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I think you've made a strong case why you shouldn't go to the bars where the guys on stage are wearing pants. You're evidently doing quite well on the apps. For me--and a fair number of others--the bars remain attractive options even if the young men aren't scampering around in their underwear. Not unlike the boys in massage shops, they wouldn't be there if they didn't want to meet those of us who come through the door. I find men in jeans a perfectly acceptable arrangement. It's not my first rodeo so I have a fairly reliable idea of what looms underneath. And if I don't find out for sure until I take the guy back to my room, that's fine, too. Sort of akin to the excitement of unwrapping a gift. Not that I'd walk out of a place where those on stage were in briefs--or less, but there's a hell of lot you can't determine just by looking at a guy in his underwear. To determine whether he has a playful approach to his job, or brings passion to the meeting, or satisfies your individual needs, you need to sit down with him. Sure, it will probably cost you 350 baht (50 of which goes to the boy) but that's what help covers the overhead. As for Fresh Boys, I'd be pleased to find that they're fielding a crew that represents a cross section of Asian men of different ethnicity, size and appearance. It's that great diversity that I'm looking for in any bar.

The Pattaya News is reporting that the Thailand Health Ministry plans to propose lowering the national Covid alert level from 3 to 2 at the next meeting of the Center for Covid Administration on May 20. Level 2 means that the public can mostly resume life almost as normal to the pre-Covid period. More preventive measures will be relaxed and more businesses will be reopened or fully operated. This may include the (legal) return of entertainment venues and some relaxed measures at outside venues like parks and beaches, such as mask mandates in certain settings.

From Thiager / Thairath Thailand’s PM and the Minister of Defence Prayut Chan-o-cha is asking all relevant departments to recruit migrant workers using the Memorandum of Understanding or MOU system. The PM has also directed the Ministry of Labour to “take care of each worker”, and ensure that Covid-19 prevention measures are adhered to. Today, the PM’s Spokesperson, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, told Thai media that the government had been closely monitoring the shortage of workers and would recruit more foreign workers to solve the problem. In the wake of the Thai government’s border closures in April 2020, many hundreds of thousands of migrant workers headed home to wait out the pandemic. This led to a critical labour shortage in Thailand. The spokesperson says that Thailand had recruited 588 Burmese migrant workers and let them enter Thailand through the Yangon-Myawaddy-Maesot Route on May 10 and 11. He emphasised that this was considered the “first migrant group” to be allowed to enter after travel measures were relaxed on May 1 (abandoning quarantine and testing for vaccinated people). PM Prayut asked that every relevant department should prepare local health measures to get ready and “welcome the foreign workers” too. According to the report, the Ministry of Labour required each worker to show an employment document, vaccination certificate, and Covid-19 insurance covering at least US$4,000 (which is less than international travellers who currently must cover up to US$10,000) After entering, the workers would receive a visa for a 2 year stay, get a health check and ATK tests by medical workers, and could start working if testing negative. Thailand has relied on up to 2 million Burmese and other migrant workers (Cambodians, Laotians, Vietnamese) to bolster its lower paid jobs for many decades. There is also a 2,500 kilometre long border between Myanmar and Thailand where people frequently cross, undocumented, to do lowly-paid cash jobs, and are susceptible to trafficking and poor working conditions.

From Channel News Asiia YANGON: Myanmar's junta will allow tourists to apply for visas after a break of more than two years, state media said Thursday (May 12), sparking calls by an activist group for foreign travellers to stay away. The country closed its borders to visitors in March 2020 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to prevent infections rising. It was further isolated after the army toppled the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, prompting huge protests and a bloody military crackdown on dissent. "With an aim to develop the tourism sector ... e-Visa (Tourist) applications will be allowed and accepted from May 15, 2022," said a notice in the Global New Light of Myanmar. It did not give details on when the first visitors could be expected to arrive. Activist groups warn that the military's vested interests in swathes of the economy - including mines, banks, petroleum, agriculture and tourism - mean tourist dollars will likely end up in the junta's coffers. "Even if foreign visitors avoid hotels and transport owned by the Myanmar military and their associates, they will still fund the junta through visa fees, insurance and tax," said activist group Justice for Myanmar. "We call on anyone considering a holiday in Myanmar to boycott."

From The Thaiger Two suspects allegedly drugged a Kuwaiti tourist before stealing about 200,000 baht from him, around US$5,700, in Bangkok in March, although they were only arrested yesterday. The victim said the suspects took him to a hotel on Bangkok’s famous Sukhumvit road to have sex. He said he was then drugged, and became unconscious. When he woke up, he saw that his money had been stolen. After collecting evidence, Lumpini police eventually arrested the two subjects, 28 year old Chadaporn Aomsin, and 26 year old Sipan Thienkrachang. Both are transgender women. The police arrested Chadaporn in Bangkok, and Sipan in Nonthaburi. Police say that Chadaporn confessed to the allegation when she was interrogated at Lumpini police station, and say she had committed similar crimes 3 times before with British and Chinese tourists after she was released from Thonburi Remand Prison. Both suspects are now detained at Lumpini Police Station awaiting further legal proceedings. The hotel where they took the tourist is reportedly on Sukhumvit Soi 5, in the Lumpini district. Last month, a tourist in Pattaya claimed last week that two thieves stole his gold necklace worth about 33,000 baht. The tourist said the thieves were a Thai woman, and a ‘transgender individual’, who both wore ‘sexy dresses’. The tourist, 45 year old Sathishkumar Govindarju, told The Pattaya News the pair also tried to convince him to sleep with them. Sathishkumar said he noticed later, after he had rejected the alleged thieves’ approach, that his pricey necklace was missing.

From The Thaiger New wages for skilled workers Thailand’s cabinet has approved new wages for construction workers, industrial arts workers and service workers. The new wages are expected to come into effect 90 days after the announcement was made on Tuesday. In the construction industry, tilers considered ‘level 1’ will earn 465 baht per day. Those considered level 2 will earn 550 baht a day. Level 3 tilers would earn 650 baht a day. Level 1 building painters will earn at least 465 baht a day, and level 2 building painters will earn at least 600 baht a day. Draughtsmen/women will earn at least 645 baht a day. Level 1 gypsum board installation workers will earn 450 baht a day. Level 2 gypsum workers will earn 595 baht a day. Thailand’s cabinet has approved new wages for construction workers, industrial arts workers and service workers. The new wages are expected to come into effect 90 days after the announcement was made on Tuesday. In the construction industry, tilers considered ‘level 1’ will earn 465 baht per day. Those considered level 2 will earn 550 baht a day. Level 3 tilers would earn 650 baht a day. Level 1 building painters will earn at least 465 baht a day, and level 2 building painters will earn at least 600 baht a day. Draughtsmen/women will earn at least 645 baht a day. Level 1 gypsum board installation workers will earn 450 baht a day. Level 2 gypsum workers will earn 595 baht a day. In the industrial arts industry, level 1 decorative item workers will earn 450 baht a day, those in level 2 will earn 550 baht a day, and those in level 3 will 650baht a day. Furniture assembly workers in level 1 will earn 430 baht a day, and those in level 2 will earn 550 baht a day. In the service industry, bakers in level 1 will earn 400 baht a day, and those in level 2 will earn 505 baht a day. Hairdressers in level 1 will earn 440 baht a day, and those in level 2 will earn 510 baht a day. Those in level 3 will earn 650 baht a day. Barbers will earn just slightly less than hairdressers, with those in level 1 earning 430 baht a day, and those in level 2 earning 500 baht a day, those in level 3 earning 630 baht a day. Waiters in restaurants and hotel bars will earn 440 baht a day. Meanwhile, Thailand government is currently considering increasing the country’s minimum wage to 492 baht a day. There has not been an increase to the daily minimum wage rate since December 2019, when the rate for unskilled workers rose from 308 – 330 baht to between 313 and 336 baht. ======================== Cabinet cuts 10 year Long Term Resident visa fee to 50k ba Thailand’s Cabinet has agreed to reduce the Long Term Resident visa fee by 50% to attract highly skilled foreigners into the kingdom. The fee for the LTR visa, which allows you to stay in Thailand for 10 years, has been reduced from 100,000 to 50,000 baht. Changes to the visa requirements could make the lucrative “digital nomad” lifestyle a more realistic option for foreigners who wish to work remotely in the kingdom too. Ratchada said the potential LTR visa applications could include wealthy foreigners, retired foreigners, foreigners with “special skills” and their families (spouses and no more than 4 children under 20 years old). LTR visa holders are allowed to apply for work permits. To apply, the applicant must buy health insurance covering at least US$50,000 to cover medical fees for at least the first 10 months of their stay in the kingdom OR a social security certificate covering medical expenses OR a cash deposit of at least US$100,000 in a domestic or foreign bank account for 12 months before applying for the visa. “High-income” foreigners who wish to apply must have an annual income of US$80,000 for two years prior to applying.

From Bangkok Post he government is planning to launch four big events in Bangkok to promote tourism in the capital, says Traisuree Taisaranakul, deputy government spokesperson. A panel assessing the impact of Covid-19 on the economy on Friday decided to extend its "Visit Thailand" campaign for one year to stimulate growth in the tourism industry, she said yesterday. Under the campaign, "Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters", Bangkok will host four events under the theme of "Unfolding Bangkok", she said. The spokesperson added these events will allow Thai and foreign visitors to experience the capital from next month to January next year. The events are titled "Sound of Music", "Greeting Bangkok", "Vivid Chao Phraya" and "Living Hua Lamphon", she said. Sound of Music is a live music show that will be held at the Benchakitti Park and Ratchaprasong intersection area during weekends from June to July, she said. Greeting Bangkok will take tourists to visit landmarks in Bangkok and Thon Buri during tours from July to September, she said. Vivid Chao Phraya, moreover, will allow tourists to see a decoration of lights along the river, she said, adding it will be held to welcome attendees of the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November. Finally, Living Hua Lamphong involves an art display at the Hua Lumphong Railway station and nearby areas as part of Bangkok Design Week from December to January, she said.

NOTE -- This article claims that Thai Pass will be discontinued June 1. From The Thaiger Thailand’s once-mandatory Covid-19 tracking application “Mor Chana”, or Doctor Wins, will be discontinued from June 1. Mor Chana was once commonly used to track coronavirus cases and notify people if they had been exposed to Covid-19. Mor Chana, which was launched on April 29 2020, used GPS and Bluetooth to track the movement of users, who were expected to use the application to scan a barcode to “check in” to venues during the height of the pandemic. In January 2021, health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said anyone who contracted Covid-19 without having previously downloaded and used the app would be subject to up to two years imprisonment and a fine of up to ฿40,000. The threat was criticised as unfair on people without smartphones. However, over time, use of the Mor Chana fell out of use and many venues no longer expected attendees to “check in” using the app. Yesterday, Mor Chana made an announcement via Facebook that the application will be discontinued from June 1. Mor Chana didn’t provide reasoning, but the move is thought to have something to do with Thailand moving towards declaring Covid-19 as an endemic disease. The Thailand Pass is also expected to be discontinued from June 1.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Public Health Ministry moved the Covid-19 alert down one level (from 4 to 3) on Monday as the country remains on course to declare the coronavirus an endemic disease. The main difference between the two stages is that people can enter entertainment venues and crowded places with caution. Level 4 encourages people to stay away from those places.

The Thai Enquirer reports that "Thailand’s government is aiming to remove the remaining travel restrictions and travel pass requirements by the end of July in a bid to further boost tourism, a source in the health ministry told Thai Enquirer on Monday."

The Bangkok Post reports that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will be pressed by 10 organizations representing nighttime entertainment operators for permission to open their establishments on June 1. .The request will be made during a meeting on Monday of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

From Bangkok Post Laos will drop Covid-19 entry restrictions for fully vaccinated tourists from Monday after the country reported falling coronavirus cases and deaths, senior officials said. From January travellers had been required to complete seven days of quarantine, present a negative Covid-19 test, and were limited to travelling within certain areas with officially sanctioned tour groups. The relaxed measures will see international checkpoints re-opened for Laotian citizens and foreigners, provided they are fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated visitors must produce a Rapid Antigen Test issued within 48 hours of leaving their origin country. Tourists will also have to pay for their own medical treatment should they become Covid-19 positive. Laos officials added that pubs and karaoke bars could reopen. =========================== From Laotian Times Citizens of countries that do not have a visa waiver agreement with Laos may now apply for a visa at a Lao embassy or consulate abroad or via the e-Visa online system. Visa on arrivals will also be reinstated at certain international checkpoints.

The faux leather would have put me off, too.

For those who patronized Babylon, it was de rigueur in the Garden of Earthly Delights, maze and steam rooms, as well as the public showers on frequent occasion. Bangkok had a handful of old theaters where it was also commonplace. One of them still existed precovid in Saphan Kwai. There was in the past an empty room on top floor at DJ Station that served that purpose.

As Warren Buffet would advise, be “fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.”

No better time to go if you want to be swamped by eager, wet guys. 😉

From Bangkok Post A new committee will be formed to direct measures aimed at attracting more foreign visitors with high purchasing power to Thailand, the government said on Friday, as part of efforts to spur the local economy. The committee's formation was proposed by the National Economic and Social Development Council and approved at a meeting of the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA), said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana. The committee will coordinate the work of several state agencies to adjust their rules to make it more convenient for such tourists to visit the country, he said. The new committee will report directly to the Prime Minister's Office, Mr Thanakorn said.

Experienced travelers shouldn't have to be reminded that it's not wise to wear gold necklaces, watches or anything that advertises their wealth. That doesn't, however, seem to be the case as incidents are not becoming any less common. From Pattaya News Two Indian tourists claimed that their gold necklace was stolen, allegedly by two transgender individuals who approached and hugged them. This, in fact, was the 3rd time the hugging-and-stealing incidents happened in Pattaya recently. On May 6th, around 02.30 a.m. this morning, Puttharak Sonkhamhan, Deputy Inspector from the Pattaya Police Station, responded to a thievery report at second Pattaya road, Nong Prue sub-district, Bang Lamung, Chonburi. At the incident scene, Mr. Pravin Suresh Sutrave, a 43-year-old Indian businessman, was reportedly in shock and told the police that he was roaming around when two transgender individuals approached him and his friend, trying to seduce him and hugging him. Mr. Pravin said he refused and pushed the individuals off who then rode away on their motorcycle. However, he realized that his gold necklace worth 37,000 baht was stolen and immediately called the police. Initially, Pattaya police came to investigate the crime scene and requested security camera footage nearby to track down the suspects. They affirmed to catch the suspects as soon as possible to restore the Pattaya tourism image. TPN notes that the suspects in the two prior recent theft incidents, also described as two transgender individuals, have yet to be arrested. It is unclear if the same parties are responsible.

From Coconuts Bangkok The State Railway has begun shaking out new diesel-electric locomotives to replace its decrepit fleet. A test run was conducted yesterday for the trains, named after Japanese superhero Ultraman for their color scheme, between Bangkok’s Bang Sue station and Chachoengsao. A second test will commence next month from Choburi’s Sri Racha junction to Bangkok’s Lat Krabang district. “The State Railway of Thailand is confident that this new diesel-electric locomotive help increase the efficiency of service to the people,” SRT spokesperson Ekkarat Sri-Arayanphong said. Made by CRRC Qishuyan of China, 20 of the locomotives arrived this week, with 30 more due by early next year in a deal reportedly worth THB6.2 billion (US$181 million). The debt-saddled state enterprise operates very few freight operations, something it hopes to increase in the coming years. The majority of its locomotives were built in the ‘80s and ‘90s and were only capable of roughly 2,500 horsepower. The new locomotives have 3,263 horsepower and can tow 550 tonnes at up to 120kph. That speed drops to 70kph for fully loaded cargo trains. They will be used to replace aging stock for both freight and passenger uses for long-distance routes, including links between the capital and Chiang Mai, Nong Khai, and the Deep South.

The insurance industry continues to exert a firm grip on the powers that be who--in their wisdom--have decreed that the Thailand Pass will live on. From the Thai Enquirer Thailand Pass still required for all those entering Thailand The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) was expected to decide on the Ministry of Public Health’s proposal to lift the Thailand Pass for Thai citizens at its meeting led by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha on Friday. However, no decision has been made on the issue, despite calls for its removal. “We still have to be cautious and continue to closely monitor the situation of Omicron and other new variants that could happen in the future,” Prayut said after the meeting. “We have to plan for them and adjust our measures accordingly and timely,” he said. Nearly 240,000 people have registered with Thailand Pass since entry regulations were relaxed at the beginning of May, the CCSA reported on Friday. “Tourists still have to register with the Thailand Pass system to make sure that they have been vaccinated and that they have bought the insurance,” said TAT governor, Yuthasak Supasorn.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told the Bagnkok Post that he "plans to propose ending the Thailand Pass system initially for returning Thais, and later also for foreigners."

From The Thaiger The Thai government has signed a loan contract to borrow 50 billion yen or about 13 billion baht (US$385 million) from Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA to cope with costs of handling the Covid pandemic in Thailand. Thai PM and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged Thais not to criticise the government borrowing money again because the amount was included in the existing quota planned with the Japanese government a long time ago. On May 1 to 2, Thai PM Prayut welcomed the Japanese PM Fumio Kishida to discuss cooperation on different topics like infrastructure, investment, startups and SMEs, humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and neighbours, and security cooperation against China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Aside from the topics on the table, Thai netizens focused on the new loan amount that the Thai government agreed with Japan. On May 3, the Thai Finance Minister, Akom Termpittayapaisit, explained to Thai media that he signed the agreement on Covid-19 Crisis Response Emergency Support Loan with a representative from JICA Morota Takahiro. The loan amount was 50 trillion yen or about 13 trillion baht. The authority said the loan was offered with low interest at 0.01% and a 4 year grace period. ======================= Bangkok to impose tobacco tax for the first time Bangkok is planning to introduce a tobacco tax of up to 10 satang per cigarette, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (there are 100 satang in a Thai baht). The BMA announced this week that this will be the first time Bangkok will impose a tax on tobacco, which will push the price of cigarettes up by 1.86 baht per pack. The tax, known as “Tobacco Tax for Local Maintenance” is intended to help limit consumption of tobacco, according to permanent secretary of the BMA Suthathip Son-iam. The tax money will be used “for maintenance of Bangkok city”.

That's fine as long as you don't take the guy with blue and white stripes.

From Bangkok Post Asia falls in love with Thai Boys Love Buoyed by the openness of the LGBT community, Thailand's "Boys Love" (BL) movies and series have been well received in the local market and are considered promising export products that can draw lucrative revenue streams and foster business opportunities in other areas, including tourism. BL dramas are known in Thailand as Y Series, derived from the Japanese term "yaoi", which refers to a genre of fictional media that features homoerotic relationships between male characters. The government last year said that Thailand's Y content market was worth more than 1 billion baht, with the key export markets including China, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Latin America. One of the most popular Thai Y Series in overseas markets is "2gether", which was produced by Thai television production studio GMMTV and launched in 2020. According to Japanese publication Nikkei, the "2gether" show began on Japan's Rakuten TV streaming platform in July 2020, and eventually became No.1 on the platform's annual movie and drama rankings. A Japanese tour operator, H.I.S. Tours, has organised a virtual tour to locations where some scenes in 2gether were shot, according to the Japanese news agency Kyodo News. The Feb 11 online tour drew more than 250 people, with nearly 99% of them women. The TAT continues to spur the popularity of Thai BL in Japan by partnering with local TV channels to introduce new tourism sites, and creating joint promotions with tour operators for virtual tours to film locations. The agency has promoted tourism directly through the Aloha application, China's social networking app for the gay community, by inviting Chinese gay couples and key opinion formers to test luxury tourism products in Thailand, such as yachting. Mrs Kanokkittika said the LGBT segment could be categorised as luxury travellers as they are high-income earners, live in key cities, and want to spend more for travel experiences.