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From Pattaya News Central Festival Pattaya is bringing you a prehistoric exhibit of enormous dinosaurs, which will run from September 22nd to October 16th, 2022, at the Sunken plaza. The prehistoric exhibit will include numerous life-size terrifying dinosaurs such as the T-Rex, brachiosaurus, triceratops, and other cool exhibits and fossils that they say will shock and awe visitors of all ages, as well as make great photo props.

Government approves extended stays from Oct. 1 From the Thaiger Tourists arriving in Thailand will soon be permitted to stay in the kingdom for longer. Today, Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisornkul announced that Thailand’s Cabinet had approved the temporary extension of both visa on arrival stays and visa exemption stays. Tourists arriving in Thailand will soon be permitted to stay in the kingdom for longer. Today, Government Spokesperson Traisulee Traisornkul announced that Thailand’s Cabinet had approved the temporary extension of both visa on arrival stays and visa exemption stays. The government hopes the extensions will stimulate tourism and the economy, which is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.Between October 1, 2022 – March 31, 2022, foreign tourists arriving in Thailand are eligible to stay in the kingdom as follows… Visa on Arrival stays will be extended from 15 days to 30 days. Passport holders from 19 countries are eligible for Visa on Arrival. Visa Exemption stays for passport holders from 64 countries which have bilateral agreements with Thailand will be extended from 30 days to 45 days. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects that the average tourist will stay in the kingdom for an extra five days thanks to the extensions. If each tourist spends 4000 – 5000 baht per day on average, they will pump an extra 20,000 baht into the economy than they normally would, says the TAT. Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration agreed to the extension of visa on arrival and visa exemptions at their meeting with the Thai government yesterday, said the spokesperson.

So this is where it's going. The real culprits--aside of course from the Vietnam, Arab and Indian boys--are the George Floyd demonstrators and CNN. Oh, yes, and the crazy Muslims.

From the Thaiger At least 100 LGBTQ+ couples plan to make history this Valentine’s Day when they converge on Bangkok to take part in Thailand’s biggest LGBTQ+ wedding ceremony. The event will be held at the Thai-Japan Bangkok Youth Centre and is hoped to raise awareness of the struggle for gay rights and marriage equality. As of now, same-sex marriages, civil unions, domestic partnerships, unregistered cohabitations, or any other form of same-sex unions are not legally recognised in Thailand, although the Civil Partnership Bill and the Marriage Equality Bill have been proposed to recognise a separate civil union or to allow same-sex marriage respectively. At least 100 LGBTQ+ couples plan to make history this Valentine’s Day when they converge on Bangkok to take part in Thailand’s biggest LGBTQ+ wedding ceremony. The event will be held at the Thai-Japan Bangkok Youth Centre and is hoped to raise awareness of the struggle for gay rights and marriage equality. As of now, same-sex marriages, civil unions, domestic partnerships, unregistered cohabitations, or any other form of same-sex unions are not legally recognised in Thailand, although the Civil Partnership Bill and the Marriage Equality Bill have been proposed to recognise a separate civil union or to allow same-sex marriage respectively. A number of groups not associated with the government have banded together to form the Bangkok Naruemit Pride organising committee and are planning the massive LGBTQ+ wedding ceremony, calling it “Naruemit Vivah 2023.” They have invited at least 100 couples, not only from Thailand but from around the world too. The group plans to decorate the field at the sports centre on Mit Maitri Road in Din Daeng by covering it in rainbow flags, a symbol of openness to the diversity of love according to an LGBTQ+ activist working with the committee. “We will create a new page in history to promote equal marriage as a right for people not only in Thailand but across the globe, especially those countries that do not yet accept LGBTQ+ people.” The event has garnered the support of Bangkok’s Deputy Governor Sanon Wangsrangboon who called for people to plan more events of this kind throughout Thailand. He also pledged to help make the event successful and provide facilities to help organise. The deputy governor views events like this as a win-win: it promotes equality for all people in Thailand while also attracting visitors from around the world. He reiterated his allyship with the LGBTQ+ community.

Got it. You met two guys from Vietnam in three years and you've been living in Pattaya for 22 years. And you just recently found that you needed directions to get to Sunee. Closest you've come to Thailand is ordering takeout from your neighborhood Thai restaurant. Your life must be incredibly boring to post this shit.

If there are thousands of news reports, why don't you cite them? In this post it's Arabs and Indians. in another it's Vietnamese. You seem to harbor a hell of a lot of prejudice. You claim to have lived in Pattaya for 22 years yet you still rely on posts to find your way around town? And you accuse other members for being less than honest? And in those 22 years you only joined the board last Saturday?

Rarely do those who base their pugilistic ability on lifting weights win bar fight or a street fight. It's determined by totally different skills and experience.Regarding Vietnam boys, you're either incredibly unlucky or making this stuff up as you go along. You claim that you're "...not against Vietnam.." but in the same sentence caution us to" ...say no & move on..." if we ever find ourselves thinking about going with a Vietnamese. The only drama queen appears to be you.

That's five more reasons than I'd need. 😊

Too upmarket for my taste and wallet. Would not be surprised if they promise more than they deliver.

From Channel News Asia HONG KONG: The world's top dragon boat competition will ditch Hong Kong in favour of Thailand next year due to the city's stringent coronavirus rules, organisers announced on Saturday (Sep 17). The 2023 World Dragon Boat Racing Championships became the latest international sports event to abandon the Chinese city, according to the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association. "Hong Kong's current quarantine and isolation arrangements for visitors are still more stringent than that of other countries," the group wrote on Facebook. The event scheduled for next August will instead be held in Pattaya, Thailand, the International Dragon Boat Federation confirmed. The news comes a day after the Hong Kong Marathon and the Oxfam Trailwalker events separately announced their cancellation. Marathon organisers said they had not received government approval with just two months left before the race, which did not leave enough time for preparations.

From The Nation BANGKOK, Sept 17 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): A widely shared video clip shows Atthachai Argudom, a 19-year-old student at Udon Thani Technical College, pulling the unconscious 12-year-old out of shin-deep water. The drama unfolded next to a power pole outside Satri Rachinuthit School in the Northeast province on Friday (Sept 16). Witnesses suspected that electricity had leaked from the power pole. Atthachai suffered electric shocks during the rescue that he said had left him feeling weak. Both he and the schoolboy were taken to high ground inside the school compound before being rushed to hospital. Udon Thani governor Siam Sirimongkol visited Atthachai in hospital on Saturday. He thanked the young man for his selfless compassion and gave him money to buy a new mobile phone. Atthachai had dropped his phone into the floodwater in the scramble to rescue the boy. The schoolboy’s mother, Kanokrat Loeichaiyaphum, also visited her son’s rescuer in hospital. She said her son would have drowned had Atthachai not pulled him from the floodwater. “My thanks to this man who saved my son’s life. Thank you for your bravery and your good deed,” the 45-year-old said at Atthachai’s bedside. His grandmother Supannee Saelim, 65, said that Atthachai has lived with her since he was a child following his parents’ divorce. “I am proud of him and happy that he’s safe,” she told the media.

Close--but no cigar. On long-haul flights of over nine hours duration, passengers seated in coach are 17.3% more likely to die en route than passengers in business (adjusted for load variation). 🤣

From Channel News Asia Owner of Vietnam karaoke bar arrested HANOI: Vietnamese authorities have arrested the owner of a karaoke bar where a fire killed 32 people earlier this month, police said Saturday (Sep 17). The blaze ripped through a three-storey entertainment venue north of commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City nine days ago. Seventeen people were injured, with many suffering broken bones after the flames forced them to jump from the roof, police said. Binh Duong provincial police on Saturday confirmed in a statement that bar owner Le Anh Xuan, 42, was arrested a day earlier and faces criminal charges related to breaching fire prevention regulations. He will be held in custody for four months while the investigation continues, police added. While 15 of the injured have been released from hospital, two of the most seriously hurt are still receiving medical treatment.

From the Thaiger / Asean Now An American man met his demise in the greater Bangkok suburb of Nontha Buri after plummeting out of the ninth-floor window of a rental building. For some reason, falling deaths, especially those of foreigners, have been an increasingly common occurrence in Thailand. In this most recent incident, a man that Pak Kret police identified as Mr Campi was reported to have fallen out of a window on the ninth story of a building in Muang Thong Thani in the Nontha Buri province. He was 43 years old and died from a head injury sustained from the massive fall. Me Campi had rented a storage unit in the building, but it was on the eighth floor. A witness said that they had spotted the man smoking a cigarette on the floor above his rental unit near the window that he later fell out of, though there are no reported witnesses to the actual fall. A security guard heard a loud noise when the incident occurred, but he attributed it to the regular thrum of traffic that passes by the building each day and did not think anything was unusual at the time. Then a van driver spotted the American man on the ground and reported it to the guard who contacted authorities. The Ruam Katanya Rescue Service arrived alongside the Pak Kret Police to investigate the scene and the body of the American man was transferred to Thammasat Hospital in nearby Rangsit for an autopsy to be performed. Now, police have set about contacting friends and relatives of the deceased American to try to put together any information about him and what happened in the moments leading up to his death. They said that investigators will keep an open mind about the incident for now and have not judged it suicide or ruled out any foul play so far.

From the Thaiger / Bangkok Post So many businesses in the entertainment sector were flattened by the Covid-19 global pandemic. But with tourism beginning to pick up, and sunny predictions for the fourth quarter after a rained-out third quarter of 2022, theme parks and water parks are pumping money into a flood of new attractions in Thailand in the coming months. Current theme parks have been revamping and remodelling to be ready for when the tourist are pouring back in and some big companies, both domestic and international, are launching brand new tourist attractions. They’re hopeful that Thailand will see a successful high season and that they can bring in billions of tourists to enjoy their water parks and theme parks. So many businesses in the entertainment sector were flattened by the Covid-19 global pandemic. But with tourism beginning to pick up, and sunny predictions for the fourth quarter after a rained-out third quarter of 2022, theme parks and water parks are pumping money into a flood of new attractions in Thailand in the coming months. Current theme parks have been revamping and remodelling to be ready for when the tourist are pouring back in and some big companies, both domestic and international, are launching brand new tourist attractions. They’re hopeful that Thailand will see a successful high season and that they can bring in billions of tourists to enjoy their water parks and theme parks.Here’s a rundown of some projects in the works scheduled to be opened over the next few months. So many businesses in the entertainment sector were flattened by the Covid-19 global pandemic. But with tourism beginning to pick up, and sunny predictions for the fourth quarter after a rained-out third quarter of 2022, theme parks and water parks are pumping money into a flood of new attractions in Thailand in the coming months. Current theme parks have been revamping and remodelling to be ready for when the tourist are pouring back in and some big companies, both domestic and international, are launching brand new tourist attractions. They’re hopeful that Thailand will see a successful high season and that they can bring in billions of tourists to enjoy their water parks and theme parks. Here’s a rundown of some projects in the works scheduled to be opened over the next few months. CARNIVAL MAGIC, PHUKET Thailand’s largest theme park operator, running parks under the Safari World umbrella, is set to unveil its newest project, the Carnival Magic theme park in just a few days on September 20. The park is set on the sprawling 100 rai plot of land near Kamala Beach just next to the Phuket FantaSea, which they intend to update as well when tourism makes a complete recovery. The Carnival Magic theme park invested 6.6 billion baht to create a design in the tradition of Thai carnivals frequently found in moving night markets and temple fairs along with parades and activities but with a modern twist to implement new technologies. They hope to welcome as many as two million guests in the next year and estimate that foreigners will account for about 70% of their clientele. AQUAVERSE MOVIE THEME PARK, PATTAYA Sony Pictures Entertainment has invested in developing 35 rai in Pattaya under its subsidiary Columbia Pictures and a partnership with Amazon Falls. Picking Thailand to create its first theme park, and choosing Pattaya because of its proximity to U-Tapao Airport, high-speed trains, and easy transportation, Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse is set to open on October 12. The attraction will combine elements of theme parks and water parks and is aimed at attracting visitors of all ages with water features, land attractions, themed zones and restaurants, entertainment and live shows, and special sets and merchandise. Areas themed on their movies such as Hotel Transylvania, Jumanji, Surf’s Up, and Ghostbusters are full of unique waterslides and wet activities. A second phase will expand indoor activities over the next 10 years if tourism recovers to pre-pandemic levels of 20 million visitors to Pattaya per year. One million tourists per year are estimated will visit and the attraction plans to reach that number with global promotions utilising its network that reaches 80 countries. The theme park in Pattaya is hoped to be a launching pad for similar attractions around the world based on expanding themes from their famous movies and TV shows. BANGKOK WORLD, BANGKOK Finally, on November 25, Siam Amazing Park’s parent company will open a new attraction right next door: Bangkok World. The new park is hoping to draw one and a half to two million visitors per year, both foreign and domestic. After 3 billion baht of investment, the entertainment complex will stretch across 70 rai and be almost like a mega mall. The sprawling side-by-side theme parks will expand with the new park featuring restaurants and street food, cultural performances and dinner theatres. It will also support local businesses and products by opening more than 500 shops using Thailand’s One Tambon, One Product programme that selects a superior product from local areas to support and promote.

What do you want? Dancing girls and balloons? It offers the widest seat and ample privacy. I want function over glitz. And when I fart I don't worry about people on either side of me. I don't think they're necessarily wealthy. The are older and that's how they choose to allocate their funds. My total flying time (3 flights) to BKK is nearly 24 hours. The first domestic segment I fly economy. If I fly between SE Asian cities I fly economy. I picked up four compression fractures to my spine in a work accident long ago so long hauls in coach would be quite uncomfortable. .

ANA's new business class product on refurbished 777's.

Good to hear that Patpong's primo venue is coming back to life. But if it just becomes a bigger Dreamboys I might not be so excited. On the flip side, that opens up a good-sized, ground-level venue for other takers.

Eighth monkeypox case reported The Thai News Agency is reporting that Thailand's eighth monekeypox case. He is described as a 23-year-old Thai man who was a service worker in Qatar. the 23-year-old man did not have any underlying illness. He was a service provider in Qatar and had sex with a man who had blisters on his back. The Thai man fell sick on Sept 8. He had fever, shivering, headache, fatigue, muscle and back pain, no appetite and about 15 blisters on his hand, arm, back, buttocks and anus. He arrived in Thailand on Sept 13 and then met two Thai friends. They did not touch his skin or blisters. On Sept 14, he went to the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute for a diagnosis. A doctor collected samples from him for tests and found later he got monkeypox.

From Coconuts Bangkok Miami’s infamously rowdy hip-hop festival Rolling Loud is rolling into Pattaya next year during Songkran. Organizers announced this evening that the festival will fill three days in April at Pattaya’s Legend Siam amusement park. Although there was no lineup announced, organizers said the festival would feature 66 artists on two stages. Big-name headliners from the United States regional artists are expected to be announced come November. The festival will kick off in the afternoon April 13 to 15 and continue until late. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/lifestyle/pattaya-will-be-rolling-loud-in-songkran-at-worlds-largest-hip-hop-fest/

To enjoy relatively good health and being able to continue visiting SE Asia on a regular basis. In other word, more of the same--which has served me well over he past 22 years.

From Channel News ASIA SINGAPORE: Passengers flying out of Changi Airport will have to pay more in airport fees and levies from Nov 1 as the aviation industry continues to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. Travellers on flights departing from Changi Airport currently pay a fee of S$52.30 - comprising S$35.40 in passenger service and security fee (PSSF), S$6.10 in aviation levy and S$10.80 in airport development levy. From Nov 1 to Mar 31 next year, the amount will go up to a total of S$59.20. That's after the passenger service and security fee increases to S$40.40 and the aviation levy rises to S$8. The passenger service and security fee will subsequently go up again in phases from Apr 1, 2023, and Apr 1, 2024. Announcing the charges on Thursday (Sep 15), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) noted that planned increases were announced in 2018, but they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reading an article in today's Thaiger, I discovered that I--and I assume most readers of this forum--are best described by what the author says is a rude word in Thai: ngean. Nisamanee “Nat” Lertworapong, a transgender You Tuber with 1.74 million Facebook followers, has been criticized for teaching the word to a Singaporean citizen. The author claims it means "horny." It would be disingenuous of me to feign offense if I was accused of being horny. In fact, it's a quality I quite admire in Asian men. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-youtuber-criticised-after-teaching-rude-word-to-foreigner

NOTE -- I visited the museum shortly after it first appeared on the scene (Patpong 2, opposite Foodland) and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The exhibits concentrat on iPatpong's history and made little reference to post-Twilight developments. I mentioned the advent of gay clubs on to he scene with the curator. He acknowledged the changes and I left hopeful that issue may be revisited. I was pleased to see that The Madrid was included in the historical perspective. Enjoyed a gin and tonic at the museum's retro bar and Vinapu will be heartened to know that it contained more gin than tonic. From Thaiger / BK Asia Curious to find out more about the world’s oldest profession? Do sex workers enjoy their work? Do they have a partner outside of working hours, and do they think prostitution should be legalized? All of these questions and more will be answered by two Bangkok sex workers at the Patpong Museum on Saturday, September 17, from 5-8pm, where you are welcome to go along, meet and chat with the girls. The Patpong Museum reveals the told and untold stories about the history of Bangkok’s best-known red-light district. The museum has an interactive wall of fame that introduces you to the colorful characters that make up the area’s rich story, from action movie star Claude Van Damme and the iconic David Bowie, to the US marine and CIA agent, Tony Poe, believed to be the inspiration for Apocalypse Now’s Colonel Kurtz. You can take a 50 minutes’ tour and there is a virtual reality x-rated show and a 1970s-style bar where you can enjoy a drink or two. The Q&A session with the two Bangkok sex workers is available in both Thai and English, tickets are 350 baht, and you must be 18 and over to attend. What are you waiting for? Register here or visit the museum at 5/2 Thanon Patpong, Suriyawong, Bang Rak.

Fee of 45-50 baht but more at Thai airports? From the Thaiger A taxi fare increase of about 45 to 50 baht was proposed by drivers in Thailand yesterday while standing or idling in traffic is expected to be fixed at about five baht per minute. The President of the Thai Public Taxi Association, Sadit Jaitiang, reported yesterday that the association met with the Deputy Director of the Land Transport Department, Sirirat Weerasarn, to discuss the new Thai taxi fares. Sadit said there were four relevant departments at the meeting, including Suvarnabhumi Taxi Coordination Association, and Electric Taxi Association, and every association debated the fare increase. Sadit revealed they proposed the new fares to the Land Transport Department according to the details below: 1,600 to 1,800 cc taxi cars: The basic fee starts at 45 baht 2,000 cc taxi cars: The basic fare starts at 50 baht For both types of taxi cars: A journey from 2 to 20 kilometres costs 10 baht/kilometre A journey from 21 to 40 kilometres costs 11 baht/kilometre A journey from 41 to 60 kilometres costs 12 baht/kilometre A journey of 61 kilometres onward cost 13 baht/kilometre In a jam when taxi cars move about 25 kilometres per hour, the fare will cost five baht per minute A service charge for taxi service in airports is 75 to 90 baht according to the size of the car and engine According to the report, the Land Transport Department acknowledged the request and said it would consider the fares at a future meeting. The department will meet with the associations again at the beginning of October to conclude and set the fare rate. Sadit added that some people urged the Thai taxi drivers to improve their service if they wanted fare increases. Sadit said the Land Transport Department has to support, encourage, and host training to train taxi drivers.