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From The Associated Press 'About time’: Gay athletes unleash rainbow wave on Olympics OKYO (AP) — When Olympic diver Tom Daley announced in 2013 that he was dating a man and “couldn’t be happier,” his coming out was an act of courage that, with its rarity, also exposed how the top echelons of sport weren’t seen as a safe space by the vast majority of LGBTQ athletes. Back then, the number of gay Olympians who felt able and willing to speak openly about their private lives could be counted on a few hands. There’d been just two dozen openly gay Olympians among the more than 10,000 who competed at the 2012 London Games, a reflection of how unrepresentative and anachronistic top-tier sports were just a decade ago and, to a large extent, still are. Still, at the Tokyo Games, the picture is changing. A wave of rainbow-colored pride, openness and acceptance is sweeping through Olympic pools, skateparks, halls and fields, with a record number of openly gay competitors in Tokyo. Whereas LGBTQ invisibility used to make Olympic sports seem out of step with the times, Tokyo is shaping up as a watershed for the community and for the Games — now, finally, starting to better reflect human diversity. “It’s about time that everyone was able to be who they are and celebrated for it,” said U.S. skateboarder Alexis Sablone, one of at least five openly LGBTQ athletes in that sport making its Olympic debut in Tokyo. “It’s really cool,” Sablone said. “What I hope that means is that even outside of sports, kids are raised not just under the assumption that they are heterosexual.” The gay website Outsports.com has been tallying the number of publicly out gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and nonbinary athletes in Tokyo. After several updates, its count is now up to 168, including some who petitioned to get on the list. That’s three times the number that Outsports tallied at the last Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. At the London Games, it counted just 23. “The massive increase in the number of out athletes reflects the growing acceptance of LGBTQ people in sports and society,” Outsports says. Daley is also broadcasting that message from Tokyo, his fourth Olympics overall and second since he came out. After winning gold for Britain with Matty Lee in 10-meter synchronized diving, the 27-year-old reflected on his journey from young misfit who felt “alone and different” to Olympic champion who says he now feels less pressure to perform because he knows that his husband and their son love him regardless. Continues at https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-lgbtq-athletes-4c4d04b03dc0f3a070e287be092c50d4

From Thai Enquirer Thailand’s Palang Pracharat Party will stay for the full term despite rumours that there could be an early house dissolution, an MP from the ruling party told Thai Enquirer on Tuesday. The parliamentarian was responding to rumours which spread over the weekend that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha was set to resign or that the house was about to be dissolved. The rumours sparked numerous hashtags including several that opposed any possibility of an appointed premier in the event that Prayut did resign. “We have heard the rumours inside the party and there is absolutely no truth to it at all,” said the MP from Bangkok who asked not to be named. “As far as we’re concerned, this government will go the full term and we will win the next election as well,” he said. Thailand’s ruling party and its coalition partners have been under immense pressure due to the country’s botched Covid-19 response. https://www.thaienquirer.com/30454/ruling-party-to-stay-for-full-term-despite-rumours/

From Thai Enquirer Phuket tightens restrictions but Sandbox continues Phuket introduced extra Covid restriction measures Tuesday as case numbers continued to rise, but said it was sticking with the Sandbox project allowing vaccinated tourists in from abroad. Under the latest measures, two major shopping malls will be temporarily closed, as well as schools and sports stadiums. Gatherings will be limited to 100 people, down from the previous 150. The restrictions join a raft of measures, including the closure of at-risk businesses, in force on the island from July 20 to August 2. Despite the recent increase in infections “the province will continue with the Phuket Sandbox policy,” Governor Narong Woonciew said on Monday. The numbers “are not a factor to discontinue the Sandbox,” he said. https://www.thaienquirer.com/30499/phuket-tightens-restrictions-but-sandbox-continues/ =================================== From Bangkok Post Airlines told to check papers of all passengers The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has ordered airlines to ensure that foreign travellers have all documents necessary for permission to enter their destinations ahead of issuing boarding passes. The CAAT announcement covers those tourists who had earlier touched down in one of the so-called "sandbox" zones and were making onward trips after completing their mandatory 14-day stay in the zone and obtaining a clear Covid-19 test result. The airlines can check disease control measures and entry requirements for each province at https://www.moicovid.com angkok Airways yesterday began operating Phuket-Samui flights while Nok Air reopened its Phuket-U-Tapao route with the CAAT urging foreign travellers in sandbox areas to contact the airlines before travelling to ensure a smooth journey. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2154223/airlines-told-to-check-papers-of-all-passengers

From The Thaiger Asanha Bucha Day is a special Buddhist holiday in Thailand marking the day when the Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon at Benares in India over 2,500 years ago. The exact date of the holiday is determined by the waxing moon and the lunar months, but is usually held in July or August each year. In 2021 it falls on July 26. Today is also the start of the period of Buddhist Lent. There were to be 3 public holidays in a row – Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (HM The King’s birthday) this year but the Tuesday holiday was abandoned by the government as the Covid situation became worse. Asahna Bucha is a national Holiday in Thailand. It replaced Buddhist Lent as a gazetted holiday in 2007. The date in the western calendar depends on the Lunar cycle. It is also known as Asalha Puja or Dhamma Day. Because this years’ Asanha Bucha Day falls on a weekend day, Monday, July 26 has been named as a public holiday across Thailand. The Buddha preached his first sermon at a deer park and from this sermon the Dharma (doctrine) of the Buddha was symbolised as a wheel. The Dharmachakra is also known as the Wheel of Life, Wheel of Law or Wheel of Doctrine and can be seen on flags in temples and buildings all across Thailand. Similarly, pictures or models of deer can often be seen at temples or in depictions of the Buddha. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/today-is-asanha-bucha-day-why-is-the-day-special-for-thai-buddhists-public-holiday

From Time A volunteer from the 'Saimai Will Survive' group in protective gear talks to a woman infected with COVID-19 on her condition while checking her blood pressure and blood oxygen levels Friday, July 23, 2021, in Bangkok, Thailand. AP Photo/Tassanee BANGKOK, Thailand — As Thailand‘s medical system struggles beneath a surge of coronavirus cases, ordinary people are helping to plug the gaps, risking their own health to bring care and supplies to often terrified, exhausted patients who’ve fallen through the cracks. In the Samai area of Bangkok, Ekapob Laungprasert’s team heads out for another weekend on the front lines of a crisis. His volunteer group, Samai Will Survive, has been working around the clock, responding to about a hundred SOS calls daily from desperate COVID-19 patients unable to get the help they need. “We realize how hard working and how tired doctors and nurses are,” says the 38-year-old businessman. “What we are trying to do today is to help relieve some of the burden. Before, all cases must go to the hospital, so today there are no hospital beds. So we volunteer to help out.” It’s not long before they’re in action: Malee, a COVID-19 positive woman whose breathing has suddenly worsened. The group, wearing personal protective equipment, delivers oxygen and much-needed reassurance to Malee and her husband, an army officer who also has the virus. “I lost hope even with the army. I called doctors at field hospitals. All they told me to do was to send information, just send information,” Worawit Srisang said. “I got the same answers everywhere. At least these guys visit us in person. What the patient needs is a chance to see a doctor, not just send information.” Thailand’s predicament is stark. Around 15,000 new cases are confirmed each day and still more people are getting infected. In Bangkok alone, 20,000 people are waiting for a hospital bed. So homespun heroes like Ekapob and his group — buying equipment and supplies with public donations — are an essential safety net, gaining crucial time for both patients and a health care system under severe strain. https://time.com/6083751/thailand-covid-volunteers/

From Bangkok Post Malaysia's government will not extend a controversial coronavirus state of emergency beyond Aug 1, a minister said Monday, as parliament convened after a months-long suspension that sparked widespread anger. The king in January declared the country's first nationwide state of emergency in more than half a century to fight Covid-19, following the advice of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. It allowed the government to rule by decree and suspend parliament, prompting critics to accuse Muhyiddin of using the crisis to avoid a no-confidence vote and shore up his weak coalition. Despite the emergency and a nationwide lockdown, the outbreak only worsened, fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant. Malaysia's caseload breached the one million mark at the weekend, and there have been around 8,000 deaths. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2155055/malaysia-says-emergency-to-end-as-parliament-sits Despite the emergency and a nationwide lockdown, the outbreak only worsened, fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant. Malaysia's caseload breached the one million mark at the weekend, and there have been around 8,000 deaths.

From Japan Herald 22-year-old Japanese Yuto Horigome has become the first-ever Olympic skateboarding champion

From Bloomberg News A fight that started over a book of modernized fairy tales has morphed into a defining test for the European Union. Prime Minister Viktor Orban is intensifying an assault against Hungary’s LGBTQ community. As Veronika Gulyas, Flavia Krause-Jackson and Zoltan Simon report, that could prompt the bloc to shut the taps on financial aid that has fueled the country’s economic transformation for almost two decades. The European Commission is threatening legal action over a Hungarian law banning minors from being exposed to content portraying homosexuality or sex reassignment that originated with a dispute over a children’s book depicting gay and transgender characters. The issue cuts to the quick of a dilemma that has plagued the bloc for more than a decade: Why should its 27 countries continue to financially prop up members whose leaders flout EU values on inclusion, democracy and the rule of law? For Orban, the ringleader of Europe’s populist movement since he returned to power in 2010, it’s political. Last decade, he scored election victories by demonizing Muslim immigrants and he whipped up sentiment against the Roma minority before the pandemic broke out. As he tightened his grip over Hungary, he teased out a net $29 billion of EU money in the last seven years alone, a model that Poland’s right-wing, anti-LGBTQ government is also pursuing. Now facing a tough challenge in next year’s elections, Orban is portraying the gay community as the enemy and will hold a referendum on LGBTQ questions to push back against the EU. But after years of shirking from a fight as it wrangled with problems from the Greek crisis to Brexit, the EU has finally come to the realization it has an antagonist who must be confronted. — Michael Winfrey https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-07-23/an-eu-rogue-may-pay-for-weaponizing-gay-rights

Let's see if I've go this right. A huge virus, buried in the seabed at a depth of 36,000 feet, is brought to a laboratory in Shanghai for sequencing. What could possibly go wrong? From South China Morning Post / BP The first known batch of viruses retrieved from the deepest point in the Mariana Trench includes giant species bigger than some bacterium, according to a research team in Shanghai. The many legends of giant sea creatures have been largely debunked because of the challenges to large, complex life forms at the greatest ocean depths. But the researchers discovered several giant viral species, including mimiviruses - which typically use amoeba as their hosts - in sediments taken from a seabed nearly 11,000 metres (36,000 feet) below sea level at Challenger Deep. And, while giant viruses have been found elsewhere, they appeared to be more abundant at the extreme depth, where pressure is 1,100 times that of the atmosphere, than in other conditions, where they are usually rare. Previous attempts to obtain viral samples from Challenger Deep failed because of the extreme technical challenges but samples collected five years ago by the advanced research ship Zhang Jian yielded enough material for the team to obtain genome sequences of 15 different types of viruses and more than 100 kinds of other microorganisms. The researchers also raised more than 2,000 strains of microorganisms in a high pressure laboratory environment, although they were unable to revive any of the viruses, according to a paper published this month in the journal Genome Biology. Mimiviruses -- which made up more than 4% of the total viral population in the sampled seabed -- were initially mistaken for bacteria when scientists first saw them during a pneumonia outbreak in 1992. With their hairy fibres and bodies which can be up to 700 nanometres wide, they can sometimes be visible to the naked eye. In some experiments, these giant viruses were able to cause tissue damage in mammals, but so far there is no evidence they can directly harm human beings. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2154471/china-scientists-discover-giant-viruses-in-the-deepest-place-on-earth

The crash at Tenerife was both horrible and unique in that involved no mechanical failure of either of the two 747's. They collided on the same runway (headed in opposite directions) due to series of communications snafus and heavy fog. One had just barely got airborne but too late to escape ripping off the fuselage of the other aircraft trying to turn away at the last moment. Here's a brief dramatization of those final minutes that took the lives of 583.

From Channel News Asia HANOI: Vietnam announced a 15-day lockdown in the capital Hanoi starting Saturday (Jul 24) as a coronavirus surge spread from the southern Mekong Delta region. The lockdown order, issued late Friday night, bans the gathering of more than two people in public. Only government offices, hospitals and essential businesses are allowed to stay open. Earlier in the week, the city had suspended all outdoor activities and ordered non-essential businesses to close following an increase in cases. On Friday, Hanoi reported 70 confirmed infections, the city's highest, part of a record 7,295 cases in the country in the last 24 hours. Nearly 5,000 of them are from Vietnam’s largest metropolis, southern Ho Chi Minh City, which has also extended its lockdown until Aug 1. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/vietnam-locks-down-capital-hanoi-for-15-days-as-cases-rise-15283902

From The Thaiger Covid-19 could persist one month to another year, official says Depending on the actions the government and the people of Thailand take, the Director-General of the Department of Medical Services predicts Covid-19 could continue for just a few months or drag on for another year. Director-General Somsak Ankasil asserted that declaration in a recorded video message this week made to thank the medical officials across the nation. In it, he said that many factors will affect our future and the future of the Covid-19 pandemic within the borders of Thailand. If handled well, he believes that Covid-19 could be wrangled under control in about 3 months or possibly as little as 1 month. But, if improperly handled, or if more problems and obstacles surface along the way, the Covid-19 pandemic could stretch on for another year. Somsak also called for unity and support in his message, saying that all people from all sectors need to come together to overcome the challenges of Covid-19 even after a year and a half of dealing with it. He mentioned the imperative need for the Thai government to be proactive in enacting policies that directly and effectively control the proliferation of Covid-19 infections, and to contain outbreaks, something the government has come under much criticism for recently as people lose confidence in leadership’s ability to combat the virus. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/department-head-predicts-covid-19-could-last-up-to-another-year

And it was about the same when I first landed in 2002. Agree that it has been mostly within 3 baht on either side of 33 for quite a while. That it has retreated so quickly since December has more to do with the worsening pandemic and political unrest which significantly slowed the influx of foreign currencies. If Thailand can contain COVID, the baht should rebound nicely. Similar action can be seen on the GBP-THB chart.

Since it's high of 29.76 in December, the baht has actually lost about 9.5% vs the dollar (today 32.94).

Although what was to become known as the Delta variant was only detected late last year in India, it has raced to the top of all the other variations of COVID competing for transmissibility. Countries that saw a possible exit from the scourge have fallen back into its ever more powerful grip. Among them are just about all of Southeast Asia. We've pretty much exhausted the blame game. We know what wasn't done and who didn't do it. This knowledge may help prevent leaders from repeating past mistakes but there is only one thing that will prevent further catastrophe: attaining a rate of inoculations that outdistances the rate of new infections. Lockdowns are temporary holding actions. The pause buys time by hopefully slowing the rate of new cases. But there's a limit to their duration. You can only keep people confined to their homes--and in most cases, away from the source of their income--for so long. If the government can't take full advantage of that time span, nations could begin to fail in ways not seen before by most current inhabitants. Readers here are understandably concerned with when they're going to be able to return to a Thailand that looks something like the one they left in 2019. But for most of the Thais in Bangkok and Pattaya, they're now facing the reality that their future--if not their very lives--are at stake. The Delta variant is mocking man's ability to rule nature. It's exposing the fallibility of class, wealth, pride and prejudice. For the next few weeks, some of us will have our attention diverted by an event that normally occurs once every four years (but in this case, five): the Summer Olympics. We can only hope that when the events wind down so, too, will the Delta variant rampage begin to slow. If we're lucky, the number of new cases will begin to show a steady decline, followed by a lessening of the daily death count. If these signs don't materialize, our vacation plans could well become the least of our concerns. ========================================= From Thai Enquirer New political awakening coming too late? Prayut’s announcement on June 16 that he would reopen the country within 120 days was subjected to much ridicule and skepticism. Not only was the target highly unrealistic, with rising infection numbers and the country unable to secure the 120 million doses of vaccines it needs for her immunity, it also became the strongest piece of evidence that the government was out of touch in combating the pandemic and economic crisis. As covid-19 cases continue to surge after Delta variant was first discovered at Lak Si construction site, Thailand’s livelihood and economic well-being has taken a nose dive with no apparent hope in sight. Therefore, it is unsurprising that more and more people are publicly voicing their discontent, including celebrities and television personalities that tend to be politically-shy. It is a watershed moment for Thai politics as an overwhelming portion of the society are no longer afraid or intimidated to remain silent but are straightforwardly criticizing the government for its incompetence. However, did this political awakening come too late to do much good? Thailand is still in its biggest crisis in modern history, even bigger than the one that started the 1997 Asian Economic Crisis. The news of people being left to die on the streets from unknown causes was unheard of until now. A nurse recently committed suicide by jumping off of a building over fear of infecting her newborn baby with Covid-19. A couple in Chonburi recently hung themselves over concerns of unpaid debts that were owed to loan sharks. Meanwhile, millions of people have already lost their jobs with no safety net and solution in sight. If this is the cost of the country’s political awakening cost, it surely came at a great price. Continues at https://www.thaienquirer.com/30353/opinion-is-thailands-new-political-awakening-coming-too-late/

From CNBC When Covid-19 hit early last year and most travel ground to halt worldwide, would-be vacationers scrambled to get refunds from hotels, airlines, cruise lines and other travel suppliers — or to file travel insurance claims for canceled trips. They often hit a wall on both fronts. Suppliers struggled, or sometimes stonewalled, with refunds — making those without insurance wish they’d bought some. Meanwhile, the “insured” often discovered the plans they’d purchased didn’t cover Covid-related travel or medical expenses. “People were trying to get their money back, trying to navigate through credits versus refunds, and put in travel insurance claims,” said James Ferrara, co-founder and president of the Delray Beach, Florida-based InteleTravel network of some 60,000 home-based travel advisors. “They were also looking at travel insurance for their next [trip] and making sure that insurance would cover another occurrence of a pandemic because this all caught a lot of people by surprise — including the insurance industry.” In the wake of those epic “burns,” many Americans once again hitting the road now that pandemic-era restrictions are being lifted are insuring their trips — and their health — as they plan travel. They’re doing so both to avoid future trouble and, in some cases, because they have to. More than two dozen countries, for example, require visitors to have medical and sometimes travel expenses coverage that includes Covid-related incidents. “There was a good handful before [Covid], but more now,” said Megan Moncrief, chief marketing officer and data specialist at trip insurance comparison site Squaremouth.com. “It makes sense when you think about how expensive getting care abroad can be.” Countries Requiring Covid-19 Travel Insurance Some countries have made travel insurance coverage for Covid mandatory for visitors. Most require medical coverage for emergencies but some also require coverage for lodging if quarantine is required. Here’s a list of countries demanding proof of either Covid-specific or general medical insurance: Anguilla Aruba Bahamas Bermuda Cambodia Cayman Islands Chile Costa Rica Cuba* Dubai (United Arab Emirates)* Ecuador* Egypt* French Polynesia Israel Jamaica Jordan Lebanon Nepal New Zealand* Qatar* Russia* St. Maarten Thailand Turkey* Turks and Caicos Ukraine *Country requires even non-Covid-19-related medical insurance for visitors. Source: Squaremouth.com Continues at https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/22/planning-to-travel-heres-why-you-need-to-insure-your-next-trip.html

From National Public Radio Anthony Bourdain, in Roadrunner, the new documentary about his life. CNN/Focus Features Anthony Bourdain was in his 40s when he got famous. A lot of people don't realize that. He'd lived a cook's life — hot, sweaty, messy, sometimes ugly — and wrote a book about it. He was still on the line when that book, Kitchen Confidential, hit the bestseller list. He found out about it by phone. He stepped away from his post, the rush, his knives and pans, to take the call, laugh, splash water on his face. There was a camera there to capture it, and the footage ended up in Roadrunner, the new documentary by Oscar winner Morgan Neville, about Bourdain's life, fame, stardom and death. It covers 20 years, this film. More or less. It largely ignores early Bourdain, young Bourdain, pre-fame Bourdain, focusing instead on those years when the entire world knew his name. It isn't about the rise so much as the apex — stretched out across almost two decades. Here's this guy, it says. He's dead now, but you probably knew him. Or thought you did. Or believed you did. This is who he really was. I thought I knew him a little. I was wrong. I read the books, watched the shows, saw him speak, same as you. I met him, talked with him, spent a night on the loading dock behind a restaurant in New Mexico drinking beers and passing a bowl with him and the rest of the kitchen crew after a book signing, caught a ride home with his driver while he fell asleep in the back seat, but there are a thousand people out there who can likely claim the same. The man shook a lot of hands in his time. He bent a lot of elbows. He talked and talked and talked. One of the most remarkable things about him (and this I know is true) is that none of it was an act. The person he was on your TV? That was the person he was when he went home at night (or, more likely, back to his hotel). He was curious, funny, angry, goofy and weird. He'd read a lot of books and seen a lot of movies, and all of them lived forever in his head. Roadrunner gathers the people who knew him best — most of them, anyway (there are a couple of very notable exceptions, like Bourdain's last girlfriend, Asia Argento, and his first wife, Nancy Putkoski). Friends, partners, chefs, members of his team, his second wife, his brother. They're all there to tell their stories, to explain him — and then admit that they never could. To laud him and say how much they loved him, and then dissolve into fury at his end. Bourdain was honest and that anger is honest, and the film doesn't look away from it. It doesn't look away from much of anything. It honors its subject by presenting him as flawed when he was flawed, exhausted when he was exhausted, cruel when he was cruel, and like any of us, he was those things sometimes. It's just that he lived his life on television. Continues at https://www.npr.org/2021/07/16/1016533992/anthony-bourdain-roadrunner-documentary-review Editors' note: This review was written and posted before the revelations about the Roadrunner documentary's use of artificial intelligence to reconstruct Anthony Bourdain's voice. To read more — and see reactions from critics including Jason Sheehan — click here.

From Channel News Asia MOSCOW: Russia announced on Wednesday (Jul 21) that a batch of its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine was produced for the first time in Vietnam, which is battling a new wave of COVID-19 infections. The test batch was produced in partnership with Vietnam's state-owned pharmaceutical company Vabiotech, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which financially backed Sputnik V, said in a statement. The first samples from the batch will be shipped to the vaccine's developer - the Gamaleya Centre in Moscow - for quality control, the RDIF added. "RDIF and Vabiotech are actively cooperating in the technology transfer process to provide easier access to Sputnik V for the population of Vietnam," the fund's CEO Kirill Dmitriyev said in the statement. The president of Vabiotech, Dat Tuan Do, welcomed the announcement saying it "will help provide quality and affordable" vaccines to Vietnam and other countries in the region. Vietnam has recently faced a surge in new infections with the government putting about a third of the country's 100 million people under stay-at-home orders to contain the outbreak. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/vietnam-produce-russia-sputnik-v-covid-19-vaccines-first-batch-15262020

From Thai Enquirer Thailand moves to join COVAX Thailand will now join the COVAX programme, the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) said on Wednesday, after holding out from joining the international cooperation framework for months. “Even though we have tried our hardest, the vaccines that we have procured so far are still not enough for the current outbreak situation,” said Dr Nakorn Premsri, the director of the NVI, adding that there had been “many agencies and many regulations involved with the procurement.” To supplement current supplies, “we are looking to bring in second-generation vaccines that are effective against the mutation and we are expecting them to arrive by the first quarter of next year,” he said. The institute is at the stage of “beginning of the negotiation and the sending of a letter to Gavi to state the intention to join the COVAX programme.” The COVAX programme aims to provide equitable access to Covid vaccines globally and is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO). There are currently 172 countries participating as donors, recipients or some combination according to the WHO website. Thailand has so far been one of just a handful of countries not to join, which also includes Turkey and Russia. https://www.thaienquirer.com/30268/thailand-moves-to-join-covax-to-address-vaccine-shortfall/ =============================== From Bangkok Post Ambulance service overstretched, bodies left lying in streets Critics accused the government of allowing public health services to collapse after three people died on the streets of Bangkok and one was left lying in the middle of the road for hours before an ambulance finally arrived. The body that lay on the road for 12 hours was later found to be infected with Covid-19. The most mentioned case on social media was a man who collapsed and later died in the middle of Soi Ban Phan Thom, off Phra Sumeru Road. Chana Songkhram police chief Pol Col Sanong Sanemanee said on Traffic Police radio station that the man died about 5pm despite emergency responders' efforts to keep him alive. An ambulance did not arrive until 10.30pm, and took away the body. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2152531/health-system-in-crisis-critics-tell-government ==================================== Record 13,002 new Covid cases There were a record 13,002 new Covid-19 cases, and 108 more fatalities, over the previous 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Wednesday morning. There were 11,953 cases in the general population and 1,049 among prison inmates. Since April 1, around when the third wave of Covid-19 began, there have been 410,614 Covid-19 patients, 277,030 have recovered. Since the pandemic started early last year, there have been 439,477 Covid-19 cases, 304,456 of whom recovered. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2152383/record-13-002-new-covid-cases

From Pattaya Mail When Pattaya first shut down at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Alisa Phanthusak Kunpalin thought that the iconic Tiffany’s Show she heads would be closed for at most three months. Sixteen months later, the stage lights remain dark, the seats empty and the feathered headdresses dusty. Alisa, Tiffany’s managing director, now fears it will be that way for some time. “I thought the government could control it,” Alisa said of the coronavirus’ spread. “But unfortunately, there are no signs of recovery.” The Tiffany’s Show, which had run continuously for 46 years until Pattaya shut down in March 2020. In between the three waves, the Beach Road theater reopened briefly and only on weekends and holidays, but it wasn’t enough to sustain the Tiffany cast of dancers, crew and administrative employees. “We were responsible for a huge slice of tourism income that poured from our sweats and tears,” one of the Tiffany transgender dancers, “Nong Kuk-Kik”, wrote on her Facebook page this week. “But now we face an indescribable situation with our income and daily lives.” To be fair, all of Pattaya’s entertainment sector has been wiped out by the three waves of business closures. The transgender cabarets are not unique. Thousands of women once worked as bar hostesses or go-go dancers on Walking Street, Soi LK Metro and the side streets in between. Hundreds of men did likewise in the city’s gay bars. Transgender women, with far fewer employment options, toiled in dingy Soi 6 brothels with only the youngest, tallest and fairest “ladyboys” lifting themselves out of the sex industry to join the famed Tiffany’s and Alcazar choruses. Continues with photos https://www.pattayamail.com/news/glamourous-life-just-a-memory-for-pattayas-ladyboy-cabaret-dancers-364103

From Thai Enquirer By Pear Maneechote Two years ago, no one could have anticipated the world in which we live today, struck by one of the deadliest pandemics in history. With cases still soaring and more and more bodies lined up in Thailand, the battle here is far from over. There is no shortage of devastation or despair in our country, felt in hospital corridors, on the front page of the newspaper and on the dinner tables in our homes. But Thailand is not alone in this fight. The devastating third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly surrounding the highly infectious Delta variant, has been ravaging Southeast Asia, leading to a record number of deaths and daily infections linked to the virus. Many have noted that most countries in the region are experiencing their “worst outbreaks since the pandemic began,” due to the emergence of the more aggressive forms of variants, lack of vaccines and spread of misinformation. Here’s the latest update on how other nations are doing in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is the new epicenter Indonesia has become the new epicenter of the pandemic as of this week. The country is ranked the highest in Southeast Asia, third in Asia, and 16th in the world. With a reported 2,911,733 million cases and 74,920 deaths, Indonesia has surpassed India and Brazil to become the country with the world’s highest daily count of new infections. But the exact numbers — including cases with asymptomatic patients, patients who have not been tested or those who have died at home — could be much higher. Much like Thailand, social media in the country is flooded with news of those affected by the outbreak, with netizens pleading for help and grieving the loss of their loved ones. Hospitals are overcrowded, and burial sites are running out. The current situation and economic hardship also make social isolation almost impossible, especially for those living on a daily wage. Many experts have cautioned that the country still hasn’t even reached the peak of the pandemic yet, and it may surpass India’s number of infections in the near future. Aside from the startling rise in infections, Indonesia is also facing a situation that Dr. Pandu Riono, a prominent epidemiologist from the University of Indonesia, calls “herd stupidity” due to widespread and rampant misinformation. According to Dr. Pandu, Indonesian government officials have been sending mixed messages and making poor decisions throughout this outbreak. Many citizens have also refused to follow strict health protocols and social distancing, as well as refusing vaccinations based on religious conspiracy theories. The vaccine rollout in Indonesia has been incredibly low, with only 6 per cent of the population vaccinated out of its 270 million inhabitants. So far, the government has only tested 15,793,858 of its entire population. The World Health Organization, since the onset of the pandemic last year, has already urged the country to perform more tests on its people, especially on suspected patients. Myanmar’s military coup The February coup in Myanmar, followed by the subsequent protests and civil disobedience movement led by citizens and healthcare workers alike, has crumbled the country’s healthcare system and deepened its already ailing economic recession. A nationwide lockdown and additional holidays have been imposed from July 17 – 25, in an attempt to contain the outbreak. But the country’s Covid-19 testing system and vaccination rollout, in fact, have collapsed ever since the military coup took place. In defiance of the military government, many citizens have refused treatment and vaccination. Doctors and patients have fled military-run hospitals because of anger and fear toward the military authorities and their refusal to cooperate with the regime. Families are searching for treatment and oxygen on their own, according to The Asian Times. According to the latest report by CNN, as many as one-third of all people tested in Myanmar have tested positive for the virus, with the UN’s special rapporteur for human rights warning that the junta-run country could become the next “Covid-19 super spreader state.” Myanmar is in a crisis. Hospitals and crematoriums are overwhelmed and are unable to keep up with the surge. Volunteers have been going door-to-door to collect the rising number of victims dying at home. Out of a population of 54 million, the junta-struck country has reported 234,710 cases and 5,281 linked to the coronavirus outbreak. Vietnam’s latest surge Vietnam was previously hailed as one of the world’s Covid-19 success stories, until the latest surge ravaged the country. Its largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, is now on the verge of medical collapse as the virus has spread rampantly into the commercial and supply chain hub since the beginning of June. “Vietnam is now officially entering the pandemic,” noted a prominent Vietnamese doctor, Dr. Tran Van Phuc, while adding that the country is also suffering through a low vaccination rollout. As of July 17, the communist-led nation has administered 4,261,252 vaccine doses across the country out of its 96.46 million inhabitants, accounting for only up to around 4.5 per cent of its total population. However, only 309,791 have got two doses. Over half of the country’s infections occurred during the past month, with 60,180 reported cases and 334 deaths linked to the virus. Health authorities believe that it all started with Ms. Loan, who started experiencing symptoms in April, attending a church service where people were not wearing masks back in Hanoi earlier in April of this year. To control the outbreak, the Vietnamese government advised its citizens in the capital city of Hanoi to stay at home and stopped all non-essential services. There has been a nationwide closure of indoor dining, salons, gyms, as well as a halt to domestic travel via rail and bus. “This outbreak is not the same as the previous ones,” said the country’s health minister Nguyen Thanh Long on Sunday. “We are preparing and standing ready for worse and worse scenarios.” Malaysia’s white flag In Southeast Asia, Malaysia has the third highest number of infections after the Philippines and Indonesia, with 927,533 cases and 7,148 deaths. The country is currently battling its worst pandemic to date, seeing an all-time high in daily infections consecutively last week, with its death toll tripling in the past two months. Due to the staggering rise in cases since May, Malaysia has gone into “full lockdown” nationwide since June 1, 2021, which includes an 8 pm curfew in the capital Kuala Lumpur and the neighboring state Selangor. The spike in cases has caused hospitals in some regions to reach full capacity, running severely low on medical supplies, with the entire healthcare system as a whole on the brink of collapse. Only 8 per cent of its 32 million people are fully inoculated, while 19 per cent have received at least one jab of the Covid-19 vaccine. Besides having severe economic effects on the country, the pandemic has caused major political instability and uproar against the government. Many Malaysians are now struggling for their lives and pleading for help. Statistics indicate that the suicide rate has gone up to alarming levels, with a total of 468 suicides reported during the first five months of 2021, up from 631 during the same period in 2020. With the #benderaputih (“white flag”) campaign, Malaysians, namely those belonging to lower-income households, have been flying white flags outside their homes and posting them on social media as a plea for help. Much like Thailand, celebrities, businesses and other citizens have offered their help by providing food and other necessities. Following the “white flag” campaign, some people have responded to the movement with another one by flying the black flag, a new campaign urging Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to resign. This was led by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who tweeted three black flag emojis earlier in July. https://www.thaienquirer.com/30156/southeast-asias-worst-wave/

Few gay athletes have captured our attention longer than has Tom Daley. With the Tokyo Olympics set to get underway this week, this look back on on his career reminds us that there's much more to his very public life than diving. From BBC Sport Daley with his son Robbie and husband Dustin Lance Black - they were married in 2017 By Nick Hope, BBC Olympic sports reporter in Tokyo The young boy facing the camera spoke with a smile, but everyone could see the steeliness in his eyes. "I want to get to the Olympics and win a gold medal," Tom Daley told the BBC in 2005. He was holding a picture he'd made - a drawing of himself doing a handstand on the 10m diving platform at the London Games, then still seven years away. "If I wasn't to win, it would drive me on to be at the next Olympics and get that medal then." Daley was just 11 when he stated that mission. What he's achieved since - including becoming world champion at 15 and twice winning Olympic bronze - owes much to a remarkable resolve that's also helped overcome struggles away from the pool. Growing up, he was bullied at school. In 2011, his father died at the age of 40. He feared the consequences of revealing his sexuality before coming out in 2013. Daley is Britain's most decorated diver, but he possesses a level of fame that far transcends his discipline. He has become one of sport's highest-profile gay athletes, a role model for others in the LGBTQ+ community. He has suffered several media run-ins during the course of a life lived under the spotlight. Now aged 27 and a father himself, he says he finds it "crazy" to see how "focused and obsessed" he was as a child. "If my son was talking like that at the same age, I'd be like 'wow, calm down, take your time, enjoy it,'" he tells BBC Sport. "But clearly there was just something in me that wanted it so much." Daley still wants that medal. And Tokyo - his fourth Olympics - arguably represents his last realistic chance to claim it. That same dream is still driving him today, but parenthood has given him a new perspective, on both triumph and trauma. Daley lived and breathed for the Olympics. He vividly recalls the efforts he went to, as an 11-year-old, to watch the men's synchronised 10m platform final during Athens 2004, when Leon Taylor and Pete Waterfield won silver for Britain. "We were on holiday in our caravan and everyone was going to the kids' clubs but I was determined to stay in and watch the diving so I was leaning out of the window with the aerial to try to get a better signal," he recalls while laughing. Four years later, Daley was already gaining more attention than his "idols" ever had. He had qualified for Beijing 2008, aged 13, and cameras were trained on his every move. He didn't challenge for medals in China, but the crowd loved watching the young teenager - cheering on 'baby Daley' throughout the event. A star was born. But back home, it wasn't all easy. "Some people at my school were so happy for me, but others started being really horrible and I was bullied," he says. "For a long time, I just kept quiet about it, but I bottled up so much that eventually I just couldn't train and it drained me so much mentally until I had nothing left. "It got to a point where I was always embarrassed to talk about diving and I couldn't take a compliment, because whenever someone said something nice, I had this fear I was going to be mocked." It left Daley wanting to be home schooled. Instead he was offered the chance to join Plymouth College towards the end of his first year of GCSEs, a month before the 2009 World Championships. In Rome, the revitalised 15-year-old graduated from medal contender to fully grown champion. While his landmark performance in the 10m platform was striking, what happened in the hour after was perhaps even more memorable. Daley rolls his eyes, but also smiles, when recalling the now infamous press conference. "I remember seeing my dad sneak in with a BBC journalist and he had this beaming smile," he recalls. "He put his hand up and said: 'I'm Rob, Tom's dad, and I want a cuddle.' I remember thinking: 'Oh my god...'" In the footage, Daley can be heard muttering "dad, this is so embarrassing" as he gingerly makes his way around the media scrum to his father - and another hoard of cameras. "I remember him saying: 'Tom I took you to all of your training sessions, taught you to ride a bike, I changed your nappies when you were a kid.' He said it was the proudest moment of his life to see his son become world champion. "When I look back, it was a very special moment as we'd achieved it together, and now as a father myself, I completely understand why he was so emotional." Continues with video https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/57817424

From The Diplomat Building a huge dam just upstream from a legendary UNESCO World Heritage site in an earthquake prone region poses serious risk to the local population and the town of Luang Prabang, warns a leading Thai earthquake specialist. Dr. Punya Churasiri, formerly the earthquake expert at Chulalungkorn University’s geology department, has considerable field research experience in northern Laos. As construction on the dam moved forward, he told The Diplomat, “We worry about what could happen and the possibility of damage to the World Heritage site.” The main developer and builder of the dam is the Thai construction giant CH Karnchang corporation. The dam site sits precariously close to an active earthquake faultline only 8.6 kilometers away. A sharp reminder of the danger was provided on July 7, when a 4.7 strong earthquake was registered in Luang Prabang district. Many local people in the World Heritage city fear that the 1410 MW Luang Prabang dam could trigger another disaster after the Xepian Xenamnoi dam accident in 2018. Damage to the dam caused a massive flood that swept away villagers and villages alike, leaving 14,440 people homeless and 71 confirmed dead. The dam site is 25 kilometers upriver from Luang Prabang, a cultural mecca and cornerstone of Lao history. The city harmoniously blends old architecture and culture with the surrounding nature, flanked by the confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers, all part of the protective UNESCO World Heritage zone. Among many issues UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) will be considering at its annual session, which began on July 16 in China, will be the increasing impact of dams on World Heritage sites, most recently in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and Luang Prabang in Laos. The potential for damage to the sites has prompted global outcry. In the draft decision the WHC recommended the government of Laos “to halt all construction activities until a full heritage impact assessment is carried out.” Continues at https://thediplomat.com/2021/07/the-threat-of-a-dam-disaster-in-luang-prabang/

From Coconuts Bangkok A file photo of Charnchai Tangsubmanee at his shop Guay Jub Ouan Pochana. Photo: Guay Jub Ouan Pochana / Facebook Foodies and customers who’ve queued at a well-known noodle shop in Bangkok’s Chinatown are mourning the death of its owner after learning he succumbed to COVID-19. Tributes from customers famous and ordinary were spreading for Charnchai Tangsubmanee, the 73-year-old owner of Guay Jub Ouan Pochana who sold aromatic and peppery rolled rice noodle soup from a small shophouse over five decades. “I was in shock,” once-mighty news anchor Sorayuth Suthassanachinda said of learning Charnchai’s death. “Whenever I went there, Charnchai always greeted me, and we’d always hit it off. His noodles were hot and delicious every time, too. May he rest in peace.” News of Charnchai’s death Saturday was just confirmed by his sons, Adulwit and Narudon Tangsubmanee. According to Adulwit, Charnchai received his first dose of AstraZeneca in June but tested positive for the disease late last month. Charnchai and his wife, who also contracted COVID-19, were admitted to the Thonburi Bamrungmuang Hospital. Guay Jub Ouan Pochana was recognized on the Michelin guide’s Bib Gourmand list in 2019. Last year, it was among 106 Bangkok restaurants found worthy of the same rating by the French tire manufacturer. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/years-of-sweat-won-fame-for-his-chinatown-noodles-bangkoks-covid-3rd-wave-killed-him-in-days/