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From The Nation LGBTQ+ community Yellow Channel has joined hands with Bangkok Pride and ONESIAM to host “Drag Bangkok Festival 2024” for the first time in Asia. The four-day event will held at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon, Bangkok from May 31 to June 3. "Drag Bangkok Festival 2024 would bring together over 500 drag artists from all over the world in one place, including drag icons from Thailand like Art Araya Indra, Jai Sira, M Stranger Fox, Angele Anang and Kana Warrior,” said Phatthara Lertsukittipongsa, director of Yellow Channel Co Ltd and the founder of the Drag Bangkok Festival 2024 and Bangkok Pride Festival 2024. “It is a great gathering of entrepreneurs, stores, actors and actresses who support the Thai Drag Community,” Phatthara said. He added that the event aims to reaffirm Thailand's position as a hub for LGBTQIA+ by raising awareness and understanding of drag culture and supporting Thai drag artists who have the potential to drive Thailand's economy like the other genders. Waaddao Chumaporn, the founder of Naruemit Pride and one of the event's organisers, said: "This event would be held under the concept ‘Celebration of Love’ to count down to the implementation of equal marriage laws by the end of this year." Waaddao said there would be a celebration, performances, parties and fashion shows by Thai drag artists domestically and internationally. The highlight is expected to be Thailand's biggest and most spectacular drag parade called “Drag Bangkok Pride Parade” with the theme “I've got the power” on June 1. Continues with photos https://www.nationthailand.com/life/entertainment/40037946

From The Nation Ganja growers fret over unsold stock The members of a community enterprise growing marijuana in Sakon Nakhon province said their dream of having a better life had been shattered due to stockpiling of unsold products. Even worse, they were worried about the government relisting cannabis as a drug, which would leave them in limbo. As the second anniversary of the decriminalisation of ganja approaches on June 9, members of a community enterprise growing marijuana in Sakon Nakhon said that things had not turned out as per their optimistic expectations. The community also made ganja tea from leaves and branches for sale. But members of the community enterprise found out that their products last year did not sell well anymore. They said several thousands of kilograms of their unsold ganja leaves had piled up. They said vendors no longer came to buy their products. Even if they offered to buy, they would lower the price to 1,200 baht a kilogram, the villagers complained. The members of the enterprise said the price had dropped and locally-grown ganja could not sell because some tycoons had cultivated marijuana in neighbouring countries and smuggled them into the kingdom. They said some Thai investors also had joined hands with their foreign partners to import foreign strains of ganja to grow and sell at much higher prices at the cost of the villagers who grew the Thai strain to sell. The villagers called on the government to come up with measures to help the villagers who had grown Thai marijuana instead of supporting foreign investors. They also called on the authorities to effectively prevent smuggling of ganja from neighbouring countries. The government should scan marijuana products in the market to check whether they were really cultivated in Thailand, they said. “When the government decriminalised the plant, it promised that farmers would have a better life, but now people have not even recovered their investment in greenhouses,” a villager said, asking not to be named. The members of the community enterprise said they disagreed with the government’s plan to relist marijuana as a drug, saying it would not really solve the issue and it would be a political game. They said when they started growing ganja two years ago after it was decriminalised, their ganja products sold like hot cakes. Ganja leaves fetched them 10,500 baht per kilogram and buyers had to book them months in advance. They could also sell ganja flowers to the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine and a hospital in Sakon Nakhon to use as medicine. Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said the government planned to relist marijuana as a drug as the number of youth smoking marijuana had increased by 10 times during the past two years. He said researchers at Chulalongkorn University had also found out that the IQ points of youth who smoked ganja had dropped by 8-9 points. Somsak said the Public Health Ministry also had its own figures about the side-effects of ganja smoking, but the data would not be released now. “I would like to see the Public Health Ministry remain neutral in this issue,” Somsak said. Somsak also advised those who had received permission to plant marijuana for sale, to stop planting new crops pending clarification of the government’s policy on the issue.

From Pattaya News Thai police found the body of a missing South Korean man in a plastic barrel filled with cement in a reservoir in Pattaya, following an investigation into a kidnapping and ransom case. The victim, identified by Thai police as Mr. Eui Jong Roh, 34, had been missing since May 7th after his mother received a ransom demand of 3 million baht from his kidnappers. The kidnappers threatened to kill, dismember, and sell Mr. Roh’s organs on the black market if the ransom was not paid by May 8th. Thai police began an investigation and interrogated the victim’s Thai wife (name withheld for her safety) and learned that the wife met Mr. Roh for the last time on May 2nd at a pub in the RCA area in Bangkok. After reviewing CCTV footage on May 3rd, police found two Korean men accosting and forcefully taking Mr. Roh into a car around 2 AM. It was found that the car in question was a rental car. They then headed towards Pattaya before changing to a new rental vehicle, a pickup truck, and rented accommodation near the Mapprachan Reservoir. On May 4th around 9 PM, CCTV footage captured the pickup truck leaving the accommodation with a black sheet covering its bed. Thai police found that the suspects had previously bought a plastic barrel from a local store. The truck then arrived at the Mapprachan Reservoir where the body of Mr. Roh stuffed in the barrel was abandoned in the water. The body of the victim was discovered on May 11th by Pattaya police. Authorities then interrogated a local store owner, 31-year-old Ms. Nitaya Janprung, who revealed that on May 3rd, a foreigner arrived at her shop in a four-door white pickup truck to buy a large plastic barrel, two rolls of nylon ropes, and scissors. The man did not show any signs of suspicion. CCTV cameras were able to clearly record him. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the exact cause of Mr. Roh’s death. Police are investigating and have not yet made any arrests.

Exactly, Moses. Hoping that you’d notice. I posted a ridiculous photo just as you did of a fat couple in attempt to demonize Americans. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. 🙂

Vladimir Putin has a new heavy to help lead his troops in eastern Ukraine. The Russian dictator just brought an obese general out of retirement to aid in his country’s battle in the region, after the loss of other senior officers since Russia invaded its neighbor in late February, according to a report. The beefy new military honcho, only identified as Gen. Pavel, 67, will lead Russian special forces in the region after the previous commander was seriously injured in an artillery strike, according to London’s Daily Star.

Corruption is so endemic in Thailand that the guy in charge of investigating it has now been charged with embracing it. From The Thaiger Corrupt former DSI chief’s 44.6 million baht assets seized An alleged corrupt former Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief experienced a significant blow as the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases sanctioned the confiscation of his assets worth 44.6 million baht. This development, announced yesterday by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation into Tarit Pengdit’s unaccounted wealth. NACC Secretary General Niwatchai Kasemmongkol disclosed that this is the second case of unusual wealth concerning Tarit, who has been held at Klong Prem Prison since the previous year. The initial case emerged in 2017 when the authorities confiscated a staggering 341 million baht worth of assets. These belonged not only to Tarit but also to his wife Wassamon, his nephew Piyaruek Atthakarnrat, and others linked to the company Piyathanawat Co, owned by his close circle. The current proceedings result from the NACC’s decision to delve deeper into Tarit’s abnormal wealth. The investigation revealed that Tarit possessed assets worth at least 53.5 million baht, the origins of which he failed to explain. Continues at https://thethaiger.com/news/national/corrupt-former-dsi-chiefs-44-6-million-baht-assets-seized

From https://whitepartyvietnam.com/ White Party Vietnam 2024, the premier international DJ music event, officially licensed by White Party Bangkok, promises to ignite the senses and inspire like never before. For over 8 triumphant years, White Party Bangkok has captivated audiences worldwide. Prepare to be immersed in a world of top-notch sound and lighting, meeting the highest international standards, complemented by visually stunning designs that will elevate the music experience to new heights, setting ablaze the visual senses and stirring the auditory soul. This will undoubtedly be the hottest music festival of the summer in 2024, taking place in the vibrant city of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Mark your calendars for the nights of July 20 and July 21, 2024, as this electrifying event unfolds within the walls of Phu Tho Indoor Stadium, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City

From Pattaya News Fire Erupts at Massive Marijuana Plantation Warehouse At 10:00 AM, on May 9th, 2024, Mueang Chachoengsao police officers received a fire incident report at a massive private marijuana plantation warehouse in Mueang Chachoengsao, Chachoengsao. Mueang Chachoengsao police and relevant agencies were dispatched to the reported warehouse where four adjacent private warehouses were in an open area. The marijuana plantation and marijuana storage warehouse was where the fire first started. The firefighters were able to put the fire under control after about 50 minutes. No injuries or casualties were reported from the incident, according to the police. Initially, the Mueang Chachoengsao forensic and relevant officials would investigate the warehouses to determine the exact cause of the fire incident.

From That PBS World Following widespread complaints on social media, Thai Airways (TG) has admitted that there are faulty seats on eight of its aircraft and that they are working to resolve the problem by July this year. Representatives of the national carrier held a press conference today, after social media users posted numerous complaints about the recline facility on their TG seats being faulty. Chai Eamsiri, TG’s Chief Executive Officer, said that the eight aircraft with defective seats include four Airbus A350s and four Boeing 777-200ERs. He emphasised that the company has not been complacent about the problem and is in communication with the aircrafts’ manufacturers. As there are many airlines with the same types of planes, it is taking some timer to obtain spare parts and arrange service slots. Meanwhile, TG is implementing a temporary solution, by re-assigning the planes with defective seats to routes with lighter passenger loads, enabling them to block off the faulty seats until they are fully repaired. When asked why they did not do this sooner, the management claimed that they were not aware of which planes had this problem. For now, if more defective seats are found, the airline’s mechanics will try to service them on the spot. If they cannot be repaired and the seats cannot be swapped out, the passengers will be entitled to a compensation from TG.

Maybe he just wanted to know your size? When you're meeting a stranger on app, I wouldn't assume anything is safe until after the date is over.

I think maybe Floridarob is right: bi-polar. 💫

Olddaddy, there are 75+ guys working on Soi 6 tonight. I'm sure at lest one of them doesn't have pouty face and no problem getting hard 🍌

Same reason I wouldn't buy a car on line. Can't kick the tires. 🙂

From The Thaiger Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested a British man for allegedly defaming an Italian restaurant in Phuket with negative reviews on Google after a two-year long conflict with the restaurant owner. The restaurant owner filed a complaint with the Sakhu Police Station officers after noticing a sudden drop in their Google Maps rating, from 4.9 stars to 3.1 stars. The owner also noticed several new one-star reviews containing negative comments, and one of the comments came from 21 year old British man, Alexander. The owner suspected the foreign man of giving a low rating and negative comments to defame the restaurant. The owner claimed that the reviews contained false and exaggerated information, and several reviews seemed similar, suggesting they might be from Alexander’s friends. According to the owner, Alexander’s action stemmed from a conflict between him and the restaurant in 2022. Alexander frequently used the restaurant’s entrance to access his condominium because it was more convenient than the condo’s official entrance. However, the owner requested that Alexander stop using their entrance as it was reserved for customers and built on private land paid for by the restaurant. The restaurant owner believes the negative reviews were Alexander’s way of getting revenge for being denied access to the entrance. Upon learning about the legal action, Alexander reportedly fled Phuket and hid in a condominium on Charoenkrung Road in the Bang Kho Laem district of Bangkok. Sakhu Police Station officers then coordinated with CIB leading to his arrest on May 8. Alexander was charged under Section 14(1) of the Computer Act: importing false information into the computer system in a way that is likely to cause damages to the public. The penalty will be imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of up to 100,000 baht. He reportedly denied the accusations. A similar story of conflict over reviews was reported in February this year. In this case, an American expat in Thailand faced jail time for defaming the Sea View Resort & Spa Koh Chang and its staff member after writing a review on TripAdvisor about his negative experience at the accommodation. The American eventually avoided jail by issuing an official apology to the resort, even though he was confident in his right to write an honest review.

From Thai PBS World Chananchida “Blossom” Rungpetchrat, discusses her very first acting role in a Thai TV series, how transgender women should be portrayed in an era when people are placing greater importance on gender diversity and inclusivity and, most importantly, how she has been trying to break negative perceptions of transwomen. “I do want to see more opportunities being open to LGBTQIAN+ people, but what I can do for the younger generation is to create a new perception for people to realise that not all transgender people are loud or brash, based on those stereotypes,” says Blossom. Blossom’s journey began as a contestant on “Miss Tiffany’s Universe 2013”. She suddenly shot to fame, however, as one of a few transgender contestants on a famous reality TV show, “The Face Thailand” Season 3 in 2017. Since then, she has been active in the entertainment industry as a model, DJ, beauty influencer, and briefly as a member of a female super-group, 2021 Ratri. Now, Blossom has won her very first acting role in a Thai TV series, “Tum Rub Mae”, which will air on Thai PBS. Blossom will play the role of “Peary”, one of the main actress’s friends, a transwoman who is described as beautiful, smart and confident, which she says, reflects her true self. “This role represents who I really am and I see myself in this character,” she says, adding that she accepted this role because the character represents transwomen in a positive light, in a more realistic way. “The reason I accepted this role is because she’s just an ordinary person simply living her life, not a character that is created to make her look funny or pitiful, she’s an ordinary person, just like me in real life,” according to Blossom. Continues at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/blossom-the-face-on-challenging-stereotypes-of-transgender-women/

Absolutely...and guaranteed that your driver will adore you. 😀

If you mean the other side of Surawong., there are none. If you turned right at the end of the driveway to Tarntawan Hotel, you'll pass by a series of mixed massage shops before arriving at entrance to Patpong. There are five gay venues on Patpong 2. If you turned left at end of driveway, you pass large 7-Eleven. Turn left after 7-Eleven and you're on Soi Tarntawan (home of currently closed Tawan bar). Continue to the end and you'll find Prime Massage at the dogleg turn onto Silom Soi 6. If you continue down Soi 6 toward Silom rd. you'll pass by a half-dozen all-male massage shops. Where it's always been on Silom Soi 4.

Think your better off booking with app like Agoda at Tarntawan. And if you have to cancel, Agoda is very good on issuing credit back to your card quickly.

The Wine Connection in ground floor of Silom Complex is one of my favorites for its great salads and pizzas. It's the only place where you can select any bottle from their attached wine shop and bring it to your table without a corkage charge. For burgers, the Roadhouse Barbecue at Rama 4 and Surawong. For Thai, no need to go any further than Foodland on Patpong 2.

From Business Insider PHNOM PENH - May 2, 2024 —AirAsia Cambodia (flight code KT) took to the skies today and celebrated its inaugural domestic flight from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap with almost 100 per cent passenger load. The new airline's very first flight departed from Phnom Penh International Airport at 7:40am and landed at Siem Reap Angkor International Airport at 8:30am local time. Subsequently, the airline will also connect Siem Reap to Sihanoukville today, connecting three domestic destinations within Cambodia. These initial routes underscore AirAsia Cambodia’s commitment to enhancing connectivity and providing affordable and convenient travel options for Cambodians and visitors alike. Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia Aviation Group said: “We are honoured to jointly celebrate the birth of our seventh AirAsia branded airline with our guests. Leveraging our strong foothold in ASEAN, AirAsia Cambodia is set to provide connectivity to over 130 destinations across Asia and beyond. With a track record of unlocking opportunities in underserved markets, we’re poised to catalyse a new era in Cambodia’s tourism industry and economy by making regional exploration more accessible to all.” As a Group, AirAsia flies to Cambodia internationally from its Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok hubs with 63 flights weekly. Domestically from today, the airline flies between Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville with daily flights.

From Yahoo GMMTV unveiled the upcoming BL drama Ossan’s Love Thailand at the GMMTV 2024 Up & About Part 2 event. The Thai drama stars the fan-favorite on-screen couple, Earth Pirapat Watthanasetsiri and Mix Sahaphap Wongratch. The pair are joined by Krit Shahkrit Yamnam. The new series serves as the Thai adaptation of TV Asahi’s popular Japanese series, Ossan’s Love. Ossan’s Love Thailand revolves around a messy love triangle. Heng (Earth), an office worker in a real estate company, finds himself in an awkward situation after finding his photos on his boss Kongdech’s (Krit) phone. As Heng has never liked men before, Kongdech’s confession leaves him in utter shock. To further complicate the matter, Heng’s new colleague and roommate, Mo (Mix), also falls in love with the former. Heng goes through a rollercoaster of emotions as the two men fight for his love. The trailer for Ossan’s Love Thailand introduces viewers to the “lousy” personal and professional life of Heng. While being stuck in an elevator, Heng stumbles and ends up seeing a photo of himself on Kongdech’s phone. A flustered Heng confides in his roommate, Mo, about his boss liking him. However, the latter, too, confesses his love to the former. Caught up in a love triangle, Kongdech and Mo bicker about who Heng would choose. The trailer continues with Heng announcing to his colleagues that he and Mo are dating. Meanwhile, Kongdech proposes to Heng and asks him to marry him. Furthermore, Heng is seen walking down the aisle as he joins Kongdech on their wedding day. However, Heng’s “happy ending” is interrupted as Mo runs over and declares, “Heng belongs with me.” In this sweet war of love, who will win Heng’s heart? Fans can’t wait to find out! Continues with video https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/upcoming-thai-bl-series-ossan-112808988.html

From Reuters Thailand will re-list cannabis as a narcotic by year-end, its prime minister said on Tuesday, in a stunning U-turn just two years after becoming one of the first countries in Asia to decriminalise its recreational use. The moves comes despite rapid growth of a domestic retail sector for marijuana, with tens of thousands of shops and businesses springing up in Thailand in the past two years in an industry projected to be worth up to $1.2 billion by 2025. "I want the health ministry to amend the rules and re-list cannabis as a narcotic," Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media platform X. "The ministry should quickly issue a rule to allow its usage for health and medical purposes only."

KK Massage is offering a 250 bht promotion on one hour sessions on May 8 and 9.

According to reliable source, it rained lightly most of the day Tuesday in Silom. The high was 35 and fell to 32 by midnight.

During the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway last weekend, a personable 20-year-old Asian man asked 94-year-old Warren Buffett how he could earn a 50% return if he had $1 million to invest today. He finished his question with a "Sawadee kap" and gave him a wai. It's encouraging to see that some boys are thinking ahead. https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/05/04/warren-buffett-heres-what-i-would-do-with-less-1-million-dollars-at-20-years-old-that-guarantees-50-percent-annual-return.html?