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From The Nation Five industries experienced significant growth this year, while three others were suffering huge contraction, the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Business Development said on Friday. Department director-general Oramon Sapthaweetham said that the five industries that saw the biggest expansion in the past year were: ▪︎ Tourism (growing 64% year on year), including tour guides, travel agencies, hotels, resorts, spas, and foreign currency exchange ▪︎ Real estate (up 36%), including real estate developers and real estate agents ▪︎ Herbal products (up 33%), including herbal medicines, fragrances, and spices ▪︎ Electrical and electronic installations (up 25%) ▪︎ E-commerce (up 19%) The three industries that contracted in the past year were: ▪︎ Plastic packaging and chemicals (down 30%), including chemical fertilizers and inorganic compound manufacturing ▪︎ Offline retail (down 12%) ▪︎ Industries related to fossil fuel (down 5%), including petrol service stations, wholesale of frozen/liquid fuel, and mining. The department also forecast that in 2024, the following businesses would see growth: ▪︎ Tourism-related businesses, including MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) hotels, resorts, apartments, guesthouses, tour guides, travel agencies, restaurants, and foreign currency exchange ▪︎ Health-related businesses, such as personal care products and services, aesthetics clinics, hospitals, specialised clinics, pharmaceutical retail, and senior care ▪︎ Lifestyle businesses, including pet care, pet food and equipment, recycling, and environmental consulting ▪︎ Digital businesses, including online retail, digital payment, website development, software development and consulting

Peter, you seem to harbor a particular disdain for men in your own age group. They appear to represent everything that's wrong with the gay scene in Bangkok. You present yourself as above it all who is sought out as a sex partner when he travels aboard for the pleasure of your company. And your partners are all educated, "intelligent university men" who all approach you first. Give me a break! So it's us slobs who are dating the hoi polloi who didn't neatly fit into your construct of your ideal sex partner. You purport to know exactly what goes on on Soi 4, Patpong and wherever us undesirables congregate. Your have written regularly about your partner. You're the one who introduced him into various threads. You made him part of your narrative. I even agreed that he--and his friend who sleeps on the sofa bed in your living room--made a good decision in deciding not to return to a gay bar. I joked that they may have wished to wait to hear the offer from the old gent in your age range before they tossed their drinks over him. Granted if I said they may want to delay their action because their glasses maybe contained a luscious Mouton Rothschild it would have come across as the pun it was intended to be. There's no cause to apologize for the comments of myself or Floridarob for disrupting this thread (feel free to include yourself, Peter). You have apparently missed the point that this thread (and it is indeed excellent) is all about sexual desire and seduction. Soon or later you're going to accept the fact that you're an old timer just like the great majority of contributors to this forum. You may drink better wines and dine at better restaurants than they rest of us but you still pursue young men for your pleasure. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Not a typo but a slip of the finger on a dreadful Mac keyboard? 🙄

Thanks to Putin's attack on Ukraine, those "clowns" now have the 30 other members of NATO committed to their defense. From NATO website Finnish cooperation with NATO was historically based on its policy of military non-alignment and a firm national political consensus. This changed in 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

From CNBC A federal jury on Friday ordered Rudy Giuliani to pay over $148 million to two Georgia election workers for falsely claiming they committed ballot fraud in the 2020 presidential election. The jaw-dropping figure includes $75 million in punitive damages, along with awards of $20 million to each of the two election workers for emotional distress and more than $16 million each for defamation. Giuliani was in court as the verdict was read aloud by a federal judge. The defamation damage award is the latest in a series of legal blows to Giuliani related to his service as the top campaign lawyer for Donald Trump in efforts to reverse the former Republican president’s loss in that election. Giuliani, Trump, and 17 other defendants were indicted this summer on state criminal court charges in Georgia in connection with their attempts to undo Trump’s defeat. The civil verdict by the jury Friday came a after Giuliani’s lawyer said he would not testify in the case in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., reversing his supposed plans to do so. The plaintiffs in the case, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, who are mother and daughter, sued Giuliani in 2021 for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy.

Of course it was a joke, Peter; lighten up. Hope this doesn't come as a shock but older men proposition young men on Soi 4 many times a night. That's why not all but many young men go there in the first place. You told us yourself that you avoid the bars in Bangkok but when you travel elsewhere in Asia that you're on the prowl for young men. So I wouldn't be too quick to put down what other men in your age group are doing in Bangkok's best known gay street just as no one in Taipei will put down you. The first bar I went to on my first bkk trip was Balcony. A young man seated on the opposite side of the bar smiled at me and and I returned it. Thirty seconds later he took the seat beside me and placed his check bin next to mine. He was my first date. Half and hour later he slipped into bed beside me at Tarntawan Place. The game really hasn't changed a lot since.

Ah, finally something we can agree on. We can tell each other what we should so. And don't you wish you could do that in mother Russia?

I agree but I'd hope they might want to hold off until they head the offer.

Sure, you're dreaming, Mac. But at least you're having pleasant ones. 🙂

Again, why don't you save this stuff for your own board. Surely you'll enjoy a more receptive audience. Meanwhile, dream on.....

....not if you don't value your co-op. 🙂

From The Thaiger Thailand, hopeful for a Chinese tourism resurgence post-pandemic, faces an unexpected plot twist as a surge of Taiwanese visitors, in particular, reshapes the narrative. Saichon Chounchou now handles a 20-person group of Taiwanese tourists. “Now my clients are Taiwanese. They are regular clients and generate revenue for many local communities as opposed to many Chinese on a zero-dollar tour.” Zero-dollar tourism, a longstanding bane in Thailand, involves Chinese tour companies steering visitors exclusively to Chinese-run establishments, depriving local businesses of potential earnings. In contrast, Saichon’s Taiwanese group opts for opulence, staying in a five-star hotel for five days at a whopping 100,000 baht per person. Government data shows that the Taiwanese influx is no fluke, with approximately 585,000 Taiwanese visitors to Thailand in the first 10 months of this year. With a new visa-free policy for Taiwanese visitors, this number is expected to soar. However, Thailand’s overall tourism revival post-Covid is unfolding more gradually than anticipated. With Bangkok aspiring to host 28 million international visitors this year, compared to the pre-pandemic high of 40 million in 2019, the projections seem optimistic. Saichon’s observations echo the sentiment. “Chinese tourists are concerned about safety in Thailand, and the Thai government just can’t crack the code of why Chinese have not come as much as before.” The shift in tourism dynamics isn’t merely a case of preference but is entangled with safety concerns, economic factors, and even negative narratives circulating on Chinese social media platforms. Reports of safety concerns and unmet expectations have prompted Thai officials to engage in damage control. While Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s push for visa-free entry for Chinese nationals was a bold move, it hasn’t yielded the anticipated results. Projections of four to four and a half million Chinese arrivals this year have been revised to a more modest three and a half million by year-end, reported Benar News. As Thailand grapples with this tourism rollercoaster, the spotlight is turning towards other potential markets. India, with its burgeoning tourism numbers, has become a beacon of hope, said tour guide Patcharee. “If the free visas didn’t work for the Chinese, it worked for the Indians Despite the uncertainties, industry experts like Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, affirm Thailand’s enduring appeal. “Absolutely, this is the start of a new cycle, and Thailand remains a favoured global destination.”

Good news, Mac. An updated article reports that the market should be reopening in less than a month!

Don't you wish in your heart of hearts that you could get away with saying that in Russia?

Why not tell your dictator where he should go?

Sorry, Moses. You make money from the venture. You're in business to realize a profit. Be a humanitarian and inflict your freedom of speech on your own board. Or would that constitute pollution.

From Coconuts Bangkok A popular market fair is ordered to close down after a fire had completely destroyed over 120 shops. The Huai Khwang district office has ordered the shutdown of the Jodd Fairs market behind Central Plaza Rama IX until renovations are completed when a fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon. Investigators are still trying to find out the cause of the fire, which destroyed over four blocks of the market. Police believe the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. The Jodds Market fair is a popular tourist night market, home to over 700 shops full of food, drinks, and fashion boutique stores. A second Jodds Fair market opened in May of this year at the former Dan Neramit amusement park, offering similar food items and clothing, with lots of bean bags for customers to rest in the open green field and numerous photo spots for social media.

Sounds like a good decision for all involved.

Starting from today, the Thai government officially allows entertainment venues in Bangkok, Phuket, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Surat Thani’s Ko Samui, as well as in legally-registered hotels nationwide to extend opening hours until 4 am. It will be interesting to see how many venues take advantage of it.

So you decided to bring them here? Here, where you get free advertising for your business?

From Thailand Business News he Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently hosted an ‘ESG activity in Thailand’ for international delegates attending the Air Canada Asia Pacific Sales Summit in Bangkok. The event celebrated Air Canada’s resumption of its Bangkok-Vancouver service. Mr. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing, emphasized the event’s focus on environment, social and governance (ESG) activities in line with the Sustainable Tourism Goals and the United Nations’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Highlights of the half-day event included historical sightseeing of Wat Arun, enjoying Thai ice cream, and creating coasters with concrete waste at a local community workshop. The event showcased TAT’s commitment to sustainable tourism initiatives. Air Canada has resumed its Bangkok-Vancouver service with four flights per week and plans to increase to daily operation in early 2024 to meet high demand. The airline operates using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and has launched ESG initiatives to stimulate travel to Thailand.

From Pattaya Mail Nattaphat Boonchalee, a local journalist who was shot in the face by two assailants on a motorcycle in Pattaya, receives medical attention as he is being rushed to Pattaya City Hospital for further treatment. PATTAYA, Thailand – A local journalist was shot in the face by two assailants on a motorcycle in Pattaya on December 13. The journalist, Nattaphat Boonchalee, 28, works for local newspapers ‘Athip Burapha’ and online media. He is currently being treated at Pattaya City Hospital for gunshot wounds to his cheek and eye area. The shooting occurred at around 6.08 a.m. on Petchtrakul Road, near an entertainment venue. CCTV footage showed that the suspects had a near-hit accident with the journalist’s motorcycle and then chased him on Pattaya Road, where they opened fire. The journalist had just left a hot pot and grill restaurant after covering a news story about a foreigner who caused a disturbance in Pattaya. The Pattaya City police arrested the two suspects, Jirachai M, 36, and Somrak K, 39, at a house in Soi Paniad Chang 4, central Pattaya, at 3.30 p.m. on the same day. The suspects were asleep in a room when the police raided the house. The police seized a 9 mm pistol, a magazine, and 10 bullets as evidence. The suspects denied any involvement in the shooting and claimed that they were drunk and sleeping. Somrak said that he did not know that his friend had a gun and that he had no intention of shooting anyone. Jirachai said that he did not shoot the journalist. The detention of the suspects sparked a commotion at the Pattaya police station, where they were taken for questioning. A group of friends of the journalist tried to storm the police station. They were stopped by the police and journalists who tried to interview the suspects. Niruthep Bodinsri, 34, a senior friend of the journalist, expressed shock at seeing the suspects and said that both of them were acquainted with the wounded journalist. He said that he did not know the motive behind the shooting and urged the police to investigate thoroughly and ensure justice.

This popular and commonplace Thai favorite can had anywhere from sidewalk vendors to Foodland to 7-Eleven for a small sum. From Thai PBS World Five Thai dishes, including Pad Krapao, have been listed among the world’s top 100 dishes, according to the TasteAtlas website, and Thai cuisine generally has been ranked 17th best in the world for 2023. Pad Krapao, a flavourful stir-fry dish featuring Thai basil, minced meat and a savoury sauce, holds third place among the world’s best dishes. A popular northern dish, Khao Soi, ranked sixth, followed by Phanaeng curry in the tenth spot, Tom Kha Gai in the 15th, and Massaman curry in the 73rd position. ============= Meanwhile, the Michelin Guide cited a Thai Indian restaurant for this "small bite." Have no idea what it is. If I want small bite I'll grab a skewer of grilled chicken from Surawong vendor.

Locals have been dealing with this condition annually and that's why they've used facemasks well before the onset of covid. Traffic cops are rarely without them.

If I didn't know better, Olddaddy, I'd think you're not the people person you make out to be.