reader

From Pattaya News A loud explosion rocked Pattaya’s Beach Road on Wednesday night, January 31st, causing panic among locals and tourists. Upon arrival, authorities found a chaotic scene with residents and tourists shaken by the blast. Eyewitnesses, including 40-year-old motorcycle taxi driver Mr. Suwit Srichantuek, described the harrowing scene. Mr. Suwit stated that he was picking up a traffic cone when a loud explosion erupted, followed by the sight of a ping-pong ball-like object falling from the cone. The explosion caused panic, with people fleeing the area. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the incident. However, a second explosive device, roughly the size of a hand grenade and wrapped in black duct tape, was found hidden in another traffic cone near the initial blast site. The EOD unit immediately cordoned off the area and removed the device for disposal in a remote location. Authorities are currently attempting to identify the suspect who hid the devices, commonly called ping pong bombs and often used by rival teen gangs, in the cones.

From the BBC nspired by a trailblazing transgender model, Malta has become one of the most accepting countries in the world in the past 20 years. It was a sweltering afternoon at Balluta Bay sometime in the late 1990s. Eager young journalist Ramona Depares was celebrating her first job at a local magazine at the City of London, one of Malta's oldest seafront bars, when a woman walked in. "Everyone stopped talking, openly staring," Depares said. "I remember she was wearing her iconic, massive black hat and a slinky black pantsuit – this was midweek, mid-afternoon, when everyone else was in flip flops. But it wasn't only about her clothes, it was her aura. She behaved like royalty. It was difficult not to be entranced." This mysterious figure was international Maltese model and trans pioneer Katya Saunders, known to friends as Kaka. As Depares would soon learn, Saunders' life was as compelling as her glamorous career: in the 1970s, she moved to London and transitioned; while in the 1980s she was pictured in Vogue on the arm of Karl Lagerfeld, did photoshoots in New York and modelled for fashion designers Charles & Ron, who still own a store in the Maltese capital Valletta. Rumour had it she'd even hung out with David Bowie and Mick Jagger. After an introduction, Depares and Saunders started chatting. "I asked whether she would give me an interview," said Depares. "And for years she played cat and mouse with me for this blessed interview, despite bumping into her at parties or fashion shows. She said she'd prefer to have her memoirs published instead." Eventually Saunders disappeared from public life, having "fallen upon hard times", as Depares put it. Fast-forward to 2019 and the journalist was in the Times of Malta's office when news of her death broke. "I wrote her tribute thinking, well, at least she'd be happy to know that her death made waves across the Maltese media." Depares pictured her "giggling away, enjoying the commotion that she was once again causing". Since then, Saunders' trailblazing life as one of Malta's first openly transgender public personas has been reappraised on an island that's seen remarkable changes in the last two decades. One of only five nations in the world to have made LGBTQ+ rights equal at a constitutional level, it has held first place for eight years on the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Index, which ranks countries on LGBTQ+ equality. After first visiting Valletta's hilly streets half a decade ago, I've been intrigued by this tiny island nation's unlikely rise as one of the world's most tolerant places. To examine how this happened, let's start by rewinding to the years after Saunders' birth in 1957. In 1964, Malta achieved independence after more than 150 years of British rule. The Brits had criminalised male same-sex relations, but as a republic, Malta legalised same-sex activity in 1973, with an age of consent of 16, equal to heterosexual sex. In 2001, the creation of the lobbying group Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) helped usher in Malta's inaugural Pride March in 2004, as well as a national gay helpline. The pace quickened in the next decade: Malta was the first country in the EU to ban conversion therapy in 2016, when same-sex marriage was also passed, and the first European state to add gender identity to its constitution as a protected category. What was Malta's first Pride March like 20 years ago? "Not a big affair," said MGRM's Joe Grima. "It attracted between 50 and 100 people, whereas by [2023's] EuroPride, 38,000 attended the march and concert headlined by Christina Aguilera. We could celebrate how far we came. The laws that safeguard equal rights are now a normal aspect of everyday life in Malta." These laws were not in place for young Saunders or for other LGBTQ+ people of her era, however. As a result, the MGRM and Malta Council decided to celebrate her legacy by commissioning Depares to write the book Katya: Easy on the Tonic (a nod to Saunders' favourite catchphrase), and curating exhibitions featuring her clothes, portraits and accessories at galleries in Valletta, including one at Valletta's historic cultural hub Spazju Kreattiv (view the online archive here). Malta has ranked first on the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Index for eight years (Credit: Imago/Alamy) Continues at https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240130-malta-the-tiny-european-island-of-tolerance

You're right that it's about demand. For high rollers, 7-8k is no barrier and those are the customers these guys cater to. In most major US and European cities, 7-8k is more the norm.

From CNN About two weeks after his oldest son’s funeral, South Carolina state house Rep. Brandon Guffey says he received a private Instagram message with a laughing emoji. Gavin Guffey, 17, had fatally shot himself in a bathroom in July 2022, and the grieving father was searching for clues on what led to his suicide. Then Guffey and his younger son began to get messages demanding money in exchange for nude photos of his late son. Anyone on Gavin’s Instagram followers list who had the last name Guffey got similar messages, his father says. The family began piecing together Gavin’s last moments and discovered he had encountered a scammer on Instagram and unwittingly became a victim of sexual extortion, a crime the FBI warns is increasingly targeting underage boys and leading to an alarming increase in suicides nationwide. Now Guffey is suing Instagram’s parent company, Meta, for wrongful death, gross negligence and other claims, saying it does not do enough to protect children like Gavin from online predators. The lawsuit, filed in South Carolina state court last week, accuses Meta’s social media platforms of causing a range of problems in children, including depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and eating disorders. It alleges that Meta uses algorithms to aggressively target adolescents and does not do enough to keep them safe from harm. In the suit, Guffey says Meta does not have tools in place to protect underage kids who use its platforms in “almost every aspect of their lives” and are unaware of its potentially negative effects. Minutes before he died by suicide at his home in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Gavin texted his younger brother and his friends a heart-shaped symbol of love – ❤️ – on a black background. Since then, Guffey has been outspoken about his son’s death and sponsored legislation last year that makes sexual extortion an aggravated felony punishable by years in prison if the victim is a minor or vulnerable adult or if the victim suffers bodily injury or death directly related to the crime. State senators passed the bill and named it “Gavin’s Law” before sending it to Gov. Henry McMaster, who signed it into law. Before Gavin’s death by suicide, scammers had reached out to him on Instagram, convinced him he was talking to a girl his age and persuaded him to send nude photos, his father says. The extortion started almost immediately after. The scammers demanded money, and Gavin sent $25 via Venmo, which is all he had at the time, Guffey says. He pleaded with his scammers to give him more time. Sextortion predators typically trick young victims, usually teen boys, into believing they are talking to girls their own age. They persuade them to send explicit photos and videos, and threaten to publicize those images if a payment is not sent. The scammers are typically located outside the US. Shame, fear and confusion often prevent minors from seeking help or reporting the abuse, the FBI says. “The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes,” Douglas DePodesta, special agent in charge of the bureau’s Memphis office, said in a statement. “We need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does.” Sextortion scams have increasingly made headlines nationwide. In August, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan extradited two men from Nigeria for allegedly extorting young men and teenage boys. One of the men was charged with causing the death of Jordan DeMay, 17, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Marquette, Michigan, home in March 2022. The case is still pending. Continues with photos https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/us/rep-brandon-guffey-instagram-lawsuit-cec/index.html

Trump does have bigger ass than Taylor Swift

From The Nation In what is seen as a countdown to the demise of the Move Forward Party, the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the main opposition party and its former leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, were guilty of seeking to overthrow the country's constitutional monarchy system. The nine Constitutional Court judges voted unanimously that Pita and Move Forward’s election campaigns, by proposing to sponsor a bill to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code, had violated Article 49 of the Constitution. The court ruled that the election campaigns were unconstitutional and an effort to topple the democratic system of government with the King as the head of state. The case against Pita and Move Forward was filed by Theerayuth Suwankesorn, a lawyer known for his defence of Suwit Thongprasert, an ex-activist monk formerly known as Phra Buddha Isara. Theerayuth’s suit named Pita the first defendant and Move Forward the second defendant.The court ordered Pita and the party to stop seeking to annul or amend Article 112 either through speech or writing or any other way of expression immediately, as demanded by Theerayuth’s suit. As a result, the defendants must immediately cease using their rights to seek to annul and amend Article 112 through unlawful methods. Although Theerayuth’s suit did not ask the court to disband the party, the ruling was seen as providing a cause for Move Forward’s opponents to ask the Election Commission to seek the party’s dissolution later. Political observers expect the opponents would ask the EC to invoke Article 92 of the Political Parties Act to ask the court to disband Move Forward. Under Article 92 of the act, if the court finds any political party guilty of seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy, the EC can gather evidence and petition the Constitutional Court to consider dissolving the party and banning its executives from elections for 10 years.

From Pattaya Mail In a significant move to enhance tourist safety, Mayor Poramet Ngampichet led a pivotal training program along Pattaya’s iconic Walking Street last week. The initiative, now in its second phase, focused on equipping security personnel with advanced skills to ensure a secure environment for tourists. The program, a collaborative effort by Pattaya City, Tourist Police, and relevant agencies, aimed to elevate the knowledge and skills of security personnel. Aligned with the “Strong Tourism Community” (S.T.C.) project, the training aimed to make security personnel proficient in maintaining safety and well-versed in Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) techniques. The overarching goal was to instill confidence in tourists by ensuring high-quality, secure services. The project also encouraged public participation and readiness to assist tourists, ultimately reducing incidents involving visitors. A total of 110 participants from 34 service establishments actively participated, showcasing widespread cooperation for the cause.

Agree. Your guy sounds like a great combination of traits.

Please share the photo!

Regarding Tawan, I leave what ichigo--and Vinapu before him--has written about the prominent chuck wow shows. "Cute" is so subjective a descriptor, I'm confident that the Tawan participants are considered attractive by its consumers. When it comes to "inspecting the goods," it's been my experience that it can be done discreetly at Banana and any of the Patpong bars if the guy is sitting beside you. Can't comment on Jupiter or Moonlight but nothing would shock me. 🙂 I was referring to the delight of removing them back in your room.

That's encouraging to hear. I suspect job descriptions are subject to more liberal interpretation in order to satisfy industry requirements.

Thanks for great report. Regarding Jupiter guy's request for 5k, you handled it diplomatically. 3K is a generous ST fee and I'm sure he was more than happy to get 4. Lesson learned about that bar. Thanks for sharing.

All the more fun removing them. 🙂 Can be noisy at times. it's the bar's lone drawback IMO. Otherwise it can be a great place to meet members and boys alike.

All good things to those who wait. Korean basketball team Philippines volleyball team Japan volleyeball team

I was wondering how the hell you managed to get in.

From Thai PBS World Teenage murder prompts debate in Thailand: Should kids face adult punishments? A shocking murder recently committed by a group of boys aged 13 to 16 has prompted a big question in Thailand. Should children who commit serious crimes be sentenced as harshly as adult criminals? Under current Thai law, children aged between 12 and 15 are protected from criminal punishment but can be subject to measures imposed by a court. Juvenile offenders aged 15 to 17, meanwhile, may face punishment – including time behind bars. However, they will only receive half the punishment of an adult sentenced for the same offense. If no penalty is meted out, they can still be sentenced to a period of rehabilitation. Until 2022, all children under the age of 10 were considered too young to be held criminally liable. The age of criminal responsibility was raised that year based on medical opinion that by the age of 12, humans’ mental capacity has developed to the point where they can tell right from wrong. Will the age of criminal responsibility get lower? National Police Commissioner General Torsak Sukvimol revealed recently that a panel had been established to scrutinize juvenile crimes over the past five to six years in support of a review into whether Thailand’s current age of criminal responsibility is appropriate. “The panel is expected to reach a conclusion before the end of this month,” the police chief said. “We will then forward our opinion to the prime minister and relevant authorities.” Thicha Nanakorn, who heads the Ban Kanchanapisek Juvenile Vocational Training Center for Boys, cautioned against any rush to change the law. On January 12, the body of Buapan Tansu – a homeless and mentally ill woman – was found with severe head injuries in a pond in Sa Kaeo. The head wound indicated that she had been murdered. Police initially arrested her husband. But footage from a CCTV camera footage then showed that five teenage boys had assaulted Buapan and dragged her away. The five boys have been brought to court. Their parents also face charges of negligence leading to their children committing a serious crime. Continues at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/teenage-murder-prompts-debate-in-thailand-should-kids-face-adult-punishments/

From Pattaya Mail Koh Larn Island has taken substantial steps to enhance its tourism offerings through the successful implementation of new swimming zones. A pivotal moment was reached in this ambitious project as the installation of crucial concrete anchors was completed on January 27, symbolizing a significant milestone in the comprehensive development of these swimming zones. Following this achievement, both Tayai Beach and Samae Beach saw their swimming zones reach 100% completion. Looking ahead, the installation at Tien Beach, commenced on January 28 and plans for the swimming zone at Ta Waen Beach are progressing smoothly, with installations set for January 29 and 31. This strategic network of swimming areas aims to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for tourists. What sets this project apart is its responsiveness to the desires of visitors. Recent feedback emphasizes a strong interest in designated zones for snorkelling and diving, catering to those who prefer independent exploration. This demand is not only supported by tourists but also by boat operators, who stress the importance of safety measures for those unfamiliar with these designated zones.

"Sure: don't ask me for one." 🙂

Same reason I prefer to go to a brick and mortar venue than rely on an app.

If the birthrate continues to decline and occupancy rates continue to rise, authorities will be forced to reconsider what jobs can be legally performed by foreigners.

if your referring to the HSCU, this Facebook link suggests individual properties voluntarily report on this site. https://www.facebook.com/hotelservicechargeupdate/

Came across an article about the prospects of professional football in Vietnam. Its most redeeming feature was the inclusion of a photo I thought worth sharing.

From Thai PBS World A woman, who was relying on GPS to navigate the way to visit a friend in Phrae province on Sunday, found her car stuck on a small pedestrian suspension bridge over a river. She narrowly escaped tragedy, as the wooden bridge’s planks broke under the weight of her car, causing her left wheel to become stuck. She immediately exited the vehicle and sought help from people nearby. A police and rescue team used tractors to pull the car back onto the bank of the river. The 120-meter bridge over the Yom River connects two villages in Tambon Wiang Thong in Sung Men district. The driver, whose name was not revealed, mentioned that she was from Nong Muang Khai district, hoping to visit her friend in Sung Men. “I have never been to Wiang Thong before. My friend pinned a location for me in the GPS system to cross what is called Wiang Thong Bridge, so I would reach the destination,” she said. She simply followed the guidance of the GPS. She did not see a cement bridge about 40 meters away. “That’s why I got stuck on the bridge. I did not know that a new bridge had been built near the old one, which is used only by pedestrians,” she explained. She said she wants signs put up to indicate that the old bridge is only suitable for pedestrian crossing and that there is a new bridge nearby for vehicles. A villager, who witnessed the incident, said that he saw the car only when it was already stuck on the bridge, adding that “This wooden bridge was built about 40 years ago, and only people and tricycles are able to use it.”

From Thai PBS World The Russian-sanctioned rock band Bi-2, which includes four Israeli citizens was arrested in Phuket last Thursday for performing without appropriate permits, Israeli media reported. The members of the band were all fined, had their passports confiscated, and were taken to a detention center. There is a possibility that the band could be deported to Russia, where they face imprisonment over their opposition to the war on Ukraine. Among the seven band members arrested are Yegor Burtnik and Alexander Uman, Israeli citizens. The band allegedly has two other Israeli citizens, but reports haven’t confirmed these members’ identities. The band has a history of legal trouble with the Russian Government, according the Jerusalem Post. The band has a history of trouble for speaking out against the Russian government, including cancellation of shows, and Burtnik has even been listed as a “foreign agent” by the Russian Justice Ministry. Even more alarming, neither Yegor nor Alexander have Russian citizenship, which would make an arrest very complicated for the Israeli foreign ministry to navigate. According to news reports, the decision to deport the band or not will be made today.

From Pattaya Mail A panoramic view captures the widened and revitalized Jomtien Beach, now stretching to an average width of 50 meters and a length of 3,575 meters, providing an enhanced recreational space for locals and tourists. The Marine Department of the Ministry of Transport marked the successful completion of the Beach Nourishment Project at Jomtien Beach with an event on January 26, titled “Transportation Brings Smiles: Marine Department Creates Happiness – Beautiful Sandy Beaches for the People.” The initiative aligns with the “Transportation for the People’s Well-Being” policy of Minister of Transport, Suriya Jungrungreangkij. Highlighting the success of the beach restoration initiative from Pattaya Beach to Jomtien Beach, Taweesak Anankaphan, Advisor to the Minister of Transport emphasized its positive impact on mental well-being and economic growth. The THB 521,924,392.40 Beach Nourishment Project utilized approximately 640,000 cubic meters of sand sourced from Koh Rangkwian Island.