reader

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.

From The News Hour (PBS /USA) In one of the world's most popular sex tourism destinations, sex workers, nonprofit organizations and politicians are part of a growing movement to decriminalize the industry. It's an attempt to help sex workers earn basic rights and protections. Special correspondent Neha Wadekar reports from Thailand. Continues with video: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/movement-in-thailand-aims-to-help-sex-workers-earn-basic-rights-and-protections

From Thailand News Agency No Special Measures for Chinese Visitors BANGKOK, Dec 29 (TNA) – The country will not need any strict disease control measure for Chinese visitors, the public health minister said. Anutin Charnvirakul, the public health minister and deputy prime minister, said officials from the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Transport discussed measures to be imposed in response to China’s planned country reopening on Jan 8 and they agreed that existing measures would be enough. The Chinese government required outbound Chinese travelers to undergo RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 and receive at least three doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Most Chinese people had natural antibodies for COVID-19 also because 60% of the Chinese population already contracted the disease, Mr Anutin said. When Chinese tourists arrive, they must purchase health insurance so that they will have proper care if they fall sick, he said. If Chinese visitors would like a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, the Thai government would have AstraZeneca vaccine for them but they would have to pay for it, Mr Anutin said. (TNA)

From Thai PBS World At least 50 Thai gamblers and employees of a Cambodian casino in the Poipet border town were reported to be trapped inside after the casino caught fire late Wednesday night. A number of people, mostly Thais, were injured and were taken to the Thai border town of Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaeo Province, for treatment. It is not known whether or how many people have died in the fire, as some witnesses claim that they saw some people jumping from the 5th floor of the building, which is located at about 20 metres from the border. About 50 people were seen on the roof. Five fire trucks and about 10 rescue vehicles and ambulances rushed to the scene to help extinguish the fire and help victims. At about 2am this morning (Thursday), it was reported that the Aranyaprathet district hospital’s emergency ward was full of fire victims, many of them Thai women. Some of the injured were sent to the Kasemrad Aranyaprathet private hospital. Witnesses said that they saw fire on the second and third floors of the casino and a lot of smoke billowing out of the building. The latest reports from the scene say that the fire has intensified and has spread to nearby buildings. More fire trucks and rescue teams from other districts of Sa Kaeo Province been sent to help control the blaze. Poipet is a favourite destination for Thai gamblers, as gambling is illegal in Thailand and there are many casinos just over the border, some owned by Thai businessmen. ============================ From CNN Death toll rises and dozens remain missing Phnom Penh, Cambodia CNN — The death toll has risen to at least 19 and dozens of others remain missing after a fire engulfed a casino complex in Cambodia on Wednesday, according to local authorities. Another 70 people were injured in the blaze at the Grand Diamond City Hotel and Casino in Poipet, a city that borders Thailand, and the death toll was expected to rise as rescuers search for victims who were trapped in the building, Banteay Meanchey province spokesman Sek Sokhom told CNN. Thai rescue workers who responded to emergency calls from Cambodian authorities said some victims had jumped to their deaths from the burning building in a frantic attempt to escape. “Two people died immediately when they hit the ground and around four to five (others) broke their legs,” said Peerapan Srisakorn, from the Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation. Peerapan told CNN his team alone saw 11 bodies, including seven who had died from smoke inhalation and were found in locked hotel rooms, and said it was very difficult for rescue workers to survey the building as it was full of thick smoke. Videos on the group’s Facebook page showed rescue workers in helmets and protective gear walking through smoke-filled corridors. Sokhom said the hotel used an electric system for rooms and elevators, so when the fire started and the building lost electricity, many people were stuck in their rooms and could not escape. Approximately 700 Thai citizens were rescued and sent to hospitals in Thailand, according to authorities. Peerapan told CNN his team alone saw 11 bodies, including seven who had died from smoke inhalation and were found in locked hotel rooms, and said it was very difficult for rescue workers to survey the building as it was full of thick smoke. Videos on the group’s Facebook page showed rescue workers in helmets and protective gear walking through smoke-filled corridors. Sokhom said the hotel used an electric system for rooms and elevators, so when the fire started and the building lost electricity, many people were stuck in their rooms and could not escape. Approximately 700 Thai citizens were rescued and sent to hospitals in Thailand, according to authorities. https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/28/asia/cambodia-poipet-grand-diamond-casino-hotel-fire-intl-hnk/index.html

Exactly! Always bear in mind that "nothing is written." Great example of what can happen in you go into a shop without a specific agenda and allow things to unfold. The experience begins after the door to he room is closed.

9-Teen opened earlier this year in a shop fronting on Silom Rd., just beyond Soi 6. That is the location that some members have reported on in recent months. From what I am told, the owners have since taken over what was once a restaurant on Soi 6 and are now reportedly renovating it into a massage shop. What their intentions are for the original shop on Silom Rd. is unknown.

Just spoke with one of the guys who works on Soi 6. He provided me with updated information of shops: LEFT SIDE (from Silom): 9-Teen (under renovation) Relax Massage RIGHT SIDE (from Silom) Center Point Massage (mixed) Ma Ha Massage The Paradise M-Star Massage I may have misunderstood some of our LINE conversation so I can't guarantee the accuracy. When I'm again in town, I'll confirm the above information.

From Japan Times Japan to tighten borders for travelers from China on Dec. 30 Japan will tighten its border controls for travelers from China on Friday, as the latter nation is seeing a surge in COVID-19 infections, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday. The announcement, which marks the first time Japan has tightened its borders since foreign tourists were allowed to enter without restrictions in October, pours cold water on expectations of an influx of Chinese tourists over the Chinese New Year period, which begins Jan. 22. Kishida’s abrupt announcement comes only a day after news that China will scrap its quarantine for incoming travelers from Jan. 8, one of the country’s most significant steps since it effectively abandoned its two-year “zero-COVID” policy. All travelers from China, including Japanese citizens and returning foreign nationals living in Japan, as well as those who have been to China within the previous seven days will be tested for COVID-19 upon their arrival in Japan. Those who test positive will be required to quarantine at designated facilities for seven days. The quarantine period for those who test positive is expected to be seven days if they have developed symptoms. For those who are asymptomatic, the period will be shortened to five days if they test negative on the fifth day, according to the health ministry. The number of flights from China will also be limited to guard against a sudden increase in COVID-19 infections in Japan, Kishida told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office. Arrivals from China, Hong Kong and Macao will be limited to four airports: Narita, Haneda, Kansai International and Chubu.

From Xinhua VIENTIANE, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Lao government has announced the cancellation of required results in 48 hours of Antigen Test Kit (ATK) or Rapid Antigen Test for people entering Laos. In addition, travelers entering Laos are no longer required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. According to a report issued on Tuesday from the Center of Information and Education for Health under the Lao Ministry of Health, the announcement aims to facilitate local residents and foreigners who want to depart from Laos or enter the Southeast Asian country. In May, the Lao government announced the reopening of all international border crossings after a lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Will be glad to oblige when I'm next in town. I believe two are on the left side and four on the right. With the completion of the new 9-Teen shop on left, that will bring the total to seven. From what I'm told by those who work there, the Quarter Hotel at the end of Soi 6 (dogleg turn) has provided increased foot traffic which is already reported to be brisk with the advent of high season. The two shops I'm most familiar with (Ma Ha and The Paradise) are situated on the right side, opposite Silom Alley 8.

From The Diplomat By Tom Fawthrop A bold Cambodian plan to secure World Heritage status along their stretch of the Mekong, where the free-flowing river has sustained some of the world’s greatest biodiversity, could provide much-needed respite to a river in danger of dying from dams and over-exploitation, experts say. In Phnom Penh, the Environment Ministry’s Under-Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra shared their plan to secure UNESCO world heritage recognition for all the rich biodiversity to be found along the long stretch of the Mekong from the Lao border to the province of Kratie over 200 km downstream. Marc Goichot, a freshwater resources and Mekong specialist for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), welcomed the selection of this site. “The wide variety of habitats along this part of the Mekong in Cambodia creates perfect conditions for wildlife to thrive, making this area a miraculous area for freshwater biodiversity,” he said. WWF is assisting in the preparation of the government’s application to UNESCO. Goichot sees the UNESCO proposal as an exciting step forward for the conservation of the planet’s rivers. “The planned Mekong World Heritage site would play a key role in protecting the planet’s biodiversity” because the selected site includes “95 deep pools that provide refuge for migrating fish and a spawning habitat for globally important critically endangered species including, Irrawaddy dolphins, giant stingrays and giant catfish.” Cambodia is already home to three heritage sites, including the legendary Angkor Wat and one natural heritage site, the successful U.N.-backed biosphere reserve and the bird sanctuary site on Tonle Sap, the biggest inland lake in the region. UNESCO experts in Phnom Penh expect that an application to add a biodiversity conservation zone along the Mekong as a natural heritage site would be fast-tracked, given that it could bring about an immense contribution to implementing agreements reached at COP15 of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference. Kampi village, just outside the town of Kratie, lies along a stretch of the Mekong best-known for its dolphin-watching and ecotourism activity. The area also ranks as one of the world’s richest biodiversity spots and is a sanctuary for many endangered species. WWF has listed over 411 fish species resident here (out of 11,00 for the whole Mekong River), along with 281 bird species and 46 reptile species. Apart from the 92 surviving Irrawaddy dolphins, wildlife experts were excited by the rarely-seen giant stingray landed by fishermen in 2022, a giant that mostly hangs out in the deepest pools of the river. While the Ministry of Environment had been mapping out its plans to better protect one of the few undammed areas left on the Mekong, Okna Kith Meng – the chairman of the Royal Group, which built its fortunes from real estate, telecommunications, and partnering with international investors – has quietly secured permission from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to carry out a feasibility study to revive the controversial Stung Treng dam. A plethora of scientific studies, dating back to the first attempt to build the Stung Treng dam in 2007, have so far dissuaded the government from going ahead with the project. The losses to fisheries, wildlife, and the rural livelihoods of hundreds of thousands would far outweigh any benefits in electricity, according to the most recent WWF report, published in 2018. Another Cambodian project, the Sambor dam lying downstream from Stung Treng, was condemned as a recipe for “killing the Mekong” by the U.S.-based Natural Heritage Institute consultant report, which was leaked to the Guardian. Many Cambodians struggle to understand why any company would want to resurrect a dam that has already been twice rejected, and which most Mekong watchers had assumed was dead and buried, after the announcement of the 2020 moratorium on dams. Say Samal, the environment minister, delivered Cambodia’s progressive energy commitments to the COP26 summit in November 2021. Yet only six weeks later, this policy had been called into question when the Ministry of Mines and Energy quietly approved the Cambodian tycoon’s request to proceed with a feasibility study on resurrecting the Stung Treng dam. The study, approved in December 2021, was completed in June 2022 without any consultation with Stung Treng communities. Continues with photos at https://thediplomat.com/2022/12/cambodia-seeks-unesco-world-heritage-status-to-protect-a-mekong-biodiversity-hotspot/

From Thai Enquirer Thailand should look to impose restrictions The Thai government should look at imposing preventive measures to test or restrict travelers from China and countries where a lot of Chinese tourists have visited, the main opposition Pheu Thai Party said. “Given the [Covid-19 outbreak] situation in China, Thailand should cautiously prepare for the influx of Chinese tourists,” said former deputy prime minister Chaturon Chaisang who is a member of Pheu Thai’s strategy committee. “We should have some guards up…and tests should be administered to find out what kind of variants are coming in from China to find out if they are more severe than the variants that have been found in Thailand,” he said.

From Thai PBS World Three more bodies, believed to be those of missing HMTS Sukhothai crew, were recovered from the sea today (Wednesday), according to Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Spokesman Admiral Pokkrong Monthatphalin. He said that the number of bodies found has increased to 24, with 20 of them in the process of being identified, while the number of crew still missing has dropped to five.

So if we follow your reasoning to its illogical conclusion, there's no reed to take safeguards against HIV because that, too, is over. Or is HIV a con, too?

The Economic Times is reporting that the Health Ministry of India will require RT-PCR tests from passengers arriving China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand.

From Pattaya News New Year Countdown on Koh Larn set to boom with big concerts from Thailand’s top acts As the end of the year approaches, Koh Larn in Pattaya is getting ready to celebrate the New Year in style with a countdown event that promises to be the brightest highlight of this year’s last holiday season. On December 31st, the island will come alive with concerts featuring Pujan Longmai & Ken Noi Roi Leela, OG-ANIC & URIUS, BOOM BOOM CASH, and many other top performers. In addition to the concerts, there will be a range of activities and attractions on offer at the New Year countdown event. Food stalls and vendors will be serving up delicious local and international cuisine, while street performers and other entertainers will keep the crowds entertained throughout the night. As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the skies above Koh Larn will be illuminated with a stunning fireworks display slated for December 31st to beautifully end this year and welcome the next.

I appreciate the fact that the moderator has devised a way to give us a moment of pause before we reply to a newbie's open-ended request for information already readily available on site (the blue palm out symbol).

I've met countless otherwise straight guys who rapidly rise to the occasion. It seems obvious to me that they are enjoying themselves I believe sexuality is an amazingly adaptive and complex part of our make up that defies a one size fits all definition.

From Thai PBS World Two bodies have been recovered from the sea between Sak and Samet islands off Chumphon. The first body, without a life jacket, was found drifting near Sak Island of Chumphon province by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) this morning (Tuesday). A Fisheries Department boat was sent to recover the remains, according to Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul, commander of First Naval Area Command. He said that it is very likely that the body is that of one of HTMS Sukhothai’s missing crew, because of the mechanic’s jumpsuit he was wearing, commonly worn by mechanics and electricians on Royal Thai Navy ships. The second body was found by a Fisheries Department vessel in the same area. The second body was wearing tracksuit bottoms and a dark blue T-shirt but no life jacket. The two bodies were recovered by the Fisheries Department vessel and taken ashore in Chumphon. They were then sent to Bang Saphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan for identification. If they are confirmed to be crew from the sunken HTMS Sukhothai, the discovery brings the number of crew still unaccounted for to eight.

From Thai PBS World The Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) has responded to the government’s call for air fare reductions by agreeing to launch promotional campaigns, offering domestic air fare discounts of up to 20% from January. Informed airline sources said that the seven founding members of the AAT recently held a meeting to discuss air fare reductions, to encourage more people to travel by air while promoting local tourism. To help absorb some of the operational costs of domestic airlines, the Thai Finance Ministry recently decided to reduce the excise tax on aviation fuel. It is reported that businesses in Phuket asked domestic airlines to increase flights during the festive season, to cope with increasing number of passengers. They also asked the government to persuade the airlines to cut the air fares which, they claim, are unrealistically high. The AAT was established early this year by Bangkok Airways, Thai Air Asia, Thai Air Asia X, Thai Smile Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet.

From Thai PBS World Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya, was arrested today (Tuesday) on corruption charges. Armed with a search warrant, officials from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and police from the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) raided Rutchada’s office at 9.30am this morning and formally notified him of the charges. The search of his office uncovered 5 million baht in cash. He has denied all the charges. Rutchada was later taken to the ACD office for questioning. The arrest was the result of an investigation following a complaint received by the ACD from Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, former chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi, accusing Rutchada of transferring an official to as post in a rural area for refusing his demand for a 500,000 baht bribe. Rutchada was also accused of demanding money from budgets allocated to various units under the department, such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and fire-fighting units.

It continues to baffle me why China couldn't--or chose not to--develop truly effective vaccines, opting instead to mass produce far inferior versions. Worse, it only recently allowed the Pfizer vaccine to be imported in a ridiculously small amount of no consequence. From Thailand News Agency BANGKOK, Dec 27 (TNA) – The chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand expects more than 5 million Chinese people to visit Thailand next year as the Chinese government announced to lift its COVID-19 control. Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand, shared his view as China planned to lift its mandatory quarantine on its visitors on Jan 8, 2023. He said that the decision of China would have positive impacts on Thailand and all sectors of the Thai economy. Chinese tourists would increasingly travel abroad and Thailand was their top destination and also was in its winter, Mr Sanan said.

Several video studies have been made on the Citicorp building. This is among them: ========================================== From the NY Times Dampening systems are not as alluring a draw as a slick lobby. One type, called a tuned mass damper, is made of steel or concrete, weighs anywhere from 300 to 800 tons and is housed with other mechanical equipment at the top of the building. A typical system can take up approximately 1,000 square feet of space and utilizes a double-height ceiling. Connected to the structure’s walls by a system of pistons and spring mounts, the damper acts like a massive shock absorber, pulling the building back toward its original position whenever high winds blow. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/realestate/keeping-skyscrapers-from-blowing-in-the-wind.html

From CNN The 91-story skyscraper, also known as 111 West 57th Street, contains 46 full-floor and duplex residences. Photos released this month by the designers show opulent lobbies decked out in limestone, marble, blackened steel and velvet, floors paved in smoke-gray solid oak and original artworks by Picasso and Matisse. According to Studio Sofield, Steinway Tower's interiors were designed to evoke the grandeur of New York's Gilded Age, a period in the late 19th century when the city's boulevards were lined with the stately mansions of robber barons like Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius Vanderbilt. It sits on a Midtown street, filled with gleaming towers, that has become known as "Billionaire's Row." At 1,428 feet, it is also one of the tallest buildings in the Western hemisphere, standing just short of two others in New York City: The 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center and the 1,550-foot-tall Central Park Tower. Super-slender skyscrapers, also known as pencil towers, became standout features of the Hong Kong skyline in the 1970s. Since then, major cities such as New York have followed suit. Residences in the Manhattan skyscraper, which was developed by the JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group, range in price from $7.75 million to $66 million.