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From CNBC Hidden cameras are being found in hotel rooms, house rentals, cruise ships, and even airplane bathrooms, leaving many travelers to wonder: “Could a hidden camera be watching me?” Spycams, as they’re called, are getting smaller, harder to find and easier to buy. From alarm clocks to air fresheners, water bottles and toothbrush holders, cameras come embedded in common household items that seamlessly blend with home decor. They can be purchased in shops or online, and through retailers like Amazon and Walmart. And rather than having to retrieve the camera to obtain the recording, owners can stream live images straight to their phones, said Pieter Tjia, CEO of the Singapore-based tech services company OMG Solutions. Even worse, voyeurs can sell the footage to porn sites, where it can be viewed thousands of times. It’s no wonder why websites, from YouTube to TikTok, are filled with videos of people recommending simple ways to find hidden cameras. But do these suggestions work? To find out, Tjia and his team hid 27 cameras in a home, and then provided CNBC with commonly recommended devices to find them. In total, CNBC conducted five rounds of tests to see which method was the most effective. Continues with video https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/22/how-to-find-a-hidden-camera-in-a-hotel-room-or-house-we-tested-5-ways-.html

Duplicate post deleted

Sorry to hear you didn't make the cut.

From CNBC United CEO casts doubt on 737 Max 10 United Airlines is weighing plans without the Boeing 737 Max 10 after a series of delays and most recently, the grounding of a smaller variant of the plane, the carrier’s CEO said Tuesday. The Max 10 is the largest model of the plane and hasn’t yet been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. United CEO Scott Kirby said the plane is already “best case” about five years delayed and expressed frustration at Boeing for the most recent problem in which a door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 flight on Jan. 5, prompting the FAA to ground those planes. United has 79 of the 737 Max 9 aircraft in its fleet, more than any other carrier, and the ongoing grounding will drive a first-quarter loss, the airline said Monday while reporting its fourth-quarter earnings. “I think the Max 9 grounding is probably the straw that broke the camel’s back for us,” Kirby said in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday. “We’re going to at least build a plan that doesn’t have the Max 10 in it.” Last week, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC he was confident moving forward with his airline’s order of Boeing Max 10s.

From Tourism Authority of Thailand

Doesn't his union require a 10-minute break every 45 minutes?

Recommend Lumpini Park after sundown.

From Pattaya News Lone Kuwaiti Tourist Fights Off Five Young Teen Robbers in Pattaya Pattaya police successfully apprehended five teenagers on Monday following their failed attempt to rob a Kuwaiti tourist on Soi Yensabai. The thwarted robbery occurred at around 3:00 AM on January 22nd, along Soi Yensabai in South Pattaya. Mr. Mobaruk Ali, a 23-year-old tourist from Kuwait, had been in Pattaya for just two weeks when he encountered a group of five teenagers armed with knives. In a brave act, Mr. Mobaruk resisted the robbery attempt. With the assistance of local residents who intervened, the group of teenagers dispersed and fled the scene. Seizing the opportunity, Mr. Mobaruk used his mobile phone to record a video while chasing after the suspects.

From Pattaya Mail Transvestite snatches 300,000 baht gold chain from Swiss tourist Sympathetic bar girls console Swiss national Mr. Philippe Bocion after a transvestite Suntorn Huajaipet (inset) snatched his 300,000 baht gold chain in Soi 6 on Pattaya Beach. PATTAYA, Thailand – In a swift operation, the Pattaya Police investigation team successfully arrested 28-year-old transvestite Suntorn Huajaipet, a primary suspect in a robbery case. They also confiscated a 2-baht gold necklace valued at approximately 68,000 baht, two wrist bracelets priced at 68,000 baht and 34,000 baht respectively, a lion-shaped gold wrist bracelet worth 35,500 baht, and 20,000 baht in cash. The arrest came rapidly after 60-year-old Swiss national Mr. Philippe Bocion reported a robbery in Soi 6 on Pattaya Beach at 1.30 a.m. on January 20, detailing an encounter where a transvestite forcefully attempted to hug him, resulting in the snatching of his 10-baht gold necklace valued at approximately 332,000 baht. Responding promptly, police officers were dispatched to the scene, utilizing surveillance cameras to identify the suspect, who confessed to the crime, disclosing that the stolen item had been sold. With the obtained funds, the suspect purchased the confiscated gold items while retaining additional cash. The recovered items stand as crucial evidence in the ongoing investigation. Pol. Col. Nawin Theerawit, Chief of Pattaya City Police, underscored the impact of the suspect’s actions on Pattaya’s tourism image, emphasizing the police force’s swift response to detain the culprit and ensure the return of stolen property to the victim. The entire operation, spanning from investigation to arrest, concluded in less than 24 hours. Chief Nawin further emphasized the importance of safeguarding high-valued items by keeping them at hotels or residences for enhanced safety while enjoying the sights and sounds of Pattaya nightlife.

If the reference was to restaurants and eating out, I prefer Thailand. If it was about buying food to prepare yourself, the sheer abundance and variety of food available in the US is an advantage. I come to bkk for extended periods and stay in Airbnb where me or my friend cooks one meal a day so I'm familiar with the markets (get most of my stuff in Foodland).

NOTE -- "ER" stands for Extended Range. From the BBC Second model to be inspected after 737 Max 9 blowout Checks are to be carried out on a second Boeing aircraft model following the blowout of an unused door on one of its planes earlier this month. The US Federal Aviation Administration grounded more than 170 of the 737 Max 9 fleet after a cabin panel broke away thousands of feet above the ground. On Sunday, the agency said airlines should also inspect older 737-900ER models, which use the same door design. The FAA described the move as an "added layer of safety". It said there had been no reported issues with the 737-900ER, but that it uses the same style of panel to "plug" an unused door as the plane involved in the terrifying 5 January incident.

Not just in Thailand, that's for sure. I wanted to buy a really nice silk scarf for my late sister for Christmas many years back. Went to a high-end store and selected one I saw displayed in the window. Clerk asked me if she could wrap it up for me and I said "sure." When I presented it to my sister after Christmas dinner it turned out to be a different scarf altogether.

From Thailand News Agency The Immigration Bureau (IB) has introduced an online reporting system for foreigners staying in Thailand for more than 90 days, marking the first-ever implementation of this service. The initiative, initially targeting investors under the promotion of the Board of Investment (BOI), is expected to stimulate the economy and boost tourism in Thailand. Pol Lt Gen Itthipol Itthisarnronnachai, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, along with relevant authorities, announced the commencement of the “90 days online notification” service. This allows foreigners to report their residence status when staying in the kingdom for more than 90 days through an online platform. The system aims to provide convenience to international tourists, enabling them to submit advance notifications 15 days prior to the expiration of their 90-day stay. Notifications can be made at any time through the online portal at www.immigration.go.th. Once registered, users will receive a password via email, allowing them to log in and submit their 90-day notification. Approval results will be sent via email or accessed through the website www.immigration.go.th. The first phase of implementation will target investors falling under the BOI’s investment promotion, expanding later to include other visa types. This strategic move is anticipated to garner positive responses from the international community. For the “90 days online notification,” there are three reporting channels: 1) reporting in person, 2) designating a representative, and 3) sending the notification form to the Immigration Bureau via registered mail. This project represents a new dimension in providing services through the online system of the Immigration Bureau. Additionally, the Immigration Bureau offers an e-Extension service, allowing foreigners to apply for a visa extension online. Applicants can fill out the required information at any time, submit it online, meet with an officer to confirm their identity, and receive a visa sticker in less than 5 minutes. This aims to enhance efficiency and convenience for foreign visitors. The Immigration Bureau anticipates that these service enhancements will stimulate the economy and promote tourism by attracting a significant number of foreign tourists and investors to the country.

From Pattaya Mail A CCTV camera catches the moment when the drunken thug assaults a foreign tourist, all caused by a dispute over the 200 baht price tag for a bottle of beer. Recent concerns about disruptive incidents affecting Pattaya’s tourism image reached a pinnacle when an individual armed with a knife assaulted a foreign tourist in Jomtien. The incident which occurred at the intersection of Soi Na Jomtien 20 escalated due to reported dissatisfaction with beer prices set at 200 baht per bottle. Police arrested the suspect, identified as 52-year-old Bunsuk Kwan-on on January 19. Bunsuk was apprehended near the crime scene and found in possession of a fruit knife, believed to be the weapon used during the incident. Authorities also seized his clothing from the attack and a digital camera. During questioning, Bunsuk admitted to being the individual captured in CCTV footage. He claimed to have intervened based on a young woman’s harassment allegations by a foreign national, insisting his actions were misinterpreted. Notably, Bunsuk exhibited signs of intoxication, along with a lack of remorse and humorous remarks. As the investigation continues, Bunsuk Kwanoen faces charges of physical assault and carrying a knife in a public area without reasonable cause. ================== From Pattaya News

Is this a Pattaya-centric problem? This will be my 22nd year in Bangkok and never ran into this problem.

No need to view it that way. The net effect of such a decision would actually raise the residual intelligence level.

NOTE -- Russia and the Afghanistan disagree on how many Russian citizens were on board. From The Nation Two Russian citizens were among the passengers on a charter flight destined for Moscow that went missing over Afghanistan, as reported by Russia's state-run TASS news agency on Sunday, citing a source "in the operational services." A manifest list for the plane, published by the SHOT news outlet, indicated that the entire crew were Russian nationals. Russian aviation authorities announced on Sunday that a Russian-registered plane, believed to have six individuals on board, disappeared from radar screens over Afghanistan the previous night, following reports of a crash from local Afghan police. According to Russia's RIA news agency, the flight was a medical evacuation mission from Thailand to Moscow. The Russian Consulate in Bangkok stated that the plane was conducting a medical evacuation from the Thai city of Pattaya, transporting a Russian woman accompanied by her husband. The spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, Abdul Wahid Rayan, attributed the crash to an engine problem in a statement on the social media platform no X (formerly Twitter). He also claimed that there were "seven Russians abroad" and alleged the aircraft belonged to a Moroccan firm. The Falcon 10, an early business jet manufactured by the French company Dassault Aviation between 1971 and 1989, remains popular on the secondary market despite its age.

You mean he's not a muscular young middle eastern guy? 🙁 You certainly seem to be giving it your best effort. Not to worry; your luck will change when you hit Super A again. 😂

+1

Not available: They've temporarily removed themselves from roster due to day job or other commitments. Not yet notified of employment: They've not indicated that they're available that day. Ready: They've made themselves available within short time frame (a few may be hanging around shop). Public: Tip for going to your hotel/place. ====================== You may also see ""HOT" on photo of various guys. It's been my experience that no special consideration should be automatically given. (Above are my understandings of terms. Possible I lost something in translation. 🙂)

One Spa in Saphan Kwai website identifies their guys in four categories: top gay, top real man, bottom, and both. They have sophisticated filter options so you can search by category. I just checked and out of nearly 250 masseurs, 6 are bottoms and 83 are both (top and bottom). https://onespa.love

From VN Express By Phong Anh January 20, 2024 Thousands flocked to the Night Street in Ho Chi Minh City’s Thao Dien area, home to the southern metropolis's largest expat community, on its opening evening Friday. Crowds gather in the pedestrian-only “entertainment zone” bordered by Xuan Thuy, Quoc Huong and Nguyen Van Huong streets from 7 p.m. Security forces were also present to ensure safety and order. This was the first night street in Thu Duc City – Saigon’s “city within a city” – and it would be open from 7 p.m. every Friday and Saturday until 2 a.m. the next day. The event predominantly features food stalls. For a six-month trial period there will be jazz and rock concerts, don ca tai tu (traditional southern Vietnamese folk music ) performances, and a variety of shopping options and activities. Inside the night street zone, Thao Dien market and a riverside park at the foot of the Saigon bridge are pleasant places to enjoy local culture and the scenery near the water. In the near future, the area expected to open a river bus route. HCMC currently has eight night street zones, including the Bui Vien and Nguyen Hue pedestrian-only streets in District 1.

Although it's mostly lost from the annals of history of the second world war, Japan was among the nations laboring to develop its own nuclear weapons. According to Wikipedia, "Japan had several programs exploring the use of nuclear fission for military technology, including nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Like the similar wartime programs in Nazi Germany, it was relatively small, suffered from an array of problems brought on by lack of resources and wartime disarray, and was ultimately unable to progress beyond the laboratory stage during the war. "In 1934, Tohoku University professor Hikosaka Tadayoshi's "atomic physics theory" was released. Hikosaka pointed out the huge energy contained by nuclei and the possibility that both nuclear power generation and weapons could be created. .....The leading figure in the Japanese atomic program was Yoshio Nishina, a close associate of Niels Bohr and a contemporary of Albert Einstein.[6] Nishina had co-authored the Klein–Nishina formula.[7] Nishina had established his own Nuclear Research Laboratory to study high-energy physics in 1931 at RIKEN Institute (the Institute for Physical and Chemical Research), which had been established in 1917 in Tokyo to promote basic research.[8] Nishina had built his first 26-inch (660 mm) cyclotron in 1936, and another 60-inch (1,500 mm), 220-ton cyclotron in 1937. In 1938 Japan also purchased a cyclotron from the University of California, Berkeley. "In 1939, Nishina recognized the military potential of nuclear fission, and was worried that the Americans were working on a nuclear weapon which might be used against Japan. However, the Japanese fission project did not formally begin until April 1941 when Yasuda acted on Army Minister Hideki Tōjō's order to investigate the possibilities of nuclear weapons. Yasuda passed the order down the chain of command to Viscount Masatoshi Ōkōchi, director of the RIKEN Institute, who in turn passed it to Nishina, whose Nuclear Research Laboratory by 1941 had over 100 researchers. The second RIKEN cyclotron, completed in 1943 "Meanwhile, the Imperial Japanese Navy's Technology Research Institute had been pursuing its own separate investigations, and had engaged professors from the Imperial University, Tokyo, for advice on nuclear weapons. Before the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Captain Yoji Ito of the Naval Technical Research Institution of Japan initiated a study that would allow for the Japanese Navy to use nuclear fission. After consulting with Professor Sagane at Tokyo Imperial University, his research showed that nuclear fission would be a potential power source for the Navy. "After the Japanese Navy lost at Midway, Captain Ito proposed a new type of nuclear weapons development designated as "B-Research" (also called "Jin Project", Japanese: 仁計画, lit. "Nuclear Project") by the end of June 1942. By December, deep in the project, it became evident that while an atomic bomb was feasible in principle, "Japanese scientists believed that it would be difficult for even the United States to realize the application of atomic energy in time to influence the outcome of the war." "By February 1945, a small group of scientists had succeeded in producing a small amount of material in a rudimentary separator in the RIKEN complex—material which RIKEN's cyclotron indicated was not uranium-235. The separator project came to an end in March 1945, when the building housing it was destroyed by a fire caused by the USAAF's Operation Meetinghouse raid on Tokyo. No attempt was made to build a uranium pile; heavy water was unavailable, but Takeuchi Masa, who was in charge of Nishina's separator, calculated that light water would suffice if the uranium could be enriched to 5–10% uranium-235." For additional details https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_nuclear_weapons_program#cite_note-Grunden_2005_107–130-9

The building of the bridge inspired the 1952 novel "Bridge on the River Kwai" that was followed five years later by the film of the same name. Although largely fictional, the movie, directed by David Lean who five years later went on to direct "Lawrence of Arabia," was wildly successful. Featuring Alex Guinness in the leading role, the sound track is one of its most enduring legacies, the Colonel Bogey March. (I agree that visiting the cemetery at Kanchanburi is a very moving experience.

From Inter Press Service News Agency Tompoun children want to show me the ghost forest, but they are still afraid. Credit: Kris Janssens / IPS RATANAKIRI PROVINCE, Cambodia, Jan 18 2024 (IPS) - “What on earth are you going to do in Tropeang Krohom?” The driver of the minivan turns his head and gives me a puzzled look. Few passengers want to be dropped off in a settlement between two provincial towns. Tropeang Krohom or ‘Red Pond’ is located at a junction of the main road. The name refers to the typical blood-red earth in this province of Ratanakiri. From this point, a motorcyclist will take me to his village. It is a ride of more than two hours, along bumpy and unpaved roads, with large trails of dust behind passing trucks. The leaves of the grayish-green trees are covered with a thick layer of the same red sand. Everyone is en route to somewhere. Some are packed lightly, others carry cartloads of vegetables, cassava or sugar cane stalks, to be transported from the field to the market. A street vendor travels from one village to another on his motorbike, loaded with small items for sale such as soap, candy, or soft drinks. About 1 percent of the total population of 17 million inhabitants live in this area. This province mainly consists of villages, each populated by 60-something families, spread across vast valleys. I go to Kbaal Romeas (literally ‘head of the rhinoceros’) next to Srepok, a tributary of the Mekong. Cambodia’s northeast is home to more than 20 ethnic groups or Indigenous People. They each have their own story and particular customs, from death cults to love huts, and they have specific languages, although nowadays rarely used. Young people prefer switching to Khmer, the language of the largest Cambodian ethnicity, which is slowly wiping out the others. In this province, the clash between tradition and development became painfully clear in 2017, when a huge dam was built at the confluence of the Srepok and the Sesan rivers in Ratanakiri’s west. The power plant turned an inhabited area of 34,000 hectares into a huge water reservoir. Thousands of residents had to be relocated to a place with newly built houses and expansion options. But about 50 ‘Pounong’ families refuse to leave. At first, they used small boats to row over the flooded village road. Later, the typical shaded areas under the stilt houses slowly filled with water. Today, the villagers live a little further away, still within rowing distance of the old spot. Ironically, this area close to a hydroelectric power station is not connected to the grid. People here don’t want to pay for electricity from that ‘doomed’ dam anyway. A Cambodian NGO supporting the stubborn resistance is providing solar panels to power night lights and to charge mobile phones. “I have been to the new village a few times to visit a sick relative, but I will never live there,” says Poo, 64. He shows me his rice field, which has just been harvested. “This land is my identity,” he adds. I know a few Cambodian words for “tradition” or “origin,” but this man uses them all in one sentence. According to many ethnic traditions, bodies are not cremated as in the Buddhist culture, but buried. This also goes for Pounong people, who believe that the spirits of the deceased are still wandering around the burial site. This is the main reason why the community doesn’t want to leave. Continues with photos at https://www.ipsnews.net/2024/01/centuries-old-rituals-slowly-fading-away-cambodia/