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From The Thaiger Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced plans yesterday to move the Eastern Bus Terminal (Ekkamai) and the Bangkok Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2) to the Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal. The intention behind the move is to offer more convenience to travellers as the Central Terminal can be easily reached using the MRT electronic rail system. In the proposed new location, both stations will be housed within a multi-storey building, where different routes are catered for on each floor. An air-conditioned food centre will also be situated in the main hall. The timeline for the planned relocation has not yet been confirmed, reported Bangkok Post. Contrarily, the Mo Chit 2 Terminal in Chatuchak is currently under renovation, with some sections closed off. The upgrade, encompassing safety measures and a security system, is anticipated to be finished within one and a half years. However, the terminal is expected to be operational for Songkran travellers by April. Suriya also addressed delays in Rama II Road construction in Hua Hin. He has instructed the Department of Rural Roads to implement a scorebook system with contractors to better manage construction deadlines. Contractors who consistently underperform will be barred from further collaboration with the ministry and the Department of Rural Roads.

Why couldn’t they have managed to charge the real perp. From Thai PBS World The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) has agreed to indict former police chief, Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmuang, former deputy attorney-general, Nate Naksuk, and six other individuals with malfeasance in office for allegedly helping Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya to evade prosecution following a fatal hit-and-run incident in 2012. The six other individuals are Pol Maj-Gen Thawatchai Mekprasetsook, a former divisional commander, Pol Col Veeradol Thaptimdee, a former enquiry officer at Thonglor police station, public prosecutor Chainarong Sangthongaram,Deputy Professor Dr. Saiprasit Kerdniyom, Thanit Buakhiewand Chuchai Lertpongadisorn. OAG spokesman Prayut Bejraguna said that they also decided to retain four other suspects as prosecution witnesses. They are Pol Col Vivat Sitthisoradej, Air Marshal Chakkrit Thanomkulavutr, Pol Lt-Col Pannaphon Namuang and Air Marshal Surachate Thongsaluay. Five other suspects were cleared of any wrongdoing by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), which investigated the case. They are Pol Lt-Col Songvuth Charoenvichayadej, Voraphol Soktiyanurak, Usa Chusin and Natnjcha Thongchuen.

From Thai PBS World The number of babies born in Japan fell for an eighth straight year to a fresh record low in 2023, preliminary government data showed on Tuesday, underscoring the daunting task the country faces in trying to stem depopulation. The number of births fell 5.1% from a year earlier to 758,631, while the number of marriages slid 5.9% to 489,281 — the first time in 90 years the number fell below 500,000 — foreboding a further decline in the population as out-of-wedlock births are rare in Japan. Asked about the latest data, Japan’s top government spokesperson said the government will take “unprecedented steps” to cope with the declining birthrate, such as expanding childcare and promoting wage hikes for younger workers. “The declining birthrate is in a critical situation,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters. “The next six years or so until 2030, when the number of young people will rapidly decline, will be the last chance to reverse the trend.” Mindful of the potential social and economic impact, and the strains on public finances, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has called the trend the “gravest crisis our country faces”, and unveiled a range of steps to support child-bearing households late last year. Japan’s population will likely decline by about 30% to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people aged 65 or older, according to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

Not even twice 😊

From Pattaya News Pattaya is set to pulsate with rhythm and melody as it gears up to host the ‘Pattaya Music Festival 2024,’ a month-long celebration featuring Thailand’s top musical acts. Kicking off on March 8th, 2024, and running every Friday and Saturday throughout the month, the festival promises a diverse lineup of performances across multiple stages. Admission is free, inviting music enthusiasts of all ages to join the party. For complete list of events and venues: https://thepattayanews.com/2024/02/19/pattaya-gears-up-for-month-long-pattaya-music-festival-2024-announces-lineup/

From Thai PBS World The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has agreed to adjust the design of a section of the Thai-Chinese high-speed train project, in response to complaints from people in Nakhon Ratchasima province. The changes will result in additional construction costs and further delays in the project of at least two years. According to SET Governor Nirut Maneephan, the section in question is in Ban Mai sub-district, originally planned as a ground-level track, which will now be changed to a 7.85km elevated section. It is part of the Kok Kruad-Nakhon Ratchasima link, under Contracts 3 to 5. He said that the design change will cost an extra 4.7 billion baht and result in 28 months of delay. Currently, Phase 1 of the project, from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima, covering a distance of 250.77km, is under construction. The route comprises 188.68km of elevated track, 54.09km of ground-level track and 8km of tunnels. Investment is estimated at 170 billion baht. The construction work on Phase 1 is divided into 14 contracts,12 of which have been signed between SET and contractors. Construction for one contract has been completed and the rest, for which contracts are signed, are still under construction. Phase 1, which is part of the entire project from Bangkok to Nong Khai province in the Northeast, includes stations at Bang Sue, Don Mueang, Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Pak Chong and Nakhon Ratchasima. The situation of the Ayutthaya station remains unresolved, due to reservations from the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONREPP) regarding the Heritage impact assessment (HIA). The SRT’s governor said that they will not conduct another HIA, as this would further delay the project and increase expense. He also said, however, that SRT will try to explain the situation to the ONREPP, based on its previous HIA report. The Thai and Chinese governments signed an MoU on December 19th, 2014 for the construction of the high-speed train project, covering a total distance of 609km. The project has, however, hit several snags, causing significant delays.

Understand. I was commenting on Macaroni’s excellent photos and narrative. And the fact that his experience in many ways to my visit.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Thailand-based British pensioners could have their British bank accounts inspected by the government under new powers being considered to thwart benefit irregularities. The plans, part of the data protection and digital information bill now being discussed by the House of Lords, could involve UK-based banks handing over customer data to the Department for Work and Pensions if it signals that a claimant may not meet the eligibility for a particular benefit. The DWP claims that eight billion pounds annually are lost to benefit fraud of all types including means-tested Universal Credit. But millions of people, at home and abroad, receiving the state pension risk being swept up in the move. Around 500,000 British pensioners live abroad with frozen state pensions, but the DWP believes that overpayment to this group, which includes British pensioners living in Thailand, amounts to 100 million pounds. The government notes that annually uprated state pensions are paid only to pensioners living in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, Switzerland and countries with a social security agreement with Britain. In reality, most British expat pensioners – for example living in the United States and Australia – are denied annual increments. The claim of benefit abuse arises because some expats have not notified the government of their overseas abode or because of mixups at the DWP or the Inland Revenue. Pensioner pressure groups have reacted angrily to the news of possible intervention by the government in personal bank account details. In Thailand, the Campaign to End Frozen UK Pensions, stresses that the common-sense and honest solution is to pay all pensioners overseas the annual increases no matter where they happen to live. Activists in many countries have lobbied the UK government to end financial discrimination against the majority of elderly expats and have won some parliamentary support. But the government says it has no intention of ending the cash discrimination and will pay the annual increments only when required by law to do so. Tax accountants based in Thailand told Pattaya Mail that the British government’s proposed policy was unclear in detail and still under parliamentary debate. However, they noted that most British expats now had their bank accounts in the Isle of Man or the Channel Isles which, technically, are not part of the UK. Therefore, the DWP would not be able to access those offshore accounts in any case. In recent years, UK banks have been closing the mainland accounts of Brits who were no longer resident in Britain whilst offering them the chance to open new accounts offshore.

What is it about Pattaya that causes so many to kill themselves or be killed within its borders. From Pattaya News Japanese National Found Dead After Fall from Sri Racha Condominium A naked Japanese man was discovered deceased on Monday, February 26th, following a fall from a condominium building in Sri Racha, Chonburi. Authorities responded to a report of the individual falling from a condominium building early this morning. The incident occurred at a prominent high-rise condominium, whose name was withheld pending an ongoing investigation in the Sri Racha district. Authorities arrived at the scene and located the body of a deceased person on the 6th floor by the swimming pool. The victim was identified by Sri Racha police as Mr. Yuya Fujiwara, a 41-year-old Japanese national. The police disclosed the victim’s identity after reportedly contacting his family and embassy. The victim was found lying face up on the ground, with a broken right arm and a severely injured leg. Rescue personnel covered the body before transporting him to a nearby hospital. An initial investigation revealed that Mr. Fujiwara resided in a rented unit on the 26th floor of the condominium building. No signs of forced entry, disturbances, or suicide notes were found within the room.

A few trips ago made almost the same pilgrimage to the Santa Cruz church on a late Sunday morning. Only difference in our route was walking over the bridge. While coming off on other side we found a very competitive game of volleyball being played beneath the bridge superstructure. We marveled at how these young men could get their bodies nearly horizontal to return the ball. Turned out to be one of the unexpected pleasures of the visit. Like you we also found the church locked when we arrived. Thanks for great photos and history.

What we don’t know is the instructions the presiding judge gave the jury prior to sending them to deliberate. I’m sure this and other derails will come out on appeal. i still believe that she willfully decided to speed with the knowledge that the consequences could indeed be fatal. And I’m satisfied that qualifies as afore thought.

From The Nation Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin made an unannounced check of operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday and found the arrival and departure passenger procedures were still disappointing. Srettha announced on his X account on Saturday night that he had made another surprise inspection at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday evening to follow up on his first unannounced inspection on February 5 in the morning. “I came to check the service systems at Suvarnabhumi Airport without informing the airport in advance after I made a similar check in the morning. So, today I came to check in the evening and there were plenty of passengers,” Srettha posted on his X page. The prime minister said he found that both the arrival and departure procedures were too long. “I counted the time since a passenger got off a vehicle and entered the check-in system and passed through the security system to reach his terminal to wait for boarding. “And for arrivals, I counted from passengers' exiting their plane and coming to the immigration counters. I checked all the procedures in detail and found that they took a long time.” Srettha said that he had asked the officials in charge if they could reduce the time taken. “The answer was that the processing time was uncertain,” Srettha said. “This has to be improved urgently,” the prime minister added. Srettha said he would like the executives of both the Airports of Thailand Plc and the Immigration Bureau to go out to check the procedures during the peak hours by themselves so that they could find out what caused the bottleneck. “I’ll make a surprise check at the airport to check the procedures in detail again,” Srettha said in the post .

From AFP Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Cambodia’s ruling party claimed a landslide victory in Senate elections on Sunday, setting the stage for ex-PM Hun Sen to officially return to politics after he stepped down last year. After nearly four decades of hardline rule, Hun Sen handed power to his eldest son Hun Manet after national polls last July held without any significant opposition. Hun Sen at the time made it clear that despite his resignation, he still intended to wield influence. After polls closed Sunday afternoon, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) claimed they had swept the Senate, the country’s upper house. Spokesman Sok Eysan said early results showed the “CPP won at least 50” of the 58 seats, and added, “obviously, he (Hun Sen) has won a seat.” He confirmed the party would nominate the ex-PM as the president of the Senate — allowing him to act as head of state when the king is overseas — when it is expected to convene in April. The National Electoral Committee is expected to take several weeks to publish official results.

Please don’t give twinks a bad name.

A walk we’re all destined to take if we know a good thing when we see it (sans the pretzels).

In US, every state and the federal government have their own unique laws. Fortunately for survivors it occurred in state where it was possible to bring the charges that resulted in conviction. Here’s the federal code. From Cornell Law School Murder is the unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought. Every murder perpetrated by poison, lying in wait, or any other kind of willful, deliberate, malicious, and premeditated killing; or committed in the perpetration of, or attempt to perpetrate, any arson, escape, murder, kidnapping, treason, espionage, sabotage, aggravated sexual abuse or sexual abuse, child abuse, burglary, or robbery; or perpetrated as part of a pattern or practice of assault or torture against a child or children; or perpetrated from a premeditated design unlawfully and maliciously to effect the death of any human being other than him who is killed, is murder in the first degree. Any other murder is murder in the second degree.

Sounds delicious 🤗 I’ve found that another pleasant walk is from Screw Boy to Foodland—with boy pairing for about same price. 😋

From Thai Tourism Authority The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is organising a special excursion train from Bangkok to Ayutthaya with steam locomotive to celebrate its 127th anniversary on 26 March 2024. Travellers will get a chance to ride on a Pacific steam locomotive, numbers 824 and 850, from the World War II era. The special steam train ride will leave from Hua Lamphong. Train No. 901/902 will depart the station at 08.10 Hrs. and will arrive in Ayutthaya at 10.20 Hrs. Passengers will have six hours to tour the ancient capital, before the train leaves for Bangkok at 16.40 Hrs. and arrive in Bangkok at 18.50 Hrs. The train will stop at Sam Sen, Bang Sue, Don Mueang, and Rangsit stations, so passengers can board or disembark at any of these stations. Bookings open on 25 February 2024, from 08.30 Hrs. onwards via D-Ticket mobile application and website (www.dticket.railway.co.th) or at the ticket booths at SRT stations across Thailand. Round-trip prices for adults and children are 329 Baht for third-class, 529 Baht for second-class air-conditioned, and 799 Baht for sleeper and special air-conditioned cars. The price includes snacks and drinks on both the outbound and return trips.

+1 perp has prior record of similar behavior and knows well potential consequences of her actions. This was not accidental outcome by first-time offender.

From Thai PBS World Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput is yielding no ground in his face-off with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin over the central bank’s interest rate policy. Against the backdrop of slowing economic growth, Srettha wants the BOT to lower the interest rate from the current 2.5 per cent per annum, the highest in nearly a decade. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has turned a deaf ear to the government’s exhortations and left the rate unchanged at its two previous meetings. The MPC is scheduled to hold its next meeting in April. Srettha, however, wants the MPC to call an emergency meeting to lower the rate. His call came after the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), a state think-tank, released a report on the gross domestic product in 2023: GDP grew by only 1.9 per cent, well below expectations and slower than the 2.5 per cent growth in the previous year. NESDC secretary-general Danucha Pichayanan also urged the central bank to seriously consider a rate cut in order to cushion the blow on citizens from the higher cost of living. He also wanted the central bank to relax rules on credit card payments, suggesting that the minimum monthly installment payment be reduced from 8 per cent at present to 5 per cent, as the central bank had done during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lowering the credit card installment would offer relief to credit card debtors, Danucha argued. Continues at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/will-sethaput-meet-the-fate-of-bot-governors-defying-the-government/

1 ladyboy = everyone to their own taste but stash any gold triinkets 2 ladyboys = double your pleasure and your risks 3 ladyboys = take a breathalyzer test for just thinking about it 4 ladyboys = review power of attorney and trust documents before proceeding

From Thai PBS World PM visits Thaksin at home Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin paid a private visit to former prime minister and prison parolee Thaksin Shinawatra at his Ban Chan Song La residence in Thonburi on Saturday morning. He was seen arriving in a brand new “sonic titanium” Lexus LM350H Executive 4-seater prime ministerial staff car. He lowered the window to “wai” reporters and photographers gathered in front of the residence, without giving an interview. He is the first high-ranking Thai government official to visit Thaksin since he was released on parole from the Police General Hospital on February 18th. The first VIP to visit Thaksin was former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen. The prime minister said that Thaksin offered him moral support and asked him to look after his health, adding that they did not discuss politics but that he would welcome Thaksin’s recommendations or opinions. He praised Thaksin as Thailand’s most popular prime minister and for being very resourceful. Thaksin’s health, he said, appears to be improving, though he stills looks tired but is cheerful, perhaps because he is now home after 17 years of living in exile.

From Thai PBS World A passenger’s cell phone power bank, in their carry-on luggage, caught fire during a Thai Air Asia flight this morning, but the fire was quickly put out by the crew. Thai Air Asia said in a statement that the incident took place on flight FD3188, from Don Mueang airport to Nakhon Si Thammarat province at 7.20am this morning. Smoke was seen emanating from the overhead luggage compartment, but the crew quickly used a fire extinguisher to put the fire out. The flight, its passengers and crew all landed safely, the statement said. Thai Air Asia thanked the passengers who alerted the crew and helped in extinguishing the fire. The airline also warned passengers to check their reserve batteries or power banks, to make sure that they meet the required quality specifications, adding that no spare batteries or power banks can be loaded in their hold luggage and must be kept in their carry-on bags only.

Love relying on people. They’re my favorite kind of humans. 🙂

CP All, the owner of 7-11 stores, plans to add 700 additional locations after posting 112 billion baht profit on sales of 399 billion baht in 2023. https://thepattayanews.com/2024/02/24/711-in-thailand-reports-record-income-of-399-billion-baht-in-2023-announces-expansion-plans-for-700-plus-new-stores/