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From The Nation A festival atmosphere has engulfed Phadung Krung Kasem Canal in central Bangkok, which is hosting vendors, live music, art, and open-air cinema until April 5. The “@ Phadung Krung Kasem” festival was launched on Monday by Dr Suksan Kittisupakorn, deputy permanent-secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The canalside event spans 800 metres from Nopphawong Bridge to Charoen Sawat Bridge (Rama IV Road) behind Hua Lamphong Railway station. The festival runs from 2pm to 10pm every day from March 27 until April 5. Visitors can enjoy arts exhibitions, music and stage performances, booths selling OTOP and Bangkok Brand products made by local communities, a-million-baht selfie spot, open-air movie screening, and food from over 100 vendors.

KK Massage: LINE ร้าน KK Massage 23 This may be a good starting point. When I first began visiting the shop last year it had a stable that included Myanmar guys. There are numerous shops in the Saphan Kwai area but masseurs constantly move around because they are all free agents and not necessarily regular staff like you'll encounter in the Silom shops. What I enjoyed most about patronizing these shops was their ASEAN-wide representation, with a strong representation of Lao guys who rarely disappoint.

From Coconuts Bangkok Dear Songkran revelers, if you like to drink and/or show your body off, there will be no place for you at city-sanctioned events this year, according to City Hall. Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said yesterday that people (read: women) won’t be allowed to wear revealing clothes during the upcoming festivities which fall April 13-15. Among other rules are no booze sales, no use of high-pressure water guns, and no smearing of powders on faces or other body parts. Every Songkran in recent years has been accompanied by a drumbeat of browbeating and fretting over its tendency to turn lewd and drunk as people let loose and shed essential clothing along with their inhibitions. Few things wind up the City Fathers like unabashed women in control of their bodies. Despite repeated threats that the wet days of Songkran will be dry of alcohol, that has only been the case at official city events. Although Chadchart was vague, it’s highly unlikely a general booze ban will be declared anywhere in Bangkok during Songkran. The city will organize events April 12 through April 14 in the old quarter’s Lan Khon Muang square, located between City Hall and the Giant Swing. Officials also promised to release a map showing designated areas in Bangkok’s 50 districts where water fights are allowed, almost as if anyone will heed it. The online map will rate different areas by the intensity of water splashing and overall wetness. This year’s Songkran festivities will mark the first free of any COVID-19 restrictions in four years.

From Wikipedia The Chao Mae Tuptim shrine (Thai: ศาลเจ้าแม่ทับทิม, RTGS: Thapthim, also known as Penis Shrine[1) is a phallic shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, located behind the Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok near the bank of the Khlong Saen Saep. The shrine was created in the first quarter of the 20th century by Thai businessman Nai Lert (1872-1945), who found a spirit house floating in the klong and placed it on the bank of his property. In Thailand, the phallus is considered to be a symbol of good luck and also a representative of fertility. The shrine is one of the best examples of intentional phallic architecture in the world. The site, which measures roughly 60 by 70 feet (18 m × 21 m), is now "crammed with carved" wooden penis statues, which are said to possess special cosmic powers and endow good fortune and fertility on anybody coming into contact with them. The size of the penis statues, which number well over 100, is said to range "[from] the size of a cream doughnut to the size of a canoe"; some are huge, some are humorous and painted pink to closely resemble a human phallus.

From Thai PBS World by Nad Bunnag, Thai PBS World Koh Larn, an island lying in the Gulf off Pattaya, has been attracting thousands of local and foreign tourists for decades, but this has undeniably led to a mountain of garbage, resulting in an enormous landfill on the small island. “In the past, about 10 tonnes of garbage were generated each day on Koh Larn but, because the number of tourists has been increasing, the amount of garbage has doubled,” said Manoch Nongyai, deputy governor of Pattaya City. As much as 25 tonnes of waste is dumped into this landfill every day. The site now contains an estimated 70,000 tonnes, with about 20,000 above ground and the remainder buried beneath it. “Most of the garbage here is plastic waste which cannot be recycled,” Manoch said. “There are also wood and other construction materials that we place at the back of the landfill, because this type of garbage cannot be disposed of through burning.” In the past, most of the trash from Koh Larn was shipped to Pattaya for disposal, until the Interior Ministry imposed new regulations on waste management in 2015. This eventually led to garbage piling up on the island. “The new ministerial regulation states that wherever the waste is generated, we have to dispose of it there. So, we cannot nolonger ship the waste over to Pattaya,” said Manoch. The mountain of garbage there has been a long-standing problem for people in the community. There does now, however, seem to be a way out. The local government plans to complete the installation of two incinerators this year, with the capacity to burn at least 50 tonnes per day of the waste at the landfill, including newly-generated waste. The deputy mayor predicts, however, that it will take at least 7 years to burn all of the accumulated waste in the landfill. Burning waste also raises concerns over the negative environmental impacts. The deputy mayor offered a reassurance that the use of incinerators has been carefully considered, to reduce the impact on the environment and the residents. “At first, we were quite concerned [about the negative impacts],” he said, “but then we looked into which type of incinerator would be most suitable for the island. So, we decided on an incinerator that uses extreme heat and doesn’t emit smoke. We do not believe that it will ruin the island’s image or the environment, because [the landfill] is in the middle of the island. So, we have to take care of the island’s environment.”

On the contrary. Many of the Saphan Kwai shops post penis size along with photo. I've found them to be consistent with what you encounter in the flesh.

Don't know how the Florida lady would come down on this phallus display but Thais don't seem to have any problem with it. PHOTO: Khaosod Online From The Pattaya News This particular tree scientifically known as a hairy keruing was swarmed by hundreds of locals in a small town of the Khon Buri district of Nakhon Ratchasima after a merchant in the area claimed that he had won a six-million-baht lottery prize after begging for good luck from this tree. All types of typical Thai offerings, such as sweet food, red Fanta, flowers, incense, and three-colored fabric, were laid and tied around the trunk of the tree by those hoping to receive good luck and fortune.

Barry Kenyon chimed in today on the outlook for an extension of the 45-day Visa on Arrival scheme which expires March 31. Here's some excerpts from his column in the Pattaya Mail: "The argument in favour of extending the visa exempt and visa on arrival schemes to the end of 2023 is to boost the number of international tourists to Thailand in the post-covid environment. Conversely, it can be argued that the Thai tourist revival is proving so popular that additional visa privileges are hardly necessary. Moreover, adverse publicity about foreigners (mostly but not entirely Chinese) paying cash to receive corruptly long stay visas has prompted proposals that more power should be placed in the hands of Thai embassies abroad to award tourist and longstay visas rather than encouraging a free-for-all. Other potential ambiguities include the number of same day visa runs which would be permissible and documentary requirements by Thai embassies abroad when awarding visas within their particular remit. It is also possible that any announcement could be delayed till after March 31 as, during the pandemic, immigration news was not uncommonly delayed post-deadline. A final issue is that the current caretaker government, awaiting the May 14 general election, is unlikely to approve new groundbreaking immigration rules. After all, This Is Thailand."

Not to mention Thai Hot Guys.

Since I don't think of any of the massage shops as being il-legitimate, you can get the same results in most any of the ones in Silom area. I'm not quite sure if a handjob is considered "no sex" but good luck with your pursuit.

All good suggestions. You may also want to check out massage locations that feature guys from Myanmar such as some of those shops on Sutthisan Winichai Rd. in Saphan Kwai area.

From Thailand News Agency BANGKOK, March 27 – The Royal Thai Police has developed a mobile application called “Tourist Police i lert u” for foreign visitors to Thailand to be able to seek help from the police in cases of emergency. application is operated with the Global positioning System (GPS), and can be downloaded free of charge from both iOS and android systems, said Deputy Government Spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek. Once downloaded, tourists may click “Request” to seek help, and send information and photos at the scene of accident to the War Room (1155 tourist police Hotline), which has officers on stand-by around the clock. The information will, then, be forwarded to local police nearby to provide immediate help. In the meantime, the police will call back to the registered phone number to provide initial help and advice. Languages available for communication with the tourist police are: English, Chinese, Russian, Korean, French, German, ASEAN and Arabic. (TNA) ==================

From Pattaya News The Phuket Immigration revealed to the Thai media that two foreigners received red cards and four foreigners received a yellow card this month, March 2023, so far. Phuket Immigration reported that there are in total 181 foreigners in the legal process of criminal cases. Most of them are Russian, French, British, Myanmar, and Cambodian. The most criminal cases are in Patong. Most cases are drunk driving, following by overstaying, illegally entering the kingdom, and working without a work permit. According to Phuket Immigration the system is indeed like a football game. Red cards in sports mean leaving a sport field but in terms of Immigration it means withdrawing one’s visa and requiring the foreign national to immediately depart Thailand. The length of a ban for entry to Thailand under the red card rule varies based on the severity of the crime. However, many foreigners don’t know about Thai culture or Thai laws, Phuket Immigration noted. As a result, many foreigners claimed when arrested or told about penalties based on their behavior that they didn’t know the law or rules or claimed that nobody had clearly told them the laws or rules. Many claimed they saw other people do the same type of crime or rule violation and not get penalized and felt they could do so also or asked why others were not penalized and they were. Phuket Immigration has set up a measurement tool for the red card and yellow card system. For the first time one did something wrong, they gave them yellow cards for a warning and reported their behavior to consulates. If they did it again, they will receive red cards. Their visa will be withdrawn and will be deported as previously stated.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Police from the Technology Crime Suppression Division worry that the English love of annual fun on April 1 has been adopted by Thais on social media in the last few years. So they are again reminding everyone this week that the (vague) computer crimes act lays down penalties ranging from 100,000 baht fine to five years in jail for false data which is likely to damage the country’s security, or might cause a panic, or could simply damage other people. To date, no actual prosecutions have ever occurred arising from the first of April’s “speak play” or “poot len”, howbeit with a couple of near misses. The advent of coronavirus in early 2020 led to a spate of longlasting Fool jokes about protecting yourself by drinking cow urine or sleeping with a sliced onion, but police expect this year to see a switch to politics with a general election due in mid May. For example, the current prime minister general Prayut Chan-o-cha was first parodied as Times magazine’s “man of the year” in 2017 in a falsehood which has appeared regularly in Thai social media ever since. And Thai political humor can be a great deal nastier than that. Last year, ThaiVietjet was threatened with prosecution after staff without permission posted an April 1 hoax message about a new air route to Germany which, some said, insulted the revered monarchy. In 2021, a Thai citizen was ordered to take down a Facebook account which claimed without evidence that there were earthworms instead of meat in a popular burger. Several people ended up in hospital after reading about what they had just eaten. One even tried to sue the social media platform. Fortunately, most Thai April Fool jokes haven’t attracted official attention. There have been “fun” reports in the past that tuk tuk rides in Bangkok would be free for one day, that the latest ice cream flavor was pork chunks and that shrimp cocktail was now a popular choice in the Kit Kat chocolate selection. Foreigners have also joined in over the years to claim variously that Thailand was changing from driving on the left to the right, that the last survivor of the Titanic had died on Jomtien beach and that the 90 day address report for expats had been abolished. According to Martin Wainwright, author of The Guardian Book of April Fools Day, one sour note is that genuine news coming out on April 1 may not be believed. In 2004 Google launched its email service with huge 1-gigabyte inboxes which many thought was a joke and technologically impossible at the time. Google later abandoned all April Fool jokes because of the confusion they can create. You got that one right Big Brother.

From The Nation Bangkok is fifth on Airbnb’s list of top trending global travel destinations for this year, with foreign tourists expected to return in full swing for the Songkran festival next month. Searches for what is known as “the world’s largest water fight” rose 310% year on year, the online marketplace for short-term homestays said. Bangkok is the most-searched Thai destination for the annual water festival, followed by Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi, and Phuket, said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s general manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. “With Songkran just around the corner, we are delighted to see the significant resurgence in international travel to Thailand on Airbnb,” Bajaj said. The surge in searches signals a strong recovery for tourism in Thailand, Bajaj said. “The growing excitement among global travellers to experience the country’s scenic natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, delicious local cuisine, and world-class Thai hospitality, is extremely encouraging,” he added. Nights booked in Thailand on Airbnb’s platform more than doubled last year, with international travel leading the way. Travellers from the United States made up the majority of Airbnb guests visiting Thailand in 2022, followed by those from the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region, including South Korea, Australia, and China.

From Nikkei TOKYO -- Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai prime minister ousted by the military in 2006 who has lived in self-exile since 2008, said that he expects Thailand to have a coalition government after the May 14 general election even if the largest opposition Pheu Thai Party wins a majority in the lower house. "I believe it will be a coalition government, definitely," Thaksin told Nikkei Asia in an exclusive interview in Tokyo, adding that he is confident Pheu Thai will win at least 250 seats in the 500-seat chamber. Thaksin also told Nikkei that he would not want the new government to issue an amnesty allowing him to return home, however strongly Pheu Thai performs. He will return to Thailand of his own accord at some stage, even if it means serving a jail term. "I think about going home all the time, but I don't want the government to issue an amnesty for me," he said. Thaksin declined to say whether Pheu Thai is making any deals with other political parties to form a new government. "I am just a founder of the party -- not a member -- so what I can do is observe the election from a distance," he said. Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire telecom tycoon, gained prominence in Thai politics in 1998 when he founded the Thai Rak Thai Party, which won a landslide election victory in 2001. He set up a single-party government after a number of small parties were absorbed by Thai Rak Thai, which literally means 'Thais Love Thais.' Thailand's House of Representatives was dissolved on March 20, paving the way for a general election on May 14, when more than 52 million eligible voters will have the opportunity to elect a new government. This follows nine years of military-dominated rule that produced Thailand's 20th constitution and imposed an unelected Senate able, among other things, to dictate the choice of prime minister. Of the 500 seats in the lower house, 400 have been assigned to local constituencies, and 100 are allocated on a party list basis from the overall election result to provide an element of proportional representation. Thaksin is fielding his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to lead the Pheu Thai election campaign, but it is unclear if she will be its prime minister candidate. Thaksin was the first elected Thai prime minister to go full term, and in 2005 was reelected with 377 seats. His youngest sister, Yingluck Shinawatra was elected prime minister in 2011, and removed in 2014 by court order shortly before the current prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, staged his coup as army chief. Pheu Thai was set up in 2007 as a reincarnation of Thai Rak Thai. It won the largest number of seats in the 2019 election, but without a majority was unable to form a coalition government.

The massage shop guys I keep in touch with (all in Silom area) report having a minimum of two customers today and on busy weekend days 3-4. I mentioned this before but I think it's worth repeating here. They much prefer older (grandfather type) clients because they consistently tip better and are more appreciative and respectful. Younger clients (particularly those from northeast Asia where is no tipping culture) are generally poor tippers. I believe the "ickiness" factor is a more western concept. I have yet to experience it and I'm certainly older enough to be their grandfather. I wouldn't be returning 2-3 times a year to bkk if I did.

If news out of the US State Department is any indicator, the desire to travel is continuing unabated. Washington CNN — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday the State Department is facing an “unprecedented demand” for passports, and has increased staffing and resources to deal with it. Blinken said the current wait time for a regular passport is “about ten to thirteen weeks, and for an expedited passport about seven to nine weeks.” The State Department is “getting 500,000 applications a week for passports,” which is 30 to 40% more applicants this year than last year, Blinken told a House Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing. He noted that the department had launched a pilot online renewal platform so Americans who already have a passport can renew online, but it has “now halted it to make sure that we can fine tune it and improve it before we roll it out in a bigger way.” “We expect that 65% of renewal customers for passports will be able to do so online once this program is fully up and running,” Blinken said. “I think it’s really important that we be as clear and transparent as possible with people who are looking for passports to know what they can expect,” he said. On visas, Blinken said delays have begun to improve. The priority is the categories “for students, for temporary workers, for business travelers, maritime crews,” he said, noting, “we’ve tried to make sure that they are served and we are at pre-pandemic levels or better in those categories.”

A little known fact about an aircraft's "attitude" at cruising altitude may help explain the one-inch deviation: From Airliners.net The incidence angle of the aircraft at cruise altitude is based on the specific airfoil (wing profile), the fuselage profile, and the center of gravity of the aircraft in particular. It so happens that most airliners have an aerodynamics combination that require a positive fuselage incidence angle in order to stay level at cruise - resulting in a slightly nose up position at cruise.

From CNN Some thrill seekers describe bungee jumping as a near-death experience, but few come quite as close as one man who managed to survive his cord snapping in Thailand. Footage of the terrifying ordeal went viral this week after the 39-year-old tourist from Hong Kong went public with his story. The tourist, who asked to use only his first name Mike to avoid online harassment, took a swan dive off of a 10-story-high podium in the town of Pattaya while on holiday in January this year. Fortunately, the jump was made over a body of water. The bungee rope snapped milliseconds before Mike neared the bottom of his jump, slamming him into the water below. “I landed on my left side so the injuries were more serious there,” Mike told CNN, recounting how he was left covered in bruises. “It was as if someone just beat me up real bad.” “It was really high so I closed my eyes. I planned to open my eyes again when I bounced back up,” said Mike. “I realized the cord had snapped when I opened my eyes and I was surrounded by water.” He managed to resurface and swim despite his feet being tied together by the lower half of the snapped bungee cord. His plunge was witnessed by friends who were with him at the Changthai Thappraya Safari and Adventure Park. Located in the northwest of Pattaya, the amusement park offers activities ranging from ziplines to live-round shooting. Mike said the park refunded the cost of his jump and paid for x-ray and ultrasound scans in Thailand. Continues with video https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/tourist-survives-bungee-jump-fall-in-thailand-after-cord-snaps/ar-AA18YK5Z

From The Nation Three new cases of monkeypox have been detected in Thailand, raising the number to 18 since the first was detected in July of last year, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said on Friday. The three patients hospitalized with the infectious disease are all men, and their ages range from 21 to 40 years, DDC director-general Dr Tharet Krutnairawiwong told a press conference. Two of the men were close friends, Tharet said. He said one of the three patients is a foreigner. All three patients had mild cases and are recovering at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute. After three weeks – when they are no longer contagious – they will be discharged from the hospital, Tharet said. Since Thailand classified monkey pox as a serious communicable disease requiring close surveillance on May 25 last year, a total of 18 cases have been detected in Thailand, including the three new cases. The first case was detected on July 21 last year. Investigations of the three new cases convinced health officials that the men were admitted to hospital before they were able to spread the virus, Tharet said. The virus is spread through contact with an infectious blister or through sex with infected people.

Nice facilities. Good to hear it's near Blue Line stop. Looking over photo array, Pae (aka, Pea) was working at 365 The River shop during my last visit. 👍

News article out of Phuket reports that the crackdown was fallout from human trafficking arrests in a Patong bar that had ripple effects, triggering spot checks in Pattaya and Bangkok.

From The Thaiger Airports of Thailand (AOT) is ready to invest US$1 billion (36.8 billion baht) to improve and expand the capacity of the low-cost terminal of Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, AOT announced yesterday. AOT plans to increase capacity from 30 million to 40 million passengers per year by 2029, with construction beginning this year, according to a statement from AOT. The project will “increase national income as a whole such as income from tourism, income from service sector related to tourism,” AOT said. AOT plans to add 12 aircraft parking stands and 11 jet bridges to Don Mueang, according to the statement. Once complete, the airport’s capacity will almost rival that of Suvarnabhumi Airport which can handle 45 million passengers per year.

The lie-flat economy concept is a spinoff on the existing crew sleeping pods that long-haul aircraft are equipped with for the attendants and relief pilots on break. The problem I see with them is what do you do with passengers when it's time for landing, take-off and meal service when they need to be seated upright. At the moment premium economy is probably the better option for those wanting greater recline and seat pitch. A typical 787 arrangement: