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Your familiar voice always provides welcomed reassurance of your incomparable wit and mastery of language , Riobard. 🙂

From The Nation A Thailand-based Spanish chef, who faced the death sentence for the murder and dismemberment of a Colombian surgeon on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province, was given the life sentence by the Koh Samui Provincial Court on Thursday. The court said the punishment for Daniel Jeronimo Sancho Bronchalo, 30, has been reduced to life imprisonment, as he had confessed to killing and dismembering his lover, Edwin Miguel Arrieta Arteaga, 44. Bronchalo has been ordered to pay 4.42 million baht at an annual interest rate of 5% to Arteaga’s relatives.

From Pattaya Mail A confrontation between a landlord and an LGBTQ group in Soi Thepprasit 7, South Pattaya, went viral on social media on August 28. The video shows the landlord, 73-year-old Suchin Chonma, allegedly attacking the group after they sought a refund for a temporary room rental. Suchin explained that two men checked into the room at 11:00 a.m., while a woman waited in the car. After 20 minutes, the woman entered the room, prompting Suchin to refuse accommodation for the additional guest. He asked the group to leave, offering a partial refund of 350 baht, retaining 100 baht for temporary use of the room. Suchin claimed that the group refused the offer, argued, and attempted to assault him, resulting in injuries. Suchin defended his policy limiting room occupancy to prevent disturbances and criticized the group’s 20,000 baht damage claim as excessive. Witnesses reported seeing the group attacking Suchin but intervening to stop the altercation. The dispute remains unresolved and is expected to proceed to court, as no settlement was reached at the police station.

From Pattaya News A 36-year-old New Zealand man died after jumping from the 7th floor of a hotel in Pattaya on the morning of August 29th, 2024. At around 6:00 AM today, Pattaya police received a report of a foreigner falling to his death at a hotel in the heart of Pattaya near Beach Road in the Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung district, Chonburi province. Upon receiving the report, police and rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation quickly rushed to the scene. There, authorities discovered the lifeless body of a 36-year-old New Zealand national, who had fallen from the balcony of a 7th-floor room. His body had landed on air conditioning and electrical conduits of a nearby building, resulting in an immediate demise. Rescue workers carefully recovered the body, and an initial examination by police revealed no signs of physical assault on the body. His name was withheld by The Pattaya News pending confirmation of full contact to his relatives and embassy. According to the hotel staff, the deceased had exhibited signs of what appeared to be drug-induced hallucinations. He was heard shouting “Help Me!” in English, before jumping to his death. The staff already had tried to calm him down but unfortunately wasn’t successful. After regaining their composure, the staff immediately contacted authorities. Pattaya police examined the victim’s room and revealed that there were no indications of foul play. Hotel staff also provided a video clip capturing the man’s frantic state before his fatal jump, which has been collected as evidence. The body was transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

From The BBC It may be an innocent enough racquet sport, but Hong Kong's Education Bureau has unintentionally given badminton a whole new meaning. In teaching materials it released last week, a module titled adolescents and intimate relationships for Secondary Year 3, suggested that teenagers who wanted to have sex with each other could "go out to play badminton together" instead. The materials also include a form called "My Commitment" aimed at getting "young lovers" to attest that they would exercise "self-discipline, self-control, and resistance to pornography". The new materials have raised eyebrows and attracted criticism for being "out of touch". But officials have defended the decision. Meanwhile social media has been flooded with jokes centered around "playing badminton". "FWB [Friends with benefits]?? Friends with badminton," read one comment on Instagram that had more than 1,000 likes. Continues at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4glreq44y1o

There was no personal insinuation in the OP; it was entirely a direct quote from The Thaiger. But agree that he's barely comprehensible, like a certain bird trying to talk.🙂

If Trumpsters liked the stock on $66,, they must love it at $19. From CNBC The monthslong Trump Media stock slide continued Wednesday, as shares of the company majority-owned by former President Donald Trump fell below $20 for the first time since the Truth Social maker went public in March of this year. As of 12:45 p.m. ET, the stock price of DJT has dropped more than 75% from its intraday high on March 26, the day the company debuted on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Trump owns nearly 59% of Trump Media’s stock. Even after losing much of its value, Trump’s stake at Wednesday’s stock price is still worth more than $2.2 billion — more than half of his on-paper net worth, according to Forbes. Trump, and other company executives and insiders, are bound by lock-up agreements that have so far barred them from cashing in on their shares. But the lock-ups are set to expire as soon as Sept. 20, at which point Trump may choose to start selling his shares.

From Pattaya Mail By Jessataporn Bunnag Much has changed over the past 30 or 20 years. Many of the western expats who retired here in the past and married Thai women have now died. Thus we are much more focused these days on wills, probate and overseas pension entitlement (if any) for the widows. Separately, there is less demand for holiday visas for Thai relatives to visit the expat’s home country. The number of annual extensions of stay here in Thailand, based on retirement or marriage, has fallen by around half since around the turn of the century. Gay marriages will be available within the next few months, allowing foreigners may wed their Thai same-sex partners, but the impact is unlikely to be huge. Thanks to the massive building programs in Pattaya over the same period, there’s a lot more property for sale. Since foreigners can own condominium units but not land, they often establish a company to buy a house. One of the problems here is the use of Thai nominees, (who have no connection with the foreign buyer) who will own at least 51 percent of the shares. When the foreigner dies or wishes to sell the property, the cooperation of the nominees is required by law and they are certain to demand their percentage share. Our general advice, if setting up a company to buy property, is to “keep it in the family” and avoid including strangers. Or take out a lease rather than a purchase. The customer base for lawyers is changing as more non-traditional markets, especially China and India, expand annually. Apart from tourism, there is currently a lot of interest in long-stay visas such as Elite, Long Term Residence and the new Destination Thailand Visa or DTV. The Elite visa dates from 2002 and was originally designed for westerners, but the largest number of applications in recent years has been from Chinese nationals. The DTV, on the other hand, is mainly aimed at digital nomads working for overseas-based companies. The early signs are that the main market will be Americans and Europeans who are not tied down in their employment to an office or base. Another growth area will almost certainly be the income tax consequences for tax residents, Thai or foreign, who spend 180 days or more in Thailand over a calendar year and remit cash from abroad. Our understanding is that the Thai Revenue Department will be publishing forms and a commentary later in the year. Hopefully this cover contentious issues such as double taxation treaties and pensioners living here on pre-taxed income. It is worth noting that the submission of a tax form does not automatically mean any tax is due. Moreover, no supporting documentation is required unless the individual is chosen for audit. My personal view is that some Pattaya expats are overreacting to this issue. Attorney and public notary Jessataporn Bunnag can be reached by email at lawyerpattaya@gmail.com

Everyone has missed your enlightened prose. 🙂

They can't possibly beep horns any more than they do in Hanoi. But perhaps he was more hooked on the "horny" and not the horn.

From Pattaya News In a bizarre incident, local students in Pattaya captured a shocking video clip of a foreigner engaging in inappropriate and obscene behavior on a condominium balcony. The incident has prompted authorities to issue a warning against obscene acts on balconies. At approximately 5:00 p.m. on August 27, 2024, students from a nearby school witnessed the foreign man, shirtless, rubbing his chest and genitals against the balcony railing. The explicit nature of the act caused discomfort among students, teachers, and parents in the vicinity. The students promptly reported the incident to the Pattaya City Police, who launched an investigation. The suspect, identified only as a Kuwaiti national on holiday aged 25 to 35, expressed remorse and apologized for his actions. He claimed that he was unaware anyone would witness his behavior. The condominium owner, whose reputation was also tarnished by the circulating video clip, also received an apology from the remorseful foreigner. Additionally, the suspect addressed society at large, acknowledging the impact of his actions on the group of students who witnessed the incident. Residents and visitors are urged to exercise discretion and respect community norms to maintain a safe and harmonious environment in Pattaya, which is a leading family friendly resort, said police. Continues with photo https://thepattayanews.com/2024/08/28/kuwaiti-tourist-apologizes-after-being-caught-performing-obscene-act-on-condo-balcony-in-pattaya/

From Khaosod English BANGKOK — Thai Nippon Rubber Industries (TNR) has secured the exclusive rights to manufacture and sell “Playboy” condoms worldwide, except in Mexico, for 30 years. TNR will invest between 500 and 800 million baht ($14.7-23.5 million) in a new factory in Chonburi by 2025 and plans to increase production capacity to 3 billion units per year. On August 26, Amorn Darraratanaroj, Chief Executive Officer of Thai Nippon Rubber Industries Public Company Limited (TNR), a manufacturer and distributor of condoms in Thailand, stated that the global market for condoms is currently worth 200 billion baht ($58.7 billion) and is growing at a rate of 5-7 percent. The five countries with the highest condom usage are China, the United States, India, Indonesia and Japan. In Thailand, the market is estimated at 1.5 billion baht ($44 million) and is growing by 7 percent annually, in line with the global market trend. The target demographic will focus on young adults aged 18-36. The company plans to sell premium “Playboy” condoms in Thailand and globally, including in the United States, China, and emerging markets such as India, Vietnam, and Africa. In addition, the company is preparing to invest around 500 to 800 million baht by the end of next year to build a new factory on a 16-rai plot of land. The company is currently in the process of selecting a site in various industrial areas in Chonburi Province. The new factory will increase the total condom production capacity from the current 2 billion units per year to 3 billion units per year. “We recognize the growth potential in the premium condom market where consumers, especially the younger generation, see condoms not only as a means of contraception and disease prevention, but also as a way to create new experiences that express their lifestyle and identity. https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/business/2024/08/27/thai-nippon-secures-exclusive-worldwide-rights-for-playboy-condoms/

From Pattaya News Get ready for an incredible lineup of artists at the Amazing Music Festival Over The Horizon! Taking place from August 30th to September 1st, 2024, at Pattaya Central Beach, this exciting festival promises an exciting mix of music and entertainment right by the sea. The festival runs daily from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM, with the stage area opening at 5:00 PM. The best part? The event is completely free to attend! So, clear your schedules and join them for some unforgettable moments. There will also be plenty of food vendors and fun.

NOTE -- It was only though the cooking of my Vietnam friend that I became familiar with bitter melon. He slices it into small sections and mixes it with scrambled eggs. The variation in flavor and texture won me over. Great in soups, too.You can find them at Foodland. From VN Express / Times of India Carrots, winter melons, bitter melons, and cucumbers are known for their high water content, rich fiber, and vitamins, while being low in calories, which help to keep you feel full longer and reduce belly fat. Exercise and healthy eating habits are crucial in reducing belly fat. Below are vegetables rich in nutrients that should be included in daily meals to aid in weight loss and achieve a slim waistline, as recommended by Times of India. https://e.vnexpress.net/news/life/wellness/6-vegetables-that-help-reduce-belly-fat-quickly-4785468.html

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Everyone agrees that Pattaya is evolving into something different, even if nobody is sure what that will be. However, the resort’s downtown Soi Buakhao district, sometimes over-simplified as Little Britain, is proving highly resistant to change. Many of the bars, clubs and gogos retain English-sounding names, whilst fish and chips on a Friday and roast beef on a Sunday are the dominant cafe and restaurant themes. There are between 500 and 1,000 mostly small units of enjoyment in the Soi Buakhao and L.K. Metro vicinity, depending on where you draw the boundaries. In the aptly named UK Massage Parlour, Khun May sums up, “I’d say that 70 percent of our customers are Brits and the rest Americans and Europeans. You don’t yet see many Indians or Chinese in this district precisely because they feel in a minority.” Surprisingly, there’s only one Indian restaurant, Tikka Center, on the actual strip even though there are dozens in nearby areas. A manager at the popular residential Diana Estate said, “The vast majority of our renters and owners are still Europeans, not much different from 30 years ago.” Unlike Pattaya’s Walking Street, Little Britain is busy during the day with Thai markets selling everything from exotic fruit and vegetables to second-hand clothes and car accessories. There are no pedestrian footpaths and the traffic chaos is virtually 24/7. The most popular daytime bars are those with a frontage overlooking the fumes as elderly expats in groups recall their younger days or talk of recent conquests. Beers start at a knockdown 55 baht (1.2 pounds) and a single room with aircon can be as cheap as 500 baht (11 pounds) if you know how to bargain in off-season. That’s not to say that the scene is static. The nighteries are not as busy as in the pre-covid era and for sale and for rent signs are noticeable in the side streets. Businesses regularly open and then close or change hands. Part of the famous Treetown Complex is being demolished to make way, some say, for a plush condominium. Some businesses, for example barber shops, have gone upmarket after renovation and charge up to 200 baht (4 pounds) for a haircut. That suggests they are catering for new markets, especially style-conscious Thai young men, rather than balding expats who are used to paying half that amount. After dark, the clubs take over to offer night-action birds, booze and banter. The most popular street after 7 pm for gogos is surely L.K. Metro. The sexy shows may be less drastic than 20 years ago, but they can be described as bold. Draft beers start at 50 baht but there’s an expectation you will absolutely need female company and pay handsomely for it. Take-out bar fines, payable to the club owners, can be as high as 800 baht (30 pounds) and that won’t include a much larger tip for any envisaged horizontal leisure pursuits. There’s no shortage of ladyboys – or ladybugs as they are known locally – but they are usually freelancers hovering outside. However, the gay scene as understood is centered far away in Boyztown or the Jomtien Complex. The warning signs for the future may be the absence in Soi Buakhao of visa shops whose traditional role has been to assist foreigners with the bureaucracy of Thai immigration. There used to be four and now there are none. Former owner Khun Katee said, “There are fewer Brits and Europeans these days looking for annual and long stay visas. Also, the recent decision to give tourists 60 days on arrival with easy extensions, compared with 30 days in the past, means they don’t need agents to help them get a longer stay.” He added that he was now going into business with a Chinese company selling tours, mostly to Phuket and Bangkok. “There are one billion Chinese waiting for their first passport. They’re the future.”

Have received second-hand report about The Prince. In early afternoon last Sunday, there were about 20 guys on display and a seven customers viewing them. My source says his friend's selection performed well. Most of clientele appeared to be tourists from China.

You seem top have your tongue firmly lodged up Putin's butt.

From CNN Until now, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster has held his fire about his stint in the Trump White House. McMaster served with distinction in key American conflicts of the past decades: the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the Afghan War, but as McMaster recounts in his new book, “At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House,” in some ways, his most challenging tour as a soldier was his last one: serving as the national security adviser to a notoriously mercurial president. In his blistering, insightful account of his time in the Trump White House, McMaster describes meetings in the Oval Office as “exercises in competitive sycophancy” during which Trump’s advisers would flatter the president by saying stuff like, “Your instincts are always right” or, “No one has ever been treated so badly by the press.” Meanwhile, Trump would say “outlandish” things like, “Why don’t we just bomb the drugs?” in Mexico or, “Why don’t we take out the whole North Korean Army during one of their parades?” McMaster’s book, which focuses on Trump’s tenure as commander-in-chief, comes at a particularly timely moment, just as many Americans start to really consider whether Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris would make a better commander-in-chief. In her acceptance speech for her nomination to the presidency at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Harris spent some of her speech trying to demonstrate her national security credentials. She talked, for instance, about the war in Gaza, saying that as president she would stand firm on the US alliance with Israel to “ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.” Harris also said that the Palestinians have “their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.” With this speech, Harris was trying to thread a delicate needle between Americans who strongly oppose the war — many of them in her own party — and those who back Israel wholeheartedly. McMaster provides unique detail on Trump’s approach to foreign policy and — similarly to his successor in the national security adviser role, former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton, who wrote scathingly about the former president in a book published in 2020 — his account is likely to do little to reassure US allies about the prospects of a second Trump term. In addition to being a highly decorated officer, McMaster also has a doctorate in history. His first book, “Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam,” recounted the dismal history of how the top American generals told President Lyndon Johnson only what they thought he wanted to hear about the Vietnam War, rather than giving him their best military advice about how the conflict was going and the full range of policy options that were open to their commander in chief. Continues at https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/25/politics/mcmaster-trump-book-account/index.html

Regrettable that he lacks same remorse for the great number of Ukraine kids that he's slain in their homes, schools and hospitals.

It was a poorly conceived and executed project from the start.

From VN Express The Hanoi-HCMC, Da Nang-HCMC, and Da Nang-Hanoi routes have been ranked among the 10 busiest domestic routes in Southeast Asia, according to British aviation data provider OAG. Over 949,000 passengers flew on the two-hour route between Hanoi and HCMC in August, making it the busiest in the region, surpassing other routes such as Jakarta-Makassar with 569,500, Jakarta-Bali with over 473,000, and Cebu-Manila with a little more than 450,000. The Da Nang-HCMC route ranked fifth, with more than 427,700 passengers, while the Da Nang-Hanoi route ranked seventh, serving over 410,000 passengers.

From Bangkok Post Mpox vaccines are necessary only for at-risk groups, not the general population, as the disease is less contagious than Covid-19, according to a prominent virologist. Dr Yong Poovorawan of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine posted Facebook on Saturday that vaccination against the disease -- which the World Health Organisation declared on Aug 14 now constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to the increase in cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its expansion to neighbouring countries -- is unnecessary for those who are not in high-risk groups. The high-risk groups include homosexual men, individuals engaging in casual sex, and those who have travelled to countries where the disease is prevalent. He noted that mpox does not spread as easily as Covid-19. It is usually only transmitted through physical or sexual contact and the sharing of a bed, for example. Additionally, he said the disease is less severe than Covid-19 during the initial stages of infection. Adults and the elderly who were vaccinated against smallpox (typically those born before 1980) are already partially immune to mpox, Dr Yong added. The currently available mpox vaccine is expensive but can be reduced by splitting one dose between up to five people, with each receiving an intramuscular injection. Dr Opass Putcharoen, acting deputy director of the Thai Red Cross Aids Research Centre (Anonymous Clinic), said the research centre administered 400 doses of the mpox vaccine to people between March 1 and Aug 22. More people are actively registering for vaccinations. He agreed with Dr Yong, saying not everyone needs the mpox vaccine. However, those in risk groups should receive two doses of the vaccine, with the second dose administered 28 days after the first. As for those who received the smallpox vaccine, he said they do not need the mpox vaccine unless they have been in close contact with a patient. In that case, they would be advised to receive one dose to boost their immunity. Dr Opass said people can receive one dose of the mpox vaccine via a subcutaneous injection for 8,500 baht or via an intramuscular injection for 2,200 baht.

A tip pf the cap for diligently doing your research.

From NY Times By Anton L. Delgado Reporting from Phnom Penh and Kampong Speu, Cambodia Aug. 24, 2024, 12:01 a.m. ET The brand-new bus gleamed as it weaved through rush-hour traffic in Cambodia’s capital. It was headed to a school, bearing a lesson about the country’s darkest period. About two-thirds of Cambodia’s population is under 30, born a generation or more after the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s. Many of those young people have only a general awareness of its atrocities, which left at least 1.7 million Cambodians dead. That horrific history has been thoroughly documented, in court documents and at places like the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the killing field in Choeung Ek. But both of these are in the capital, Phnom Penh, and most Cambodians live in the countryside. The bus’s mission is to bring the history to them. An international effort, it is outfitted with touch screens, laptops and projectors and connected to a vast digital record of the Khmer Rouge’s crimes against humanity, including executions, enslavement, torture, starvation and forced separations. Its destination on a recent morning was Kampong Speu High School, an hour west of Phnom Penh. There, seven survivors of the Khmer Rouge met the bus at the school to share their stories with students. Tuch Sakun, 82, wiped tears away with a leopard-print krama, a traditional scarf, as she described the killings of her father and her husband. “As elders, we need to keep reminding everyone about what happened,” Ms. Tuch Sakun told the students. “You all are so lucky. You have nice clothes. You go to school. You have enough to eat. All we had back then was a black outfit and a red krama.” The Khmer Rouge came to power in 1975 after a devastating civil war, during which the United States carried out a brutal bombing campaign in Cambodia as part of its war in neighboring Vietnam. Led by Pol Pot, the Communist regime banished people to the countryside, closed schools and ordered everyone, including children, to work toward its stated goal: an agrarian utopia. (Khmer Rouge means Red Khmer; the name refers to the Khmer people, Cambodia’s dominant ethnic group.) It eviscerated minorities, outlawed money, closed all markets and killed people with skills and education — like doctors and merchants — whom it saw as threats. The Khmer Rouge was toppled by an invading Vietnamese force in 1979, but it continued a guerrilla war from Cambodia’s borderlands into the 1990s. After years of wrangling, a United Nations-backed court was set up in Phnom Penh in 2006 with a mandate to prosecute top officials from the Khmer Rouge and those most responsible for its crimes. The tribunal, whose official name is the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, has spent more than $330 million, but it convicted only three people. Having completed its prosecutions, the tribunal is now declassifying and digitizing decades’ worth of documents. On the bus, which is an outreach initiative of the tribunal, roughly 975,000 scanned pages, audio records and video files from the tribunal’s 16 years of litigation are accessible. Perhaps just as important, it brings students together with survivors like Ms. Tuch Sakun. “If the bus didn’t exist, it would be hard for me to reach students and even harder for them to reach me,” she said, touring the interior of the bus with students and other survivors. Continues with photos https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/24/world/asia/cambodia-khmer-rouge-museum-bus.html

From The Nation The amendment of the contract for the high-speed rail project linking three airports has been put on hold pending the appointment of a new chairman of the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee, which will require approval from the new Cabinet that has yet to be formed, the EEC Office said on Friday. The 276.5-billion-baht rail project will link Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and U-Tapao international airports and form a high-speed connection between Bangkok and EEC areas. The office secretary-general, Chula Sukmanop, said the EECO believed the new board chairman will be appointed within this year, and the construction could start soon after and finish within five years as per schedule. The route is expected to open in 2029. He added that all the construction areas under state’s responsibility are now 100% ready to be delivered to the contractor, Asia Era One, which is an affiliate of Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group. Chula said that the State Railway of Thailand had discussed with the CP Group-led consortium about amending contract requirements that would allow the much-delayed project to start. The move to amend the contract was approved by the Cabinet on October 19, 2021. Continues at https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40040853