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From Pattaya News Pattaya City has released a schedule for the Pattaya International Fireworks Festival on November 25th to November 26th, 2022. November 25th showtimes: At 7:00 P.M.: The event begins At 7:15 P.M.: Opening ceremony by the Pattaya City Mayor Poramet Ngampichet followed by the Chonburi Governor At 7:30 P.M.: The first fireworks show from Belgium At 7:45 P.M.: The second fireworks show from the Philippines At 8:00 P.M.: Concert from Aof Pongsak At 9:15 P.M.: The third fireworks show from Malaysia At 9:30 P.M.: The fourth fireworks show from Canada At 9:45 P.M. Concert from Three Man Down band At 10:45 P.M. End of program November 26th Showtimes At 7:15 P.M.: The event begins At 7:30 P.M.: The first fireworks show from Canada At 7:45 P.M.: The second fireworks show from the Philippines At 8:00 P.M.: Concert from Rooftop At 9:15 P.M.: The third fireworks show from Belgium At 9:30 P.M.: The fourth fireworks show from Malaysia At 9:45 P.M.: Concert from OG-ANIC & URIUS At 10:45 P.M.: End of program

Cross rates are showing signs of returning to the mean. After peaking just above 38, the USD has corrected to below 36 on declining US interest rate on the 10-year bond. Meanwhile, both the pound and Euro have retraced some lost ground. Although not too much should be read into short-term fluctuations, it could argue for future stabilization. Taken together with increased demand for the local currency, the worst may be behind it for the baht.

Depending on what time you arrive, be prepared for taxi shortage, according to Airports of Thailand (AOT). AOT is reporting only half of taxis registered at Swampy are actually in service, often resulting in long waits. This can be avoided, of course, if you’re prepared to use airport train and connect with either MRT or BTS, or arranging for private car service through hotel or other providers. AOT says it hopes to relieve situation somewhat by working with Grab. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2436012/grab-enlisted-to-ease-suvarnabhumi-airport-taxi-woes

Some of these guys are still in circulation in the Saphan Kwai shops. But there seems to be daily additions of newbies trying their luck. It’s not for Thai only, although farangs certainly in the minority.

From Thai PBS World The Russian Embassy informed the Thai Foreign Ministry today (Thursday) that President Vladimir Putin will not attend the upcoming APEC leaders meeting on 18th and 19th November 2022. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will represent him at the meeting in Bangkok. Putin had earlier pledged to come to Bangkok for the meeting, to express his views on economic cooperation. The war in Ukraine, which Russia started is, however, consuming his time, making it impossible for him to attend. For the ASEAN-related summits in Phnom Penh and the G20 summit in Bali, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Putin. Both summits have invited representatives of Ukraine as guests of the hosts. Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will take part in the two summits. In Phnom Penh, he will sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, along with Spain. In related news, Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo will represent President Yoon Sok Yeol at the APEC meeting. In Phnom Penh, on the side-lines of the ASEAN-related summits, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-Ochoa is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Yoon on 11th November. According to informed diplomatic sources, both sides will discuss their 5-year action plans, to further strengthen their strategic relationship. Korea is also keen to take part in the development of the Mekong sub-region. It has contributed financial assistance worth US$5 million to various Mekong developmental projects. Meanwhile, the Korean Ambassador to Thailand, Moon Seoung-Hyun, went to Phetchabun yesterday, the hometown of Natticha Makaew, the young girl who died in the Halloween crush in Itaewon in Seoul, to attend the funeral with her family. The Korean government has paid compensation for the life lost and for the repatriation of Natticha’s remains.

From Thai PBS World PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Ukraine signed a cooperation treaty with ASEAN on Thursday in a largely symbolic act that comes as Kyiv tries to mobilize international support for the war against Russia. But ASEAN countries failed to reach a consensus to let Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address its summit through a video statement. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba signed the “Treaty on Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia” ahead of the annual summit in Phnom Penh. A total of 50 parties have signed the cooperation pact, which was originally signed among ASEAN member states in 1976 to promote peace and cooperation within the region. It is a prerequisite for countries that want to establish formal partnerships with ASEAN. China, India, the United States, the European Union and Russia are among its other signatories. “Developing strong ties with ASEAN is an important part of Ukraine’s Asia strategy,” Kuleba tweeted after the signing ceremony. The Khmer Times reported that in a recent phone conversation with ASEAN Chairman, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, Ukrainian leader Zelenskyy requested to deliver a video statement during the summit amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. However, it said the Embassy of Ukraine in Vietnam has confirmed that the plan was being cancelled due to a lack of consensus among the bloc’s member states. “Unfortunately, the online address is not being planned anymore,” it said. Kung Phoak, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretary of state and spokesman for the summit, confirmed Thursday that Zelenskyy will miss the opportunity to deliver a video statement during the summit, according to the Khmer Times. “The ASEAN decision must be done in consensus,” he said, noting that after a meeting the bloc could not find consensus on Zelenskyy’s request.

From the Thaiger The Ministry of Transport yesterday approved a motion to increase taxi fares in Bangkok after recent protests by the capital’s cab drivers. The new fares are expected to come into operation in the next two weeks. The Transport Ministry announced a month ago that taxi fares in Thailand would be increased after eight years of stagnation. The department of transport made the price increase conditional – taxi drivers must improve their service and avoid refusing to serve passengers. More than 200 taxi drivers gathered in front of the Transport Ministry office yesterday morning to demand an answer on the fare increases as there had been no development for a month. Last month taxi associations asked the government to increase the standard fare rates. Drivers asked for the basic fee to start at 45 baht for 1,600 to 1,800cc taxis and 50 baht for 2,000cc taxis and above. At the moment, basic fares for every taxi in Thailand start at 35 baht. A journey between 2 to 10 kilometres costs 5.5 baht/kilometre, and a journey between 11 to 20 kilometres onwards costs 6.5 baht/kilometre) The advisor to the Minister of Transport, Wirut Pimpanit, met with four taxi associations yesterday afternoon. Wirut told the associations that the government could not increase the fares they proposed but would compromise. The meeting concluded in an agreement on the new rising price stated below: 1,600 to 1,800 cc taxi cars: The basic fee starts at 35 baht | 2,000 cc taxi cars: The basic fare starts at 40 baht A journey from 2 to 10 kilometres costs 6.5 baht/kilometre A journey from 11 to 20 kilometres costs 7 baht/kilometre A journey from 21 to 40 kilometres costs 8 baht/kilometre A journey from 41 to 60 kilometres costs 8.5 baht/kilometre A journey from 61 to 80 kilometres costs 9 baht/kilometre A journey from 81 kilometres onwards costs 10.5 baht/kilometre In traffic jams or in case taxi cars travel less than six kilometres per hour, the cost will be 3 baht/minute, up 1 baht. The new fares will come into effect in two weeks. Wirut reported that the new fares will apply to about 80,000 taxis in Bangkok only. For taxis in other provinces, the ministry said it would consider fare prices according to the cost of living and the consumer price index (CPI) in each area, especially in touristy areas like Koh Samui in Surat Thani and Phuket.

If this Heineken wants to squeeze more profits out of his empire, let him raise rates just as airlines have raised fares. If consumers are willing to pay his rates, that’s free enterprise. But he’s looking for a “beard” in the form of a government mandate. The Thailand unemployment rate fell to 1.37% in the second quarter of the year. The country can not even attract sufficient foreign workers for its burgeoning construction or food processing industries. There was a recent article that the hospitality industry was having problems attracting service workers. Doesn’t sound like it needs government intervention to me.

Construction workers doing new sidewalks on Silom Rd. made quick work of installing a new entrance/driveway for Soi 4. The new—and outrageously noisy—bar at the opposite side, BiPolar, has become a Friday-Saturday only club 🙂. A new Thai eatery, Silver Sand, occupies it otherwise. It’s worth glancing at the menu if for no other reason than to gaze at the very cute captain within. Although I can’t confirm it, it’s my hope that BiPolar will confine itself to the second floor above the restaurant, thereby hopefully reducing the blare.

I have twice applied successfully for an electronic 60-day tourist visa. It was done through the Thai Immigration portal and processed by nearest Thai consulate. No need to travel there or physically send passport. Cost ($45) paid by credit card. they key to making this as painless as possible is to assemble copies of documents they require before applying and follow step-by-step instructions. The tourist visa can be extended an additional 30 days. See OP. IMO, it’s as easy now to arrive in Thailand as it was pre-Covid. And it you enter by end of March, most westerners get 45 days. As for tourist numbers, most flights are arriving full and carriers are regularly adding capacity. Thai just disclosed that it intends to reactive some of its A380s along with some 777s and A330s.. I can tell you that the number of Japanese tourists has increased markedly in the past few weeks, based on what I see nightly when I walk Soi Thaniya and what massage workers on Soi Six tell me. Visitors from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea also on the upswing.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon The announcement by the head of the Royal Thai Police that some expats can now extend their stay by uploading documents online has caused substantial head scratching by the target groups. At the moment, foreigners already in Thailand who want to stay longer than their initial visa or stamp allows must queue up at immigration bureaux nationwide with their documentation and photos at the ready. The new optional scheme described by police general Damrongsak Kittipraphet is currently a pilot available only in Bangkok with a promise for national implementation later on. The software has not been devised by Thai immigration but by VFS Global, the world’s largest outsourcing and technology services specializing in governments and embassies worldwide. All Thai immigration extensions of stay are currently 1,900 baht (around US$50), but use of the latest scheme will cost an additional 500 or 1,500 or even 5,000 baht fee online to process the application between 1 and 7 days. Cash cows haven’t gone away. However, the pilot scheme requires the applicant in person actually to pick up their new e-visa sticker at Bangkok immigration headquarters at Chaeng Watthana Road by showing their online receipt and their passport. So the scheme is not wholly electronic, only the initial registration, submission of documents and fee payment. The official publicity suggests that queuing at immigration will be thus reduced from about one hour to three minutes, although the generalization is certainly suspect. The website’s supplementary notes point out unsurprisingly that foreigners on overstay cannot avail themselves of the scheme. There is some ambiguity which visas can actually be extended under the pilot. Visitors who have a 30 days visa on arrival, a 60 days tourist visa or a 45 days visa exempt are clearly included as are foreigners with a Thai spouse or dependants and wannabe students too. Those seeking an annual extension of stay based on retirement are specifically excluded, perhaps because the documentation required for them varies a great deal according to the immigration office responsible. Some work permit holders are specified, especially teachers and those employed by government agencies. The published details are at thaiextension.vfsevisa.com Optimists believe the pilot is a first step in the move to create a completely-integrated system online. They point out that Thai embassies worldwide have now mostly adopted an online system which cancels the need for most potential travellers to Thailand to attend the diplomatic mission in person or even to submit their passport for scrutiny. Pessimists see the scheme just announced as a bureaucratic jumble based on confusing software which doesn’t work properly in any case. The history of electronics in Thai immigration procedures is mixed. The online appointments system at offices nationwide collapsed during the Covid pandemic and has not been resuscitated nationwide. On the other hand, the online facility for expats to report their address on a three monthly basis is relatively successful in most areas. All we can say for sure is that Thailand’s historic immigration bureaucracies are well-fortified and unlikely to crumble any time soon. If ever.

From the Thaiger An 18 year old allegedly boasted on social media that he escaped being charged with the murder of a 14 year old boy because his family is rich and powerful. Thai social media is outraged that 18 year old Dome killed 14 year old Fluck and bragged about it on Twitter. Netizens are furious after seeing the trending hashtag on Thai Twitter: “18-year-old kills 14-year-old” (#เด็ก18ฆ่าเด็ก14).The death of Fluck occurred on November 3, at 12.20pm at the young boy’s house in Saen Sook village in the Meung district in the central province of Rayong. Fluck’s family informed Channel 3 reporters that Dome and another teenager visited Fluck’s house to talk outside his home. Fluck refused to go outside and talk to Dome which made him angry so he entered the victim’s home and attacked him, using some broken electric wire to whip Fluck’s head. Fluck’s family tried to separate the two but, in the melee, Fluck fell to the floor and had a seizure. Fluck was sent to hospital immediately for treatment but the teenage boy later died after four days of treatment. The hospital recorded the cause of death as an acute subdural hemorrhage. Dome was arrested after the incident but was later bailed for 20,000 baht. Thai netizens are angry because Dome posted several messages on Facebook showing no remorse, saying that he did not care about the law. He also posted pictures and videos of himself at a party and attending a Loy Krathong event with friends after he was bailed. A voice recording of Dome talking to a friend allegedly admitting that he was a drug dealer and had money was released on Thai social media by an unidentified person.

This CNN article mentions the difficulty in obtaining a ticket but I believe Vinapu does a more concise job in identifying the rationale behind it. New semi-high-speed train makes Laos more accessible than ever The new train travels between the station in Vientiane, pictured, and Boten, near the Chinese border. Phoonsab Thevongsa/Reuters Continues with videos and photos https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/china-laos-semi-high-speed-train/index.html

I walked Sutthisan Winichai Rd. again tonight and looked for Orgasms but found no sign of it. Although I could have missed it, I suspect it’s probably morphed into one of the other shops. These shops seem to experience frequent reincarnations.

I agree. I think that’s why the moderator places the palm of hand (palm out) next to new posters to give us a moment of pause. There have been many new posters who announce themselves with multiple questions (answers that could be obtained with minimal site research) but that’s often the last you hear from them. Few of these result in trip reports or feedback.

If it wasn’t for women, this board would be missing a critical component; posters.

Tarntawan Apartments in process of being gutted. it was managed for many years by Lucas who also managed Tarntawan Hotel and operated Dick’s Cafe on Twilight.

From Bangkok Post Bill Heinecke, the Thai-American chairman of Minor International Pcl that runs more than 500 hotels worldwide, wants Thailand to allow hotels to charge international tourists a surcharge of 300 baht (US$8) per room night to fund the industry’s post-Covid-19 pandemic recovery. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2433012/hotel-tycoon-wants-to-charge-tourists-more-to-fund-recovery

From Coconuts Bangkok Thailand will seek UNESCO status for site of cave rescue saga National parks officials will propose the northern cave where a team of footballers went missing in 2018 be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The cave in Chiang Rai province, where 12 members of the Wild Boars football team and their coach were trapped by floodwaters for 17 days before their rescue, will be nominated for recognition by the U.N. cultural agency as a landmark with historical significance. National parks chief Ratchada Suriyakul said the department has studied the area and authored a decree to help deem it suitable as a possible UNESCO site covering over 12,000 rai (1,920-hectares) across four subdistricts: Wiang Phang Kham, Pong Pha, Pong Ngam and Huai Krai. He said that he hoped it would win UNESCO designation by 2025. Thailand continues to take advantage of the massive world interest in the rescue of the Wild Boars to promote tourism in the impoverished region. After three years of closure, the park reopened in October and sees more than 1,000 daily visitors. A creative agency announced in August that it would spent a billion baht to build a “world-class tourist attraction” where visitors could relive the rescue via a virtual simulation. Not only that, but a handful of movie projects recounting the events have been released including the Ron Howard-directed Thirteen Lives, Netflix’s Thai Cave Rescue (in which Thai officials were directly involved in the project), Cave Rescue (a re-release of 2019’s The Cave featuring Coconuts editor Todd Ruiz), and the National Geographic documentary The Rescue. In 2021, the United Nation’s cultural agency went forward with the controversial decision to bestow heritage status on the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex despite concerns about the longrunning persecution of its ethnic Karen inhabitants. Thailand has six sites recognized for their cultural or natural importance by UNESCO: The Ban Chiang Archaeological Site, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, the Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries, the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, and Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex.

From Coconuts Bangkok The majority of PayPal users in Thailand will no longer be able to use the service next month unless they jump through a series of byzantine and bureaucratic steps that are only available to citizens. A year after it first warned of the change and several subsequent delays, PayPal notified customers this morning that they will not be able to use the service after Dec. 15 unless they take “certain actions” that, while mystifying and poorly explained, will likely be out of reach to most. To comply with a change in regulations meant to combat money laundering by reining in electronic transfers, the global finance giant will shut off private account holders who are not registered under a government digital identity program. To proceed, users must first enter their Thai national ID numbers – sorry, foreign friends, noncitizens seem out of luck here. PayPal said no other forms of identification will be accepted. “For the time being, a Thai national ID is required to enroll … other forms of identification which do not have a 13-digit Thai national ID number, such as a non-Thai passport, work permit, non-Thai Identification card (pink ID), or Thai Permanent Resident Permit cannot be accepted,” it said.

With the exception of Montien, it’s probably safe to say you won’t experience any problem with joiners in Bangkok. I’d include Airbnb properties as also not having any issues. The Tawana (once Ramada branded about 20 years ago) has been closed since Covid and remains so.

File under TIT. From Thai PBS World Seek to withdraw foreign land ownership The government appears ready to do a U-turn on its plan to allow foreign land ownership in Thailand for residential purposes, following widespread opposition to the policy, Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said today (Monday). Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda is expected to ask the cabinet to withdraw the ministerial edict, approved by the cabinet on October 25th, allowing qualified foreigners to buy 0.16 hectares of land, on the condition that they must invest at least 40 million baht for at least three years. To qualify to own land in Bangkok, Pattaya, other municipalities and other areas specified by law, the foreigners must also be wealthy global citizens, wealthy pensioners, those who want to work from Thailand or highly-skilled. Supattanapong said that the edict is currently pending with the Council of State, to “fine-tune” wording, adding that the foreign landownership plan is just an “option”. If there are still people who feel uncomfortable with this plan, he said that the government, for the time being, will have to withdraw the edict for reconsideration and take time to clarify the matter to the people. He also said that the government will have to explain to foreigners why the plan has to be withdrawn.

K-Man and KK also share with each other.

I’ve found that worrying about how you’re relationship is perceived by others Is wasted time and energy. It’s the relationship that you have with the guy in question is what matters. If both of you are comfortable being seen in each other’s company, what others think shouldn’t be an issue. But if either of you are apprehensive, you’re allowing others to dictate how you feel. I go to any place, eat in any place with the most important person in my life and neither of us gives a thought to what others are thinking. This didn’t happen overnight. But once mutual trust is established, other considerations fade away. The happiness I experience far exceeds anything I’ve known in the past. I’m well into my 70’s. If I don’t experience freedom now, when will I feel entitled.

From Coconuts Bangkok People will witness not just krathongs floating in the water tomorrow, but a blood-red moon in the night sky. A total lunar eclipse is expected to be visible around the world Tuesday, the last such celestial occurrence in which the earth, sun, and moon align until 2025 The eclipse is expected to start around 3pm and be visible in Thailand from 5:44pm to around 9pm, according to the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand. Budding astronomers and casual observers can make a trip to any of the public observatories in Chachoengsao, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Songkhla provinces for a closer look. ===================