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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

From Pattaya News Early this morning, nearly 20 Thai transgender individuals physically assaulted Saudi Arabian and Palestinian tourists at the Pattaya beachfront. The incident occurred after one of the tourists questioned one of the transgender people about their gender during an alleged escort service negotiation. The “misgendering” offended the transgender group who then attacked the tourists. On August 2nd, at 3:30 AM, tourist police officers from the Pattaya police station received a report of an assault involving a group of transgender individuals and three Saudi Arabian and Palestinian tourists (two men and one woman). The incident happened near Pattaya Beach in front of the Baywalk Shopping Center. Upon arriving at the scene, Pattaya Police officers encountered the tourists (names withheld upon request), who were visibly shaken and frightened by the event, some with torn clothing. The police officers then invited the tourists to the Pattaya police station to provide their statements. Upon their arrival at the station, the police also encountered a lot of transgender individuals waiting at the station, making loud noises and shouting at police. Seemingly in connection with the incident, the police officers requested the unrelated individuals to wait outside the station, while interviewing two injured individuals, both transgender. Identified as Thiraphat Paladchai, 23, and Narisara Ratchabutsri, 20, the two sustained injuries including swollen and bruised lips with bleeding and minor scratches on their arms. After the questioning with police, they claimed to The Pattaya News that they were paid companions working by the beach. Narisara alleged that one of the involved tourists approached them, so they offered the tourist companionship services, inviting him to a nearby hotel. However, the tourist’s friend suddenly interrupted them and asked about Narisara’s gender, calling Narisara a man and allegedly asked if Narisara was homosexual. This angered Narisara and led to an exchange of words that swiftly escalated into a physical confrontation. Narisara then called upon their fellow transgender friends standing nearby for help, resulting in the chaotic assault as an estimated twenty transgender individuals began attacking the tourists. Subsequently, The Pattaya News went to the beach where the incident took place and asked a local resident and eyewitness named Mr. Jakree Sriarun, 34, about the incident. He said that a group of over 20 transgender individuals attacked the foreign victims and claimed the transgender group were the aggressive party. Feeling compassion, many Thais, foreigners, and he intervened and tried to stop the assault. Jakree noted that these transgender individuals are known to work by Pattaya Beach and often engage in disputes and altercations with foreign tourists. Upon his intervention, the transgender group also verbally abused him. He urged the Pattaya police to take serious action against them, as they were harming Pattaya’s reputation. It is unclear to what extent the foreign tourists were harmed, but according to the police, three of them were transferred to Pattaya Hospital for medical checks. The tourists and the involved transgender people will later be summoned to the station for another questioning and legal proceedings and possible fines.

From Pattaya Mail Top cop urges retirement visa rules to be tightened By Barry Kenyon Thailand’s best known crime cracker, police general Surachate Hakparn, has openly stated that one year retirement visas and extensions of stay are plagued by out-of-date regulations and corrupt practices. In an interview with the Bangkok Post, the deputy national police chief said that the requirement to have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank, or its equivalent in annual foreign remittances, was too low as it failed to screen quality applicants. Police general Surachate added that “window dressing” of applicants’ bank accounts was a serious problem as visa agents and even some immigration officers colluded by providing short-term “loans”. He continued that he would propose to the new Thai Cabinet that the 1979 immigration act, which still governs some visa practices, be replaced. Police general Surachate did not detail his policy recommendations for retirement visa extensions apart from emphasizing that the entry bar was set too low and was too easily circumvented. The context of his interview was the all-importance of getting rid of foreign motorbike gangs plaguing Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui in particular. Sociologists call this approach “deviancy amplification” as it highlights one particular criminal issue in order to justify policy action against a much wider group in society. Police general Surachate’s observations have struck a chord as he is a former commander of both the tourist police division and, for a short period, the immigration bureau in 2018-19. In the past few years, there have been occasional attempts to toughen the bureaucracy for retirees such as introducing compulsory medical insurance for some visas and extensions – notably the “O/A” retiree option initially issued by a Thai embassy – and by checking bank books three months after the granting of an annual extension. But the efforts were largely non-consequential. Although there are several visas suitable for single or retired retirees including Elite, Long Term Residence and Spouse options, the annually renewable retirement visa issued by the immigration bureau is far and away the most popular owing to its cheapness and easy availability for foreigners over 50 years. But it will likely be many months before policy revisions, if any, appear in the public forum. Concerns are already being raised about “the baby being thrown out with the bath water”. Most Thai retirees are elderly men 65-90-plus with no interest in joining a foreign mafia or even boarding a motorbike. Except perhaps to go to the pub.

It's no coincidence, I think, that the appearance of another newbie airing urgent questions about the consequences of his sexual behavior and recent similar posts of the same nature. A look back in time and even a casual reader will have no problem of identifying a string of newbies, all posing a host of like questions. In almost all cases, they exit the scene after taking us for the proverbial ride. Some I suspect are disgruntled members simply posting under a new handle. And, very likely, some posts are the work of the same person. Floridarob pretty much sums up my attitude: "I'm not your target audience...... My sarcasm runs too deep for this."

From Thai PBS World The Pheu Thai party announced this afternoon (Wednesday) that it is breaking from the Move Forward party to form its own coalition government and nominate Srettha Thavisin for selection as the prime minister of Thailand. The announcement came shortly after a failed meeting between core members of Pheu Thai and Move Forward, aimed at resolving the thorny issue of Move Forward’s stand on amendment of the lèse majesté law, which was used as a pretext by many senators and MPs to withhold support for prime ministerial candidates from the Move Forward or Pheu Thai parties. The meeting started at about 9.30am at the Pheu Thai party head office, during which Pheu Thai core members asked the Move Forward party to backtrack on its policy to amend the lèse majesté law, so that the Pheu Thai party’s prime ministerial candidate can receive support from senators and MPs. Move Forward’s core members refused to budge on the party’s stand, said the source. In the statement, the Pheu Thai party also announced that it will not support any attempt to amend the lèse majesté law and that the Move Forward party will not be included in a coalition government led by Pheu Thai. The party has, however, vowed to push for constitutional amendments, blaming some provisions in the law for the delay in the formation of the government and for causing political crises. It said that charter amendments will be treated as part of the national agenda and will be raised at the first meeting of the new cabinet, to be followed by the formation of a charter-drafting assembly and a referendum to approve the amended charter. The party said that a Pheu Thai-led government would push for several policies mentioned in the memorandum of understanding between the eight coalition parties, which are also in line with the party’s policies, such as marriage equality, the progressive liquor law, reform of the police, the military and the judicial system, decentralisation of governance, replacement of mandatory conscription with voluntary enlistment and the scrapping of all forms of monopoly.

Bangkok Short time (1-2 hours) i’d anticipate minimum 1.5k. LT min 2.5-3. (keep in mind these are minimums) Notable variable is how badly guy is in need of rapid cash infusion. (I.e., end of month and rent due) Another consideration is distance he has to travel.

From what I can gather, Z-Spa was formerly known as ZOO Spa. Talat Phlu station on the Silom Line may be closest BTS stop.

From Reuters Nearly Half a Million Spoiled Ballots in Cambodia PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's election commission said on Tuesday that nearly half a million ballots were spoiled in the national election last month, which critics have called a sham as all opposition parties were barred from contesting. Having ruled for nearly 40 years, Prime Minister Hun Sen will hand over power to his son later this month after the ruling Cambodian People Party (CPP) scored an easy victory in the July 23 election. The CPP won 80% of a total of 8.2 million votes cast, the National Election Committee (NEC) said on Tuesday, the first official announcement of the results. About 440,000 ballots -- or every one in 18 -- were invalidated, the NEC said, adding the election had seen a high turnout of 85%. According to NEC official Dim Sovannarom, the number of spoiled ballots was less than in the 2018 election, when state institutions had also disbanded an earlier incarnation of the pro-democracy opposition Candlelight party.

Pattaya Mail columnist Barry Kenyon chimed in today on the fate of the Elite Visa: The Thai Elite visa, which offers multiple-entry stays between five and 20 years, will totally replace its current packages on October 1 2023. Founded by then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2003, Thailand Privilege Card Company is wholly owned by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. But a new senior management team at Elite has decided to introduce unprecedented changes. All new applications for Elite must be made by September 15 under the existing application rules: after that it will be too late. Current holders of the popular Elite Easy Access – a five year visa available for as cash payment of 600,000 baht – have until August 15 to transfer to a longer Elite visa, usually for 20 years: after that it will be also be too late. Enrolment and renewal fees are likely to rise as the principle of Elite has always been to attract high spenders, wealthy expats and global citizens. The number of packages, some of which include deals for expat families as well as individuals, may well be reduced or combined. Scrutiny of application details will almost certainly be intensified. Currently, files are checked against the Thai immigration database and information held by Thai embassies abroad. This referral might be extended to Interpol after it was found necessary to cancel some Elite members who were involved in “grey” businesses or fraudulent or criminal international activity. Other memberships have been refused to some Elite holders whose original visas were for study or voluntary work – sometimes dubiously issued for untraceable cash during the Covid pandemic. Membership of Elite programs stultified in the few thousand members for many years, but zoomed to over 20,000 in 2022 and is now thought to be nearing 30,000. Well over one third of recent applications are from Chinese citizens, but Thai MPs and tourist authorities have both complained publicly about abuses. For example, visa agents in Chinese cities have been offering under-the-table Elite visas in return for mammoth cash sums. Some abuses have been linked to corruption in Thai immigration and disreputable language schools enrolling absentee learners.

From Pattaya News Thai Police Pledge to Eradicate Foreign Motorcycle Clubs By Tanakorn Panyadee The Royal Thai Police (RTP) are on the hunt for five major foreign motorcycle clubs operating on Thai soil following a crackdown on the notorious Outlaws Motorcycle Club in Pattaya last month. The RTP on July 21st launched a crackdown on the Outlaws group and arrested the alleged Austrian gang leader Thomas Ginner just as he was preparing to flee the country. According to the RTP, Ginner’s motorbike club was notorious for engaging in transnational crimes and was implicated in an incident in which a German gang member named Olaf Thorsten Brinkmann was accused of murdering Hans Peter Walter Mack, a 62-year-old German property broker, in Pattaya last June. Brinkmann was arrested while hiding in a type of cubby hole at an Outlaws clubhouse in Bangkok. Following Brinkmann and his three accomplices’ arrest and a crackdown on the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, the RTP are now targeting five major motorcycle clubs operating in the country. These clubs include Outlaws Motorcycle Club or Outlaws MC, Hells Angels Motorcycle Club or Hells Angels, the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, which is also known as the Bandido Nation, the Mongols Motorcycle Club or the Mongol Brotherhood, and the Vagos Motorcycle Club, which is also known as the Green Nation, the Bangkok Post reported. Most of the clubs are managed by Australian nationals and operate mainly in tourist destinations across Thailand such as Phuket, Koh Samui in Surat Thani, and Pattaya, allegedly targeting foreigners for protection fees in exchange for them to run businesses in the area. They occasionally even abduct or commit murders against foreigners for money, the RTP said. Typically, the gangs do not meddle with Thai people as they know it will land them in trouble more easily than when they do with foreigners. part from Thailand, these gangs have members around the world, allegedly committing various kinds of illegal activities such as narcotic drug distribution, assault, theft, loan-sharking, fraud, money laundering, or murder, the Bangkok Post reported. Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn stated that the gang members tend to favor Thailand due to the lack of strict law enforcement and corrupt officials. He cited the outdated 1979 Immigration Act, which allows foreigners aged above 50 to easily live in Thailand only if they have 800,000 baht in their bank account or an income certificate with a monthly salary not less than 65,000 baht. Due to the existence of these dangerous gangs, aware foreign tourists feel discouraged to visit Pattaya or invest in the Eastern Seaboard, causing huge damage to the country, Pol Gen Surachate said. As part of the efforts, Pol Gen Surachate promised that he would propose an amendment to the immigration law, especially concerning retirement visa extensions, through the police chief once a new government takes office. This aims to filter out bad people and make the law truly helpful for investors or someone who innocently want to live in Thailand. For biker gangs, he ensured that at least one of them, the Outlaws, has been completely weeded out from Pattaya. The police are now extending their investigation to Phuket and Koh Samui.

From The Thaiger Southeast Asia, particularly Bangkok, is showing promising signs of growth in terms of flight traffic, according to Cathay Pacific, which has ranked the Thai capital as one of its stronger-performing flight routes. Post-Hong Kong’s reopening, Cathay has reported a steady ascent, keeping pace with global passenger traffic. One of the airline’s senior executives, Dominic Perret, highlighted Thailand as a key player in the recovery of the Asian sector. To further substantiate this point, in May, the company reported a 53% rise in recovery compared to numbers from 2019. Interestingly, flights from Hong Kong to Bangkok, Singapore and Manila are presenting the strongest growth amongst Cathay Pacific’s Southeast Asia portfolio, which comprises 13 destinations. Perret also emphasised the reciprocal tourism between Thailand and Hong Kong. The former holds considerable allure for Hongkongers and foreigners alike, while Thai tourists show an equal fondness for Hong Kong and Japan. As things stand currently, Cathay Pacific operates five to six daily flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok, a reduced number from the nine it conducted pre-Covid times. The aspiration is to ramp up to at least seven daily flights by early 2024. Adding to the strategic edge, the airline operates one to two daily flights utilizing Airbus A330s that offer more capacity compared to the A321neos used previously. Similarly, for the Bangkok flights, the deployment of wide-body jets like the A350-900s and Boeing777s has garnered an impressive 90% load factor recorded in May, expected to persist through July and August, reported Bangkok Post. athay has now resumed service to all its destinations, bar Myanmar’s Yangon, while growth continues unabated in its efforts to match the flight capacity to 2019 levels. Aiming for a 70% recovery rate for global flights by the year’s end, a full recovery is projected for next year. Key to this upward trend remains a strong recovery in tourism and the overall economy in their aviation hub, Hong Kong. Perret also revealed that the three-runway system at Hong Kong International Airport is slated to commence full-scale operations next year, and the previous shortage of ground personnel across Southeast Asia’s airports has already dissipated. The airline also recently entered a conversion scheme partnership with Siam Piwat’s loyalty programme, linking Asia Miles with Siam Piwat’s VIZ coins, devised to attract more tourists to Thailand. .The group currently holds 222 aircraft in its fleet, with an additional 48 slated to be added by 2028, and 11 expected to be delivered within the year.

The following appeared in the Wall Street Journal weekend edition. Five writers respond to the question: "Have we ruined sex?". Among them is noted gay columnist Andrew Sullivan.

From The Nation Wastewater released off the coast of Koh Lan island has given birth to a boom of plankton, making the sea a murky green in five locations. The Marine and Coastal Resources Department said on Monday that the murky green water was spotted around the island off Pattaya coast in Chonburi province on Saturday. Tourists who had travelled to the island during the long weekend complained in posts on Facebook that this phenomenon had spoiled their vacation. On Monday, the department listed the five sites on its website that had been hit by the plankton boom, namely: • Boat route between Koh Lan and South Pattaya • Na Ban Beach • Ta Waen Beach • Tian Beach • Koh Sak

From Pattaya News Police Seize 15 Motorbikes as Kuwaiti Motorbike Racers Remain a Problem Residents and business operators in South Pattaya are still frustrated with the persistent presence of noisy Middle Eastern street racers gathering at night. Some hotel residents even moved from the area to avoid the unbearable nuisance, according to hotel operators. Police officers from the Pattaya police station raided Soi Yen Sabai in South Pattaya early this morning today, July 31st, following residents’ complaints that young adults, mostly Kuwaiti nationals, had congregated in the alley and caused noise disturbances with their rented modified motorcycles. The complaints stated that these young men revved up their engines, blocked the entire alley with their vehicles, parked in front of houses without permission, and drove loudly up and down the street without any regard for traffic rules. They also claimed the riders never wore helmets and had no valid licenses or insurance. When the police arrived to inspect the situation at 1 AM, they found the road inside Soi Yen Sabai completely blocked by parked motorcycles, making it impossible for regular traffic to pass through. The police then used patrol cars with sirens and made announcements to disperse the Kuwaiti group, but the group seemed indifferent and stood together, watching and somewhat seemingly amused by the authorities. At the end of the operation, the officers seized 15 of the motorcycles that were blocking traffic and would proceed with legal actions against the tourists and the motorbike rental agencies accordingly.