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ANA's new business class product on refurbished 777's.

Good to hear that Patpong's primo venue is coming back to life. But if it just becomes a bigger Dreamboys I might not be so excited. On the flip side, that opens up a good-sized, ground-level venue for other takers.

Eighth monkeypox case reported The Thai News Agency is reporting that Thailand's eighth monekeypox case. He is described as a 23-year-old Thai man who was a service worker in Qatar. the 23-year-old man did not have any underlying illness. He was a service provider in Qatar and had sex with a man who had blisters on his back. The Thai man fell sick on Sept 8. He had fever, shivering, headache, fatigue, muscle and back pain, no appetite and about 15 blisters on his hand, arm, back, buttocks and anus. He arrived in Thailand on Sept 13 and then met two Thai friends. They did not touch his skin or blisters. On Sept 14, he went to the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute for a diagnosis. A doctor collected samples from him for tests and found later he got monkeypox.

From Coconuts Bangkok Miami’s infamously rowdy hip-hop festival Rolling Loud is rolling into Pattaya next year during Songkran. Organizers announced this evening that the festival will fill three days in April at Pattaya’s Legend Siam amusement park. Although there was no lineup announced, organizers said the festival would feature 66 artists on two stages. Big-name headliners from the United States regional artists are expected to be announced come November. The festival will kick off in the afternoon April 13 to 15 and continue until late. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/lifestyle/pattaya-will-be-rolling-loud-in-songkran-at-worlds-largest-hip-hop-fest/

To enjoy relatively good health and being able to continue visiting SE Asia on a regular basis. In other word, more of the same--which has served me well over he past 22 years.

From Channel News ASIA SINGAPORE: Passengers flying out of Changi Airport will have to pay more in airport fees and levies from Nov 1 as the aviation industry continues to recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. Travellers on flights departing from Changi Airport currently pay a fee of S$52.30 - comprising S$35.40 in passenger service and security fee (PSSF), S$6.10 in aviation levy and S$10.80 in airport development levy. From Nov 1 to Mar 31 next year, the amount will go up to a total of S$59.20. That's after the passenger service and security fee increases to S$40.40 and the aviation levy rises to S$8. The passenger service and security fee will subsequently go up again in phases from Apr 1, 2023, and Apr 1, 2024. Announcing the charges on Thursday (Sep 15), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) noted that planned increases were announced in 2018, but they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reading an article in today's Thaiger, I discovered that I--and I assume most readers of this forum--are best described by what the author says is a rude word in Thai: ngean. Nisamanee “Nat” Lertworapong, a transgender You Tuber with 1.74 million Facebook followers, has been criticized for teaching the word to a Singaporean citizen. The author claims it means "horny." It would be disingenuous of me to feign offense if I was accused of being horny. In fact, it's a quality I quite admire in Asian men. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thai-youtuber-criticised-after-teaching-rude-word-to-foreigner

NOTE -- I visited the museum shortly after it first appeared on the scene (Patpong 2, opposite Foodland) and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. The exhibits concentrat on iPatpong's history and made little reference to post-Twilight developments. I mentioned the advent of gay clubs on to he scene with the curator. He acknowledged the changes and I left hopeful that issue may be revisited. I was pleased to see that The Madrid was included in the historical perspective. Enjoyed a gin and tonic at the museum's retro bar and Vinapu will be heartened to know that it contained more gin than tonic. From Thaiger / BK Asia Curious to find out more about the world’s oldest profession? Do sex workers enjoy their work? Do they have a partner outside of working hours, and do they think prostitution should be legalized? All of these questions and more will be answered by two Bangkok sex workers at the Patpong Museum on Saturday, September 17, from 5-8pm, where you are welcome to go along, meet and chat with the girls. The Patpong Museum reveals the told and untold stories about the history of Bangkok’s best-known red-light district. The museum has an interactive wall of fame that introduces you to the colorful characters that make up the area’s rich story, from action movie star Claude Van Damme and the iconic David Bowie, to the US marine and CIA agent, Tony Poe, believed to be the inspiration for Apocalypse Now’s Colonel Kurtz. You can take a 50 minutes’ tour and there is a virtual reality x-rated show and a 1970s-style bar where you can enjoy a drink or two. The Q&A session with the two Bangkok sex workers is available in both Thai and English, tickets are 350 baht, and you must be 18 and over to attend. What are you waiting for? Register here or visit the museum at 5/2 Thanon Patpong, Suriyawong, Bang Rak.

Fee of 45-50 baht but more at Thai airports? From the Thaiger A taxi fare increase of about 45 to 50 baht was proposed by drivers in Thailand yesterday while standing or idling in traffic is expected to be fixed at about five baht per minute. The President of the Thai Public Taxi Association, Sadit Jaitiang, reported yesterday that the association met with the Deputy Director of the Land Transport Department, Sirirat Weerasarn, to discuss the new Thai taxi fares. Sadit said there were four relevant departments at the meeting, including Suvarnabhumi Taxi Coordination Association, and Electric Taxi Association, and every association debated the fare increase. Sadit revealed they proposed the new fares to the Land Transport Department according to the details below: 1,600 to 1,800 cc taxi cars: The basic fee starts at 45 baht 2,000 cc taxi cars: The basic fare starts at 50 baht For both types of taxi cars: A journey from 2 to 20 kilometres costs 10 baht/kilometre A journey from 21 to 40 kilometres costs 11 baht/kilometre A journey from 41 to 60 kilometres costs 12 baht/kilometre A journey of 61 kilometres onward cost 13 baht/kilometre In a jam when taxi cars move about 25 kilometres per hour, the fare will cost five baht per minute A service charge for taxi service in airports is 75 to 90 baht according to the size of the car and engine According to the report, the Land Transport Department acknowledged the request and said it would consider the fares at a future meeting. The department will meet with the associations again at the beginning of October to conclude and set the fare rate. Sadit added that some people urged the Thai taxi drivers to improve their service if they wanted fare increases. Sadit said the Land Transport Department has to support, encourage, and host training to train taxi drivers.

I think most would suggest Freshboys for a bar experience. Would also consider massage shops that have been posted about here. The location some members have recommended for a very good chance of finding the guy your looking for would be K-Man Spa adjacent to Saphan Kwai BTS stop. But you don't have to get on a train. If you're not shy, just walk by shops in Silom-Surawong. If you spot a guy outside a shop who makes eye contact and smiles, start a conversation (use Google Translate if necessary) and see where it goes. Even if he doesn't fit the bill, others may step forward or he may recommend a friend. Use the search function for terms like "trip report" and massage shops".

From the Thaiger Airbnb says more tourists in Thailand are opting for ‘off-the-beaten-track’ destinations, benefiting the environment and local economies. Thailand’s usual top tourist destinations are places with international airports – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Phuket. According to Airbnb, more tourists are venturing out of these hubs and into “lesser-known” destinations such as Koh Lanta, Trat, Pai and Cha-Am. Continues with photos https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/more-tourists-are-venturing-into-rural-thailand

From The Thaiger Thai teenagers are more at risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV infection than adults says the Thai government and that is why it has approved a budget of nearly four million baht to tackle the issue. The Deputy Spokeswoman of the PM Office, Ratchada Thanadirek, revealed that people aged between 15 to 24 years old are more likely to get an HIV infection, and an STD, especially gonorrhoea. Ratchada made known that Thailand had 520,000 HIV cases last year, the figure is expected to increase by 6,500 cases this year and that most of those people would be aged between 15 to 24 years old. Ratchada explained that the government approved a budget of 3.9 billion baht for the National Health Security Office to take care of HIV and Aids patients. Ratchada added that the Division of AIDS and STDs would launch an official account named “Stand by you” on the Line application to allow people to ask questions about HIV and Aids, ask for a free test, and request medicine. Ratchada said the government planned to control the spread of HIV by 2030. They hoped the official Line account would make HIV tests and information about HIV and Aids more accessible, especially among teenagers. This would lead to more awareness among teenagers about the dangers of the diseases. The government would also like to emphasise the benefits of using condoms too.

Good point. When using computers or other devices that are property of employer, anything you write, any place you wander on the net can legally be accessed by the system administrator. Their is no assurance of any privacy whatsoever. I don't want to take this thread any more off topic than I have but this extract from an article on the topic sums it up pretty well I thought. (BYOD = bring your own device). The lines continue to blur between personal and business use of technology, and the rise of BYOD probably bears much of the blame. This has occurred despite the fact that many organizations do define those lines in “acceptable use” policies that govern use of corporate IT assets, including on-premises internet access and employer-issued laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Whether at work or school, many of us have agreed to such acceptable use and/or security policies — and soon forgotten or outright disregarded them. In fact, many people are comfortable treating employer-issued devices as their own — even if it means exposing sensitive information, increasing their vulnerability to phishing, or flaunting their organization’s security policy. https://www.proofpoint.com/us/security-awareness/post/employees-take-risks-when-using-corporate-devices-personal-tasks

There's nothing to prevent an individual from sharing their password to various types of accounts in advance of their death. Whether that password can be legally used post death is subject to "terms of use" and any applicable law. In the US there are legal services that offer to facilitate the process for estate planning purposes. This opens up the discussion as to what accounts an individual may NOT wish to be accessed after their death. Do you really want anyone to have access to your email, blogs (i.e., this one, Grindr, etc.), LINE, phone records, texts, Instagram, FB, Twitter). In many cases, I'd suspect the answer is no. So we all have some thinking to do. We may have very good reasons for providing our executor and/or attorney with financial account information. On the other hand, we may wish to direct the same individual to destroy any record of other on-line accounts (and passwords) upon our death. We may well wish to discuss our wishes now with that person (executor) who will be going through our things after we pass.

In my state alone, the state treasurer holds more than $2 billion in money and valuables that's unclaimed by its legal owners. Four years ago, while browsing the treasurer's website with names of individuals, I discovered that my late father (who had died 21 years earlier) had unclaimed funds. After providing all the required documentation I was sent a check for the balance. It came to $12.58. Why? because the bank that been holding it for the maximum time allowed had been charging annual account maintenance fees that whittled away the principal on deposit. How did this happen? My father left no record of the account that even he himself may have forgotten about in his retirement. This prompted me to keep my executor (trust attorney) provided with a current list of all my accounts and investments. He didn't want the passwords, just the information he needed to settle my estate without probate. (In most US states, your trust must be named as the beneficiary of accounts in order to avoid probating the trust).

Alan Alda will always be Hawkeye

From the Thaiger Last night, Samui Cruise hosted a launch party in Koh Samui after its test run for a new cruise ferry route between Koh Samui and Pattaya. The service is expected to launch later in the month though exact departure dates have not been set. The boat journey takes 0ver 12 hours in each direction and is planned to depart at 5pm from Pattaya and Samui, arriving at the destination port by 8am. The number of journeys each week has not yet been announced. The operators of the boat told The Thaiger that they look forward to launching the regular service aboard their Seahorse Ferry boat. “SPcruise will be ready to service our cruise from Pattaya to Koh Samui roundtrip by late September 2022, all information will be launched via www.SPcruise.com in due time.” The boat is more like a cruise ship than a ferry boat, boasting seating options ranging from an entry level reclining seat, to a capsule bed, all the way to first class private quarters that look practically like a hotel room. Prices for the different seats, beds, and room types but it is believed that rooms will be somewhere around the 3,000 baht mark for the overnight journey. The ferry boat also does not skimp on facilities, with a restaurant, spa and massage services, and a variety of nightlife entertainment options. Like a cruise, the boat is fully fitted with a bar, karaoke bar, and a disco. Transporting a car or motorbike is easy as well, as the ship boasts two levels of car parking. The test run departed Pattaya on Friday late afternoon and arrived to fanfare in Koh Samui yesterday, A collection of travel industry professionals were invited to an opening night gala aboard the ferry boat featuring an open bar, impressive food spread and live music to celebrate the launch of the new route.

The posts in this thread and recent others suggests that those individuals we remember most intently were those who engaged us in ways that others did not. Although it may have been great sex that initially sparked the relationship, the guys we write about seem to have a common denominator: they reached us on an emotional level that left us feeling more whole and better about ourselves than our typical offs. Hopefully these pages will help us deal with aftermath of those often tragic deaths, and come to some kind of peace in our hearts

Good thing I got a refundable ticket. 😊

News reports are confirming first-hand accounts I've been getting from some workers in the Silom area of heavier than usual rain this season. Although the flooding isn't said to be as bad as in 2011, the volume of rain could be the most in two decades. Authorities today are predicting up to three more months of above-average rainfall. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bangkoks-seasonal-floods-reveal-the-problem-of-short-term-thinking/ This certainly isn't changing my travel plans but I am mentally preparing on how it may affect my daytime schedule--and possibly for he better. Although I may have to curtail some plans for outdoor activity I hope to substitute those last-minute changes with increased visits to massage shops. Duck in for a 90-minute rub and a thunderstorm could spend itself by the time I emerge.

Even if something did happen to him back home, how would his family know to notify you? As Kipling wrote in Kim, "If I die today, who shall bring the news--and to whom?"

If you can't live your life at home as you want because of how contemporaries might judge you, there's no reason why you can't catch a flight to BKK (or Mexico, or Brazil) where you're unknown and live that life. It's been my experience that no one gives a shit who's walking beside you. I frequently walk around Bangkok with guys young enough to be my grandson and nobody cares. No, I don't hold their hands but I have no desire to. We just walk and talk like everybody else. I go to restaurants well outside the Silom area and we're greeted like everyone else. I go to malls and movie theaters and other attractions without a second thought. People are too busy enjoying themselves. Don't take my word for it. Take Morgan Freeman's: "Get busy living or get busy dying." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6v_eSNVxec

Malaysia has joined other ASEAN countries in managing to extract victims of human traffickers from Cambodia. News reports in recent months from Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and other nations have described how Chinese gangs operating in Cambodia lured foreigners with the promise of high-paying jobs only to confiscate their passports and force them to work in casinos or boiler room scams aimed at defrauding their fellow countrymen. Those who refused to work were reportedly abused and their families forced to pay huge sums to gain their elease. From the Associated Press KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s foreign minister on Friday brought 24 Malaysians back from Cambodia who were rescued from human traffickers, out of a total of 148 citizens he said have been reported missing in the country. Saifuddin Abdullah said 65 of the 148 missing Malaysians were rescued and brought home earlier, and 29 others are still at immigration centers in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville and will be sent home when their paperwork and investigations are completed. Another 30 remain missing, officials said.. The Malaysians, mostly young people, were lured by fake offers of high-paid work in Cambodia and ended up in the hands of human traffickers and were trapped there, he said. Saifuddin didn’t provide details on how the 24 people who returned Friday were tricked into going to Cambodia or how long they were trapped. The victims, who appeared at a news conference with Saifuddin, were mostly masked and didn’t speak to reporters. Saifuddin said such job scams are not unique to Cambodia and have been reported in other places, including South Africa. About 500 Malaysian companies operate in Cambodia, and 5,000 Malaysians work or do business safely there, he said. “What is most important is that they are coming back to Malaysia today safe and sound. We do not want to go into the details,” Saifuddin said. “There is no guarantee we can stop it (job scams) but we will try our level best.”

King Bhumibol Adulyadej welcomes Queen Elizabeth to the Kingdom in 1996. Two of the longest serving monarchs in history will be long remembered for service to country above self. (Photo from The Nation)

From Coconuts Bangkok Bangkok’s hotels large and small had a resounding message today for guests wanting to blaze up: not here. Though weed is now so legal that its sellers will soon outpace 7-Elevens, tourists flying in to score some ganja could be in for a rude awakening – without the baking – at their hotel of choice. “Absolutely not,” a representative from Novotel Bangkok Siam Square told Coconuts on Friday morning. “While weed isn’t illegal, bringing such drugs is not appropriate for hotels. If the guests are caught smoking, whether cigarettes or weed, they will be reprimanded on a case-by-case basis.” Of 11 hotels contacted, all said they would not allow recreational smoking on their premises, and while some acknowledged it was not illegal, determined smokers could face fines for violating hotel policies. “Here at Banyan Tree, we do not have smoking areas for such activities, therefore weed isn’t allowed on the premises,” a hotel spokesperson said. One major hotel said that it would tolerate a purple haze if it was for a documented medical purpose. “At the moment, we do not allow guests to bring in weed for recreational purposes, but if they have a medical license and require it for their health condition, then we will allow it,” said a rep at Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit. But every other hotel was adamant that guests should not 420 in the rooms, on their roofs, or even poolside. “We’re sorry, but we do not allow that,” a receptionist at the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok said, politely. “It’s a bit of a sensitive topic.” “Our rooms are non-smoking areas, so not only could you not smoke cigarettes or weed as well,” Asai Bangkok’s concierge said. “You’d be given a warning and may be fined if you were caught smoking.” That’s not to say stealth smokers aren’t’ blazing their way, as you read this, through a gram of Gary Payton on some hotel balcony. The Okura Prestige hedged a bit, saying it doesn’t allow smoking ”at this time.” Ibis Bangkok Sathorn gave a firm no, saying that tokin’ was verboten at all its branches. Anantara Riverside, a resort known for decidedly sick riverside views, said it didn’t even want guests to bring in weed. The most lax position wasn’t quite 420-friendly, but not really. So Bangkok, over near Lumphini Park, nixed smoking but said edibles and drinks were fine so long as they were in “accordance with the current laws.” Since weed was decriminalized in June, Thailand has grappled with numerous unanswered questions that hadn’t been considered in its hasty rollout. Fly with buds on domestic flights? You bet. Smoke recreationally? Sure. Licenses required? Kind of but not really. Enthusiasts, cultivators, and retailers are still waiting for passage of the Cannabis Act, which is going through a round of revisions in parliament for clearer rules (any rules, really).