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https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/02/03/entertainment/nikki-haley-snl-cold-open-ayo-edebiri/index.html

I believe the Dusit operates a school for those interested in hospitality industry. I'm confident that they are better positioned to attract good staff.

From Pattaya News British Tourist Dies After Fall from Pattaya Hotel Pattaya police are investigating the death of a 69-year-old British man who fell from a fourth-floor hotel window on Sunday morning. According to Pol. Lt. Anirut Jaro, the investigating officer at Pattaya Police Station, the incident occurred at around 2:00 AM on February 4th at a hotel located on Soi Buakhao in Central Pattaya. The victim, a 69-year-old British national whose name was withheld pending family notification, was found on the hotel ground with severe injuries after falling from the fourth floor of the hotel. Despite immediate medical attention from rescue personnel, he succumbed to his wounds upon arrival at a local hospital. Preliminary investigations conducted by Pattaya police revealed no signs of foul play inside the victim’s room. The exact cause of the incident remains undetermined. ======================== Swedish Swim Coach Fatally Falls from Pattaya Hotel A 60-year-old Swedish swim coach tragically lost his life on Sunday morning after falling from the third floor of a hotel on Pattaya Third Road. According to authorities, Pattaya police received a report of the incident at approximately 2:06 AM on February 4th. They rushed to the scene at an unidentified hotel on Pattaya Third Road, along with a rescue team from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation. At the hotel entrance, authorities discovered the lifeless body of the victim, a Swedish swim coach, 60, whose name was withheld pending his family notification. He had fallen from his room, located on the third floor, which is about 15 meters from the ground. The body sustained serious injuries, including various fractures. The body was covered with a white cloth before being transported to a nearby hospital. Mr. Nantaphob Luakthaisong, a 25-year-old security guard who witnessed the event, reported that while on duty, he noticed a dark figure falling from the third floor. He quickly realized it was a person and rushed to the scene, where he found the victim’s body with severe injuries. He immediately contacted the police for assistance. Preliminary investigations revealed no signs of struggle on the victim’s body. However, the cause of the incident remains undetermined. Police are currently reviewing hotel CCTV footage for further insights, while the hospital is awaiting the arrival of the victim’s family to claim the body and arrange funeral rites in accordance with their religious customs.

From Pattaya Mail Lao Airlines is expanding its flight services with new routes both domestically and internationally, in anticipation of increased passenger flow during Visit Laos Year 2024. The airline announced new routes connecting Savannakhet to Bangkok, Vientiane to Phnom Penh, and Vientiane to Danang to accommodate the surge of travelers and celebrate its 35th anniversary. Starting March 15, Savannakhet-Bangkok flights will operate three times a week, while Vientiane-Phnom Penh flights will commence on March 19 with a similar frequency. From April 4, flights between Vientiane and Danang will be available twice a week. Chanthanom Khampheng, Deputy Director of the Commercial and Marketing Department, said the high demand for bookings prompted the addition of more international and domestic flights starting next month. Lao Airlines currently serves destinations in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, and South Korea and is exploring the possibility of launching flights to Japan. The airline’s domestic operations include routes between Vientiane and several provinces, such as Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Champassak, Xieng Khuang, and Huaphan, facilitating connectivity within Laos. (NNT)

From Pattaya Mail Clients and barbers look on in disbelief as the mad Russian takes an electric razor to Supachai Maneecharoen’s hair in a dramatic display of dissatisfaction and height of vulgarity. In a shocking incident at a local hair salon, a 32-year-old hairdresser, Supachai Maneecharoen, was assaulted by a dissatisfied foreign customer following a dispute over a haircut. The confrontation unfolded around 4 p.m. when a Russian customer, unhappy with his haircut, resorted to violence by using an electric razor to embarrassingly cut off Supachai’s hair. The sudden attack left both salon staff and customers in a state of shock. Supachai, a seasoned hairdresser with over seven years of experience, expressed disbelief at the customer’s behaviour, citing a language barrier as a possible cause for the misunderstanding. Despite the unexpected reaction, Supachai remains hopeful that the customer will return to apologize and compensate for the haircut. The entire incident was captured on the salon’s CCTV footage, providing clear evidence for potential legal proceedings. Pattaya City Police Station is currently investigating the matter, and charges may be filed against the individual for his disruptive behaviour.

+1 The old Dusit Thani was also my favorite splurge hotel. The new one appears to maintain the same iconic roof top bar that adorned it. The "Dusit" rooms were actually suites with the decor Keith describes above. And never experienced an issue with guests. Here's artist's rendering of one of their better rooms in the new version. I believe I've read it's going to be a multi-use tower.

Yes, remember it well. Great place. Food at reasonable prices in old Thai style surroundings. Thanks for the link. Brought back many memories and all of them good. It was Bangkok at its best in those years.

It's just for Chinese New Year but Jey Spa masseurs are now adorned in festive colors. And they're wore than wiling to accept red envelopes from you. 🙂

From Pattaya Mail Video captures ladyboy’s daring gold necklace heist A series of photos capturing a person, suspected to be involved in the city’s nightlife, engaging in flirtatious interactions while slyly unhooking a tourist’s gold necklace in Pattaya Soi 6. A viral video showing a young woman, suspected to be associated with the city’s nightlife, allegedly stealing a tourist’s gold necklace in Pattaya Soi 6 has sparked safety concerns in the popular entertainment district. Our team visited Soi 6 on February 1, where they met a local resident Mr. Keng who said that he was unaware of the specific incident, but called for swift intervention by authorities to restore a positive image for tourists and ensure overall safety in the area. Law enforcement has not confirmed any arrests related to the incident, prompting a plea for thorough investigation and enhanced security measures. City officials are yet to release an official statement on the matter. The situation is being closely monitored, and updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.

Found it on Booking.com. I was surprised--and pleased--to see what looks like a washing machine in the room. It's not yet available for occupancy so rates not available. https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/nishitetsu-croom-bangkok-silom.html

From Associated Press Landlocked Laos doesn't have the famous beaches of its neighbors to attract tourists, but instead relies on the pristine beauty of its mountains and rivers and historical sites to bring in visitors. The crown jewel is Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where legend has it that Buddha once rested during his travels. It brings all the elements together, with its mix of historic Laotian and French colonial architecture on a peninsula at the confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers. But a multibillion-dollar dam project underway 25 kilometers (15 miles) upstream has prompted concerns that it could result in the city losing its UNESCO status, and broader questions about what the government's ambitious plans to build multiple dams across the Mekong will do to the river, the lifeblood of Southeast Asia. “When the Luang Prabang Dam is complete, and it's already well under construction, the river is going to trickle into a dead body of water,” said Brian Eyler, director of the Washington-based Stimson Center's Southeast Asia Program and its Energy, Water and Sustainability Program. "The people going to Luang Prabang as tourists to see the mighty Mekong and see how the Lao people interact with the river, all those interactions are going to be gone — all the fishing, meaningful local boating and commerce done by locals on relatively small boats will end.” The dam is also being built near an active fault line, and though studies of the design conclude it could withstand an earthquake, local residents are worried. For Som Phone, a 38-year-old tour boat operator and lifelong Luang Prabang resident, memories of the 2018 collapse of another dam in Laos that killed dozens and displaced thousands, blamed on shoddy construction, are still fresh. “Many people died,” he said. Luang Prabang is not yet on UNESCO's list of endangered World Heritage sites, but the Paris-based agency has outlined a series of concerns, including the protection of historic buildings and the effect of the dam project on protected wetlands and the city's riverbanks, and is awaiting a report back from Laos.

Enjoyed the video and the narrators. My experiences of staying in the area was between 2003-2009 when I was a devotee of the legendary Babylon, about a 10-15 minute walk away. I stayed either at the Pinnacle or Malaysia hotels and had no complaints about either. At the Pinnacle I used to book through a local guy who lived in the hotel (think Jimmy was his name) who could save you a few hundred baht a night. I don't recall the area being a hippe ghetto it was in the 80's and 90's and never recall feeling unsafe walking around. But once Babylon began losing its allure, I began staying primarily in the Silom area.

From The Nation By Agence France Presse Anti-war Russian rockers held in Thailand arrive in Israel A Russian-Belarusian band that denounces Moscow’s Ukraine invasion arrived in Israel Thursday after being held in Thailand on immigration charges that had sparked fears they could be deported to Russia and face prison. The band, Bi-2, have criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin and left Russia in protest over the war in Ukraine. Their arrest in Thailand last week sparked fears they would be sent to Russia, which harshly punishes public criticism of its Ukraine campaign. Russian independent media reported that Moscow’s diplomats were demanding the band be sent to Russia. “We’re free!” Bi-2 said on its Facebook page on Thursday, ending almost a week of uncertainty over the band’s fate. “Thank you to everyone who fought for and supported us,” it added. Russia’s independent TV Rain outlet posted a video of the band at an Israeli airport. Several members of the band have dual nationalities, including Israeli and Australian. Thailand’s National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, took charge of the case on Wednesday. The band said Wednesday that singer Egor Bortnik, known by his stage name Lyova — had already left Thailand to fly to Israel. After landing in Israel they met with Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who said in a statement that the episode showed “the music will win”. Human rights advocates in Thailand cautiously welcomed the news. “Even though they (are) all safe, we still want Thai authorities to respect arrest procedures strictly,” human rights lawyer Pornpen Khongkachonkiet told AFP. “It could (have) happened to me, you, and others without international attention as this case got.” Pornpen said the band’s detention was another sign of creeping transnational repression within the kingdom. The case had alarmed Russians critical of Putin living abroad. Thailand is a popular destination for both Russian holidaymakers and emigrants. Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thailand was “vulnerable to effective manipulation by larger states pursuing transnational repression”. However, he said international pressure — and global economic concerns — had played a significant role. “Thailand realised that they didn’t need to make a lot of enemies by doing Russia’s bidding in this case,” Robertson told AFP. “Russia may be a transnational repression superpower but they’re an economic weakling, and Thailand knows that.” The band were held last week after they played a gig on Phuket, a southern island popular with Russian holidaymakers. Thai officials said they were arrested for performing without the correct work permits and transferred to an immigration detention centre in Bangkok. The organisers of the band’s Thailand concerts — which also included a show in Pattaya — said all the necessary permits were obtained, but the band had been issued tourist visas in error. VPI Event accused the Russian consulate of having waged a campaign to cancel the concerts since December, and said they had faced “unprecedented pressure” as they sought the band’s release. Bi-2 is well known in Russia. Several of their concerts were cancelled in 2022 after they refused to play at a venue with banners supporting the war in Ukraine, after which they left Russia. One of the band’s founders has openly denounced the Putin government, saying it makes him feel “only disgust” and accusing the long-serving leader of having “destroyed” Russia. HRW earlier this week said the band would face “persecution” if returned to Russia — pointing to comments by a Kremlin foreign ministry spokeswoman accusing the band of “sponsoring terrorism”. The rights group said Russia’s foreign ministry last year designated frontman Bortnik a “foreign agent” for opposing the war in Ukraine.

From Pattaya Mail Artist’s conception of the future 310-meter sheltered walkway at Bali Hai pier, promising enhanced comfort and safety for visitors. Mayor Poramet Ngampichet led an on-site inspection on January 31 to assess the on-going pier improvement projects and the construction of a sheltered walkway at Bali Hai Pier. Acknowledging the challenges faced by residents and tourists, particularly during inclement weather, the Pattaya City administration allocated budgets for two significant projects. The first, managed by Civil States Limited, involves the refurbishment of the pier, encompassing the main walkway and Piers A, B, C, D, E. This comprehensive project, spanning 460 meters and featuring 40 staircases, includes concrete structure maintenance and the use of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer for increased strength. The inspection revealed a 10% completion status, with minor challenges arising from rising sea levels during daytime hours. To address this issue, work is now conducted during night-time hours, and the entire project is expected to conclude around May this year. Simultaneously, the construction of a sheltered walkway, managed by A.O. Steel Limited, is progressing. This project involves installing a roof structure covering a distance of 310 meters. The assembly of support columns and roofing at the factory in Bang Sai, Ayutthaya, is underway, with on-site installation scheduled to begin in early February, aiming for completion around March.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon A Thai Cabinet decision is now awaited on the Tourist Authority of Thailand’s proposal to offer 90 days visa-exempt travel to citizens of UK, US, Australia and most of mainland Europe. The prime minister Srettha Thavisin is known to favour the move, according to his aide Prommin Lertsuridej, as a way of maximizing income from overseas visitors whilst reducing bureaucracy. Currently, these nationalities receive only 30 days without a prior visa, but can extend for a further month at local immigration for 1,900 baht. If they wish, they can then take a day trip to a land border (usually Cambodian) and repeat the procedure. However, this facility cannot be used more than twice in a calendar year. There is no formal restriction on the number of entries by air. Tourists are required to report their address to Thai immigration each time they enter the country via the notorious address form TM30. If they fail to do this promptly and require any service at immigration – such as extending their visa or requesting a certificate of residency to buy or sell a car or open a bank account – they will be fined even though the technical responsibility rests with the hotel or condominium residence “housemaster”. Some establishments report all their guests online to immigration, but many do not or even fail to inform their guests. Foreigners attending the busy immigration offices, such as Jomtien, frequently complain that the long queues on many days are caused by tourists following the TM30 bureaucracy which creates a log jam affecting the whole process. If the proposed change was introduced, these nationalities would need to register on the TM30 just once on arrival as extensions and day trips to Cambodia would no longer be necessary for most tourists. A Cabinet decision is expected within days. Currently, only a handful of countries receive 90 days on arrival without a prior visa. They include Russia, South Korea and several South American countries. The extension to countries now envisaged would go a long way to reducing the numbers queuing at immigration for TM30 clearance more than once during their stay.

For muscled twink admirers, Home spa has added a new masseur to its roster.

From Pattaya News A loud explosion rocked Pattaya’s Beach Road on Wednesday night, January 31st, causing panic among locals and tourists. Upon arrival, authorities found a chaotic scene with residents and tourists shaken by the blast. Eyewitnesses, including 40-year-old motorcycle taxi driver Mr. Suwit Srichantuek, described the harrowing scene. Mr. Suwit stated that he was picking up a traffic cone when a loud explosion erupted, followed by the sight of a ping-pong ball-like object falling from the cone. The explosion caused panic, with people fleeing the area. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the incident. However, a second explosive device, roughly the size of a hand grenade and wrapped in black duct tape, was found hidden in another traffic cone near the initial blast site. The EOD unit immediately cordoned off the area and removed the device for disposal in a remote location. Authorities are currently attempting to identify the suspect who hid the devices, commonly called ping pong bombs and often used by rival teen gangs, in the cones.

From the BBC nspired by a trailblazing transgender model, Malta has become one of the most accepting countries in the world in the past 20 years. It was a sweltering afternoon at Balluta Bay sometime in the late 1990s. Eager young journalist Ramona Depares was celebrating her first job at a local magazine at the City of London, one of Malta's oldest seafront bars, when a woman walked in. "Everyone stopped talking, openly staring," Depares said. "I remember she was wearing her iconic, massive black hat and a slinky black pantsuit – this was midweek, mid-afternoon, when everyone else was in flip flops. But it wasn't only about her clothes, it was her aura. She behaved like royalty. It was difficult not to be entranced." This mysterious figure was international Maltese model and trans pioneer Katya Saunders, known to friends as Kaka. As Depares would soon learn, Saunders' life was as compelling as her glamorous career: in the 1970s, she moved to London and transitioned; while in the 1980s she was pictured in Vogue on the arm of Karl Lagerfeld, did photoshoots in New York and modelled for fashion designers Charles & Ron, who still own a store in the Maltese capital Valletta. Rumour had it she'd even hung out with David Bowie and Mick Jagger. After an introduction, Depares and Saunders started chatting. "I asked whether she would give me an interview," said Depares. "And for years she played cat and mouse with me for this blessed interview, despite bumping into her at parties or fashion shows. She said she'd prefer to have her memoirs published instead." Eventually Saunders disappeared from public life, having "fallen upon hard times", as Depares put it. Fast-forward to 2019 and the journalist was in the Times of Malta's office when news of her death broke. "I wrote her tribute thinking, well, at least she'd be happy to know that her death made waves across the Maltese media." Depares pictured her "giggling away, enjoying the commotion that she was once again causing". Since then, Saunders' trailblazing life as one of Malta's first openly transgender public personas has been reappraised on an island that's seen remarkable changes in the last two decades. One of only five nations in the world to have made LGBTQ+ rights equal at a constitutional level, it has held first place for eight years on the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Index, which ranks countries on LGBTQ+ equality. After first visiting Valletta's hilly streets half a decade ago, I've been intrigued by this tiny island nation's unlikely rise as one of the world's most tolerant places. To examine how this happened, let's start by rewinding to the years after Saunders' birth in 1957. In 1964, Malta achieved independence after more than 150 years of British rule. The Brits had criminalised male same-sex relations, but as a republic, Malta legalised same-sex activity in 1973, with an age of consent of 16, equal to heterosexual sex. In 2001, the creation of the lobbying group Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) helped usher in Malta's inaugural Pride March in 2004, as well as a national gay helpline. The pace quickened in the next decade: Malta was the first country in the EU to ban conversion therapy in 2016, when same-sex marriage was also passed, and the first European state to add gender identity to its constitution as a protected category. What was Malta's first Pride March like 20 years ago? "Not a big affair," said MGRM's Joe Grima. "It attracted between 50 and 100 people, whereas by [2023's] EuroPride, 38,000 attended the march and concert headlined by Christina Aguilera. We could celebrate how far we came. The laws that safeguard equal rights are now a normal aspect of everyday life in Malta." These laws were not in place for young Saunders or for other LGBTQ+ people of her era, however. As a result, the MGRM and Malta Council decided to celebrate her legacy by commissioning Depares to write the book Katya: Easy on the Tonic (a nod to Saunders' favourite catchphrase), and curating exhibitions featuring her clothes, portraits and accessories at galleries in Valletta, including one at Valletta's historic cultural hub Spazju Kreattiv (view the online archive here). Malta has ranked first on the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Index for eight years (Credit: Imago/Alamy) Continues at https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240130-malta-the-tiny-european-island-of-tolerance

You're right that it's about demand. For high rollers, 7-8k is no barrier and those are the customers these guys cater to. In most major US and European cities, 7-8k is more the norm.

From CNN About two weeks after his oldest son’s funeral, South Carolina state house Rep. Brandon Guffey says he received a private Instagram message with a laughing emoji. Gavin Guffey, 17, had fatally shot himself in a bathroom in July 2022, and the grieving father was searching for clues on what led to his suicide. Then Guffey and his younger son began to get messages demanding money in exchange for nude photos of his late son. Anyone on Gavin’s Instagram followers list who had the last name Guffey got similar messages, his father says. The family began piecing together Gavin’s last moments and discovered he had encountered a scammer on Instagram and unwittingly became a victim of sexual extortion, a crime the FBI warns is increasingly targeting underage boys and leading to an alarming increase in suicides nationwide. Now Guffey is suing Instagram’s parent company, Meta, for wrongful death, gross negligence and other claims, saying it does not do enough to protect children like Gavin from online predators. The lawsuit, filed in South Carolina state court last week, accuses Meta’s social media platforms of causing a range of problems in children, including depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and eating disorders. It alleges that Meta uses algorithms to aggressively target adolescents and does not do enough to keep them safe from harm. In the suit, Guffey says Meta does not have tools in place to protect underage kids who use its platforms in “almost every aspect of their lives” and are unaware of its potentially negative effects. Minutes before he died by suicide at his home in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Gavin texted his younger brother and his friends a heart-shaped symbol of love – ❤️ – on a black background. Since then, Guffey has been outspoken about his son’s death and sponsored legislation last year that makes sexual extortion an aggravated felony punishable by years in prison if the victim is a minor or vulnerable adult or if the victim suffers bodily injury or death directly related to the crime. State senators passed the bill and named it “Gavin’s Law” before sending it to Gov. Henry McMaster, who signed it into law. Before Gavin’s death by suicide, scammers had reached out to him on Instagram, convinced him he was talking to a girl his age and persuaded him to send nude photos, his father says. The extortion started almost immediately after. The scammers demanded money, and Gavin sent $25 via Venmo, which is all he had at the time, Guffey says. He pleaded with his scammers to give him more time. Sextortion predators typically trick young victims, usually teen boys, into believing they are talking to girls their own age. They persuade them to send explicit photos and videos, and threaten to publicize those images if a payment is not sent. The scammers are typically located outside the US. Shame, fear and confusion often prevent minors from seeking help or reporting the abuse, the FBI says. “The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes,” Douglas DePodesta, special agent in charge of the bureau’s Memphis office, said in a statement. “We need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does.” Sextortion scams have increasingly made headlines nationwide. In August, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan extradited two men from Nigeria for allegedly extorting young men and teenage boys. One of the men was charged with causing the death of Jordan DeMay, 17, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Marquette, Michigan, home in March 2022. The case is still pending. Continues with photos https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/us/rep-brandon-guffey-instagram-lawsuit-cec/index.html

Trump does have bigger ass than Taylor Swift

From The Nation In what is seen as a countdown to the demise of the Move Forward Party, the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the main opposition party and its former leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, were guilty of seeking to overthrow the country's constitutional monarchy system. The nine Constitutional Court judges voted unanimously that Pita and Move Forward’s election campaigns, by proposing to sponsor a bill to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code, had violated Article 49 of the Constitution. The court ruled that the election campaigns were unconstitutional and an effort to topple the democratic system of government with the King as the head of state. The case against Pita and Move Forward was filed by Theerayuth Suwankesorn, a lawyer known for his defence of Suwit Thongprasert, an ex-activist monk formerly known as Phra Buddha Isara. Theerayuth’s suit named Pita the first defendant and Move Forward the second defendant.The court ordered Pita and the party to stop seeking to annul or amend Article 112 either through speech or writing or any other way of expression immediately, as demanded by Theerayuth’s suit. As a result, the defendants must immediately cease using their rights to seek to annul and amend Article 112 through unlawful methods. Although Theerayuth’s suit did not ask the court to disband the party, the ruling was seen as providing a cause for Move Forward’s opponents to ask the Election Commission to seek the party’s dissolution later. Political observers expect the opponents would ask the EC to invoke Article 92 of the Political Parties Act to ask the court to disband Move Forward. Under Article 92 of the act, if the court finds any political party guilty of seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy, the EC can gather evidence and petition the Constitutional Court to consider dissolving the party and banning its executives from elections for 10 years.

From Pattaya Mail In a significant move to enhance tourist safety, Mayor Poramet Ngampichet led a pivotal training program along Pattaya’s iconic Walking Street last week. The initiative, now in its second phase, focused on equipping security personnel with advanced skills to ensure a secure environment for tourists. The program, a collaborative effort by Pattaya City, Tourist Police, and relevant agencies, aimed to elevate the knowledge and skills of security personnel. Aligned with the “Strong Tourism Community” (S.T.C.) project, the training aimed to make security personnel proficient in maintaining safety and well-versed in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) techniques. The overarching goal was to instill confidence in tourists by ensuring high-quality, secure services. The project also encouraged public participation and readiness to assist tourists, ultimately reducing incidents involving visitors. A total of 110 participants from 34 service establishments actively participated, showcasing widespread cooperation for the cause.

Agree. Your guy sounds like a great combination of traits.

Please share the photo!