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Fresh Boy Thailand Go-Go Boy in Patpong フレッシュボーイ バンコク September 5 at 4:00 AM · Fresh Boy Bangkok Patpong We will open from 7th July 2020.

Freshboys. Name may have momentarily escaped you but I know they boys haven't.

Great to hear that Lucky Boys is now open! That HM beer bar is doing so well seems to prove what I've long suspected ever since Twilight closed: people gravitate to venues where you can sit outside and watch the world--or our chunk of it anyway--pass by. Thanks for the updates.

From The Diplomat There are risks, but the region has a lot to gain from the international race to find an effective vaccine By Sebastian Strangio There are risks, but also advantages, to sitting at the center of the intensifying geopolitical tug-of-war between China and the United States. As the world strides forward in the search for an effective coronavirus vaccine, Southeast Asia is set to become the focus of outside powers eager to win the region’s support and neutralize China’s own efforts to claim the mantle of global public health leadership. In the new game of “vaccine diplomacy,” in Southeast Asia and further afield, much of the early movements have been made by Beijing. Extending its earlier campaign of “mask diplomacy,” which saw it shower its Southeast Asian neighbors with masks and personal protective equipment to combat COVID-19, China and some of its top drug-makers have begun assuring the region of access to a successful Chinese vaccine. On August 24, Premier Li Keqiang promised the lower Mekong countries — Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar — priority access to vaccines produced by Chinese companies. The following day, state-owned drug maker Sinovac announced that it had partnered with Indonesia’s PT Bio Farma to develop the distribution of a vaccine that is currently undergoing trials in the country. The Philippines has also been offered early access to a Chinese vaccine, and Malaysia is currently in negotiations for a similar arrangement. Despite the recent assurances by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that any COVID-19 vaccines produced in China will be made available as “global public goods,” there are reasons for Southeast Asian governments to tread cautiously. Reports have suggested that Beijing could use the promise of access to extract concessions on important issues, from China’s controversial damming of the upper reaches of the Mekong River to its extensive maritime and territorial claims in the South China Sea. Yet if the region is wary and agile in its approach to Chinese offers, it stands to benefit from the intense competition that Beijing’s campaign of “vaccine diplomacy” is likely to prompt. One sign of this emerged late last month, when the Australian government announced a $58 million injection into the GAVI international vaccine alliance, which helps coordinate the COVAX scheme designed to secure rapid and fair global access to COVID-19 vaccines. Specifically, Canberra’s down payment was intended to ensure access to vaccines for Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Timor Leste, and Vietnam, in addition to eight Pacific Island nations. Coming a few days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed to help the nation’s “Pacific family” get access to a proven vaccine, the Australian commitment should be seen in the context of its growing consternation about China’s inroads in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Russia also recently approved the limited distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, trollishly dubbed Sputnik V, after the Soviet satellite that beat the United States into orbit in 1957. Vietnam, which is also in the early stages of developing its own vaccine, has already committed to purchase up to 150 million doses of Sputnik V. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also offered to have himself injected with the new Russian vaccine, despite the widespread skepticism about its safety and efficacy. Despite all of its concerns about China’s growing clout in Southeast Asia, the United States has been slower off the mark. Last month, Duke University and the American pharmaceutical company Arcturus announced a partnership with Singapore to develop another vaccine (known as Lunar-Cov19), which is currently in its first phase of clinical trials. Another U.S. company developing a vaccine, Novavax, announced a deal in early August to partner with the Serum Institute of India. In general, however, the Trump administration has taken an “America First” approach to the COVID-19 vaccine question, while spurning multilateral forums like the World Health Organization that are trying to coordinate global access and distribution. Even as research labs based in the U.S. press forward with vaccine trials, Washington has turned its back on the global coalition fighting the disease. Still, there is plenty of time for the U.S. to reverse course. As a recent commentary from the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies pointed out, after a slow start in the provision of pandemic-related support to Southeast Asia, Washington quickly caught up with Beijing’s efforts. In June, Washington quadrupled its COVID-19 funding commitment to Southeast Asia from $18 million to $77 million, making it the largest individual donor country to the region, at least in terms of monetary value. All this suggests that the U.S., where pharmaceutical companies are currently trialing a number of potential vaccines, will eventually emerge as an important partner of Southeast Asian countries in their quest to secure access to the life-saving jabs. As the world’s researchers close in on a lasting inoculation against the novel coronavirus, the Southeast Asian countries will likely come under pressure from China, the U.S., and other governments to “pick a side” in the game of competing vaccines. But they are also in a position to play these powers off against one another, thus spreading their risk and ensuring access to effective vaccines when they finally emerge. “Vaccine diplomacy” is a reminder that while geopolitical tensions carry undeniable risks for Southeast Asia, they also bring opportunities — if the region’s governments are canny enough to seize them.

From Bangkok Post Risk plan can handle any new infections Thailand will have to tolerate the possibility of new coronavirus cases when it reopens its borders to international tourists, but the country can minimise the impact and avoid a bruising level of unemployment with risk management, says the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). After the country reported its first local transmission in 100 days last week, the TAT downgraded its 2020 estimates to 70 million domestic trips from 80 million, contributing 418 billion baht in revenue, a decrease of 61% from 2019. International arrivals remain unchanged at 6.7 million, the same forecast before the border closure, with revenue of 332 billion baht, down 65% from 2019. "We have to bring in tourists by the last quarter as the domestic market alone cannot keep tourism workers employed. If we keep delaying their entry, around 2.5 million jobs out of 4 million will be at risk," said TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn. To reopen the country to tourists, the government should implement a careful plan and improve communications to avoid local opposition, said Mr Yuthasak. The current plan is to open the country to international tourists with a limited number of arrivals and locations. Arrivals have to comply with strict safety and health measures and the same screening and surveillance procedures as Thai returnees. If the pilot model succeeds, Thailand will allow more tourists and more destinations to join the scheme. "We cannot avoid new cases, but the most important thing is to have risk management in place. If there are five cases among 5 million tourists, and we can contain those infections with stringent measures, that would be a good balance between public health and business survival," he said. Meanwhile, the TAT plans to propose to the cabinet next week a special tourist visa scheme for long-stay visitors that costs around 2,000 baht and can be extended up to 270 days. The TAT is working with the private sector on the next step, finding safety measures viable for short-haul visitors who cannot stay for a two-week quarantine. This plan require need bilateral agreements with targeted countries, said Mr Yuthasak. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said zero infections is an unrealistic target for the tourism industry. The country should find a balance between risk and gain, she said. The Public Health Ministry must inform the public alternative state quarantine (ASQ) hotels in tourism destinations will have the same standards as those in Bangkok, said Mrs Marisa. If certified hotels operated with no problems the past few months, the plan to welcome tourists to those ASQ properties will not trigger new cases, she said.

No doubt that those countries with horrendous infection rates or death rates per million population will go to the bottom of the list. But I don't believe Thailand will require any "coaching" because that information is readily available on a daily basis on line. The Thais are perfectly capable of figuring it out on their own.

I believe that Nakarat Massage occupied the third floor of the building where Tapas was located (corner of Soi 4 and Silom). Did you notice if Nakarat was still in business? As for GC's relocation to Nature Boy, hope they move the sofa to the new venue. Wouldn't quite have the same vibe without it.

From The Thaiger Rumours of another coup are false, PM says Coup? What coup? Rumours have been floating around about an impending coup d’etat by the army. When asked about a possible coup, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha dismissed it, calling the rumour nonsense and groundless. He then abruptly called the press meeting to an end. Some have been saying the army is preparing for the coup by moving its forces and equipment. A spokesperson for the army says this isn’t true and calls the rumour a “distortion of information.” Special adviser to the army says the army will tell make an announcement before they move their forces, making sure they don’t cause anyone in the area to panic. He says the army chief has warned all units to exercise caution due to the rumour and suggested they communicate with the public to end any speculation. Army chief Apirat Kongsompong also dismissed coup rumour when asked by a reporter from the Bangkok Post, saying “Don’t worry. Won’t happen again.” The last coup was in 2014 when Prayut was an army chief. There have been a dozen coups in Thailand since the first and nearly bloodless coup in 1932, ending nearly 800 years of absolute monarchy and stumbling into democratic parliamentary rule. The last few coups have been triggered by politics.

From Khaosod English ‘Phuket Model’ Expanded Nationwide Despite Little Support BANGKOK — Officials on Wednesday doubled down on their proposal to resume limited tourism amid the global coronavirus pandemic by expanding a vague reentry plan to cover the entire country. Even as experts have yet to settle their debate over the “Phuket Model” – which called for arrivals of some tourists to the southern island of Phuket – National Economic and Social Development Board sec-gen Tossaporn Sirisamphan said the plan will now be reworked to include other provinces. To avoid confusion, that is. “The Phuket Model is causing confusion and opposition as a result,” Tossaporn said. “Therefore, we’ve adjusted the plan to allow foreign tourists to travel at large, since some of the provinces such as Bangkok have the capability to handle foreign tourists.” What was known as the Phuket Model will now be rebranded as “Special Tourist Visa,” he said. It is unclear whether the plan will have any backing, either from the government or business communities. A number of local residents, health experts, and tourism officials have spoken out against the proposal due to concerns that the coronavirus outbreak may return. But health minister Anutin Charnvirakul was adamant the measure could go ahead; he said he already had approval from the government’s pandemic response center. Tossaporn also said PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has given a green light to the new proposal, which will permit foreign tourists to go anywhere in the country after spending 14 days in quarantine. “They will undergo the same measures as Thai returning from overseas,” Tossaporn said. “After spending 14 days in quarantine and cleared of the virus, they can go anywhere as they wish.” But officials have yet to determine tourists from which country will be allowed to come in, Tossaporn said. The final list will be decided by the tourism and foreign ministries, he added. Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn said tourists holding the “Special Tourist Visa” will be permitted to stay in the country for 90 days, after which they can apply for two extensions at 90 days each. He said the visa is intended for long stay tourists, who would spend more than average visitors.

From NYTimes Myanmar soldiers tell of Rohingya slaughter By Hannah Beech, Saw Nang and Marlise Simons The two soldiers confess their crimes in a monotone, a few blinks of the eye their only betrayal of emotion: executions, mass burials, village obliterations and rape. The August 2017 order from his commanding officer was clear, Pvt. Myo Win Tun said in video testimony. “Shoot all you see and all you hear.” He said he obeyed, taking part in the massacre of 30 Rohingya Muslims and burying them in a mass grave near a cell tower and a military base. Around the same time, in a neighboring township, Pvt. Zaw Naing Tun said he and his comrades in another battalion followed a nearly identical directive from his superior: “Kill all you see, whether children or adults.” “We wiped out about 20 villages,” Private Zaw Naing Tun said, adding that he, too, dumped bodies in a mass grave. The video testimony from the two soldiers, which was shared with international prosecutors, is the first time that members of the Tatmadaw, as Myanmar’s military is known, have openly confessed to taking part in what United Nations officials say was a genocidal campaign against the country’s Rohingya Muslim minority. On Monday, the two men, who fled Myanmar last month, were transported to The Hague, where the International Criminal Court has opened a case examining whether Tatmadaw leaders committed large-scale crimes against the Rohingya. The atrocities described by the two men echo evidence of serious human rights abuses gathered from among the more than one million Rohingya refugees now sheltering in neighboring Bangladesh. What distinguishes their testimony is that it comes from perpetrators, not victims. “This is a monumental moment for Rohingya and the people of Myanmar in their ongoing struggle for justice,” said Matthew Smith, chief executive officer at Fortify Rights, a human rights watchdog. “These men could be the first perpetrators from Myanmar tried at the I.C.C., and the first insider witnesses in the custody of the court.” Continues with photos https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/world/asia/myanmar-rohingya-genocide.html

From Coconuts Bangkok The long Septemberkran weekend may have spread some spending love, but the dire outlook for tourism has officials upping their pitches to both Thais and foreign residents. While an estimated THB8.8 billion (US$280 million) was spent throughout the realm, the specter of COVID’s return saw tourism officials pledge to consider abolishing higher entry fees for foreigners and easier access to a government travel subsidy. On Friday, tourism authority governor Yuthasak Supasorn said they would discuss an end to dual-pricing at national parks and other travel destinations where foreigners are charged exponentially higher entry fees. One idea quickly proposed was issuing travel cards to foreign residents to distinguish them from tourists and entitle them to local prices. On the eve of the long weekend, health officials announced the first local transmission of COVID-19 following a 100-day streak involving a recently incarcerated Bangkok DJ. That led to murmurs that plans to reopen Phuket to some incoming tourists would be delayed. While the weekend saw the heaviest travel in areas near the capital and cities such as Pattaya, Cha-am, Hua Hin and Khao Yai, operators have complained that taxpayer-backed travel rebates are too complicated for many people to use. Supawan Thanomkietiphum of the national hotel association on Monday said many middle-aged and elderly travelers felt the conditions were too complicated and technical. She suggested that the government should ease access to the subsidy for all ages.

From Khaosod English Health Minister Continues to Push ‘Phuket Model’ Despite Opposition BANGKOK — Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Tuesday said the proposal to reopen Phuket to foreign tourists will go ahead in spite of opposition from the local communities. Anutin said the proposal of “limited tourism” on the southern resort island was already approved by the government’s pandemic response center, though PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will have the final say on when the foreign tourists can come in. Other government officials have also expressed safety concerns over the project. “The government is ready to support and ease the measures,” Anutin told reporters. “This will allow entrepreneurs to generate income and retain jobs. We are ready, but all the stakeholders must help us too.” Under the government’s latest proposal to restart the lucrative tourism industry, visitors from countries where there has been no outbreak for at least 30 days would be allowed to visit Phuket – but they must first spend 14 days in quarantine before they can roam around the island. He also criticized those who opposed the plan, saying that the country should not live under virus scare forever. “Those people who voice out the opposition, are they really Phuket people?” Anutin said. “We’ve said many times that we shouldn’t be afraid of COVID-19 to the point that we don’t want to do anything. I confirm that Thailand is ready to fight with COVID-19. If we’re ready, then let’s face it.” Tourism Authority of Thailand director Yuthasak Supasorn said yesterday he feared Thailand would risk a second wave of the pandemic if the government went ahead with the plan. Thailand’s 100-day record of no local transmission was broken on Thursday, after a prison inmate reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus inside a quarantine facility. Although no one else tested positive for the virus so far, government officials have yet to conclude how the 37-year-old prisoner contracted the coronavirus. In a somewhat unhelpful statement, senior health official Kiattiphum Wongrachit said the man was likely infected by either someone who recently traveled from overseas, or by someone who resides inside Thailand. “Tests of those in close contact with him came out negative,” Kiattiphum said. The government reported that no one was infected by the latest patient so far, while the country’s cumulative case of infection stands at 3,446 as of today.

From South China Morning Post Contestants lift piles of tiles to show their muscles Participants smear their bodies with baby oil in preparation for a bodybuilding contest in Majalengka, West Java, Indonesia. Photo: Agoes Rudianto The bodybuilder, muscles shiny with baby oil, hoists a stack of roof tiles over his head. He clenches his muscles, strikes a pose and revels in the applause. The audience roars with appreciation as multicoloured spotlights glint off his body. Dozens compete in the annual bodybuildingbcompetition at the Jatiwangi Art Factory (JAF) in Indonesia, a non-profit organisation focused on the arts and cultural activities. The factory is based in Majalengka, a district in West Java province, and all of the men taking part work for traditional roof-tiling factories known as jebor. At the Jatiwangi building, the competitors take off their clothes, put on dark blue shorts, and rub oil over their bodies. The master of ceremonies begins the contest at about 7pm, and the audience on the first and second floors of the auditorium shout out the names of their favourite participants. Each competitor strides onto the stage and strikes five poses. They begin with three free poses, and pose with roof tiles instead of barbells for the final two. The stage measures three metres by 10 metres, and the competitors lift the tiles over their heads or to their sides. Some of the contestants had originally been unsure about which poses to choose and turned to the internet to find out. “I found out on You Tube before performing,” says Budi Hartono, 30. In the end he chose a front double-bicep pose. To attract the judges’ attention, a number of contestants have bitten and broken the tiles and posed with the pieces. Most, though, simply try to present their bodies in the best possible way, so they look strong. Another contestant, Bubun Gunawan, 33, says his body is sturdy and muscled thanks to his work in the factory, estimating that he lifts as many as 20,000 tiles with his partner each day. This year was the first time he had taken part in the bodybuilding contest, which was launched in 2015. At the Jatiwangi building, the competitors take off their clothes, put on dark blue shorts, and rub oil over their bodies. The master of ceremonies begins the contest at about 7pm, and the audience on the first and second floors of the auditorium shout out the names of their favourite participants. Each competitor strides onto the stage and strikes five poses. They begin with three free poses, and pose with roof tiles instead of barbells for the final two. The stage measures three metres by 10 metres, and the competitors lift the tiles over their heads or to their sides. Continues with photos at https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3100036/bodybuilding-competition-difference-indonesia-contestants

From The Diplomat The shrinking Tonle Sap, the river’s “beating heart,” is the latest wake-up call of the damage wrought by dams. By Tom Fawthrop The miracle of the Mekong, where the pulsating force of the monsoon-driven river every year pushes its tributary to back up and reverse its flow into the great Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia, has again been disrupted and obstructed by dams, drought, and climate change. “This is a terrible disaster for the whole Mekong region,” Thai academic Chainarong Setthachua declared. He told The Diplomat, “If we lose the Tonle Sap we lose the heart of the biggest inland fisheries in the world.” The lake is a critical fishing ground for Cambodia, as well as supporting fish migrations along the entire Mekong. Back in 2014, Chheng Phen, the former director of Cambodia’s Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, told the New York Times, “If the Tonle Sap does not function,” he said, “then the whole fishery of the Mekong will collapse.” That is exactly what the Mekong region is facing today. For the second year running, the wild pulsating waters of the Mekong have failed to work their traditional monsoon magic, which in normal times empowers the Tonle Sap lake to expand to five times its dry season size. The Tonle Sap’s area before (left) and after the annual flooding expands its banks. Image courtesy of Eureka Films. It is hard to exaggerate the extent of the unfolding disaster caused primarily by Chinese dams upstream, trapping both water and sediment that is vital to the healthy survival of the Mekong ecosystem. The Tonle Sap crisis has also been greatly exacerbated by the two Lao dams – the Xayaburi dam and the Don Sahong launched in 2019 – that have blocked fish movement and sediment. Thailand and Malaysia are the developers and prime investors for those projects. The Mekong-driven reverse flow had for centuries transformed the Tonle Sap lake, flooding what was once a sizable forest into part of the largest inland lake in Southeast Asia. In normal times the arrival of the rainy season flood and the reversal of the Tonle Sap tributary replenishes an amazing nursery of the fisheries by giving birth to the flooded forest of the lake. But in 2020, like last year, too little water arrived and too late in the five-month rainy season from June to October. In 2019 the belated arrival of the flood pulse in mid-August led to the influx of shallow, warm, oxygen-starved waters and countless thousands of dead fish. The same drought syndrome is happening again in 2020, with the damaged Mekong monsoon flow too weak push the Tonle Sap tributary back into the lake until mid-August (in a normal year it starts in June). The Stimson Foundation’s Mekong specialist Brian Eyler recalled the wider impacts of last year’s disaster, now repeating itself: “The Tonle Sap’s 2.5 million fishermen took on higher levels of debt to cope with the extremely low fish catch. Now in 2020 it is maybe worse. These cycles of high debt and low fish catch can only be repeated so many times before the economy around the lake and likely the country itself begins to fall apart.” Senglong Youk, the Tonle Sap team leader of local NGO FACT (Fisheries Action Coalition), estimates that 20-30 percent of all fishermen have abandoned their livelihood to look for alternative employment. Eyler, who is also the author of “The Last Days of the Mighty Mekong,” closely monitors China’s dams upstream. His research has now confirmed that “Chinese dams in July 2020 began to restrict an unprecedented amount of water while the countries downstream suffered drought in a repeat performance of last year.” While the Chinese government and the Mekong River Commission (MRC) have claimed the primary causes of the drought are extra low rainfall and the El Nino effect, several studies have convincingly shown that these factors are far less important in causing the decimation of lower Mekong fisheries than the rapid expansion of hydropower. A 2013 study from Aalto University in Finland conducted by Timo Rasanen demonstrated the impacts of upstream dams far outweighed climate change in its effects on the Tonle Sap lake. Ian Cowx, director of Hull University’s International Fisheries Institute (HIFI) in the U.K., explained via email that the biggest long-term obstacle to the recovery of fisheries would not come from climate change and this drought, but rather from the dams upstream. “All fish species are adapted to periods of droughts and floods,” he wrote. “The big issue here is the reduction in flows caused by Chinese dams, the Lower Sesan 2 dam [on a Mekong tributary in Cambodia], and the loss of the Hou Sahong channel because of Don Sahong dam.” All these dams – not only the Chinese but also Thailand’s massive Xayaburi dam in Laos and the Malaysian-promoted Don Sahong dam – have changed the hydrology flow of the river and undermined the flood-pulse. Continues at https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/the-last-farewell-to-the-mighty-mekong/ (Tom Fawthrop, based in Southeast Asia, has been a regular contributor to the Guardian, Economist, South China Morning Post, and The Diplomat for many years)

From The Nation 'Bad' students make a strong case for reforms with huge rally at ministry "Bad student", a group of high school students and student organisations from 50 educational institutions nationwide, has gathered outside the Ministry of Education on Saturday (September 5) to press its demands for reforms. At 2pm, the protesters placed a lot of wreaths in front of the ministry's wall with messages stating that schools do not want dictatorship. At 3pm, the road in front of the ministry was packed with students who came out in large numbers for the rally. The group demanded that the ministry stop threatening students, cancel outdated regulations and reform education with the condition that the education minister must resign if the ministry cannot do as they demanded. Some 50 police officers from Dusit Metropolitan Police Station and Metropolitan Police Division 1 are providing safety to the protesters, while the protesters have requested permission to hold the rally until 8pm today. Meanwhile, the hashtag #หนูรู้หนูมันเลว (I know I was bad) was trending on Thai Twitter as school pupils rallied to demand democracy.

Resiliency is something people with jobs can more readily summon than those without.

Have not had that problem but you can use his secure (https) Twitter site: https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow (I spot checked several of the main links on his site and I did get an "under construction" message on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs link which could have resulted from a possible hack.)

On my first visit to Bangkok 18 years ago, I recall regularly seeing a handicapped young man on upper Silom rd. He had no legs below the knees and no hands on either arm. He propelled himself on a roller board of the type mechanics use to work under cars. I'd put a 20-baht note in his cup and and we eventually managed to exchange a few words. He was strikingly handsome and had an infectious smile. I also saw him a few times on Saturdays when I visited Chatuchak Market. After my third trip I no longer ran into him but I still frequently think of him when I walk along that portion of Silom that is now a construction site where Robinson's used to be. When I spotted thew following article in the Vietnam news today, I immediately again thought of that young man. There's a lot of sad news out there these days but this is not one of them. From Vietnam News Student gives piggyback to friend for over 10 years Ngô Minh Hiếu carries his classmate Nguyễn Tất Minh on his back to school every day. — Photo: nld.com.vn by Khiếu Tư THANH HOÁ — Nguyễn Tất Minh was born without any legs, but fortunately he has a friend – a classmate – who gives him a piggy-back to and from school. Ngô Minh Hiếu has been Minh’s legs for the past ten years. With his friend’s assistance, Minh has never missed a single class. The story of the two teenagers has been widely shared on social media and received widespread media coverage, describing the friendship as “so inspiring and touching". Hiếu started carrying Minh to school when they were in second grade. Due to his disability, Minh faces a lot of difficulties. His father’s health is also bad while his mother struggles to make ends meet. This meant getting to school was always going to be difficult for him. Understand Minh’s desire to study and his strong determination, Hiếu decided to help him. Hiếu still remembers what he told his parents when he was only 7 years old. “I’ll carry Minh to school every day,” he recalled. His parents thought it was simply a childish impulse, but over the past ten years, Hiếu has become Minh’s legs. They play and learn together, helping each other improve. Minh said although they shared a lot of memories, there was one that left a deep impression. “I will never forget going to school together on a rainy day when we were in third grade. We fell together because the road was slippery.” The duo have finished 12th grade and both of them got good scores in the national high school exams. Hiếu got a score of 28.15 while Minh got 28.10. This was a joint effort that created the motivation for them to realise their dreams. “When I was in second grade, I felt sympathy for Minh and volunteered to carry him to school on my back. Minh give me more strength to accomplish what I want myself,” Hieu said. Continues at https://vietnamnews.vn/society/771908/student-gives-piggyback-to-friend-for-over-10-years.html

From Bangkok Post Amnesty International presses for dropping of charges against activists Amnesty International has called for the government to withdraw charges against anti-government protesters and asked its own supporters to send letters backing the demand to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The charges laid against 31 protesters for the July 18 rally against the government were aimed at silencing critics and were a violation of freedom of expression, the London-based human rights advocacy group said in a statement issued on Friday. The statement said the charges, which included sedition, should be immediately dropped. Amnesty called on people around the world to send letters to the Thai prime minister supporting its demand. "This recent slew of arrests of peaceful demonstrators illustrates the authorities' intensifying crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly," it said. Rights lawyer Arnon Nampa and university academic Panupong Jadnok were among the 31 people charged by police. The two are being held in custody after the Criminal Court on Thursday revoked their bail at the request of Samran Rat police. The court accepted the police argument that the two men broke the court bail stipulation that they refrain from similar offences. The charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years behind bars. The two activists are being detained in Bangkok Remand Prison. A rally was planned outside the prison on Friday to demand their release. Protest leaders have set Sept 19 for another major rally, and promised there would be a much larger crowd at the Democracy Monument and in Ratchadamnoen Avenue that day. Mr Anon posted a Facebook message on Thursday calling for people to go out on Sept 19. "Let my detention be a 'receipt' of intimidation against people. Sept 19, 2020 will be the day to respond," he wrote.

From The Nation Covid insurance approved for foreign tourists from high-risk countries The Thai insurance regulator has approved Covid-19 coverage for foreigners entering Thailand, including those from high-risk countries. To buy a policy, foreigners must have a certificate of entry, a Fit to Fly Health or Fit to Travel health certificate, and a medical certificate confirming they tested free of Covid-19 via the RT-PCR method 72 hours prior to departure. Suthipol Taweechaikarn, secretary-general of the Insurance Commission, revealed today that he had approved the insurance for foreigners at a premium rate on August 28. The policies will be sold online and become valid as soon as the traveller passes through Immigration in Thailand. Coverage will be divided into two parts: 1. In cases of death caused by Covid-19, the company will pay benefits/compensation for the cost of the funeral and repatriation of remains equal to Bt3.2 million. 2. For medical treatment related to Covid-19, the company will pay benefits or compensation of up to Bt3.2 million. Premiums will cover periods of 30 days up to one year and be priced according to the Covid-19 risk in the country of origin. Travellers from low-risk countries will pay between Bt1,600 and Bt14,400.Those from moderate-risk countries will pay between Bt2,560 and Bt23,040. Those from high-risk countries will pay between Bt4,800 and Bt43,200. These rates include stamp duty and tax. The policies will be offered jointly by the following 12 insurance firms: Dhipaya Insurance, Bangkok Insurance, Chubb Samaggi Insurance, Navakij Insurance, Thaivivat Insurance, Pacific Cross Health Insurance, The Falcon Insurance, Mittare Insurance, Muang Thai Insurance, Viriyah Insurance, Syn Mun Kong Insurance, Southeast Insurance, Asia Insurance 1950, Bangkok Life Assurance, Muang Thai Life Assurance, and Ocean Life Insurance.

From Channel News Asia PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian government will impose an entry ban on citizens from countries with more than 150,000 COVID-19 cases starting from Sep 7, said Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Thursday (Sep 3). Countries on the list include the United States, Brazil, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Bangladesh, he said. On Tuesday, Malaysia announced that long-term pass holders who are citizens of India, Indonesia and the Philippines will be barred from entering the country effective Sep 7. The decision was made after considering the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases within the three countries, said Mr Ismail Sabri. “The barring would be applicable to permanent residents, holders of Malaysia My Second Home passes, expatriates of all categories, those with resident passes, spouse visas and students who are citizens of the respective countries," he said.

From Vientiane Times VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): While domestic travel is on the rise following government efforts to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism-related businesses, the upturn is unlikely to offset the complete absence of foreign tourists. President of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Oudeth Souvannavong, told Vientiane Times on Monday the slump in tourism was not only affecting businesses but was having a huge effect on the income earned by local people. “Many people are cautious about spending because of the prevailing uncertainty, ” Oudeth said, adding that only a small percentage of the population could be categorised as rich and middle-class so overall spending was not doing much to boost tourism. The sharp drop in travel has resulted in job losses in tourism-related businesses such as hotels and restaurants, which account for 11 per cent of all jobs and 22 per cent of jobs in urban areas. Oudeth said many people had taken trips with their children during the school holidays but only a few places such as Vangvieng and other popular places close to the capital had benefitted. And with the start of the new academic year on Sept 1, domestic tourism is certain to see a downturn. According to a recent World Bank report, hotels and other places of accommodation, restaurants, tour companies and transport operators have been the hardest hit. Some small concerns are reportedly going out of business, while many expect recovery to take up to one year. “If the local and global virus outbreak continues over the second half of the year, the loss in tourism revenue could be more than US$500 million, or 2.7 percent of GDP, ” the World Bank report stated.

From Bangkok Post His Majesty the King has issued a royal command reinstating all royal and military rank and titles to royal noble consort Sineenart Wongvajirapakdi, who was stripped of all titles in October last year. An announcement published in the Royal Gazette on Aug 29, but seen only on Sept 2, states that Miss Sineenart's record is without blemish. The King had then issued a command to appoint her Chao Khun Phra Sineenart Pilaskalayanee, and a royal official with military rank. She has been given all royal decorations. This is as if she was never stripped of her royal title and military ranks, and as if her royal decorations had never been recalled, according to the announcement, which was dated Aug 28. Last October, the King issued a royal command stripping Chao Khun Phra Sineenart Pilaskalayanee of her royal title and military ranks, and recalling all of her royal decorations. The announcement was published in the Royal Gazette on Oct 21 last year.

From Reuters / Bangkok Post Growth weakens, protests heat up SINGAPORE/HONG KONG: A selloff in the baht, underperforming stocks and pressure on the bond market reflect growing concern from global investors over political instability and the growth outlook in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy, analysts and fund managers say. Thailand suffered its deepest economic contraction in two decades last quarter and a long haul to recovery looms as the Covid-19 pandemic has hammered its mainstay tourism industry. At the same time, the government is facing a student protest movement which is gathering momentum and disruption to its policy agenda by the surprise resignation of Finance Minister Predee Daochai on Tuesday, after less than a month in the job. "I think no other country has these two or three problems going on at the same time, as if the Covid-19 situation isn't bad enough," said OCBC Bank economist Howie Lee. Thailand's benchmark stock index is down 17% for the year, having suffered foreign outflows in every month till August - lagging a 5% gain in Asian markets. "The only foreigners left in Thai equities really are the passive investors, the ETFs and the funds which track the index. The active managers are gone," said Jeep Chatikavanij, founder of the Ton Poh Fund which manages $150 million. A global selloff in longer-dated government bonds has also hit Thailand slightly harder than elsewhere, as investors struggle to digest the big debt sales that are paying for governments' spending. Widening corporate credit spreads, as investors demand a greater premium for lending to Thai firms, also shows creeping default risk, said BNP Paribas' head of Asean Economics, Arup Raha.

From the BBC Will you need an immunity passport to travel? Some of the earliest countries to be impacted by the virus have been quick to adopt health certificates – but can immunity passports really help us travel safely again? By Justin Meneguzzi The global economy has been severely disrupted by Covid-19, with the virus wreaking particular devastation on the travel industry. While international travel will eventually return, either as governments start to bring infection rates under control or with the development of a vaccine, it’s a waiting game that many airlines, tour operators and hotels aren’t willing to play. In recent months, the idea of introducing digital immunity passports has begun to circulate as a potential lifeline to jumpstart international leisure travel. “An immunity passport is a presentable proof of immunity to Covid-19,” said Husayn Kassai, co-founder and CEO of Onfido, a London-based technology company specialising in facial biometric certification. “It is designed to help an individual prove that they have been tested and that their test result belongs to them, but without having to share any personal information.” Immunity passports are currently being examined primarily for the benefit of frontline medical workers, allowing them to continue working safely with reduced risk of an outbreak in hospitals. In April, Onfido was invited to submit a proposal for digital health certificates to the UK Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee. In their proposal, Onfido casts immunity passports as “the linchpin of a new normality”. They would allow users to create a digital identity by uploading an official document (such as a passport or driver’s licence) along with a selfie taken on their phone, which would be verified using AI technology. The identity would then be paired with a certificate of immunity issued by a national health service. The end result would be a code on their phone that could be scanned to enter workplaces, public buildings or even airports. Onfido would provide the technology to verify users’ identities, but it would be up to the UK government to securely manage the health data and introduce a system of testing for immunity. Consideration of immunity passports in the UK is still in its early stages, with the British government examining submissions from other facial recognition and identity firms, such as Yoti, Nomidio and Berlin-based IDnow, as well as a range of medical experts and academics on the viability of an immunity-based scheme. The jury is still out on whether the UK will formally adopt immunity passports, but the potential for such documents to accelerate reopening parts of public life has caused similar proposals to pop up in Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Israel, Colombia, Argentina, Estonia and the US. Restoring travel is crucial for global economic recovery. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, in 2019 tourism contributed nearly US$9 trillion to the world’s GDP and accounted for 330 million jobs – roughly one in 10 jobs around the world. However, for travel to fully recommence, governments will understandably require proof that people aren’t bringing Covid-19 with them. Presenting verified proof of immunity might become a requirement for passengers before airlines will allow them to board a flight, similar to a passport or visa. John Holland-Kaye, CEO of the UK’s busiest airport, Heathrow, has welcomed the introduction of an internationally recognised immunity passport, while acknowledging the success of such a scheme would depend on other countries adopting similar systems. “If the UK government, with one of the biggest aviation sectors in the world, were to get together with the European Union and United States, between them they’d have the global diplomatic and economic power to set the international standard,” he told Sky News in May. On a call with investors in April, CEO of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian said he would “make whatever changes to the business model that will be necessary”, including adopting immunity passports if required by the US government. Bastian pointed out how readily travellers adapted to new security regulations introduced by TSA and Home Security in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and said the most important thing for travellers is confidence their safety is being well managed. Continues at http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200831-coronavirus-will-you-need-an-immunity-passport-to-travel