures in the country were effective enough and would be applied to all visitors regardless of the countries from which they would arrive. “In case that some countries require their arrivals to pass RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 before trips, such travelers will be required to have health insurance. This will benefit them if they are infected and must stay in Thailand until their recovery. Therefore, tourists should have their health insurance before visiting Thailand,” the health minister said. He also planned to set up an operation center to monitor the COVID-19 situation and respond to emergency situations. The center will gather officials from three ministries and relevant organizations. Mr Anutin said that measures could be revised to suit changing situations. (TNA)

Sorry to hear about this. Did this happen in Bangkok or Pattaya?

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon House of Representatives speaker Chuan Leekpai is warning that the next general election, provisionally set for May 7 2023, is likely to see rampant vote buying as some politicians continue to mix money with politics. He is appealing for the public to vote for honest politicians to put an end to the familiar cycle of corruption which could lead to yet another military putsch to restore order. Thailand has, on average, experienced a coup attempt every seven years in the last 90 years, most of them successful. Mr Chuan foresees a negative scenario in which no party will win enough seats to form a government, resulting in a scramble for power with no holds barred. A further complication is that the unelected Senate, all of whose 250 members were appointed by the military following the 2014 coup, has significant voting rights in choosing the next prime minister. Military-backed parties in the upcoming election hold a number of key advantages apart from control of the Senate. They include a host of laws to keep the opposition on the back foot, the highest-quality surveillance technology, an obedient electoral commission and a party list system which few mortals can understand. The army is the country’s largest landowner apart from the separately controlled national parks. The main opposition parties are Pheu Thai, traditionally associated with the Shinawatra family, and the more radical Move Forward Party. But they are split on important political issues such as political leadership, the lese majeste treason laws and legalization of recreational cannabis. Although the current army chief, general Narongpan Jitkaewtae has stated the chances of another coup are “zero”, the danger exists that domestic violence following a disputed poll would lead to demands for the army to step in to avoid chaos, to end corruption and to protect the monarchy. A review of past Thai coups suggests that ongoing violence on the streets is a likely precursor of a military putsch. The 2014 intervention, created the day after martial law was declared by the army, was very much in the traditional mold. Chaiyan Chaiaporn, a lecturer in political science at Chulalongkorn University, predicted that no party will gain enough seats to be confident of victory. “It’s going to be quite complicated putting together a government,” he told the Bangkok Post this week. Coup historian Francis Ritchie said, “Thailand’s addiction to coups is well-known, but I personally think that calmer heads will prevail after the next election. There are no good coups on offer.”

From The Thaiger The Thai Hotels Association last night reported that tourists from India are cancelling trips to Thailand in their droves after their government insisted that returning travellers produce a negative Covid-19 test before reentering the country. The new mandate has come as a shock to Indian holidaymakers as the rest of the world contemplates what to do with returning Chinese tourists. China announced last month it is reopening its borders to foreign travellers on Sunday, January 8 and scrapping quarantine rules.The Thai Hotels Association last night reported that tourists from India are cancelling trips to Thailand in their droves after their government insisted that returning travellers produce a negative Covid-19 test before reentering the country. The new mandate has come as a shock to Indian holidaymakers as the rest of the world contemplates what to do with returning Chinese tourists. China announced last month it is reopening its borders to foreign travellers on Sunday, January 8 and scrapping quarantine rules.Thai Hotels Association Eastern Chapter President Sanphet Supbowornsathian revealed the Indian government’s decision to produce negative RT-PCR tests has left many travellers reconsidering holidays to Thailand.Sanphet reported that India imposed the rule on tourists coming back from Thailand, China (including Hong Kong), Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. “The mandatory RT-PCR tests raise the costs of tourists and they are delaying their visits. Only small groups (of Indian tourists) remain. “Major Indian tour firms as reporting that some of their customers had postponed their planned trips for a few months.“The situation was affecting hoteliers and restaurateurs in Pattaya, as Indian tourists were a major market for the resort city and for Thailand.”

From the BBC By Jonathan Head South East Asia correspondent Kwanmueang and his mahout Lek have returned to their home town as the tourism industry changes As he ambles in for his annual health check, Kwanmueang's size takes your breath away. Nearly three metres high at the shoulder, weighing at least four tonnes, and with spectacular tusks that curve together until they almost touch, the 18-year-old Thai bull elephant is an imposing sight. Yet he and his keeper, or mahout, Sornsiri "Lek" Sapmak, are in trouble. They used to make a living by having Kwanmueang take part in ceremonies to ordain new monks, or dress up as a war elephant for re-enacting historic battles. All that stopped during the Covid lockdowns. More elephants are used for tourism in Thailand - over 3,000 - than anywhere else. Unlike other countries with captive populations, those in Thailand are nearly all privately owned. So the collapse of tourism during the pandemic has had a devastating impact on the elephants and their owners, who no longer earn enough to look after them. Even as tourism starts to recover, another threat hangs over this unique industry. Ethical concerns over how captive animals are kept and trained are prompting many foreign visitors to boycott the elephant shows, which were once a staple of tour groups, raising questions over whether elephant tourism can ever go back to what it was before Covid. Lek and Kwanmueang have come back to Lek's home village in Surin province - a region whose people are famed for their skill in keeping, training, and in the past capturing, elephants. Lek is not alone. Hundreds of other elephants have returned to Surin from tourist hot spots like Phuket and Chiang Mai, where they made money by performing tricks or giving rides to foreign visitors. Walking through these villages is a disarming experience. Nearly every house has one or more elephants chained up in their front yards, or resting under trees. You get used to seeing the huge animals plodding along the road, their mahouts straddling their broad necks, and when driving you learn to take care to move around them. Boonyarat "Joy" Salangam owns four elephants, which she and her partner brought back from Phuket when tourism dried up in 2020. One is a playful baby, penned in with its mother in an enclosure Joy built in front of her house. "Covid stopped everything," she says. "The mahouts, owners and elephants have all been unemployed. In the tourist camps the females are kept apart from the bulls, but here we have all been hanging out together, and the elephants have been having sex. We don't force them. They do it in their own time. So the population is increasing." Joy says she thought about selling her baby elephant to raise funds - they can fetch as much as a luxury car - but worried about how well he would be looked after. Joy has lived with his mother, who is 39 years old, nearly all of her life, and inherited her from her grandparents. The mahouts too may live for decades with the same elephant from when they are both young, sometimes choosing to sleep with them, taking them to lakes or rivers to bathe in the evening, and keeping a close eye on their health. That has been a challenge under Covid. Continues with video and photos https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-63858123

Cambodia places no restrictions on China visitors From Phnom Penh Post PHNOM PENH – Cambodia will not follow in other countries’ footsteps in imposing any additional restrictions towards arrivals from mainland China, amid concerns that soaring Covid-19 cases there could drive the emergence of new and potentially more dangerous variants of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Hun Sen affirmed on January 2. This comes as China moves to reopen to inbound and outbound tourism on January 8, while the Kingdom plans to capture pent-up travel demand, welcoming an estimated two million mainland Chinese visitors this year, according to the premier. Hun Sen was speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for a Mekong River bridge and connecting road in Kratie province that are due to be built in part with a concessional loan from the Chinese government. “We’ve all seen the unfortunate but frightening propaganda about the Covid-19 epidemic in China. Those who will be strict when it comes to China, let them do so since that’d just benefit Cambodia,” he said. “Let’s say that [a Chinese traveller] wants to go to some country, but it requires Chinese people to do this or that. Cambodia won’t have such requirements,” the premier explained, issuing an invitation for mainlanders to “come travel [to the Kingdom] as per normal”.

Republicans are taking a page from Ronald Reagan's famous 1966 “eleventh commandment”: “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.” It's no wonder you--and many Americans--are flummoxed by the emergence of openly gay George Santos onto the disastrous political scene. From Wikipedia: Santos has made numerous false claims about his biography, work history and financial status, in public and private. Questions about his finances emerged in September 2022 in The North Shore Leader, a local Long Island publication.[2] Six weeks after the election, numerous news outlets began reporting that large parts of his self-reported biography appear to be fabricated, including claims about his ancestry, education, employment, charity work, property ownership[3] and crimes he claimed to be the victim of. Santos has admitted to lying and, as of late December 2022, is under investigation by federal, state, and county authorities.[3][4] Santos claimed that his mother's parents were Ukrainian Jews who fled from the Holocaust to Brazil, but records obtained by several sources showed that his mother's parents were born in Brazil and none of her ancestors were Ukrainian or Jewish. Despite originally claiming to have "Jewish background beliefs" and calling himself a "a proud American Jew", Santos later said that "I never claimed to be Jewish...I said I was 'Jew-ish'." There have been several judgments against Santos in eviction and personal debt cases in the United States, involving thousands of dollars. In 2008, he confessed to check fraud charges in Brazil, but did not appear in court, leaving the case unresolved. Santos denied committing a crime and said, "I'm not a wanted criminal in any jurisdiction";] Brazilian authorities revived the case after his other falsehoods were discovered. In October 2022, Santos told the media: "I am openly gay, have never had an issue with my sexual identity in the past decade".[46] In 2014, Santos began dating Pedro Vilarva; the two lived together until Vilarva moved out early the next year after having had enough of Santos's prevarications.[25] In December 2022, The Daily Beast reported that Santos married a woman in 2012 and that they divorced in 2019. Santos did not publicly acknowledge this marriage until after it was reported; he told the Post in December 2022: "I dated women in the past. I married a woman", adding that he was "OK with my sexuality. People change."

I was in the ANA lounge at Haneda in November. What surprised me was how locals were eating fried chicken and drinking beer at 7 in the morning. "The Room" business class product is the best in the industry IMO.

From Thai PBS World Three ministries to meet Thursday to prepare for return of Chinese tourists Senior officials of Thailand’s Public Health, Tourism and Sports and Transport ministries are scheduled to meet this Thursday to prepare for the arrival of Chinese tourists, expected to begin in the middle of this month. The Chinese government has eased travel restrictions, effective January 8th, allowing Chinese citizens to travel out of the country again and allowing tourists to visit China. Thai tourism-related officials said that, during the initial stage, not many Chinese tourists will visit Thailand, due to the limited number of flights between China and Thailand, and many Chinese citizens may have to renew passports which expired during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions were strictly enforced under China’s Zero Infection Policy. About 50,000 arrivals from China are estimated in the first month and many are expected to travel overland and through the border crossing in Chiang Saen district of Thailand’snorthern province of Chiang Rai, or via the Lao-Chinese high speed train service to the north-eastern province of Nong Khai. Then, with increased flights, the number of arrivals isexpected to rise to about 100,000 a month and, this year, total arrivals are forecast to be about 5 million, compared to 11 million a year pre-pandemic. No special measures are to be imposed on Chinese tourists, as they will be treated like other foreign tourists, according to the recommendation of a technical sub-committee of the National Communicable Disease Committee. Chinese tourists will, however, be required to present their COVID-19 vaccination certification, will be advised to wear face masks while travelling around Thailand and should take out health insurance coverage before leaving for Thailand.

The Bangkok Post is reporting that nine Thais are unaccounted for in the aftermath of the fire. The remains of 19 other victims have been returned to their families. This story has disappeared from the Cambodia media. I doubt an accurate number of total fatalities will be made known.

A ditto for Hot Male beer bar. TBH, I don't feel compelled to only visit the gay bars, especially if I want to eat and drink in a pub atmosphere. On my last trip, I regularly stopped by Shenanigan's (Surawong at Patpong 1) for a reasonably priced food and brew, and to watch football. Can assure you gays are welcome there. I'd add to the list Happy Beer Garden on Surawong (opposite the old Twlight site). The restaurant at Foodland was where I had most of my meals. Great any time of day or night and excellent for quick take away service.

From ABC News 26 bodies found as search ends at Cambodian hotel fire site POIPET, Cambodia -- The search for bodies in the wreckage of a burned-out casino hotel complex in western Cambodia has concluded with 26 people confirmed dead, a senior official said late Friday. Banteay Meanchey province Governor Um Reatrey told The Associated Press by phone that after 39 hours of rescue and search operations, there were also 57 injured survivors from the Wednesday night fire at the Grand Diamond City casino and hotel in the town of Poipet. Seventeen of the dead were from Thailand, one each from Nepal, Malaysia and China, and six bodies were yet to be identified, he said. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office of Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, just across the border from Poipet, said there had been 27 deaths — 26 in Cambodia and one in a Thai hospital. It said of the 112 people injured, 27 remained in hospitals and 85 had returned to their homes. Thailand’s Ruamkatanyu Foundation, a social welfare organization that sends volunteers to disaster scenes, said Friday the search operation in the main 17-story building of the casino complex was completed, and it was withdrawing its teams. It said its searchers could not enter the more badly damaged 6-story part of the complex because it was too unsafe. An initial investigation found that the fire may have been caused by New Year’s holiday decorations that drew too much electricity, causing wires to overheat and burn, local authorities said.

No explanation necessary, as others have said. Members aren't paid and contribute on a pro bono basis. Given that many posts are done on a tiny phone keyboard it's impressive that our stuff reads so well in the first place.🙂

From The Star VIENTIANE (Xinhua): The Laos National Assembly on Friday (Dec 30) elected Sonexay Siphandone (pic) as the country's new Prime Minister to replace Phankham Viphavanh who has resigned citing health reasons. The Lao cabinet was reshuffled at the conclusion of the fourth ordinary session of the National Assembly (Ninth Legislature) of Laos in Vientiane, according to local TV reports. The assembly approved the nomination from Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, naming Sonexay Siphandone as the new prime minister, with an overwhelming majority of 149 out of 151 votes. Phankham Viphavanh, 71, said in his speech at the assembly that he was retiring from politics.

From Channel News Asia Malaysia announces restrictions amid China’s COVID-19 surge KUALA LUMPUR: Amid a concern over the rise of COVID-19 cases in China, all visitors entering Malaysia will have to undergo temperature screening checks for fever. Those who are found to have fever, are symptomatic or have self-declared their symptoms will then be sent to a quarantine centre or to the health authorities for further checks. In a statement on Friday (Dec 30), the country’s Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa also said that those who have been to China within the last 14 days of their arrival into the country will need to undergo the RTK-Ag test (rapid antigen test). These samples will then be sent for genome testing if they are found to be positive for Covid-19, Dr Zaliha said. At the same time, those who have been in close contact with people who have travelled to China in the last 14 days, or exhibit influenza-like illnesses or severe acute respiratory infection will also need to be tested for COVID-19. The Member of Parliament for Sekijang said these measures were part of Malaysia’s increased surveillance for COVID-19 in order to ensure that steps can be taken to check the spread of the disease in the country and monitor for possible new variants.

Like Russia, Myanmar has become a pariah nation as dictators rule the land and its people. From Thai PBS World / AFP (AFP) – Ousted Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to another seven years in jail as her long series of trials ended on Friday, with the Nobel laureate now facing more than three decades behind bars. A prisoner of the military since a coup last year, Suu Kyi, 77, has been convicted on every charge levelled against her ranging from corruption to illegally possessing walkie-talkies and flouting Covid restrictions. On Friday she was jailed for seven years on five counts of corruption related to the hiring, maintaining and purchase of a helicopter for a government minister, a case in which she allegedly caused “a loss to the state”. Suu Kyi — sentenced to a total of 33 years following 18 months of court proceedings that rights groups have dismissed as a sham — appeared in good health, a legal source familiar with the case told AFP. “All her cases were finished and there are no more charges against her,” said the source, who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media. Journalists have been barred from attending the hearings and Suu Kyi’s lawyers have been blocked from speaking to the media. The road leading to the prison holding Suu Kyi in the military-built capital Naypyidaw was clear of traffic ahead of the verdict, said an AFP correspondent in the city. Former Myanmar president Win Myint, who was co-accused with Suu Kyi in the latest trial, received the same sentence, the source said, adding that both would appeal.

As I attempted to get updates on the fire this morning I found some of the most comprehensive coverage from the Associated Press on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) website. After reading as much as I could from many different sources, and watching numerous videos, I'm inclined to believe that the factors responsible fort such rapid spread--and a still unknown number of fatalities--will be many. Although some are already talking about an electrical short as the cause, the most pertinent contributing issues will be (as PeterRS notes above) insufficient and blocked exit ways along with shoddy construction, inadequate water supply, lack of automatic fire detection and suppression systems, and delay in notification of emergency services. If your New Year's celebrations bring you to any crowded venue, make it a point to locate alternative exits. Keep in mind that the further you go above or below street level, chances of survival get progressively lower. From The Associated Press / CBC A fire that lasted more than 12 hours in a hotel-casino in Cambodia killed at least 19 people and injured more than 60, officials said, while other victims were apparently not yet accounted for Thursday. Neighbouring Thailand sent fire trucks and emergency workers to help cope with the crisis in the bustling border town of Poipet. Some victims were believed to still be under debris or in locked rooms that rescue teams could not immediately access, so the death toll was expected to rise, said Sek Sokhom, head of Banteay Meanchey province's information department, who also gave the injury toll. The dead and injured people were of several nationalities, including Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Cambodian, he said. A local Buddhist temple was being used to receive bodies. Videos posted on social media showed people falling from a roof after they were trapped by the fire at the Grand Diamond City casino and hotel in the town of Poipet. Many of the customers and staff were from Thailand. In a video posted by Cambodia's firefighting agency, onlookers could be heard shouting pleas to rescue people trapped on the roof of the hotel complex, which is more than a dozen storeys at its highest point. The video showed at least one man falling as the flames reached the roof. "Oh, please help rescue them. Pump water, pump water," shouted onlookers. The Department of Fire Prevention, Extinguishing and Rescue posted that calls for help were heard from the 13th, 14th and 15th floors at 4 a.m. and hands were seen waving from windows as well as a mobile phone's flashlight signalling from inside the complex. Thailand's public television network, Thai PBS, reported that 50 Thais, both staff and customers, had been trapped inside the casino complex. It reported that Cambodian authorities requested help to deal with the fire from Thailand, which sent five firetrucks and 10 rescue vans. Poipet in western Cambodia is opposite the city of Aranyaprathet in more affluent Thailand, and there is busy cross-border trade and tourism. Thai PBS cited reports that Aranyaprathet Hospital's emergency ward was full and other victims had to be sent to other hospitals. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cambodia-hotel-fire-1.6699318 ======================= 27 Thais die in casino blaze The Bangkok Post is reporting that a total of 27 Thais have died in the fire. ======================= From Thai PBS World Remains of 10 Thais who died in Cambodia’s casino fire brought home The bodies of ten Thais who were killed in a Cambodian casino fire on Wednesday were brought back to Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo Province this morning (Friday), to be claimed by their relatives. About 20 more bodies are believed still to be trapped in the ruins of the Grand Diamond City casino, as Thai and Cambodian rescue teams await confirmation from construction inspectors that the building is safe for them to enter to search for those still unaccounted for. One of the rescuers said that there is a danger that the building may collapse and, therefore, an assessment of its safety by the inspectors is essential. Three of the dead, believed to be Thais, are still in Poipet township, pending identification by Thai and Cambodian forensic officials. Thai and Cambodian rescue teams are expected to resume their search for the missing people in the ruins this afternoon,after search operations were suspended yesterday for fear that the building may collapse. It had taken fire crews seven hours to extinguish the blaze, with the support of fire trucks sent from Thailand.

The Bangkok Post is reporting that the casino complex is owned by a former Thai cabinet minister. Vaatanna Asavahame fled Thailand in 2008 before being convicted in connection with the Klong Wastewater Treatment scandal, one of the biggest corruption cases in the country;'s history.

I talk with guys who work the massage shops regularly and they are reporting frequent "Chinese" customers. While it's indeed possible as you say that they're from elsewhere, neither can you be definitely sure they're from the mainland. Again, you could be correct but with the Thai government announcing today that no special restrictions will be placed on them (and that the government is considering offering free, voluntary vaccinations on arrival to those from China and elsewhere) only time will determine how this all plays out. I believe the mainland Chinese will begin arriving in significant numbers in '23.