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From Thai PBB World Cubans have voted overwhelmingly to legalise same-sex marriage, making the country the 33rd to stop defining marriage as being exclusively between a man and a woman. Cuba’s landmark new family code also allows “altruistic” surrogacy, whereby a woman gives birth to a baby on behalf of another woman or couple but no money changes hands, bar for expenses. Here is a global overview of same-sex marriage and surrogacy: The Netherlands in 2001 became the first country in the world to allow same-sex couples to marry. Since then, 17 European countries have followed: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia and Switzerland. Most also allow same-sex couples to adopt. Some countries allow same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships but not to marry, namely the Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary and Italy. Most eastern European countries allow neither gay marriage nor civil partnerships. In Russia, homosexuality was considered a crime up to 1993 and a mental illness until 1999. Now legal, a 2013 law however punishes the promotion of homosexuality among minors. In Hungary, a law passed in 2021 made “promoting” homosexuality or gender change to minors punishable by a fine. Assisted reproduction for lesbian couples is allowed in 12 European countries; the Nordic countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain Austria, Ireland and France. Far fewer countries allow surrogate motherhood, with critics slamming the practise, which is permitted in Russia and Ukraine as turning women into “wombs for hire”. “Altruistic” surrogacy is legal in Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom but France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and a handful of other countries forbid all surrogacy. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/same-sex-marriage-and-surrogacy-where-is-it-legal/

From Thai PBS World The Philippines will deport 40,000 Chinese workers in a crackdown on unlicensed online gaming businesses, an official said Tuesday, after reports of kidnapping, prostitution and murder in the gambling industry. So-called Philippine offshore gaming operators, or POGOs, have boomed since 2016 as former president Rodrigo Duterte pursued closer trade and investment ties with China. But the influx of tens of thousands of Chinese workers in the sector that targets customers in China, where gambling is illegal, has created friction. Many Filipinos complain POGOs have evaded taxes and driven up property rates while not providing job opportunities because not enough locals speak Chinese languages.

From The Thaiger With High Season approaching and the Thai government predicting big numbers, airport expansion plans are being fast-tracked. One of Thailand’s goals as international travel begins to return in greater numbers is to become a transport hub for Southeast Asia. To help realise the goal and make room for an influx of travellers, facilities are being expanded in both domestic and international airports around the country. Smaller regional hubs race to expand and increase their capacity for domestic travellers. Krabi Airport in Southern Thailand will herald travellers to popular tourist destinations outside of Phuket. Khon Kaen Airport in the northeast will expand to accommodate more travellers to Isaan. Mae Sot Airport in the west will bring people to the Burmese border. And the new Betong Airport in the Deep South province of Yala will accommodate passengers near the Malaysian border. BKK angkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is a primary focus, hoping to boost its hub status with new development. Expansions hope to allow the airport to accommodate up to 120 million passengers each year. The current capacity for the airport is about 45 million people per year, close to the total number of tourists that entered Thailand in 2019 before the pandemic. The airport will expand from 51 to 79 gates with the construction of the satellite Terminal 1. That expansion is expected to be finished this year, along with the addition of a third runway. Other upgrades will be completed over the next several years. DMK The Airports of Thailand is working with the Department of Airports to expand regional airports in central Thailand as well as three major airports. Aside from Suvarnabhumi Airport, the secondary airport serving the greater Bangkok area, Don Mueang International Airport, will see upgrades. U-Tapao Airport in Rayong, the gateway to Pattaya in Chon Buri, it’s under expansion as well. Don Mueang plans to accommodate an extra 18 million travellers each year. They can currently handle 30 million passengers per year. Expansion plans call for 12 new gates for flights to park in a third terminal covering 155,000 square metres of space. The design is already finalized and bidding will begin soon for construction contracts. Continues at https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/airport-expansion-plans-hastened-across-thailand ================================== Thai Airways releases details of winter flights itinerary Flights scheduled Bangkok-London Heathrow – Two daily flights Bangkok-Paris Charles de Gaulle – Daily flight Bangkok-Zurich – Daily flight Bangkok-Frankfurt – Two daily flights Bangkok-Munich – Daily flight Bangkok-Copenhagen – Daily flight Bangkok-Stockholm – Five flights a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday Bangkok-Sydney – Daily flight Bangkok-Melbourne – Daily flight Asia, South East Asia, Middle East Bangkok-Tokyo Narita International Airport – Two daily flights Bangkok-Tokyo Haneda Airport – Daily flight Bangkok-Nagoya – Daily flight Bangkok-Osaka – Daily flight Bangkok-Fukuoka – Daily flight Bangkok-Sapporo – Daily flight starting December 1, 2022 Bangkok-Taipei – Daily flight, increasing to two flights January, 2023 Bangkok-Manila – Two daily flights Bangkok-Seoul – Three daily flights Bangkok-Hong Kong – Two daily flights Bangkok-Singapore – Three daily flights Bangkok-Jakarta – Two daily flights Bangkok-Denpasar – Daily flight Bangkok-Kuala Lumpur – Two daily flights Bangkok-Kolkata – Daily flight starting January 1, 2023 Bangkok-Chennai – Daily flight Bangkok-Hyderbad – Daily flight Bangkok-Bengaluru – Daily flight Bangkok-New Delhi – Daily flight, 22 flights per week Bangkok-Mumbai – Daily flight, increasing to 11 per week January 1, 2023 Bangkok-Dhaka – Daily flights, ten flights per week Bangkok-Lahore – Daily flights, five flights per week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday Bangkok-Islamabad – Four flights per week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday Bangkok-Karachi – Daily flight Bangkok-Jeddah – Four flights per week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday from January 1, 2023 All flights are subject to change. Thai Airways (THAI) announced its winter flights schedule from October 30 to March 25, 2023, with 34 flights slated to take off from Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok for destinations to Asia, Europe, and Australia. Thailand’s flag carrier has endured a tough time since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world over two years ago. But THAI recently announced a restructuring plan to get back in the black by renting three more planes and hiring 600 more staff this year.

From Thai PBS World The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has taken steps, including draining water out of canals in and around the city and procuring 2.5 million sandbags to reinforce flood walls, to brace for heavy rain and possible waterway overflows induced by tropical storm Noru, which is expected to hit some north-eastern provinces this Thursday. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said today (Monday) that, according to their scenario planning, the most worrisome aspects of the storm are the runoffs from the Pasak reservoir in Lop Buri and from the Chao Phraya reservoir, which will put pressure on the eastern part of Bangkok and both sides of the Chao Phraya River. Water runoffs from the Pasak reservoir will be drained through the Lam Pla Thio and Phra Ong Chao Chaiyanuchit canals to prevent it from overflowing. He said that water levels in all canals in Bangkok have fallenbelow the control level, after the Drainage and Sewerage Department accelerated efforts to drain water out of them into the Chao Phraya River, increasing their capacity to store more water from anticipated heavy rain this week, adding that 2.5 million sandbags will be available tomorrow and Wednesday and will be sent to reinforce the floodwalls along Chao Phraya River. The governor pointed out that accumulated rainfall in Bangkok for September has, so far, been measured at 744mm, with 922.5mm being recorded in Din Daeng district, despite the fact that Thailand has not yet been hit by a tropical stormthis year. This is a clear sign of climate change and the weather conditions are bound to get more extreme in the future, said Chadchart. He also identified Lat Krabang, Bang Khen, Min Buri and Don Mueang as more vulnerable to flooding than other districts in the capital.

Used to love visiting Portland--20 years ago. No longer tempted.

Of course there's always the time-honored method of getting what you want. Qatar Paid $880 Million In Bribes To FIFA To Secure The 2022 World Cup According to a bombshell report in yesterday’s Sunday Times, the tiny but disproportionately wealthy and influential peninsula state of Qatar bribed FIFA officials to the tune of $880 million in order to secure its bid to play host to the 2022 World Cup. https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-qatar-paid-880-million-bribes-fifa-secure-josh-hammer

Judging from your description and experience, I'd say a bargain.😊

Although the bars need to be aware that they're pushing the envelope at 400 baht per drink, the bottom line will always be supply: are customers willing to pay. If they're still coming through the doors it's an easy equation to resolve. Dreamboys should make for a good case study. Management must be persuaded that the potential represented by the return of Chinese and other north Asian tourists warrants the investment in moving next door to the old Lucky Boys venue. (Personally, I don't know why they'd be eager to alter the seating arrangement because I always considered it to be one of the better ones in town. But that's just me). The big unknown factor is the effects of inflation on whether those tourists will actually arrive in BKK. If they don't materialize in numbers anticipated, Dreamboys will be facing huge overhead. And to profitably operate a bar of that proportion, the number of guys required to fill the stage could easily put pressure on supply. Will they draw boys away from other bars? If not, they'll have to rely on an influx from the provinces and their Thai neighbors. Although Dreamboys is not on my short list of favorite stops, I wish them well because it could become the anchor location for gay Patpong. At the moment, Fresh Boys probably has a manageable overhead. Could it be tempted to relocate across the way to the vacated Dreamboys venue? I kind of doubt it unless they, too, are banking on the great influx of new tourists.

From CNN Skytrax, a UK-based airline and airport review and ranking site, conducted more than 14 million customer surveys in more than 100 countries between September 2021 to August 2022 to find out the world's current favorite airline. The world's top 20 airlines in 2022, according to Skytrax 1. Qatar Airways 2. Singapore Airlines 3. Emirates 4. ANA (All Nippon Airways) 5. Qantas Airways 6. Japan Airlines 7. Turkish Airlines 8. Air France 9. Korean Air 10. Swiss International Air Lines 11. British Airways 12. Etihad Airways 13. China Southern Airlines 14. Hainan Airlines 15. Lufthansa 16. Cathay Pacific 17. KLM 18. EVA Air 19. Virgin Atlantic 20. Vistara World's Best Cabin Staff Singapore Airlines World's Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness ANA All Nippon Airways World's Best Independent Airport Lounge Plaza Premium World's Best Business Class Lounge Virgin Atlantic World's Best Leisure Airline SunExpress World's Best Low-Cost Airline/Best Low-Cost Airline in Asia AirAsia Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe Ryanair Best Low-Cost Airline in North America Southwest Airlines Best Low-Cost Airline in Africa FlySafair World's Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline Scoot World's Best in Class Airlines The World Best First Class Airline: Singapore Airlines The World's Best Business Class Airline: Qatar Airways The World's Best Premium Economy Class Airline: Virgin Atlantic The World's Best Economy Class Airline: Emirates ================================== From Aviation Week Air France safety culture said to need improvement Air France is expanding flight data sharing with its pilots and plans a comprehensive audit of its flight operations--changes prompted at least in part by criticism from French safety investigators who say the airline's safety culture needs improvement. The moves were revealed in a recently released report by French air accident bureau (the BEA) on a December 2020 Air France A330 diversion. The crew was found to have deviated from published procedures without sufficient justification and did not sufficiently weigh the risk of fire in the air or on the ground.

From the Thaiger / Bangkok Post With the US dollar strengthening and Thailand’s struggling economy, economic experts predict the baht may fall to 38 to the dollar by the end of this year. The head of capital markets research for Kasikorn Bank believes the baht will continue its instability along with the global money markets as a result of domestic and international factors. While the US dollar continues to grow in value against foreign currencies due to the hawkish continued federal fund rate hikes, the Bank of Thailand’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is likely to boost its benchmark policy rate from 0.75% to 1% in a meeting scheduled for next week. That would pump a little power into the baht and keep it closer to 37 baht to the dollar, but it’s only a temporary fix with the baht expected to drop in value after. The news for the Thai currency isn’t all bad though, as K Bank predicts that, as tourism brings in more revenue toward the end of the year, the baht may climb back to 35 against the dollar. And November’s meeting of the MPC is predicted to raise the policy rate again to 1.25% further propping up the baht. Amonthep Chawla, the head of the research economist office at CIMB Thai Bank, agrees with the analysis, expecting the baht to fall to 38 to one to the US dollar, but predicts an even higher policy rate increase for the bank of Thailand to 1.75%. In fact, he believes it will reach 2.5% by the end of 2023. “We expect the central bank will raise its policy rate two times, each by 50 basis points, this year to contain the spread between Thailand’s rate and the fed funds rate. The move should help slow the baht depreciation.”

Thailand could be an attractive and realistic option for men fleeing military conscription in Russia. Reports say that men are fleeing Russia after President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to conscript 300,000 civilians into military service in Ukraine. Several European countries such as Lithuania have already closed their doors to Russian citizens, citing widespread support for Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine as the reason for the ban. Russians are rushing onto flights to countries such as Armenia, Georgia, Montenegro, and Turkey, or basically, anywhere that will let them in without a visa. Thailand and Russia have a bilateral agreement which grants Russians the right to temporarily enter the kingdom without the need for a visa, also known as ‘visa exemption on arrival.’ To lure tourists into Thailand this High Season, Thailand is extending the maximum stay of visa exemptions on arrival from 30 to 45 days, effective October 1. Thailand is also finally removing all remaining coronavirus-related entry restrictions on October 1, meaning no proof of vaccination history and no negative tests are required to gain entry into the kingdom. Even people who test positive for Covid-19 are allowed in now. Even before Putin’s announcement, the Thai government had already made plans to boost tourism revenue by turning to the Russian market this winter in a somewhat controversial move. Thailand is welcoming Russians with open arms this High Season and even plans to fly in Russians via chartered flights three times per week. Although, it’s not clear when the service will begin. Aeroflot also plans to resume its direct service between Russia and Phuket on October 31 in time for Thailand’s High Season. However, a month might be far too long a wait for prospective military draftees in Russia.

You'd me amazed, Macaroni guy, where some of these Thai boys have been.

The Bangkok Post is today reporting that the Bangkok governor is considering ending the indoor mask rule on Oct. 1 when the government officially dissolves the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

It was a popular Mexican restaurant in Silom. Very observant of you, GB. 😉

Metaphorically you might say.

Had that happen with one guy on last trip. Ordered multiple dishes and didn't finish any. Good otherwise but the was last supper with him.

From Channel News Asia HONG KONG: Hong Kong has announced that it will end mandatory hotel quarantine from Monday (Sep 26), ending some of the world's toughest travel curbs that have battered the economy and kept the finance hub globally isolated for the past two-and-a-half years. All international arrivals will be able to return home or to the accommodation of their choice but will have to self-monitor for three days after entering the city. They will be allowed to go to work or school but will not be allowed to enter bars or restaurants for the period, under a system authorities have dubbed "0+3". "Under this arrangement, the quarantine hotel system will be cancelled," Chief Executive John Lee told reporters on Friday. International arrivals currently spend three days in a self-paid hotel followed by four days of self-monitoring where they are allowed to move around the city. Hotel quarantine was as much as three weeks before being gradually eased earlier this year. From Sep 26, travellers will be subject to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on arrival. A pre-flight PCR test which was required for travellers to Hong Kong 48 hours before flying will be replaced by a Rapid Antigen Test. For the past two-and-a-half years, Hong Kong has adhered to a version of China's strict zero-COVID rules, deepening a brain drain as rival business hubs reopen. The announcement leaves mainland China the only major economy still hewing to lengthy quarantine for international arrivals. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/covid-19-hong-kong-lifts-hotel-quarantine-7-day-home-medical-surveillance-2950531

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon “Once the pandemic subsided, we were keen to move from Pattaya’s Soi Pothole,” says Dave Collier who set up Canterbury Tales with his energetic wife Yao in 2004. Over the years, the second-hand and exchange bookshop has become the city’s principal literary depository as well as a favorite daytime “table of knowledge” – a mainly British expat corner for drinking tea, socializing and keeping abreast of the local news. But Soi Pothole, officially Soi Chaiyapoon, is an increasingly noisy street with new bars playing loud music reopening as tourism rebounds. Dave and Yao are now open for business in Soi Bongkot (near Soi 6/3) in much larger premises which resemble a library to accommodate tens of thousands of volumes. “It’s about 60 percent non-fiction, but we have a large selection of true crime, biographies, sports, classics and even erotica,” promises Dave as a customer asks if there is a copy of Suetonius’ twelve lives of the Caesars. “Yes, second shelf on the left,” he says. “It’s randy stuff you know.” Many have pondered why Dave has made a success of a used book business in Pattaya where so many other foreigners have failed. “Hard work really.” he says, “From day one I advertised widely, used the internet and made personal contacts.” He adds that, although Pattaya has changed a lot in the last 10 years, the business has grown and grown. “We ship and receive books all over Thailand, using Kerry Express, thus proving there’s a ready market if you know how to satisfy it.” https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/canterbury-tales-a-british-institution-in-pattaya-has-moved-411175

From Khaosod / Thaiger A man who lost his job in the southern province of Songkhla decided to walk all the way back home to Buriram in northeast Thailand. After 12 days of walking, the 42 year old man stumbled across an army barracks in Phatthalung province, the next province along, on Sunday. The soldiers took care of him and paid for his train ticket back to Isaan. Buriram-born Choi moved to Songkhla about seven months ago to work at a rubber plantation in Na Thawi district. He planned on making money to send home to his family back home in Isaan. At first, he made around 300 baht per day cutting down rubber trees. As the months passed by, Choi said that work became scarce and he was hardly making any money at all. He wasn’t sending money back home as planned and he missed his 11 year old daughter and grandma, so he decided to return home on September 5. However, Choi had no money or phone, so he was forced to undertake the journey – which would take at least 18 hours to drive – on foot. Choi walked 300 kilometres in 12 days, sleeping at temples along the way, where Buddhist monks gave him food and water. In the almost two weeks he spent walking, he only crossed one provincial border. On Sunday, he stumbled across an army barracks in Phatthalung province and stopped to ask for some water. At first, the soldiers thought he was a criminal of some sort and brought him in for questioning. The army told Choi that they would pay for his plane ticket to fly back home to Buriram. However, Choi said he wasn’t sure how to take a plane. Instead, the army gave him 1000 baht cash and dropped him off at the train station. Choi took a 13 hour train all the way from Phatthalung to Hua Lamphong Railway Station in Bangkok. From there, he took an eight hour train from Bangkok to Buriram. Upon arrival in Buriram, Choi’s 81 year old grandma La tied string around his Choi’s wrist as a gesture of gratitude. La said she felt pity that her grandson had walked 300 kilometres across southern Thailand. La thanked the army for helping Choi and wondered how long it would have taken him to get home if he walked the whole journey. The distance between Songkhla and Buriram is 1,350 kilometres.

From Thai PBS World Thailand’s Land Transport Department (LTD) has given approval for app-based Robinhood and Grab to operate taxi and motorcycle taxi ride hailing services in the country. The two operators are required to submit bank guarantee letters to the department within 30 days, ensure that they comply with the conditions set by the department and cover damage caused to their passengers and their bikers in the course of providing their services, said LTD Deputy Director-General Seksom Akraphand today (Thursday). The two operators are also required to submit their ride-hailing operational plans to the department within 15 days, he said, adding that private cars used to provide the services will have to be re-registered as public transport vehicles and the drivers will have to apply for public transport driving licenses and have their criminal records checked by the police. Drivers will have fixed parking locations and services will only be provided via the booking applications. The service rates must not exceed those set by the department, said Seksom. The LTD had previously approved ride-hailing services provided by Hello Phuket Service, Bonku and Asia Cab only. Conventional taxi and motorcycle taxi drivers in Thailand have strongly opposed such app-based services, claiming that they offer cheaper fares because they have fewer expenses, particularly by not having to change the status of their private vehicles into public transport. Most passengers, however, appear more satisfied with the app-based ride-hailing services, because they are more reliable and their rates are fixed.

From Thai PBS World BANGKOK, Sept 22 (TNA) – Visitors will not have to undergo antigen tests or show their vaccination evidence when health authorities redefine COVID-19 as a communicable disease under surveillance on Oct 1. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the National Communicable Disease Committee resolved to consider COVID-19 as a communicable disease under surveillance instead of a dangerous communicable disease. Officials concerned in all provinces would adjust their action plans and measures related to COVID-19 accordingly, he said. When COVID-19 becomes a communicable disease under surveillance, visitors will not be required to show the documents of their antigen tests or COVID-19 vaccination at international communicable disease checkpoints. Random checks on COVID-19 vaccination records will stop. The people who had COVID-19 but were asymptomatic would only observe distancing, mask wearing, hand washing and testing (DMHT) measures for five days, Mr Anutin said. The new measures would be proposed to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration and the cabinet for approval. He expected the measures to take effect on Oct 1. People could remove their face masks when they exercised outdoors or did other activities that should not require face masks, Mr Anutin said.

There's a warm front moving in.

From the Thaiger Popular booking website Agoda says Thailand is one of the first Asian countries to see tourism rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic. Omri Morgenshtern, Agoda’s chief executive says even though the inbound search rate for Thailand on the website was 39% lower than in the same period in 2019, it has begun to rise since the beginning of 2022. “Thailand is leading Asia in terms of inbound tourists, but it has not yet reached 2019 levels.” Moregenshtern says it will take about three to six months for such search rates to return to pre-pandemic levels. But, he says it is contingent upon major inbound markets like mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan’s reopening. Thailand’s stimulus schemes like “We Travel Together” have also contributed to an increase in domestic travel search rates on Agoda. The company says data for August saw an increase by 50 per cent from 2019 in its domestic travel search rates. It noted that Thais mostly booked travel to secondary cities while upgrading their bookings to more luxurious hotels.

I would not be surprised if a similar ratio apples to many western nations. From Thai PBS World Up to 70% of the population of Thailand may have been infected with COVID-19, as most cases have not been officially recorded because they were asymptomatic or had only mild symptoms, according to Dr. Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University. He said that the estimated infection rate is based on the assessments of blood tests conducted so far, adding that the Omicron variant has spread widely in the past several months, but most of people did not report their infections to health authorities because they had no or only mild symptoms and only those admitted for treatment at hospitals have been recorded. He said, however, that the Disease Control Department, with funding from the Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI), will conduct an extensive survey to determine the extent of COVID-19 infection in the Thai population, using blood tests to find traces of infection or developed resistance through anti-nucleocapsid and anti-spike IgG tests. The first such survey will be held in Chon Buri province in October, in cooperation with the provincial health office, among 1,200 samples aged from six months, after which the survey will be expanded to other provinces within six-months. Results of the survey, said Dr. Yong, will be helpful in the planning of measures to deal with COVID-19 in the future, especially in determining whether further booster doses will be needed.

Hopefully it will lead to a good job offer. Young men who demonstrate those qualities invariably make outstanding employees.