reader

From MSN “My biggest fear in retirement is waking up and not having any idea what I am going to do that day,” says David Lucero. But David’s fears have never been realized…because he went in search of an overseas adventure. His travels began with an epiphany in his office. “Back in 2013 I was working in Houston, Texas, and at that time I was around 62. I was working in a private equity firm and was tired spending 10 to 11 hours a day looking at a computer screen. I’ve always enjoyed traveling so I started looking for things to do outside of the U.S.” David discovered a slew of teaching jobs overseas. “I found a teaching job in Yantai, China (Yentai University) and in early 2014, I went for a year and stayed for four years.” During that time, David used China as a base to explore Asia. “I traveled in Central and Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Lao, and the Philippines. My brother had been to Chiang Mai 30 years ago and he suggested I go there.” Chiang Mai is a northern city in Thailand known as the “Rose of the North.” With golden temples to explore, international restaurants, and festivals to celebrate on a regular basis, Chiang Mai is popular with tourists and expats. Although it has a warm to hot climate, Chiang Mai does have a cool season, and temperatures can dip into the 60s during the winter. It is a short hour’s flight from Bangkok and has an international airport that serves destinations all around Asia. Nestled among the mountains, Chiang Mai offers a variety of lifestyles including city living in a high-rise condo, suburban living, and country living with views of rice fields and banana plantations. “This city is great because it has a good expat population. The city’s size was right for me. Here you can get anywhere you want in 20 minutes on a motorbike. Whatever your interest is, go to Facebook and you will find a group in Chiang Mai. Hiking, walking, eating, golf, whatever,” says David. “Back in China, I realized that I really enjoyed teaching so when I first got to Chiang Mai, I circled around a few schools I had driven by and I just walked in and asked if they needed teachers. Teaching began to fill a gap. I could teach as much or as little as I wanted to, so I chose to teach 15 hours a week. I was only paid about $9 an hour but it was something that I enjoyed.” One day someone suggested to David that he attend a Rotary meeting. At the meeting, he was asked if he was any good at math. “They told me about a charity school helping Burmese migrant workers and they were looking for a math teacher to volunteer,” he recalls. This meant that David could stay in Thailand on a volunteer visa. It is illegal to work or volunteer on a retirement visa in Thailand, so reputable places do offer volunteer visas and pay the costs. David’s volunteer teaching timetable is around 10 hours per week and is flexible so he has plenty of time for further travel, which he loves to do. “My favorite spot for travel is Koh Chang, Thailand’s third-largest island after Phuket. It’s an eight-hour mini-van trip from Bangkok. There are nice beaches and it is relatively unpopulated compared to other beach towns.” When David isn’t teaching and traveling, he is busy with the many social events that are an intricate part of expat life in Chiang Mai. “I joined a pool league and we play in bars and travel to a new venue each week. I got involved through friends. I never really played pool much in the U.S. but you get better at it. We play in teams. It’s just people getting together drinking a beer, playing pool.” David says when he first arrived in Chiang Mai and was searching online for activities, he found a competitive bridge competition. “I used to play bridge when I was younger, but I hadn’t played for 30 years. They have a wonderful club here and they are mostly retirees but some are Thai and some are younger digital nomads. They host tournaments too, so you get to meet players from outside this city and make friends. Some of the players are competitive but most of us are just there to drink a beer, make friends and have fun.” A large part of social life as an expat in Chiang Mai is the food scene. There are hundreds of restaurants in and around the city and as the food is so flavorful and cheap, there is never a reason to cook. David says that a good quality lifestyle here costs around $2,000 per month. His medical care is affordable too. “I am very fortunate that I don’t have underlying medical conditions so that isn’t at the top of my list, but I do go and see a very competent, English-speaking doctor at Ram Hospital and they test my bloods and do a general check-up. The doctor costs about 400 baht ($12) and the blood work and tests come to about 2,000 baht ($60). “I have enough money in the bank in case I had something like a heart attack, but my medical insurance is really just a ticket home. I do have accident insurance which is very cheap. It costs 6,000 baht ($180) a year and pays up to 300,000 baht ($9,000),” says David. “What has surprised me about my move here is how much I enjoy Chiang Mai,” says David, “how different it is from the U.S. How different…and how much better it is.”

From The Diplomat By Pattharapong Rattanasevee On May 22, independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt was elected as the governor of Bangkok in a landslide victory. He gained over 1.38 million votes and led other candidates by a vast margin. In fact, Bangkok is the only province in Thailand where the governor is elected to a four-year term rather than being appointed by the Ministry of Interior. Given the demographic centrality and political dominance of the Thai capital, the results of this election have inevitably sent a strong message to the central government and carry implications for politics at the national level. Meanwhile, Chadchart’s sweeping triumph means that he is burdened with the massive expectations of the people who voted for him and expect his team to deliver tangible results soon. He is also challenged by difficulties having to work with the current government headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the leader of the military coup of 2014, during which Chadchart was arrested, handcuffed, and detained. Just over a month after assuming office, Chadchart’s administration has quickly gained widespread praise from the public. There is no one single explanation for this but several factors are likely involved. First is his down-to-earth, open-minded, and compromising personality, which makes him approachable and friendly to all, from executives, colleagues, and merchants to low-ranking workers and ordinary people on the street. As a result, he has been able to accomplish several tasks more quickly, easily, and effectively than his predecessors because his personality traits have encouraged cooperation and participation from all parties. Chadchart is approachable compared to the usual Thai politicians, which obviously contrasts with Prime Minister Prayut’s commanding style of speaking and fiery temperament. econd, Chadchart started working as the governor of Bangkok right after the official results were announced and has continued to work hard from before dawn – he usually begins his day with a morning jog – to well after dusk. In the event of public hazards such as fires, he has visited and inspected the affected sites shortly after they were reported. As Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University wrote recently in the Bangkok Post, Chadchart has “become a ‘superman-like’ figure, appearing everywhere to address crises big and small all over the Bangkok metropolis.” Of course, it remains to be seen whether he can maintain this level of competence, enthusiasm, and dedication for the full extent of his four-year term. Third, Chadchart’s administration has shown the Thai capital, and the country at large, unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability. He has urged that Bangkok’s budget be made available for public scrutiny and has exploited digital technology to solve conventional bureaucratic problems, for example, promoting the Traffy Fondue complaints-receiving application, and launching apps for a project to plant one million trees in Bangkok and the Open Bangkok Data scheme, an initiative which aims “to foster citizen participation in city development, conflict reduction, and transparency.” Although he began his term with a very limited budget, as the previous governor has spent most of the allocated funds for the fiscal year which will not end until September 30, many analysts agree that he has spent wisely and put resources to good use. Among his most urgent policy decisions has been to disclose the contract for the BTS Skytrain system, one of Bangkok’s major intercity transport networks, and undertake a major transformation of City Hall’s investment arm, Krungthep Thanakom Co. Ltd., which he views as a breeding ground of corruption. Fourth, Chadchart has proven himself to be a modern, social-media savvy politician with over 2.5 million followers on his Facebook account, where one can view daily livestreams of his activities. With a dedicated PR team to cover his doings, Chadchart uses online communication wisely to turn the stuffy business of governing Thailand’s largest city into a live reality political show reaching millions of social-media users and making it easier for millennials to digest and assimilate the information. To illustrate his online popularity, just hours after a pre-dawn daily jogging Facebook Live episode, his account received more than 50,000 Likes and Loves, 1,600 shares, 7,400 comments, and 404,000 views. Although many are now starting to think of Chadchart as a potential future prime minister, he is unlikely to run in next year’s general election. But given that the country has been suffering from long-standing political malaise and frustration over the incompetence of the ruling regime, the Chadchart phenomenon could lead the way in setting new standards for politicians and new heights of public expectations. Thailand could derive fruitful benefits and learn many valuable lessons from it, at least for the next four years.

From The Thaiger Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday met up with the National Food Institute to discuss the launch of a new Bangkok Safety Street Food project. The Bangkok governor headed a meeting with the project’s committee at City Hall to discuss plans to improve the quality and safety of street food in the capital. Now that almost all home working has stopped and most people are back to the office Chadchart believes it is important safety standards are met for those buying food from the city’s street stalls and markets. The 56 year old city chief revealed that Bangkok street food is divided into three categories: local or community markets, city markets where office workers buy food, and tourist markets. Chadchart reported that the project would focus on the city and tourist markets first and that markets in Sukhumvit and Si Lom areas would be first on the project’s list. The city supremo emphasised that each area would have its committee and that they are responsible for the safety and cleanliness of each market and stall. If any markets or shops fail to meet those measures they will be ordered to stop operating.

"Imitation is the greatest form of flattery." Marcus Aurelius.

During my last trip I began taking frequent, early evening walks through Lumpinee Park. I’d wait until the sun was low and twilight would set in by the halfway mark. On some nights I’d make the trek with a friend who was off work but on other days I was pretty much alone—except for the cats. I discovered the cats—or perhaps it was the other way around—about five minutes after entering the park. What first caught my attention was their lack of skittishness. Wherever I cam across one, it was obvious that they viewed themselves as being entirely at home, which is something you don’t expect from an animal that doesn’t have a traditional home. As I made my way along the wide paths, I began to spot them relaxing on the grass and sometimes right in the middle of the road. It also became apparent that none appear scrawny or unhealthy. They looked like typical house cats but their house just happened to be a park. In the vicinity of the outdoor weight exercise area, I spotted some felines stretched out on concrete benches. Some were being petted by passersby. I cautiously approached one and as I tried a tentative stroke, it rolled over on its back for a soothing massage. As I moved further along, I saw a few cats eating along the side of the road. Some folks are apparently providing cat food on a regular basis. Soon I came to a bridge over a stream where a few folks gathered by one end. When I paused to see the source of interest, they were tossing bread crumbs to turtles near the water’s edge. The cats weren’t the park's only inhabitants to figure out how to get an evening snack. And if the turtles weren't quick, a fish would dart over and grab the morsels first. One evening when I approached the bridge, three crows positioned themselves on the railing to catch breads crumbs mid-air tossed their way. And it wasn’t just these creatures that inhabit the park. Monitor lizards can be found wandering about (no, they’re not looking to be petted). The park in the evening attracts many joggers of all ages. Everyone goes with the flow whether they’re out for a leisurely evening stroll or exercising to work up a good sweat. Towards the end of our circuit, with twilight fully setting in, the park takes on a magical glow as the lights of nearby high rises reflect off the lake. It never fails to mesmerize me. The best place to enter the park for most of us is the main gate on Rama IV near the Silom MRT station. A few refreshment stands are scattered about the park (water is 8 baht).

From Bangkok Post Thailand's 3rd monkeypox case found in Phuket Thailand's third case of monkeypox has been found in Phuket, Department of Disease Control director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said on Wednesday. Dr Opas said the latest monkeypox case is a 25-year-old German man who arrived in Phuket on July 18 as a tourist. The man was believed to have caught the virus in another country because the incubation period is 21 days. Officials were tracking down people who had been in close contact with him, for examination, he said. Dr Opas said the patient was found to have a fever, with blisters and a rash that began in his groin area before spreading to other parts of his body. The symptoms coincided with information from the World Health Organisation, that blisters and rashes are found around the genitalia of 98% of those infected, and most of them are homosexual or bisexual. Dr Kusak confirmed that the German patient arrived in Phuket with his Thai wife on July 18. He was not a homosexual or bisexual, he said. While in Phuket, they had stayed with his wife's family in Muang district. The couple had gone out sightseeing but had not visited any entertainment venues. Dr Kusak confirmed that the German patient arrived in Phuket with his Thai wife on July 18. He was not a homosexual or bisexual, he said. While in Phuket, they had stayed with his wife's family in Muang district. The couple had gone out sightseeing but had not visited any entertainment venues.

From Vietnam News By Lê Mai Pu Sam Cáp Cave in Pu Sam Cáp Commune, Sìn Hồ District, in the northwestern province of Lai Châu, is known for its wild, beautiful and mysterious beauty. Known as the most beautiful cave in the northwest, it is about 6km west of central Lai Châu City at 1,700m above sea level. To get to the cave, visitors have many means. However, passenger cars are still favoured because of their safety and low cost. In Hà Nội, visitors can go to Mỹ Đình coach station or Giáp Bát coach station and take a car to Lai Châu. When reaching the centre of Lai Châu City, they can take a taxi or motorbike taxi to Pu Sam Cáp. In the Thái ethnic language, Pu Sam Cáp means three large mountains overlapping. This is a complex of more than 10 large and small caves that were just recently discovered, of which the three main caves are Thiên Môn (Heaven Gate), Thiên Đường (Paradise) and Thủy Tinh (Glass). The wonder of the cave system is a sleeping beauty set deep in the forest. According to experts, the cave’s pristine beauty can be compared to any previously recognised cave, such as Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng in Quảng Bình Province, Thiên Cung Grotto in Quảng Ninh Province, and Ngườm Ngao Cave in Cao Bằng Province. Continues with photos at https://vietnamnews.vn/gallery/1272550/pu-sam-cap-cave-the-hidden-charm-of-lai-chau.html

From Bangkok Post The 3.5-kilometre-long Na Jomtien beach in Pattaya City is expected to fully reopen to tourists in 2025 when the iconic beach is fully fortified by sand fences in a coastal erosion prevention project initiated in 2020. Construction of the 50-metre wide sand fences along the first 800-metre section of beach stretching to the south of Soi Na Jomtien 11 ended last week. The second phase of construction has now begun and is expected to end in November 2025, said Sompong Jirasirilert, deputy director-general of the Marine Department. The northern section of the beach where more sand fences are being built extends to Pattaya Water Park, north of Soi Na Jomtien 11. Starting in 2020, the erosion prevention project was implemented as an urgent task after erosion had become serious enough to threaten the popular beach and tourism in the area, Mr Sompong said. Coastal erosion at Na Jomtien beach had resulted in it shrinking by about 60 rai in size between 1976 and 2015, which pointed to the need to take serious action to tackle this problem, he said. "If the problem had been left unresolved, the entire beach would have vanished," said Mr Sompong.

From Bloomberg Supporters attend the annual "Pink Dot" event in a public show of support for the LGBT community at Hong Lim Park in Singapore on June 18, 2022. (AFP file photo) Public discussion on a colonial-era law that criminalises sex between men is gaining momentum in Singapore, where a senior minister said any easing would ensure the current definition of marriage is protected. While the government is reviewing the regulation, “at the same time we are considering how can we safeguard the current legal position on marriage from being challenged in the courts,” Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said in a Facebook video clip posted on the weekend. “We are now considering how best to achieve this balance.” Singapore has grappled with how to make its society more inclusive of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community even as some countries around the world move toward recognising same-sex marriages. Several attempts to overturn the legal ban on sex between men, known as Section 377A of the Penal Code, have failed in courts over the years. Thailand, regarded as conservative and deeply religious, became the first country in Southeast Asia to move toward legalising same-sex unions this year. The colonial-era law reflected Singapore’s conservative stance toward the LGBTQ community, and any discussion of changing it in the past has drawn resistance from religious groups. Recent comments from the Catholic Church and an LGBTQ group signal a potential compromise that would address the biggest concerns of both sides -- decriminalising sex between men while stopping short of recognising same-sex marriages. A 2014 court challenge against 377A failed when Singapore’s Supreme Court ruled it was a constitutional matter. In February, the Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss three challenges to Section 377A, Channel NewsAsia reported. The law has not been actively enforced for over a decade. Dealing with 377A, while also maintaining the current legal definition that marriage is between a man and a woman, should be discussed and decided in Parliament and not in the courts, said Shanmugam. The local LGBTQ community has no immediate plans to mount legal challenges to redefine marriage’s definition, Leow Yangfa, the executive director of rights group Oogachaga, was cited in Today newspaper as saying. Taiwan is the only Asian jurisdiction that legally recognizes same-sex marriage. Vietnam allows same-sex couples to have symbolic weddings but doesn’t recognize the marriage. Hong Kong doesn’t allow it, but does permit gay expatriate workers to bring their spouses in on dependent visas. Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei have rules that outlaw sexual relations between people of the same gender.

But they were going to give you a free upgrade to the "I Love Thailand" suite.🙂

Or maybe it could get dark down there Or maybe car motors not powerful enough for upgrade. Or maybe cars could run out of gas. Or maybe they'll be a leak. Or maybe drivers will be too frightened to use it. Or maybe they sky will fall and break it. 😗

From The Nation Bangkok drivers should find things easier at a notorious congestion blackspot tomorrow, when a 600-metre-long underpass opens at Fai Chai Intersection after 13 years of construction work. City governor Chadchart Sittupunt said the tunnel under the Fai Chai Intersection in Bangkok Noi district will open on Monday from 5am to 10pm to alleviate traffic jams. The tunnel will be closed from 10pm to 5am until construction is finalised. Chadchart did not say when the tunnel would be opened to traffic on a round-the-clock basis. The Bt788-million project, which is being carried out by Kamphaeng Phet Wiwat Construction, began in October 2009. However, construction progress has been delayed by disputes over its size, design and overlap with the Blue Line’s Bang Sue-Tha Phra section. The disputes prompted several revisions of the contract. Chadchart also inspected progress of construction of the 1.34-billion-baht overpass at the busy Na Ranong Intersection connecting Ratchadapisek with Sunthorn Kosa Road, Na Ranong Road and Rama III Road. The Na Ranong overpass is also due to open on Monday at 5am.

The Grand Centre Point Space Pattaya will be flinging its doors open on Monday and promises to become a new bright landmark in this eastern seaside town. Kitti Worrabanpott, managing director of LH Mall & Hotel, said his company has high hopes of Pattaya City becoming an international tourist destination, which is why it decided to spend more than 3 billion baht on building this hotel. Besides, Pattaya is just an hour from Bangkok and offers beautiful seaside vistas as well as plenty of sightseeing venues. The hotel built by LH Mall & Hotel also includes a massive space-themed water amusement park. The space theme has been applied to not just the exterior, but also the interiors, the landscape and the amusement park. The hotel boasts of two restaurants – the Orbit and Sola Luna Rooftop – and the Oort Cloud tearoom. It also has the Space Convention Centre that can accommodate 1,000 people and a massive LED display. Paveen Korbboon, from Palmer and Turner (Thailand) which created the design and architecture, said the space travel theme was applied to every facility in the hotel. For instance, he said, the hotel’s roof and front look like a space shuttle from afar, while rooms sport digital displays of fields of stars. Boonchai Sakulthammarat, from Green Architects which designed the landscape and waterpark, said his company was given free rein to convert 80,000 square metres of space into a space-themed extravaganza. He said a light-and-sound show is held every night to take people on a flight through space. The hotel has 490 rooms and suites between 45 and 133sqm in size. The Space Water Park, meanwhile, is divided into four areas, namely the Mountain Zone, Flying Rock Zone, Space Pirate Beach Zone and Planet Zone.

From The Guardian Thailand’s gay-romance TV dramas help revive flagging tourism industry A scene from I Told Sunset About You – one of the ‘boy-love’ series that has attracted a large following across Asia. Photograph: Nadao Bangkok There is a table in Soontaree Thiprat’s Phuket cafe that is always fully booked. Most of her customers at the Dibuk restaurant want to sit in the corner, at the spot with the red tablecloth and purple flower. It is the table where the male student characters Teh and Oh-aew, played by the actors Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul and Krit “PP” Amnuaydechkorn, would sit together and flirt in I Told Sunset About You and its sequel, I Promised You the Moon, a romantic Thai series that has proved hugely popular in its home country and abroad. Devoted fans of the show, who have flocked not only from across Thailand but also from Japan, Korea and Vietnam, pose for photos as they wait to dine in Billkin and PP’s hangout. “They scream so much that I would like to call an ambulance,” said Soontaree. I Told Sunset About You is part of a recent wave of Thai dramas known as “boys’ love” (BL) – also called the “Y” series in Thailand– whose portrayal of gay romance has attracted a large following across Asia. Already, 17 Thai BL series have been released this year, while 43 were released in 2020 and 2021, according to the fan website Blwatcher.com. The romcom drama series 2gether, one of the BL genre’s biggest hits, surpassed 100m views on the streaming platform Line TV just months after its release. As Thailand tries to rebuild its travel industry, the country’s tourism authority has sought to capitalise on their popularity, hosting “Thai BL” booths at a recent marketing event in Osaka, Japan, where the dramas are especially popular, and running a Japanese-language Twitter account profiling locations featured in famous scenes. Private firms have also responded to the trend. Japanese company HIS recently ran online tours of locations used in the filming of 2gether, while some Thai language teachers have also begun offering lessons that specialise in the slang used in BL dramas. Monruethai Harada, a Thai language teacher at Jaya & 3S Groups in Tokyo, said she has seen a 20-30% increase in students wanting to learn Thai after BL dramas became popular in 2020. Most of them are women aged about 30, though one recent student was 75 years old. “She really loves to watch the boys’ love dramas. She said it’s the most exciting and thrilling ever,” said Monruethai. While BL has its roots in Japanese manga comics, Thai production companies have transformed the genre by adapting it for TV and producing a flurry of popular series, said Rujirat Ishikawa, assistant professor at the School of Cultural and Creative Studies, based in Tokyo’s Aoyama Gakuin University. “In the past, I don’t think people believed there was a big market for the boys’ love dramas,” she said. Thai BL dramas first boomed in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. “Because of Covid, [people] had plenty of time,” said Ishikawa. In Japan, similar TV series are usually only accessible to viewers who have a paid subscription but Thai broadcasters are more relaxed about uploading content online, said Ishikawa. “[Audiences] just say: ‘We watch it on YouTube, it’s free, why not?’” Fans often add subtitles in their languages so that others can also enjoy the dramas.“You can see the internet power here and how it spreads,” said Ishikawa, adding that most fans are drawn to the series by the attractive male actors, the often happy story lines and the music. For Thailand’s struggling tourism industry, the popularity of the dramas is welcome news, though commenters point out that the Thai government, despite talk of building the country’s soft power abroad, has struggled to embrace the genre. “Initially, the Thai state appeared to be in an awkward position about the broadcast of Thai BL drama via traditional mediums like free TV channels,” said Poowin Bunyavejchewin, senior researcher at the Institute of East Asian Studies at Thammasat University in Bangkok. “Yet man has to eat. The Thai state needs money. It is as simple as that.” The majority of BL series are shown in Thailand on alternative platforms that link with smartphones, such as Line TV, added Poowin, which “may ease the concerns of Thai conservatives, as sweet erotic love between young men has not been highly visible to them”. Nor has it interfered with the traditional soap operas broadcasting on free TV channels. But some in the LGBT community have mixed feelings about the dramas. BL offers a happier, more positive portrayal of same-sex relationships than elsewhere in Thai media, where gay love tends to end in tragedy, said Kangwan Fongkaew, a lecturer at Burapha University in Chonburi province, who has studied the representation of LGBT communities in Thai media. But while this is in some ways refreshing, BL dramas do not offer true representations of society. They are generally focused on “puppy love” and omit the realities faced by gay men in Thailand, which still does not have basic rights such as equal marriage, said Kangwan. Viewers, added Kangwan, “might misunderstand that Thailand is a gay paradise, which is totally not true”. The leading characters are also predominantly light-skinned, middle class and educated, he said: “The boys’ love series don’t reflect the real diversity of the LGBT community in Thai society, and that’s why the stigma and discrimination against LGBT are still going on right now.” But he also believes the dramas could bring change, especially if their portrayals of same-sex love become more nuanced or political: “I am still hopeful.”

From Bangkok Post Officials step up monkeypox screening of air travellers The Public Health Ministry is ramping up the screening of air travellers from countries reporting a spread of monkeypox to step up precautions against the disease. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the screening is being conducted at airports and targets travellers from outbreak countries. He said monkeypox is not a serious disease and it is not highly transmissible without direct contact with bodily fluids or lesions or prolonged contact with an infected person. Generally, most patients are able to recover at home, he said. "Monkeypox can be avoided if we take precautions and abstain from risky sexual behaviour," Mr Anutin said. The minister added that monkeypox vaccines will initially be kept for immunisation of frontline healthcare workers first. Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said the department has told quarantine offices at international airports across the country to step up the screening of arrivals from countries where monkeypox outbreaks are taking place.

From Bangkok Post A Nok Air Boeing 737-800 slid off the runway while landing at the Mae Fah Luang international airport in the northern province of Chiang Rai in heavy rain on Saturday night but nobody was hurt. According to an announcement issued by the airline on Saturday, Nok Air Flight DD108 (Don Mueang - Chiang Rai) with 164 passengers and six crew members on board departed from Don Mueang airport at 8.03pm and arrived at Mae Fah Luang airport at 9.06pm. While landing, the aircraft slid off the runway because of the heavy rain but the pilots managed to safely bring the aircraft to a halt. All of the passengers and crew members were safely moved to the passenger building. Nobody was injured. As a result, Thai Smile, Thai Vietjet and Thai Air Asia will on Sunday transport their departing passengers by bus from Mae Fah Luang airport in Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai international airport, from where they can further travel by air to their destinations.

TomNG, you'll find that many of your questions are covered in a concurrently running thread in this forum:

Stayed in Amara many times and absolutely no problem with bringing someone back with you. Neither did I have any problem at Raya. You don't have to check in with reception at either location. I found rooms at both hotels comfortable but, as Jimmy Joe pointed out, Amara is much newer property. Rooms and very well appointed and very well maintained. Amara has very good restaurant.

I try to pass along info I come across during my stays but I defer to both Divine Madman and Toyally Oz as they are long-time residents of this great town and have a keen eye for quality and recent developments in that industry we all love. For sheer volume in this area, Vinapu may well hold the indoor record on a time/experience ratio.

From Bangkok Post Hope is being regained that Thai tourism can attract 1 million Russian tourists this year as Aeroflot will resume direct flights to Phuket this winter after a pause of several months due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict. As of July 26, the number of Russian visitors to Thailand stood at 76,739. Most entered the country during the first quarter before Russia's invasion of Ukraine escalated, which prompted the European Union (EU) to impose aviation sanctions against Russia. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said Aeroflot has confirmed the resumption of the Moscow to Phuket service in the winter schedule, starting from Oct 30 with a daily service. "In discussions with tour operators focusing on this market, they are confident about demand to Thailand. The only problem is the lack of connectivity. If Aeroflot can resume direct services as planned, while more airlines could follow in the next few months, we can still anticipate an influx of tourists in the final quarter," said Mr Yuthasak. He said many airlines from Thailand, such as Thai Airways and Thai AirAsia X, were interested in operating this route to replace Russian carriers, but due to sanctions from European countries, technical assistance such as maintenance and shipments of spare parts were also banned over the past few months, as well as insurance that would not provide coverage in such circumstances. However, the EU on July 27 announced an exemption for the sharing of technical information in the framework of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which includes any technical support related to repairs, development, manufacture, assembly, testing, maintenance, or any other technical services. Mr Yuthasak said it has to clarify with related authorities again how this revised sanction from the EU could make any changes to the current aviation situation regarding Russia.

+1 Amara also offers ample western cable channels and compact gym

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon On a recent radio interview with Pattaya’s 103 station, British ambassador Mark Gooding pinpointed the lack of medical insurance by Brits as his biggest takeaway from his tour of the city. The point has been hammered home for 20 years by the UK government, yet above half of all international visitors (not just Brits) are uninsured according to surveys. It’s human nature, of course, to think “the worse won’t happen to me” but there are many reasons for the reality that Brits alone ran up unpaid hospital bills of 300 million baht (8 million pounds) annually prior to the pandemic. That’s according to a report in The Nation newspaper which referenced only state hospitals and omitted the private sector which rarely offers treatment anyway without a copper-bottom guarantee. The first problem is definitional. Mr Gooding advised all visitors to Thailand to buy “travel insurance”, though he is obviously aware that expats or non-tourists likely won’t be covered if they are not based in the home country of departure. Medical Billing Advocates, an international watchdog leader, state that one in seven of all medical insurance claims are denied or rejected. They point out that the confusion between travel insurance, covering some but not all holiday mishaps, and comprehensive medical cover is a common cause of misunderstanding. Several recent cases of sick Brits appealing for crowd-funded donations to get them back to the UK for an emergency operation have been tourists who had not read the small print in policy documentation. Thai authorities during the pandemic made matters murky by insisting all visitors had medical insurance – it started at US$50,000 but ended up at US$10,000 prior to cancellation – but then stating it could be restricted to Covid only illness. In the ensuing confusion, some international visitors failed to appreciate that a traffic accident was not Covid-related, whilst several companies went bust because of the pressure of coronavirus claims. Whilst there were undoubtedly some good policies out there, the cheapest ones claiming a month’s cover for a few pounds were worthless and designed only to survive the nod-and-a-wink Thailand Pass entry bureaucracy. There were even policies claiming to be comprehensive, but in reality only offering cremation benefit, and even then requiring documentary evidence of being Covid-free on initially entering the country. Then we come to the expats. Many on one year extensions of stay, retirement or marriage, turn to agents for help because they lack cash in the bank or income to cover 800,000 or 400,000 baht respectively. The cash-strapped are unlikely to have the funds for comprehensive hospitalization and will simply hope for the best. It is known that a main reason for self-repatriation is fear of falling seriously ill in Thailand. But the only visas currently requiring medical insurance are one type of retirement visa and extension of stay (O/A) and the yet-to-start 10 year LTR or Long Term Resident Visa. There many alternative options without any insurance requirement at all, including the O retirement option and the Elite visa. The latter is seen by many observers as the safest bet because it guarantees multiple-entry for between five and 20 years. Finally, there are the elderly and the super-aged. Insurance companies prefer customers who won’t make a claim so issues like gerontocracy, pre-existing conditions and high cholesterol in a medical report are distancing strategies like no other. So these expats must either sit tight and hope the grim reaper strikes quickly, or pay through the nose, or self-insure. Interestingly, the Thai Cabinet has now authorized self-insurance as a concept, though how it will be implemented by Thai immigration offices, if at all, is not yet crystal clear. Expat residence in Thailand is never much different. Whilst it is platitudinous to go on repeating “get insurance”, it is equally important to recall the legal concept Caveat Emptor. Buyer Beware! re

From Coconuts Bangkok Reenter the cave again and again with two more rescue saga adaptations A promotional still for ‘Thai Cave Rescue’. Photo: Netflix The Ron Howard-directed Thirteen Lives premieres today – but not in Thailand – two days after Netflix pinned a September release date on Thai Cave Rescue, a six-episode limited series about the 2018 ordeal to free the boys and their coach from a flooded cave in northernmost Thailand. Directed by Kevin Tancharoen (Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Nattawut “Baz” Poonpiriya (Bad Genius, One For the Road), the Netflix dramatization will portray the incident with more emotional heft, focusing on the points of view of the 12 boys and their coach, as well as the volunteers. When it was first announced in 2019, Crazy Rich Asians director John M. Chu’s name was attached to it. Billed as “the most authentic and expansive retelling yet,” it was filmed in Thailand and is the only project officially sanctioned by the government agency established to control access to those involved. Scenes were shot at the boys’ homes as well as the cave site. It will feature a mostly Thai cast led by Papangkorn “Beam” Lerkchaleampote as football coach Eak, and Thaneth “Ek” Warakulnukroh as Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osottanakorn. It stars Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund and Manatsanun “Donut” Phanlerdwongsakul as Kelly and Pim, who represent real-world hydraulic engineers and park rangers. That it won government support suggests that audiences should expect a noncritical examination of events, given the complaints from Narongsak and other officials over the depiction in the first cinematic treatment of the crisis, 2019’s The Cave. Thirteen Lives, on the other hand, was filmed in Australia, and therefore avoided any creative conflict with the government-created 13 Tham Luang Co. Ltd. The film’s star-studded cast includes Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Bateman. Mortensen, Farrell, and Edgerton play cave divers Richard Stanton, John Volanthen, and Richard Harris, respectively. Thirteen Lives will be released Aug. 5 on Amazon Prime, the same day as The Cave is released after a three-year pandemic delay in North America by Lionsgate as Cave Rescue. Thai Cave Rescue premieres Sept. 22 on Netflix. In late June, the boys visited Tham Luang to make alms and pay respects to their rescuers on the fourth-anniversary of their world-gripping ordeal.

Min has discussed Vietnam in some of his recent trip reports.

Thanks, Olddaddy, for your brutal honesty. The issue of aging and loneliness is something I believe all gay men have to come to terms with at some point. It seems to be happening now for you. Some on the forum have found a life partner and that affects their decision to retire to Thailand. Others find that they're simply happier in Thailand than they are in their home country. But for most of us, Thailand remains a frequent destination but not our home base. It has crossed my mind to retire to bkk but I wouldn't consider it unless I could first master the language. Learning any new language is more difficult with age but still possible if you're adequately motivated. I'm not and I can't envision a life in Thailand without being able to communicate in Thai. If you're seeking boyfriend material, maybe just start looking for friends first. Friendships can have a way of turning into more meaningful relationships over time. But if you begin by limiting your field of candidates to sexual contacts, you may find that the relationships never grow beyond that point. In any case, you're still a relatively young old man. You have a right to a happy future and I wish you well on your journey.