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From The Thaiger Death tolls rises to 17 Another person injured in the Mountain B fire died in hospital this morning, raising the total death toll of the tragedy to 17. The blaze which swept through the nightclub in Sattahip district, Chon Buri province, happened a week ago today. Lt. Cl. Palitdet Chumngern, a marine in the Royal Thai Navy, died at 7.54am this morning at Sririraj Hospital, according to the Chon Buri Provincial Public Relations Office.

From The Thaiger Death toll rises to 16 The Mountain B tragedy continues as another person injured in the fire dies in hospital. A 23 year old man identified as Sittichai Ouilert died at Chon Buri hospital at 10.21pm yesterday, after he was caught in the fire which swept through a Chon Buri nightclub on Thursday night. A total of 13 people died at the scene in the Sattahip district and three people have since died from their injuries in hospital, according to the Chon Buri Provincial Public Health Office. Of the 42 people injured in the fire, nine people have returned home. Of the 30 people still receiving treatment in hospital, 16 are still on ventilators to help them breathe, according to the Chon Buri Provincial Public Health Office.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon The Tourist Authority of Thailand is pressurizing the government to allow most vacationing foreigners to visit Thailand for up to three months without obtaining a visa from their local Thai embassy abroad. Visitors from 64 countries (including Brits, Russians, Australians, Americans and most mainland Europeans) are already visa-exempt. They obtain 30 days free-of-charge on arrival which can be extended for a further month at Thai immigration on payment of 1,900 baht. If the Thai Cabinet, as expected, accepts the proposal, these periods would become 45-plus-45 days for a total of three months. A similar discretion would apply to those from 19 countries (including mega-markets China and India) whose citizens require a visa-on-arrival costing 1,900 baht (US$54) at Thai airports. Currently, they receive only 15 days but would now receive 45 days plus a further 45 days extension. TAT is also proposing abolition of the fee, but this is thought less likely for budgetary reasons. The movement towards 90 day entry without involving embassies in the home country is partly to end visa application delays, but more especially to encourage longer stays and higher spending. Thai authorities seem determined right now to ease entry for foreigners. Pre-flight and online registration, anti-Covid insurance and even the TM6 address card have all been suspended. Arriving passengers no longer have to fill in any forms, although Ministry of Health officials may conduct random health checks on anyone looking ill. The experience compares favorably with Cambodia, for instance, where all foreigners must fill in a visa application, a health questionnaire and a customs declaration all collected at different desks. Yuthasak Supasorn, the TAT governor, this week also announced that the 300 baht tourist fee, to be levied on foreigners, would not now be implemented for “one or two years” as the imperative is get tourist numbers up from the doldrums. The tax had been heavily criticized as not worth the hassle. Security expert Colin Ross said Thai authorities had finally realized that form-filling was a poor way of monitoring foreigners. “Computerization of records and tracking people’s GPS location via mobile phones makes a lot more sense,” he said. He added that once virtual passports replace the documentary version, travellers’ identity and biometrics would be stored in a cloud. No need to carry the passport or fear it being stolen. But that’s a few years away yet. =========================== From Pattaya News Propose end of hospitels and hotel isolation in September The Department of Health Service Support of the Ministry of Public Health is planning to propose the cancellation of hospitel and hotel isolation on September 1st. Director-General Dr. Thares Krasanaiyarawiwong revealed on Wednesday, August 10th, that the Department will propose the cancellation to the Public Health Ministry after the resolving situation of the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand. The proposal will be introduced to Minister Anutin Charnvirakul before being issued as a Public Health announcement in the following step. It is initially planned to be implemented in September, if approved.

If you simply scroll back in this same thread you'll find a link and the comments of others regarding Senso.

It's hardly a secret that the majority of posters here are in the 50+ age group so it's understandable that issues about aging frequently come up. It becomes a time in our lives when we realize when we tend to look back with both fondness and regret. That's perfectly normal. But if we find ourselves dwelling too much on the rear view mirror, we risk allowing it to inhibit our future. At least that's the case for me. From time to time I enjoy reminiscing about earlier days but I'm also keenly aware that I'm increasingly focused on whatever years I have remaining. Vinapu offers sage advice when he encourages us to start planning our next trip. It's not a magic elixir but there are probably few better antidotes to the blues. Growing old and gay presents is own special breed of challenges. As some have written about on these pages, we tend to have few--if any--family members we're comfortable discussing our sexuality with. As much as we'd like to talk about our trips to Thailand, we usually keep it to ourselves or restrict it to forums like this. Yes, it can be quite lonely at times. Posters have described the pain complete strangers have caused them when they're in the company of young men. This also has the potential to inhibit the way we lead our lives. One close friend gave me this advice when I come across someone like that: "See them for what they are in our life: trash. Visualize tossing them in a bag and disposing them along with the rubbish and forget them. They're not worth another second's thought." Regardless of our age, we have enough other issues that we can't avoid, health and finances among them. We deal with them as best we can but we don't have to allow the stares and remarks of bigots stand in our way of happiness.

I rise to defense of Calgary. It's well known for the "greatest outdoor show on earth." The annual, 10-day Calgary Stampede. To paraphrase those great Bangkok lyrics, One night in Calgary and the tough guys tumble. What's not to love?

From MSN The Central Tax Court has ruled in favour of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra by revoking the Revenue Department’s order for him to pay about 17 billion baht in tax over the 2006 sale of a stake in Shin Corp. The ruling was issued by the court on Monday. On July 18, the court ruled that the department’s summoning of Thaksin’s children, Panthongtae and Pintongta, for a tax assessment under Section 19 of the Revenue Code was unlawful as both siblings were only proxies holding shares for him, it said. The Revenue Department should have summoned Thaksin for the tax appraisal, but it failed to do so before a deadline, the court said. Moreover, the transaction did not constitute a change of share ownership in Shin Corp, thus Thaksin remained the share owner and he was not liable to pay tax under Section 39 and Section 40(2) of the Revenue Code. As a result, the tax assessment by revenue officials and the committee set up to review Thaksin’s appeal was unlawful. The court ruled to revoke the department’s Por Ngor Dor 12 form demanding a 17.6 billion baht back tax payment. However, the court said the officials had acted within their jurisdiction and were not held for liability.

From Pattaya Mail The deadly Aug. 5 fire at the Mountain B nightclub in Plutaluang, Sattahip district spilled over into Pattaya over the weekend, with all nightlife venues closed early and safety inspections carried across the city. Pol. Maj. Gen. Surajit Chingnawan, deputy commander of Provincial Police Region 2, dispatched 50 officers to fan out across the city Saturday night to check fire standards at bars and clubs. He also told officers to enforce the letter of the law, which meant bars had to close by 2 a.m. at the latest. Officers checked fire exists, extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarms to ensure they were in working order. Building permits also were checked to ensure business owners had not illegally modified or expanded their venues.

From The Economist Intelligence Unit This week, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released their Global Liveability Index ranking of the top 10 best and 10 worst places to live in the world in 2022. The index scored 172 cities in five categories: culture, health care, education, infrastructure, and entertainment. Cities in Scandinavia dominate the list of Most Liveable Cities thanks to the stability and good infrastructure in the region. These cities inhabitants are supported by good healthcare and numerous opportunities for culture and entertainment, according to the index. Year after year, cities in Austria and Switzerland tend to rank high among quality of life lists thanks to their well-developed social market economy. Although 18 different countries are represented on these lists, you won't find the U.S. ranked in the top 10 on either one. A representative for EIU told CNBC Make It via email that Atlanta, Georgia ranked as the most liveable US city, at number 26 on the list, while Washington D.C. came in close behind at number 30. Here's the rest of the top 10 best places to live Vienna, Austria Copenhagen, Denmark Zurich, Switzerland Calgary, Canada Vancouver, Canada Geneva, Switzerland Frankfurt, Germany Toronto, Canada Amsterdam, Netherlands Osaka, Japan and Melbourne, Australia (tie) Here's the rest of the top 10 worst places to live Tehran, Iran Douala, Cameroon Harare, Zimbabwe Dhaka, Bangladesh Port Moresby, PNG Karachi, Pakistan Algiers, Algeria Tripoli, Libya Lagos, Nigeria Damascus, Syria https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/these-are-the-top-10-best-and-worst-places-to-live-in-the-world-e2-80-94and-you-wont-find-the-us-on-either-list/ar-AA10pbJ3

From CNBC The FBI is raiding Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s resort home in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said Monday evening. In a lengthy statement, Trump said his residence is “currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.” The raid was “unannounced,” Trump said, adding, “They even broke into my safe!” Trump, who summers at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the raid, NBC News reported. The former president departed Trump Tower in New York City later Monday evening without responding to questions, according to NBC. The FBI declined to comment.

Hey, don't sell all of us working class types short.

According to K-Bank website, the booth near City Line Train open 0700 to 2300. There's another location in arrivals area reportedly open 24/7. The booth near train once offered good exchange rate but when I checked it on way out a month ago, the rate was very non-competitive with rates in the city.

From Bangkok Post PATTAYA: The Pattaya Provincial Court on Monday approved the conditional release on bail of the owner of Mountain B pub, where a fire claimed 15 lives and injured 38 other people early Friday morning. Pongsiri... Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2364031/deadly-blaze-pub-owner-gets-bail. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Bangkok Post PCL. All rights reserved. Police took him from Phu Ta Luang police station in Sattahip district of Chon Buri, where he has been held since Saturday, to the court in Pattaya, where they applied to detain him for another 12 days... Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2364031/deadly-blaze-pub-owner-gets-bail. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Bangkok Post PCL. All rights reserved.

From Coconuts Bangkok Don’t close free vaccine clinic in downtown Bangkok Business groups and an association advocating for Americans have asked the Disease Control Department to reconsider the closure of a conveniently located vaccination center next month. The Americans in Thailand Association petitioned the department to continue operating the free vaccination clinic on Sathorn Road at the Bang Rak Medical Center where COVID-19 shots and boosters have been readily available for the past 15 months. “The association disagrees with its closure as Thais and foreigners will have more difficult access to vaccines,” the letter urged disease control chief Opas Karnkawinpong in its letter, a copy of which was shared today with Coconuts. “Moreover, the Department of Disease Control will lose opportunities and achievements accumulated as well as losing one of the best measures to deal with the emergency epidemic situation that still can happen at any time.” “Last year we were seeing 500 patients a day,” said a representative for the center who declined to give her name. “Now we receive about 100. Sometimes it’s only 50.” Located near BTS Saint Louis in the Bang Rak Medical Center, the clinic opened May 2021. Free appointments could be made within minutes, but the online system was no longer available as of Monday.

From The Nation Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Sunday begged Lop Buri voters for their support, as he launched his bid to become Thailand’s next prime minister. Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin, who doubles as deputy prime minister, was speaking at a party rally to announce its Lopburi MP candidates in Khok Samrong district. Bhumjaithai announced in April it would nominate Anutin as its PM candidate for the next election, which must be called by March next year. Anutin said on Sunday that if voters elected enough Bhumjaithai candidates, he would be willing to run the country as prime minister. He added the party was seeking to double the number of ministries it controls after the next election. “Bhumjaithai has three ministries in this current administration. We want six ministries in the next election. Give us lots of votes. Don’t worry about handing us this burden. If I have to become the prime minister, so be it,” Anutin said.

I've heard gay men my age express concern about being seen with a younger man in a restaurant in Bangkok. If there's any place on earth where this more of a non-issue, I'm not aware of it. I frequently offer to take a guy out to eat and I can't recall the last one who declined the offer. I've come to look at this way: if I'm not at peace with my sexuality now, how many more years will I have to wait before I am.

The well-known shopping district Siam Square went through a major facelift, now a lively walking street free of overhead cables. The area now serves as the city's latest shopping and recreational space, featuring live performances from various performers. Let’s take a look at this report.

Sometimes nothing lifts our spirits more than a feel good story. This one is about a youngster whose dad was in jail and his mother was suffering from terminal cancer. Then he watched a break dancing video and nothing has been the same since. From the BBC A dancer from Vietnam says breaking kept him away from drugs and helped him deal with family problems. B4 is now hoping to represent his country in the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. Breaking, also known as breakdancing, will be debuting in Paris, but currently the sports federation in Vietnam has no plans to compete in the new category. View the video: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-60797082

From Bangkok Post Mountain B pub owner detained, confesses charges CHON BURI: The owner of Mountain B pub is under detention at a police station after he reported to police on Saturday night. His lawyer said his client had confessed to all charges. Pongsiri Panprasong, 27, reported to Phlu Ta Luang police. He was promptly escorted into the police station building without talking to meda gathered outside. The detention took place soon after the Pattaya Provincial Court signed an arrest warrant for him on the following two charges. Negligent acts that cause the death of other persons Operating a nightspot without permission Mr Pongsiri was taken to the cells at the police station after hours of interrogations with no bail allowed by the police. Lawyer Anucha Wongsrisat said his client had confessed to the charges and he will request bail approval from the court on Monday by depositing 1 million baht in cash as surety.

Bangkok shutters 83 pubs after fire safety inspections From The Nation Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said he had ordered inspections of entertainment venues in every district of the capital. Eighty-three of the 400 Bangkok venues inspected have been shuttered after inspectors found problems with fire exits and escape routes. Chadchart, an engineer by profession, said escape routes should be obvious and clearly signposted to aid victims’ chance of survival in dangerous situations. He ordered further inspections in a bid to weed out Bangkok entertainment venues that are operating illegally. Chadchart said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will ensure thorough inspections across the city.

From New York Times 'Captain Condom' Turned the Tide in Thailand's War on AIDS BANGKOK — Mechai Viravaidya twice saw Thailand in desperate trouble — first from a ruinous population explosion and then from the AIDS epidemic — and he responded to both crises the same way: with condoms and his own considerable charisma. Birth control was something Thais neither talked about nor very much practiced in the early 1970s, when the country’s population was growing at an unsustainable pace and the average family had seven children. So Mechai decided to tackle the subject that no one else would touch, spearheading a nationwide campaign to publicize and demystify contraceptives. “It wasn’t a job for intelligent people, smart people, respectable people, aristocratic people,” he said in a June interview. Mechai, now 81, is in fact all of these, the foreign-educated son of two doctors, the husband of a former private secretary to the king and, over the years, a government minister, organizational leader and senator. But he is also uninhibited, unpretentious and always willing to put on a show to persuade people. His goal with the family-planning campaign, he said, was to make condoms just one more item shoppers picked up in the market, along with soap, toothpaste and dried fish. To pull that off, he knew it would help to lend condoms positive associations, something that made people smile. “If I can accomplish that by blowing up condoms or filling them with water,” he said, “then fine, I’ll do it.” Mechai was speaking not far from the Bangkok offices of the Population and Community Development Association, the organization he founded nearly 50 years ago to fight poverty in Thailand, with family planning a linchpin. He toured the country, village to village, with an endless array of gimmicks and publicity stunts that linked condoms with fun. Filling them up with water past the point of breaking was a staple performance. “Who can blow up the biggest condom?” he would call out to the crowds. “Who can make it burst!” He opened what he called family-planning “supermarkets” at bus stations to distribute contraceptives and persuaded Buddhist monks to bless condoms, distributing videos of the ceremonies. To educate younger Thais, he produced a safe-sex English alphabet that included letters like B for birth control, C for condom and V for vasectomy. In addition to the spectacle, the campaign had serious infrastructure behind it. He mobilized and trained a network of 350,000 teachers and 12,000 village community leaders. When the AIDS pandemic began to overwhelm Thailand in the late 1980s, Mechai employed the same knack for publicity, persuasiveness and showmanship in combating the disease. As with his first condom campaign, he initially struck out on his own, as the government refused to back a safe-sex campaign, fearing it would hurt the lucrative sex-tourism industry. So Mechai turned instead to the military, a powerful institution beyond the reach of civilian government, which agreed to air regular safe-sex announcements on its 300 radio stations and five television stations. Then in 1991, a new prime minister, Anand Panyarachun, embraced AIDS prevention, making Mechai his minister of information and tourism. Every government ministry was now called on to play a role in AIDS education. “We had condoms out everywhere on the streets — everywhere, everywhere,” Mechai said in a TED Talk recounting his approach. “In taxis, you get condoms, and also, in traffic, the policemen give you condoms.” And Mechai — despite or perhaps because of his MBA from Harvard — took it upon himself to become the recognizable symbol that he said every successful marketing program needs, dubbing himself “Captain Condom” and going to schools and nightclubs to promote safe sex. The World Health Organization called Thailand’s approach to the AIDS crisis “the quickest response to the problem that we have ever seen.” The United Nations said Mechai’s program had achieved a 90% decline in new infections, and the World Bank estimated that it had saved 7.7 million lives between 1991 and 2012. Continues at https://www.yahoo.com/now/captain-condom-turned-tide-thailands-182429121.html

From Thai PBS World 15 now dead in Chon Buri pub blaze, fire exits all locked from the outside While the death toll from the fire in the Chon Buri pub early Friday morning has increased to 15 today (Saturday), Suvadee Suetrong, a representative of the Mountain B pub’s owner, claims that there were three fire exits, but she didn’t know that they had all been locked from the outside, as she insisted that the proprietor is ready to compensate relatives of the dead and injured. The pub, which is located on the Bang Na-Trat highway in Sattahip district of Chon Buri, caught fire during the early hours of Friday, initially killing 13 customers and injuring dozens in one of Thailand’s deadliest night venue fires. The pub was found to have been illegally modified, operating beyond permitted hours and with only one way in and out. Two more of the seriously injured were pronounced dead yesterday and today. Suvadee claimed that the owner, whom she did not name, was in the pub at the time of the fire and he, as well as other employees, had tried to help customers to get out of the burning pub. The five officers transferred to the special operations centre of Chon Buri provincial police are the superintendent, Pol Col Wuttipong Somjai, his two deputies, Pol Lt-Col Somsak Ruying and Pol Lt-Col Torwong Sakkulawong, Pol Maj Somaya Chusukphonyiam, the inspector for crime suppression, and Pol Lt-Col Yutthana Songkrasant, the inspector of investigations. The abrupt transfers are believed to be a punishment for their alleged failures, by allowing the Mountain B pub to operate beyond midnight. On the same day, the district chief officer of Sattahip district, Chatchai Sripoon, was moved to the Institute of Administration Development under the Provincial Administration Department. She added that all of them had reported to Phlu Ta Luang police station. Regarding the three exits, Suvadee said that new customers were unaware of them, as she insisted that all three exits were normally unlocked and that she does not understand why they were locked from the outside that night. Suvadee admitted that she had no idea that the pub did not have the required permissions, because she was not responsible for that matter, adding that there is only one owner. The premises were divided into a restaurant, a bar-b-q restaurant and the pub. The bodies of 14 of the victims are being kept at the Central Police Forensic Science Division at the Police General Hospital for autopsy, which will take up to 2 days to complete, after which their relatives can claim them for their funerals. Relatives of some of the victims gathered in front of the damaged pub this morning to perform a religious ritual to bless the souls of the dead. Meanwhile, yesterday, Pol Maj-Gen Attasit Kitjaharn, commander of Chon Buri provincial police, ordered the immediate transfer of five senior police officers attached to the Phlu Ta Luang police station over the deadly fire.

From Bangkok Post The Tourism and Sports Minister is planning to propose new opening hours for entertainment venues, allowing them to open until 4am to revitalise tourism sentiment during the upcoming high season. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said the extended hours will be designated to tourism-driven economic zones to avoid creating discontent among local communities. "We already asked each provincial governor to study the economic and social impacts as well as the necessity of extending operational hours," said Mr Phiphat. He said not every area in a province would be allowed to follow this as the government would only concentrate on areas which mainly focus on international tourists. Mr Phiphat said Thailand still has to work hard to bring in 1.5 million tourists per month from October to December, which would be a 50% increase from the current rate of 1 million tourists per month. He said it will propose this agenda to the meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) in September once the Apec Tourism Ministers Meeting 2022, which runs from Aug 14-20, has concluded.

The party that reportedly holds the lease on the Lucky Boys location (that includes Bangkok Massage on the lower level) isn't prepared to reopen until the numbers of potential customers (mainly from China) rival the pre-covid era. Being the largest boy bar in the area, it requires a large (40+) number of young men to fill ts stage in addition to a hefty supporting staff. The same lease holder reportedly also operates lady bars in the Patpong rectangle.

From Channel News Asia Bangkok’s recent proposal to allow foreigners to buy land in Thailand is poorly thought out and will not be the panacea for the Thai economy that the government envisages, say two experts. BANGKOK: Thailand has long been a popular destination for foreign investment and expatriate retirement but has severely restricted foreigners from owning Thai land. With Bangkok now keen to attract wealthy investors - especially the Chinese - to aid Thailand’s post-pandemic recovery, the government is contemplating a major change in the laws governing foreign ownership of real estate. On Jul 15, the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha unveiled a proposed policy to allow foreigners to own land for residential use. The stated goal of the policy is to boost the Thai economy by luring wealthy foreigners to spend and invest in the country. Foreign nationals who invest 40 million baht (US$1.1 million) in property, securities or funds in Thailand over a period of three years would, starting in September, be permitted to own up to 1 rai (about 1,600 sq m) of land. On one level, this proposal addresses a clear problem for Thailand: The current supply of residences far exceeds demand. Data from 2020 indicates that there were more than 90,000 unsold condominium units in just the Bangkok metropolitan region. According to The Bangkok Post, of the roughly 1.5 million condominium units in Thailand, foreigners now own only about 90,000 units. Targeting wealthy investors with high purchasing power might help address this looming real estate crisis. The proposed change in rules on land ownership aims to augment investment in Thailand by 800 billion baht. The change will likely appeal mainly to prospective Chinese buyers. Already, half of the foreign-owned condominium units in locales such as the resort town of Pattaya are in Chinese hands. There is a close link between tourism and investment; many major Chinese cities are short flights away from Bangkok and key Thai cities, which makes the Thai properties potential second homes for wealthy Chinese families. However, potential Chinese buyers and investors are likely to be more interested in landed property than in condominiums, especially in the main tourist destinations. Ironically, the new policy is likely to see the pool of prospective condominium buyers shrink, as wealthy foreigners - especially in the target Chinese market - will have a more desirable investment option: Land. The proposed plan may well increase land tax revenue and benefit the Thais fiscally but its political and social ramifications merit careful consideration. Foreigners may begin to invest freely in property, but whether they will reside in the country is another matter. In addition, increased foreign purchases of luxury dwellings will intensify perceptions of inequality and rising land prices will worsen the actual inequality. These concerns have led the opposition Phuea Thai Party to oppose the scheme. The party reasons that nearly 80 per cent of Thais do not own any land and that allowing foreigners to buy land will benefit the more affluent segments of Thai society with land to sell. It will exacerbate the inequality in land ownership. Continues at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/thailand-bangkok-foreigners-property-residential-land-ownership-2857981