PeterRS

Having visited China many dozens of times, I do not agree at all with @KeepItReal's comments. There are plenty of places for gay men to meet up and the apps can be humming, even for older western guys.

Waiting for @Olddaddy to open his 'different' bar, no doubt. How often did we hear that in the old days of Soi Twight!

There is more on this story from abc news. As the Court was informed - His attorneys said that while in custody, Emerson realized he was an alcoholic and has since been sober for two years. He only then realised he was an alcoholic? So for some years at least there must have been some occasions when he must have been under the lingering influence of alcohol. That makes this case even more scary. Emerson was 44 at the time of the incident, had been a first officer since 2001 and a captain since 2019. He told the Court he had tried to pull the engine cut-off levers "because he thought he was dreaming and just wanted to wake up." Huh? As medical experts agree, the effect of the magic mushroons he allegedly consumed 40 hours earlier would have worn off within 10 hours. Within 24 hours they are undetectable. So how come that was an acceptable part of his defence? He himself then said in Court - ""I can tell you this tragic event has helped me grow, to trust God." What has God got to do with it?? Isn't that what all Americans say when appearing contrite in Court? https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-alaska-airlines-pilot-shut-engines-midflight-avoid/story?id=127594065

As I understand it, the special security screening applies to all airports with a plane change en route to the US ever since 9/11.

Should we ve surprised? @Moses has got it wrond AGAIN! So Chinese never pay attention to state advisories? Chinese travellers are estimated to have cancelled hundreds of thousands of tickets to fly to Japan amid reports of suspended visa processing and cultural exchanges as a diplomatic dispute over Japan’s stance on Taiwan continues. Under pressure from business groups, Japan has sent a senior diplomat to Beijing in an attempt to calm tensions after Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said her country could get involved militarily if China attempted to invade Taiwan. Her comments prompted fury from China’s government, which issued warnings against Chinese travellers and students going to Japan. One air travel analyst, Hanming Li, said departure data suggested about 500,000 flight tickets to Japan had been cancelled between 15 and 17 November. The Chinese outlet Jimu News reported that Sichuan Airlines had cancelled all flights between Chengdu and Sapporo from January until late March, and the budget carrier Spring Airlines had cancelled “multiple” Japan flights. At least seven Chinese airlines, including the three state carriers, said they would offer free cancellations to travellers with flights booked to the country. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/18/chinese-travellers-estimated-to-have-cancelled-500000-flights-to-japan-amid-rising-tensions

Sorry but I cannot agree. If an off-duty pilot for whatever reason delibrately reaches for levers to cut power to the engines and later delierately to reach for a door exit lever and then tell airline staff "I tried to kill everybody.", he deserves to be in prison for quite some considerable time. He knew he had done wrong. He took the magic mushrooms and he went without sleep for 40 hours. He made those decisions. Had he been successful, 84 including himself might have died. Mental health treatment could have been concurrent with his prison time. But for him to serve just 50 days is, in my view, utter madness. Remember the "Miracle on the Hudson"? The FAA spent a lot of time and effort to prove that Captain Sullenberg had done wrong and could easily have reached Teterboro Airport. Thankfully he was proved 100% correct in what he did. This pilot faced no such investigation as far as I am aware - and he certainly should have.

Joseph Emerson was an off-duty pilot hitching a ride in the jump seat of a Horizon Air flight from Everett Washington to San Francisco. There were 84 on board. He admitted in court that he had not splept for about 40 hours and had taken the drug psilocybin (known as magic mushrooms) around 48 hours prior to boarding the aircraft. He claimed he was also suffering from depression. He informed the court that he was aware he should not have been flying! Yet there he was in the cockpit jump seat. Suddenly, early in the the flight, he tried to cut off power to the engines. It took the cockpit crew around 90 seconds to restrain Emerson. Moved to the passenger cabin - After being subdued, Emerson said to flight attendants: "You need to cuff me right now or it's going to be bad" and later tried to reach for the emergency exit handle during the plane's descent. One flight attendant told investigators they had observed Emerson saying "I messed everything up" and that he "tried to kill everybody". The aircraft made an emergency landing at Portland and no one was hurt. The incident happened in October 2023 and came to court in September. By then Emerson had spent 50 days in jail. Depite the fact that his rogue actions could have seriously endangered the aircraft, the District Court judge ordered that he serve no more jail time, instead sentencing him to 5 years of problation, 664 hours of community service and a fine of $60,569. Amazingly, she also told the court - "Pilots are not perfect. They are human," Judge Amy Baggio said. "They are people and all people need help sometimes." Emerson had admitted guilt and apologised. Yet I find it totally unbelievable that the judge in this case did not consider these actions of a man who was a pilot particularly severe and failed to sentence him to prison for up to 20 years as allowed by Federal law.. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0kp6j5n68do https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-pilot-tried-cut-engines-flight-taking-magic-mushrooms-pleads-gu-rcna229490

Living in Bangkok, my feeling is the major shopping malls would not consier this as they would be too easily discovered by some local residents and that could result in a lot of bad PR. On the other hand, online stores could easily indulge in that practice.

You and the Chinese may not be concerned, but Japanese stockholders most definitely are. Japanese stocks related to tourism and retail fell on Monday after China warned its citizens not to travel to the country as Tokyo and Beijing remain locked in a row over Taiwan . . . Shares in Japanese department stores were hit hard, with the parent company of the Mitsukoshi and Isetan chains plunging by almost 12%. Other well-known brands like cosmetics company Shiseido also fell sharply. China has consistently ranked among the top sources of tourists visiting Japan. Shares in department store chain Takashimaya, and the owner of global fashion chain Uniqlo closed more than 5% lower. Carriers Japan Airlines and ANA Holdings were also down. Shares in Oriental Land, the theme park company that runs the Tokyo Disney resort, ended the day 5.8% lower . . . Chinese airlines - including China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Air China - offered refunds for flights to Japan. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y9n25r0qyo

I have been hearing this from several visitors (as opposed to expats living there). It's a great city, easy to get around, lots to see nearby - but precious little for gay visitors compared to Bangkok and Pattaya - or even what it offered ten years ago.

Just for info, it is not Hong Kong that requires extra security screening. It is mandated by the US government for fights to the USA at the original point of departure if there is a plane change en route. And all transit passengers have to go throuigh another security screening process in Hong Kong - but that would be the same whichever transit airport you used.

I have no idea what this means! Is it closed for renovation?

Allegedly there should indeed be bargains throughout the main shopping malls. I have seen 45% off advertised for a pair of sneakers that week-end, but inevitably with these kind of sales stores usually have some loss leaders to encourage you hrough their doors. If you do not need your equipment immediately, I'd just wait and see in the hope there will be discounts.

Oh really? With Shohei Ohtani getting paid $700 million for a ten year contract? Or soccer player Christino Ronaldo taking home $275 million? Or Alcaraz and Sinner each earning up to $40 million or more this year in tennis winnings and endorsements? But I detect a tongue in cheek!

Sorry I do not know which cruise line or which ship as it was quite a few years ago. The week's route was from Barcelona to Rome stopping at various ports in between.

I have never been on a gay cruise, but good friends did one in the Mediterranean some years ago and absolutely loved it. Not sure the Baltic one would interest me, though. Part of the enjoyment, according to my friends, was being outdoor in the heat of a Mediterranean summer and seeing so many gay singles and couples partying in revealing outfits day and night. The average temperature around the Baltic in summer is only around 20 celsius - more than a bit chilly for sunbathing and swimming. The other is that I'm not sure I would personally enjoy the ports of call - although I stress again that's a personal view. Such a pity that St. Petersburg could not be included for pretty obvious reasons. Bornholm does not look interesting but Helsinki and Tallinn would have been great destinations.

This might be a good time for those considering visiting Japan. Not only is the ¥ at very low levels (today US$1 - ¥154), the Chinese tourists who have been arriving in Japan in droves recently have just been advised by their government not to visit. The reason is a result of recent remarks in parliament by Japan's new right-wing and China-hawk Prime Minister that a military response from Tokyo might be necessary if China were to invade Taiwan. Previous Prime Ministers have always maintained a policy of "strategic" ambiguity over the Taiwan issue. Chinese tourists to Japan have risen to become second in number only to Americans. If Chinese numbers quickly fall, even by a relatively small amount, the tourism industry in Japan may have to resort to lowering prices to attract others. That will be my hope, anyway.

Why would I write cheques to anyone in Thailand? I still do business in the UK and depend on my suppliers getting paid. All UK funds are remitted to my UK bank and I was informed there was no other way to access them. The Banking Commissioner agreed that no other apps would have worked!

Surely we have to remember that last year's election had two candidates and Trump was clearly regarded by many swing voters as the better of two dreadful ones. The Biden Presidency, for all the spin, was a near disaster. He could have totally emasculated Trump during his term but he thought that didn't matter as he'd beat him in a General Election anyway, this despite his having always said he would just be a one-term President. His ego got the better of him and then he and his handlers kept from the public the man's failing health and cognitive abilities, but it was pretty obvious to many. If ever there was a reason to have age limits for Presidents and Supreme Court Justices, we have seen that obvious truth in the last couple of years. Where were the Democrat grandees who sat back and did nothing until it was way too late? They should have ensured Biden pulled out of the race much earlier to enable at least a form of primary to select a candidate. When Kamala Harris was asked on The View what she would have done differently from Biden, it was as though she was a deer in the headlights. Didn't her team even guess this was a question she'd at some stage have to face? Clearly not, for her answer was "nothing"! That killed her. As has been written here before, Trump's hold over the Republican Party goes back to the teachings of his mentor, the sleaze bag, frightful, homophobic in public and gay in private, lawyer Roy Cohn. His mantra was always attack, attack some more, counter-attack and then sue, no matter how right or wrong the case. As is now happening with his once fiercely loyal MAGA lap-dog Marjorie Taylor-Greene who has finally come out against him in the Epstein case and other issues, she has received threats and Trump has withdrawn his endorsement of her in the next Congessional Election. Republicans are basically terrified and the Democrat old guard is basically spineless. The latter's one hope is that signs are starting to show the emergence of a new younger and more energised Democratic Party.

Errrrr . . . yes! Gulp! Being based in Thailand I have to make a great many international calls. Making them through a landline saves a reasonable amount of cash in the long term. Also still have a cheque book! Two years ago my UK bank cut me off from my account for nearly 9 months. The 6-digit PINs they were allegedly generating never appeared on my phone or computer. They blamed my Thai phone service. After I complained to the Banking Authority and then higher up, I got rather a nice cash bonus since the bank was proved wrong! But that chequebook came in handy!

Somewhere in there was the influx of masses of Russians, I believe between the Japanese and the Chinese. I realise some are back, escaping Putin's war and enjoying the fact that they do not require visas for Thailand.

Really? You certainly read more into posts than I have read. Others may be mightily pissed off like you about Trump, Epstein and others, but we do not let them consume our lives. I too use a landline - but only for certain expensive long-distance calls.

No, but they do refer directly to the points made in the very interesting vdo posted by @macaroni21 in the OP.

I suspect this may be the same with other hospitals. Do you think they might consider a range of costs rather than a specific number?

Ha! Too right! Apologies - birth!