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That jogged the memory. Think I first drove down Santa Monica Blvd. sometime in the late 70's. Sun-bronzed guys on many corners. Seem to remember a large coffee shop toward the east end that was a popular gathering spot late.

From Khaosod English More pics at link http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/2017/04/13/see-silom-celebrate-songkran-style-photos/

From Pattaya One Two ladyboys arrested for robbing Australian tourist on Pattaya Beach Road Tourist police have arrested two ladyboys who stole a wallet belonging to an Australian tourist as he walked along Pattaya Beach Road, in the early hours of this morning. Police heard how Bruce Lauchie McCown, 34, was approached by the two ladyboys just after 5am on Thursday morning. Originally, all was good, with some general chit chat talking place. Who knows what they were discussing? The ladyboys started hugging Mr McCown, which is a tell tale sign they are after your possesions, and is probably when they managed to steal his wallet containing 16,000 baht from his pocket. Before Mr McCown realised what had happened the pair quickly fled. However, the Australian tourist was able to alert nearby tourist police who arrested the ladyboys a short time later. The two ladyboys identified as Chaiwat Sriwanit, 24, and Thanatcha Saengsan, 21 confessed to police are currently being held by Pattaya police, and will be charged for their crime accordingly. http://pattayaone.news/en/two-ladyboys-arrested-pattaya/

From Chicago Tribune The passenger dragged from his seat aboard a Sunday night flight at O'Hare International Airport took the first step toward potential legal action against United Airlines or the city on Wednesday. David Dao, who has retained a high-powered personal injury lawyer, asked the Cook County Circuit Court for an order requiring United and the city of Chicago to keep all video, cockpit recordings and other reports from the flight, along with the personnel files of the Aviation Department officers who pulled Dao from the plane. The request was filed a few hours before the Chicago Department of Aviation said it had placed two more officers on administrative leave until further notice as a result of the incident. Another employee already had been placed on leave, and the city said it continues to review the incident. Demetrio also has represented former NFL and NHL players and their families in concussion litigation against the leagues, including the family of late Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson. The Duerson family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NFL in 2012, which became part of a class-action case that resulted in a $1 billion settlement. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-united-ceo-apology-dragged-passenger-0412-biz-20170412-story.html

Like many here, I've flown internationally often but I was surprised by some of the information I came across while scanning through the Dept. of Transportation's Consumer Guide to Air Travel. There are numerous exceptions and special provisions to rules depending on factors such as aircraft size. You'll also find international flight oddities and the role of Article 19 of the Montreal Convention in seeking compensation for expenses incurred due to delayed or cancelled international itineraries . Not for the easily bored, but certainly informative. And on the topic of forcing a passenger off an aircraft they have already boarded, the captain has the authority to have anyone removed if he believes that they may pose a security or safety threat. https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/fly-rights

I agree that UAL screwed up horribly in this situation. What most passengers don't realize that when buying a ticket, they are agreeing to the contract of carriage of that particular airline. UAL's is similar to those of all US carriers and allowed by US Dept. of Transportation (DOT) regulations. Among those conditions is the right to "involuntary" bump a passenger. The DOT has rules that dictate compensation in these situations. The easiest way this could have been prevented was keep upping the incentive as Steveboy says. I certainly hope the passenger is successful in suing UAL and there's no shortage of attorneys who specialize in this area. As I write this, I'm listening to a news broadcast that quotes UAL president Oscar Munoz who says the airline will no longer request law enforcement to forcibly remove a passenger in bumping situations. If any good can be said to emerge from this fiasco is that other carriers witnessed what happened are very likely reviewing their bumping procedures, also.

From NY Times Border Officers Nearly Double Searches of Electronic Devices, U.S. Says WASHINGTON — Customs officers at the border and at airports almost doubled their searches of electronic devices of people entering the United States in the last six months, according to data released Tuesday by Customs and Border Protection. Despite the surge in searches — nearly 15,000 from October to March, compared with 8,383 in the same period in 2015 and ’16 — agency officials said the latest numbers represent less than one percent of the 189.6 million travelers that arrived in the United States in that period. “These searches, which affect fewer than one-hundredth of one percent of international travelers, have contributed to national security investigations, arrests for child pornography and evidence of human trafficking,” said John P. Wagner, a deputy assistant commissioner at Customs and Border Protection. Privacy activists say the searches are invasive and violate Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches. But courts have long held that those protections do not apply at the border and at airports because of the government’s compelling interest in combating crime and terrorism. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/us/border-customs-officers-electronic-devises-search.html

From The Nation Assistant government spokesman Colonel Taksada Sangkachan said the new holidays will be every July 28, which is the birthday of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and every October 13, the day HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or Rama IX, passed away. Taksada said Cabinet had revoked the holiday on May 5, which marked the coronation of King Rama IX. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30312046

Sorry to hear about your experiences, or lack of them. But you saved me some time and money because I, too, was enticed to visit later this year. I owe you a beer. Hell, the whole board does. I've made the circuit of SE Asia and still find that Thailand is more reliable, day in and day out, than elsewhere with great choices all around. What it lacks in transportation infrastructure it more than makes up in other considerations by any other measure. In the "Taipei" post just below this one in the queue, entries #39 and #40 now seems prologue. Thanks for your candid reports and hope you find Okinawa a worthwhile diversion.

A poster on Thai Visa claims that the excise tax increases are the maximum that can be charged over the next 20 years. Let's hope he right! From Thai Visa site New excise tax ceiling rates have been passed into law after they were published in the Royal Gazette on Monday. The rates set tax levels for the next 20 years and are enforceable in the next 180 days, however, the head of the Excise Department said on Tuesday some 80 other laws would have to be enacted in order for the new amendments to be used to set % increases. Several examples of the new ceiling excise tax rates include: A single cigarette – 5 baht A litre of beer – 3,000 baht A litre of carbonated soft drinks – 20 baht A litre of diesel – 20 baht A single service at a massage parlour – 1,000 baht A square metre of space in a nightclub – 1,000 baht As I mentioned the other day, no need to panic about sharp increases as those outlined above are the maximum increases over the next two decades. 5 baht for a single cigarette would see 100 baht added to a pack of 20 – that isn’t happening in one go, nor is the 1,000 baht for a massage or any of the others in the new bill. When will we see an actual tax increases? Likely by the end of the year but not at those rates above, that’s for sure.

Experienced both on last trip (a masseur in both cases).

People cross streets, ride public transit and eat with their eyes locked on their and tablets. From time time, posters express dismay that guys in bars and sitting outside massage shops seem oblivious to their surroundings as they scroll their phones. According to this CBS 60 Minutes report by Anderson Cooper, it's not just the visuals that are causing the behavior. Google and other developers are programming devices to chemically manipulate your brain to the point where some insiders now consider it an addiction. Excerpts from program transcript: Anderson Cooper: You’re almost saying it like there’s an addiction code. Ramsay Brown: Yeah, that is the case. That since we’ve figured out, to some extent, how these pieces of the brain that handle addiction are working, people have figured out how to juice them further and how to bake that information into apps. While Brown is tapping into the power of dopamine, psychologist Larry Rosen and his team at California State University Dominguez Hills are researching the effect technology has on our anxiety levels. Larry Rosen: We’re looking at the impact of technology through the brain. Rosen told us when you put your phone down – your brain signals your adrenal gland to produce a burst of a hormone called, cortisol, which has an evolutionary purpose. Cortisol triggers a fight-or-flight response to danger. Anderson Cooper: How does cortisol relate to a mobile device, a phone? Larry Rosen: What we find is the typical person checks their phone every 15 minutes or less and half of the time they check their phone there is no alert, no notification. It’s coming from inside their head telling them, “Gee, I haven’t check in Facebook in a while. I haven’t checked on this Twitter feed for a while. I wonder if somebody commented on my Instagram post.” That then generates cortisol and it starts to make you anxious. And eventually your goal is to get rid of that anxiety so you check in. View segment and full transcript: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-hacking-tech-insiders-60-minutes

CNN carried this segment on the topic a few months ago. http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/us/border-legal-rights-faq-trnd/index.html

From Belfast Telegraph Thailand is launching a fresh charm offensive to lure more pensioners to the Asian nation as Britons begin considering alternative retirement destinations outside of Europe in light of Brexit. The president of Thailand Elite, a government-owned agency tasked with running the country's "exclusive" visa scheme, told the Press Association that Britain's divorce from the EU was a chance to strengthen ties between the two countries. Pruet Boobphakam said: "I think that Brexit will give us an opportunity to even open more, or to introduce Thailand even on a broader scale ... you can live in Thailand for up to 20 years if you'd like to, therefore it would be a good opportunity for both countries, in terms of UK people and the Thai people." UK retirees who might otherwise look to settle down in warmer climes along the Mediterranean are facing uncertainty about their long-term rights in EU countries like Spain, where more than 300,000 Brits live, after Brexit. The collapse of the pound in the wake of the referendum has also reduced the purchasing power of sterling-denominated pensions across the eurozone. Thailand's 20-year residence programme, which was originally launched in 2003, does not come cheap, costing 600 US dollars per year (£481), on top of a 60,000 US dollar one-off fee (£48,138), although promoters say the low cost of living can help make up for the bill. It also offers 10-year residence for around 30,000 US dollars (£24,066), with perks like VIP transport services and annual health checks at a private hospital, as well as a five-year option for 15,000 US dollars (£12,033). http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/britons-encouraged-to-consider-thailand-for-retirement-amid-brexit-uncertainty-35599568.html

Edwin Edwards, former member of congress long-serving governor of the US state of Louisiana, became infamous for boasting about his popularity this way: "The only way I can lose this race is to be caught in bed with a live boy or dead girl."

From The Sun (UK) Narong Thaopanya, 21, was travelling on the coach from Bangkok to Sukhothai province in northern Thailand on March 30. He was overcome by a rancid smell when the blonde traveller sat behind him and put her sweaty feet on top of the chair to his side. Narong politely asked her to take down her feet but she refused to listen – staring at him and putting her legs up again. The army reservist recorded the woman – believed to be from France – and took pictures of her arrogant behaviour.’ “The smell from her feet was filling the whole bus – it was hot and made me feel sick, because her feet were next to my head.” https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/3278815/coach-passenger-shames-rude-backpacker-who-refused-to-remove-her-smelly-feet-from-next-to-his-head/

Legendary and long-serving Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards, commenting once on his popularity, observed: "The only way I can lose this election is if I'm caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy"

Depending on where your funds originate, this may be of interest particularly for US ex-pats and visitors. From Bloomberg News Thailand is no stranger when it comes to hot money. This time around, officials have a new dynamic to worry about when it comes to cooling inflows from abroad: Donald Trump. The Southeast Asian nation has seen $3.42 billion flood in this year, an influx that’s driven the baht to its highest since mid-2015. The problem is that any overt steps to curb gains in the exchange rate could draw the attention of Trump administration officials probing trading partners for measures that contribute to U.S. trade deficits. The current dilemma is a contrast with the years of Federal Reserve quantitative easing, when Thailand and other emerging markets took steps to slow capital inflows that made their exports less competitive. Ensuring against U.S. retaliation may mean either living with the baht gains or coming up with steps not linked to currency transactions. “Any easing back on foreign-exchange intervention by the BOT could result in further near-term baht strength, in the absence of any meaningful pick up in outflows,” Khoon Goh, Singapore-based head of Asia research at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. said Tuesday. “They are worried about baht appreciation. Cutting supply of short-term bills probably won’t have much of an effect.” Thailand chalked up the 11th largest goods trade surplus with the U.S. in 2016, according to data on the U.S. Department of Commerce website. It continued to post a current-account surplus in the first two months of this year after a record 2016 while the foreign-exchange reserves rose 5.2 percent to $181 billion, a sign the BOT has bought dollars to stem baht gains. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-04-05/thailand-gets-that-hot-money-feeling-but-inflow-curbs-are-tough

From NY Times Facebook Announces New Ways to Prevent ‘Revenge Porn’ The relationship may have faded long ago, but the intimate images you shared have not. If you’re lucky, your ex deleted them. If you’re not, the photos have sprouted up online. Victims of such nonconsensual posts, often referred to as “revenge porn,” now have some help in preventing their spread: On Wednesday, Facebook announced new artificial intelligence tools designed to keep such content, once flagged, off its site for good. “It’s wrong, it’s hurtful, and if you report it to us, we will now use A.I. and image recognition to prevent it from being shared across all of our platforms,” Mark Zuckerberg, the social network’s founder and chief executive, said in a Facebook post. The tools announced on Wednesday are intended to address a uniquely modern and pernicious form of harassment, often but not exclusively aimed at women, that has attracted increasing attention. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/us/facebook-revenge-porn.html

From Khaosod English BANGKOK — Six years after the eviction of the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, a development company Monday morning announced plans to construct a cluster of office, residential and retail towers on the site. To be completed by 2025, One Bangkok will be a mixed-use space built on the former location of the popular market across Lumpini Park at the intersection of Wireless, Rama IV and Sathorn roads. The 104 rai (166,400sqm) space will see the construction of five office towers, five luxury hotels, three “ultra-luxury” condos and four retail spaces. Green space will cover 50 rai (80,000sqm) of land, with an open-air plaza and spaces for art exhibitions included in the complex. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/bangkok/2017/04/03/120b-mega-project-coming-site-former-suan-lum-night-bazaar/

Now if they could only persuade enemies soldiers to wear gold necklaces it would be a massacre, although I suspect many friendly fire incidents would quickly ensue.

Fans of ladyboys should be pleased to learn that the military sent two would-be recruits back to their jobs on stage in Pattaya. The nation's security is not expected to be at any risk. From the Nation Four transvestites added colour to the annual military conscription ceremony in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom Tuesday.They reported to the event wearing women’s clothing. Since they have not yet undergone a sex change operations, the military conscription chief of the Muang Nakhon Phanom district put them on a list of men yet to be cleared for military service. After they were examined by doctors, they were sent home and told to come back with a medical certificate next year confirming they had undergone a sex-change operation. Thitawan Puengton, who arrived at the ceremony wearing a short skirt and a T-shirt with a plunging neckline, said she had been working as a cabaret girl in South Pattaya. She has had breast surgery. Panitnan Phubunya, 22, who came in a red dress, said she was working as a marketing official with a cosmetics company in Bangkok. Natchanon Saita, 21, wore jeans and a student shirt of Nakhon Phanom University, where she is in her second year. She has received breast surgery. Ketmori Suradee, 22, who wore a red strapless dress, said she is working as a showgirl at the Coliseum Pattaya and had undergone a breast operation. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30311286

Perhaps more appropriate title here would have been.... Why older gay men want younger men to have six packs

Perhaps the most popular photos that find their way onto this site are those featuring chiseled six packs. A BBC reporter set out to figure out why they're so wildly sought after and learned just how difficult it is to acquire them. The narrative ends with the observation: "...young men taking control of their lives, using the only thing they have left: their bodies." From BBC World Service radio http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04xd50k

There are no US carriers with direct service to BKK although most offer code-share flights with one or two stops. There's many non-US carriers with direct service with one or two stops.