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Those now middle-aged actors remind many readers of the era when their burgeoning sexuality and freedom took hold. Those memories remain a powerful trigger that rekindles those emotions.

From Pattaya Mail Thailand’s Elite visa seeks to redefine a wealthy tourist By Barry Kenyon Big changes lie ahead for the Thai Elite visa. Following “careful consideration with stakeholders”, all programs will be discontinued to be replaced by totally new options from October this year. Those hoping to qualify under the current rules will need to submit their applications by September 15, whilst those already with 5-year Elite visas have until August 15 to extend to up to 20 years under the former regulations. The Thailand Privilege Card Company, which hosts Elite, has not yet published the future criteria, but there have been strong hints. Firstly, the prices will rise substantially, perhaps 900,000 baht for five years (instead of the current 600,000) and five million baht for 20 years (instead of one million plus). In return, members will likely receive privileges rather like airmiles – the more you spend and the more frequently you visit Thailand the happier you will be with the perks. Those with the “el cheapo” five year Elite visas will likely not be delighted. But Thailand will have to be careful not to price itself out of the worldwide expat market. It already offers a competitor visa, the ten year Long Term Residence run by the Board of Investment, which has not been a rip-roaring success to date with virtually no hard data published. Golden visas, however defined, need a lot of perks to compete internationally and no Thai proposal currently offers residence or a second passport, unlike the Indonesian and Cambodian equivalents. Certainly, bonuses such as fast-track airport services, freedom from the 90 days report and discounts at leisure facilities are unlikely to be enough if Elite enrolment fees rise steeply. The real point about Elite visas is that what counted as a “rich foreigner” in 2003 at inception is very different from perceptions today. 20 years ago, the flat fee was 500,000 baht and enrollers were told they were indeed someone special. The numbers of subscribers remained in the 2 or 3 thousand range until the Covid pandemic illustrated to the international community, Chinese in particular, the benefits of being able to move easily between countries. Today there are around 30,000 Elite members, all classes, with more than one third being Chinese nationals. The rebranding of Elite is doubtless linked to China and Asia rather than to Europe or the USA. Many on social media believe that the forthcoming rebranding of Elite is a bluff and little more than an attempt to boost new applications before the September 15 cut-off date. This scenario is unlikely. Thailand’s whole immigration system is clearly under review with the deputy national police chief recently predicting that annual, easy-coasting retirement visas – either a modest 800,000 baht cash in the bank or use of agents – will soon come to a shuddering halt. Separately, those with a dubious record in their visa history – for example absentee education students or voluntary work visas – are finding it difficult to obtain extensions or transfer to alternative permissions, including Elite. Another imponderable concerns comprehensive medical insurance. Currently, the Elite visa (unlike Long Term Residence or “O/A” non-immigrant retirement) does not require cover. Nor does the annual extension of stay based on “O” retirement given by the immigration bureau. Already Cambodia has announced the establishment of a government working party to explore compulsory medical insurance for all foreigners who stay in the country beyond 30 days. Whilst it is true that Thailand’s visa structure for millions more foreigners is much more complex and certainly easier to circumvent, expats choosing Thailand from now on must be prepared for mega-change. Unwelcome as the prospect may be.

The more things change.... From The Nation Three more parties from the outgoing coalition government hinted on Tuesday they would be willing to follow the Bhumjaithai Party in joining the Pheu Thai-led coalition. Leading members of Palang Pracharath (PPRP), United Thai Nation and Chart Thai Pattana signalled they would be willing to consider an invitation from Pheu Thai for coalition talks but said they had not received one yet. They spoke a day after Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai announced they had agreed to ally to form a government. Pheu Thai has 141 MPs and Bhumjaithai has 71. Meanwhile, Chart Thai Pattana leader Varawut Silpa-archa strongly hinted his party would be willing to join the coalition now that Pheu Thai has affirmed it would not seek to amend the lese majeste law, or Article 112 of the criminal code. Article 112 was cited as the main reason for senators refusing to vote for Move Forward Party's PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat last month. Pheu Thai also cited Article 112 as the main reason for dumping election-winner Move Forward from its coalition. Varawut said it now depended on Pheu Thai as to when and where it would hold coalition talks with Chart Thai Pattana. Continues at https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40030041

From Khaosod English Daniel Jeronimo (in swim shorts). (photo: Khaosod English) Police in Koh Phangan, Surat Thani Province, continue to search for the Colombian body parts that a Spanish suspect confessed to throwing into the sea after discovering eight of them, including the skull, on August 6. On August 3, the first body pieces of Edwin Miguel, a 44-year-old Colombian surgeon, were discovered in trash bags deposited on the cement yard at the Koh Phangan Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Centre. One day later, police found additional body fragments in the same location. A 29-year-old Spanish chef, Daniel Jeronimo Sancho Bronchalo, had reported to the Koh Phangan Police Station on August 2 that Edwin Miguel, his Colombian friend had vanished. But later Daniel was detained on August 5 as the suspect of murdering and dismembering Edwin Miguel himself. The Koh Samui Provincial Court issued a warrant for Daniel’s arrest on allegations of deliberate and premeditated murder as well as the secret burial, removal, or destruction of a body to conceal his death or cause of death. Initially, Daniel denied the accusations, but later he confessed. He claimed that when Edwin requested sex, he became enraged and punched him until Edwin tumbled over his head into the tub of water, fell unconscious and died. After that, he took the body apart, put the pieces in a suitcase, and threw it into the sea. The rest is put in a black bag and thrown in the trash. However, the police don’t believe Daniel’s claim because there is consistent evidence that he was well-prepared. For example, he urged Edwin Miguel who seemed to be his boyfriend of more than a year, to accompany him to the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan. Daniel booked a room at the hotel with Edwin’s credit card. The Colombian doctor also invested in Daniel’s restaurant in Spain. Because of this, the police suspected Daniel had a financial motive for killing Edwin. It is currently in the process of contacting Edwin’s family. At 4:30 p.m. on August 7, Koh Phangan police transported Daniel by boat to Koh Samui, where he was detained at the Koh Samui Provincial Court.

From Thai PBS World The Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai parties announced today (Monday) that they are joining hands to become the core in forming a new government. Together the parties have 212 House seats and are inviting more parties to join their coalition. Claiming they already have achieved a majority, they declined to reveal which parties they have in hand. At the press conference, Pheu Thai was represented by its leader Cholnan Srikaew, his deputy Phumtham Wechayachai and party secretary general Prasert Chanthararuangthong, while Bhumjaithai fielded leader Anutin Charnvirakul and party secretary general Saksayam Chidchob. Cholnan said more parties are expected to join their coalition. Both parties need support from MPs and senators in forming a government, so that it could administer the country and solve people’s problems, Cholnan said. Asked whether the cooperation between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai did not represent most voters’ desire, compared to Move Forward winning the most seats, Phumtham said Bhumjaithai won the third most seats (71), which means there are a large number of people who support the party.

I flew out of the US east coast on a CX A359 in the three-class configuration in May and it went out full. They have 47 350's currently in the fleet. Future wide body orders are for 21 Boeing 777-9's (aka, 777X). CX has 37 777-300ER and 17 777-300's in use. The carrier appears to be benefiting from the delayed return of the major China carriers to international service. It was my first CX flight and I came away satisfied with the service and on-time performance. I was surprised just how cool the cabin temperature was maintained after the initial meal service was completed. Fortunately, they provide a substantial comforter. CX has reopened its BKK lounge.

From Phnom Penh Post In a surprising turn of events, former Thai prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck attended the birthday celebrations of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on August 5. The festive occasion marked Hun Sen's 72nd birthday. Local media outlet Fresh News shared several pictures of the siblings mingling with Hun Sen's extended family, including the Prime Minister-in-waiting, Hun Manet. The gathering was held at Hun Sen's residence in Takhmao town. Hun Sen disclosed to Fresh News that Thaksin and Yingluck stayed for one night at his residence and had breakfast together on the morning of August 6, before flying out of Cambodia. The relationship between Hun Sen and Thaksin dates back to 1992 when they became God brothers. They have maintained a close connection ever since, even though Thaksin and his sister Yingluck were both ousted from power through coups. The unexpected attendance of the Shinawatras at Hun Sen's birthday adds a new chapter to this intriguing political relationship.

From Rainbowindex.com Updated February 6, 2023 Sauna Mania is located near the gay area of Silom in Bangkok. The venue is dark and not the most up to date, but has friendly service and is set up over a few floors. Amenities include: bar areas, workout room, a cruising maze, private cabins, steam room, sauna, and garden area to interact with new mates (or take a nap if you are too exhausted from fun). The top floor is usually the most cruisy and crowd is mixed from late 20's to mid 40's of Asian men. And, men over 50 must pay a higher entry fee. If you happen to be in the Silom area and want a more adult themed adventure, then stop into Sauna Mania for a little more adventure.

One the financial advantages expats have always cited was the overall "value" of moving to Thailand. Another was the relatively tame inflation rate. Now is seems that both are beginning to evaporate. The increases are way out of proportion to inflation and erode value. Hardest hit will be retirees relying on the Elite visa. And if the cops are intent on keeping Chinese and Russian mobsters out, higher prices for the Elite will have the opposite effect. Those are the very visa seekers to whom money poses no problem; they'll be first in the queue. When bar prices are discussed, punters are quick to cite the Thai approach to compensating for slow business cycles: raise prices. Looks like the Elite folks are taking a page from that strategy as they raise the bar going into low season.

From Thai PBS World Thaksin delays his return again Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced today (Saturday) that he is delaying his return to Thailand again, this time citing medical reasons. Thaksin tweeted that he is postponing his return for no more than two weeks, adding “My doctors say I should have physical examination first.” Thaksin now postponed his return 20 times throughout his 17 years of self-imposed exile. Thaksin was ousted in a coup in 2006. During his absence, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office sentenced him to a total of 12 years imprisonment in four cases. The postponement of Thaksin’s return coincides with a further delay in selecting the country’s next prime minister, which was due to have taken place yesterday, but which has been delayed until at least August 18.

From Thai PBS World Next vote on new Thai PM could be on August 18th or 19th A joint sitting of parliament is expected to convene on either August 18th or 19th, after the Constitutional Court rules on whether it will consider a petition regarding the renomination of Move Forward leader for prime minister and whether to order the suspension of the process to select a prime minister. House speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said today (Saturday) that, as the Court has delayed its consideration to August 16th, parliament plans, subject to that ruling, to reconvene within the following three days, with the intention to select a prime minister. The Ombudsman has submitted a petition to the Court regarding the constitutionality of parliament’s decision on July 19th to vote down the renomination of Pita Limjaroenrat for the premiership. Wan Muhamad, speaking as he departed for the ASEAN Inter-Parliament Assembly in Indonesia, reiterated that parliament should wait for the Court’s ruling before making any moves concerning the premiership. On Friday, Wan Muhamad ordered an abrupt end to the joint parliamentary sitting after Move Forward MPs demanded that the chamber reconsider the July 19th decision (now with the Charter Court). The speaker and some senators tried in vain to talk down the demand before closing the meeting. As a result, a discussion on a motion, proposed by Move Forward, to revoke Article 272 of the Constitution, which allows senators to vote for a prime minister, has been delayed until the next parliamentary meeting.

Of the male/female couples I know, it is indeed the wives who make travel decisions. Although most are careful to include a golfing destination.🙂 +1

My point all along: money boys aren’t scammers. They’re the reason why most of come to LOS.

Disagreeing with what other members may post does not constitute a personal attack. If it did we'd all be guilty at one time or another. Some may perceive any disagreement as an attack and that would border on the paranoid (I m NOT imputing u r one of them).

Asking for help in bad times is not a scam but a plea for assistance. We're all free to honor or reject them. Money boys may disappoint us in that they fail to live up to our cultural norms or expectations, but that doesn't constitute scamming. If someone perceives money boys, et al., as would-be scammers I think they'd be better off finding a place where they don't.

From VN Express Encompassing an area of 9,000 square meters, this aquarium serves as a sanctuary to tens of thousands of sea creatures, spanning across 400 different species. For video link, click on https://e.vnexpress.net/news/places/hanois-9000-sqm-indoor-aquarium-open-to-public-4637437.html

Readers of Travel and Leisure submitted nearly 165,000 responses for the magazine's annual survey. Bangkok finished ninth behind winner Oaxaca, Mexico. Cities were specifically rated on the criteria below: Sights/landmarks Culture Food Friendliness Shopping Value To view the entire list, go to: https://www.travelandleisure.com/our-readers-favorite-cities-in-the-world-of-2023-7555844

Never ceases to amaze me: members travel from all corners of the world to spend time with these money boys yet seems to hold them in low regard. Why not go someplace else where they can find money boys more to their liking?

From Pattaya News Robbery Incident Against Kuwaiti Tourists Turns Out to Be Bad Prank A male foreigner was seen in a viral video clip flaunting a gun at a group of Kuwaiti tourists and allegedly robbing them at a famous viewpoint in Pattaya on August 2nd. However, it later turned out that the whole harrowing incident was just a bad “prank” orchestrated by the Kuwaiti tourists themselves, according to the Pattaya police. In a 1.39-minute-long video recording, a man who appeared to be in his 20s to 30s and of foreign descent was seen. He was dressed in a black shirt, dark trousers, and stood at approximately 170 centimeters tall. The man held a pistol and ordered to line up and sit down a group of more than 10 foreign tourists, who bore a resemblance to Middle Eastern men. The man seemed to be threatening the tourists with his weapon. Led by police chief Pol Col Thanapong Phothi, the police officers collected CCTV recordings of the incident and interviewed nearby vendors for more clues. The new evidence, however, led to an unexpected turn of events as the police discovered that the entire harrowing robbery was just a bad joke pulled by the Kuwaiti tourists themselves, stated Pol Col Thanapong. Mr. Kyaw and Mr. Nay claimed that they were smoking tobacco at the viewpoint, when they were approached by a group of 10-15 Kuwaiti tourists seen in the video, who raced their motorbikes up to the viewpoint. One of the tourists then asked Mr. Gaew in English to use his “pistol lighter,” the one seen in the video, to pretend to rob them while acting as a mafia boss. Promising it would be just for fun, the tourists also requested Mr. Kyaw to force them to sit in a row on the edge of a cliff and point a gun at them, while Mr. Nay was tasked with recording the prank, using the tourist’s phone. Mr. Kyaw and Mr. Nay told the police that the tourists had uploaded the video to TikTok, but they never expected it to receive so much attention or damage Pattaya’s reputation. They apologized for their thoughtless actions, saying that they had only intended to help the tourists with their silly content. If it is determined that the two individuals intentionally damaged Pattaya’s reputation with their video, they will also face charges under the Computer Crime Act, which carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to 5 years, a fine not exceeding 100,000 baht, or both imprisonment and a fine. Meanwhile, on August 3rd, Pattaya police were able to round up four Kuwaiti tourists in the video. They were identified as MR. Meshal Alazemi, 20, MR. Ahmad Alazemi, 19, MR .Moharnmad Alazemi, 19, and MR. Mobarak Alazemi, 20. All of them were using tourist visas valid for 30 days. Six other tourists are still on the loose. The arrested were charged with the same offense as the two Burmese suspects. Pol Col Thanapong mentioned that he intends to submit a request to the relevant committee, seeking a decision on whether to deport and place these tourists on a blacklist to prohibit their future entry into Thailand due to their reckless conduct.

From Pattaya News Postpone Tomorrow’s Scheduled Prime Minister Vote Thailand’s House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha has postponed the Prime Ministerial voting originally slated for tomorrow, August 4th, 2023. The postponement came after the Constitutional Court on Thursday, August 4th, decided to defer the reviewing of a petition to determine the constitutional validity of the Parliament’s decision to reject the renomination of Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party (MFP).

Huge queues at Jomtien-Pattaya immigration office From Pattaya Mail The six days of holiday resulted in a big backlog of Jomtien immigration customers at the reopening on Thursday August 3. The neighbouring photocopying and visa services bureau was overwhelmed with many foreigners requiring photos and/or extra copies of documentation for visa extensions. Friday August 3 will again see crowding of immigration facilities in Jomtien, especially for visa extensions and local address reporting. All immigration offices nationwide will then be closed for the upcoming weekend but will be open all next week (Monday thru Friday) without public holiday interruptions.

I know that things are quite slow in the bars and shops around Silom and would expect it's not much different in Pattaya at the moment.

From Tourism Authority of Thailand The 41st Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF 2023) officially opened and will run until Sunday, 6 August, at Bangkok’s Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, showcasing an exciting array of tourism products and services from around Thailand, including up-and-coming Unseen New Chapters attractions along with fascinating culture and heritage, and delicious regional cuisine. Conceptualised and organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) under the concept of ‘Inno-Cultural for Sustainable Tourism’, the TTF 2023 will focus on promoting Unseen tourist attractions, telling Untold stories, sharing Unlimited experiences, unveiling Unbox travel activities, and highlighting amazing travel opportunities that are Unpredictable beyond expectations, Unbelievable in their appeal, and Unforgettable in the impressions they will create. Visitors to the TTF 2023 will be able to immerse themselves in the Thai way of life and update themselves on the tourism offerings from around the kingdom at five uniquely designed tourism villages representing the five regions of Thailand, plus four additional zones on Amazing Thailand, Thai Tourism Alliances, Net Zero Tourism, and the Main Stage for cultural and musical performances. Both the exhibitors and visitors are encouraged to adopt a zero landfills concept, thus reflecting Thailand’s tourism push towards more sustainable tourism and Net Zero Tourism. The TTF 2023 is taking place from 2-6 August 2023, from 10-00-21.00 Hrs. with the event being held at the LG Hall 5-8 floors of the QSNCC. Entrance is free. Visitors are encouraged to use the MRT underground to the QSNCC Station and walk through Exit 3 to the event. More information is available on the TAT Contact Centre 1672.

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“In this world, you get what you pay for.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle