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From Pattaya News China Allows Group Tours to Resume to Thailand After three years of travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, China has dropped a restriction on group tours to Thailand and 19 other countries as of Friday, January 20th, 2023 in a sudden announcement. China had previously dropped overall individual international travel restrictions earlier this month. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism in China made the announcement, which also included countries like Russia and New Zealand. ====================== The Bangkok Post reports that an average of 34 flights from China will arrive daily between Jan. 19 and 25.

The Thaiger repots that opening of Bangkok‘s new central train station Bangkok Aphiwat Central Station did not go so smoothly yesterday with the first service to Chiang Mai departing three hours later than scheduled and many more delayed services. BBC Thai and CH7 report that services were delayed to await the arrival of Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, who was rather late to an opening ceremony he presided over, according to netizens.

Coconuts Bangkok reports that the new Pathumwananurak Park is now open. The park is fashioned in the form of a Thai numeral “9,” as it was built soon after the death of King Rama IX.

Just one more reason to be cautious with the apps. From Al Jezzera What happens when you fall victim to a cyber scam? And who’s really at fault? In Cambodia, an entire economy of these scams is operating, and the scammers Al Jazeera found in a city called Sihanoukville are often held against their will. Tens of thousands of people are being trafficked, and authorities are alleged to be complicit. Continues with podcast https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/2023/1/16/in-cambodia-scammers-are-also-victims

From The Thaiger A new public park in Bangkok is opening soon. The construction of Pathum Wananurak Park was finished five years ago but it has never been opened to the public because two squatting families refused to move off the land. Pathum Wananurak Park is located next to CentralWorld shopping mall. The park took over a residential area called Rong Poon Community where 1,000 houses were situated. According to Khaosod, the 15.8-acre area is a public space but that did not stop a number of residents from building houses on the land with a view to staying there permanently. But, the Crown Property Bureau had other ideas and revealed a plan to turn the space into a public park. Some of the residents living there opposed the project because they had lived there for a long time.After several conflicts, prosecutions, and compensation payouts, most of the Rong Poon residents moved out of the area leaving only two houses on the land. The two families insisted on staying, saying they had a difficult life and could not afford to move. The two houses remained on the land until the park construction was completed in 2018. However, the Facebook page Street Hero V 3 recently announced that the houses had been removed. The details about the removal process and compensation were not reported and neither has the official opening of the park. Many Thai netizens revealed that they were happy to have the chance to enjoy a park after such a long wait, while others were worried about the two families. Netizens demanded to know more details about the eviction, where they are headed, and what support they got from the government but there has been no official announcement.

From Thai PBS World All passport applicants must now wait for the immigration department to reopen, after the government temporarily suspended operations at the passport office. The announcement came from Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation, saying that a notice had been received of a temporary cessation of all new passport-related activities. In recent weeks, the internal affairs and labour ministry decreed that only job-related passports were to be issued through a “Green Channel”, with the issuance of all other kinds of passport stopped since the end of December, 2022. A special exception was, however, granted to agencies providing pilgrimage services to Bodh Gaya, but this was also stopped after complaints that some agencies were abusing the special rule. Many netizens believe that this was to address the rampant corruption within the passport office, with officers making massive profits off agencies and individual applicants. They also believe that the decision to block the issuance of any more new passports temporarily is to keep more people in the country for the upcoming elections, in which that the military-led government is seeking retain power. There is yet to be any announcement as to when passport processing will resume.

Most Asian societies raise their children to respect elders. When they use expression "old man" it doesn't carry with it negative intentions and is in no sense a put down. I often refer to myself that way because that's what I am.

Nothing is written. 😉

Vietnam names woman interim president From VN Express Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan has been named the interim president of Vietnam Wednesday afternoon after the National Assembly dismissed President Nguyen Xuan Phuc from his position. The Constitution of Vietnam rules that the president, voted by the National Assembly among the assembly's deputies, is the head of state and represents the country in internal and external affairs. If the president fails to fulfill his jobs over a long time, the vice president will take over as interim president, until an official vote by the assembly.

From The Thaiger The Bank of Thailand (BoT) denied a claim made on social media that a man lost money from his bank account after recharging his phone at a public outlet. BoT believes the theft occurred because the man was a victim of a malware attack. Police also attributed the theft to malware, stating that the user had downloaded an unsafe dating app called “sweet meet.” The central bank issued a statement yesterday regarding the potential for mobile phone users to lose money through modified charging cables, reported Bangkok Post.Wisanusan Sam-pok revealed in a Facebook post on Sunday that 101,560 baht mysteriously disappeared from his bank account. Wisanusan said he did not use the phone other than to charge it in public. A BoT-Thai Bankers’ Association conducted an investigation and found that malware had infiltrated the man’s phone and tricked him into installing an illegal application. This allowed a hacker to remotely access the phone and transfer money from the user’s bank account while the phone was not in use by the owner. BoT issued a warning to mobile phone users to be cautious when opening unknown links, installing unverified apps, and using unsecured phones to make financial transactions. The bank also advised phone users to keep their mobile banking software fully updated in order to increase security. Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol said the phone owner had installed an unsafe dating app named “Sweet meet” and that was the cause of the money theft.

From Pattaya Mail Pattaya police are calling the death of a Chinese tour guide who fell from the roof of a Naklua condominium suspicious. The body of Chen Pu Lin, 33, was found wearing only underwear outside the unnamed condo on Naklua Road Jan. 16. While Chen’s room was not ransacked, there were signs of forcible entry. A blood trail was found leading to the fifth floor and a pool of blood at the entry to the roof. Furthermore, security cameras captured Chen, with a head wound, running. His fall was not recorded, however. Colleagues told police four tour guides had come to Pattaya on Jan. 13 to scout out accommodations and attractions. But, this day, Chen said he felt ill and did not join them. The coworkers said Chen didn’t have any conflicts with anyone in Pattaya. Pattaya police called in Chonburi forensics specialists to collect evidence.

From Coconuts Bangkok Free shuttles linking Bangkok’s downtown rail terminal to the capital’s new main station will commence Thursday. To ease the transition of rail services from the Bangkok Railway Station to the Krung Thep Apiwat Grand Station – located about 10 kilometers away – regular buses will shuttle travelers between them. Thursday is when nearly half of the trains operating out of the former station (aka Hua Lamphong and actually a terminal) will move to the new national “terminal” (actually a station) in Bangkok’s Bang Sue district. Blue NGV buses will travel between the two stations every half hour between 4:30am and 11pm. So, where to find the bus? As of 5pm on Tuesday, a BMTA rep said that they hadn’t figured that out yet. The service will be run jointly by the bus operator Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and the state railway.

A passenger in the turbo-prop involved in the tragic Nepal crash live streamed the final moments of the flight. I never recall viewing video of a crash of a commercial aircraft from within the cabin. I've often heard the disclaimer: "This may difficult for some viewers to watch." In this case, it certainly applies to the second video below.

From Thai PBS World Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned, state media said Tuesday, after days of rumours he was about to be sacked as part of a major anti-corruption drive that has seen several ministers fired. Phuc has “submitted his resignation from his assigned positions, quit his job, and retired”, state news agency VNA said. Phuc’s sudden departure is a highly unusual move in communist Vietnam, where political changes are normally carefully orchestrated, with an emphasis on cautious stability. State media said the communist party had ruled he was responsible for wrongdoing by senior ministers under him during his 2016-2021 stint as prime minister, before he became president. Two deputy prime ministers were sacked this month in an anti-corruption purge that has led to the arrest of dozens of officials, with many of the graft allegations relating to deals done as part of Vietnam’s Covid pandemic response. Earlier this month, the country’s rubber stamp National Assembly removed Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc Dam from their positions as deputy prime ministers. Minh was a minister of foreign affairs while Dam was in charge of the country’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. At least 100 officials and businesspeople, including Dam’s assistant, have been arrested in connection with a scandal involving the distribution of Covid-19 testing kits. Thirty-seven people — many of them senior diplomats and police — have also been arrested in an investigation over the repatriation of Vietnamese during the pandemic. Phuc, 68, was elevated to the largely ceremonial role of president in April 2021 after winning plaudits for the country’s broadly successful handling of the pandemic. Authoritarian Vietnam is run by the Communist Party and officially led by the party general secretary, president, and prime minister, with key decisions made by the politburo, which now numbers 16. Le Hong Hiep, a fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said Phuc’s resignation may also be linked to political infighting. “It’s mainly related to corruption investigations but we cannot rule out the possibility that his political rivals also wanted to remove him from his position for political reasons,” he told AFP.

A few days ago at JFK airport in New York, what's known as a runway incursion occurred involving a 777 and and a 737. If an air traffic controller hadn't intervened, a high-speed collision appeared inevitable. Here's the audio between air traffic controllers and the pilots. Because the 737 had to make an emergency take off rejection, it could not continue its flight until it underwent detailed checks by mechanics. The 777 did not and was was permitted to continue to London. The 737 was traveling at 115 mph when it braked. It took 661 feet to come to a stop. It looks like the 777 crew may have mistook runway 4L for runway 31L. Complete details at https://airlinegeeks.com/2023/01/16/audio-authorities-investigating-near-miss-at-jfk/

Many shops offer four-hand massage. That seems to be a good starting point for a potential 3-way once the door closes.

The illegal ones don't offer tea money.😉

From Radio Free Asia To rein in accelerating inflation that has reached nearly 40 percent, authorities in Laos have ordered all money changing shops to close and allowing only banks to exchange foreign currencies and bans on the import of some kinds of foods that are produced domestically. The country’s National Statistics Bureau reported year-to-year inflation of 39.3% in December 2022, up from 38.5% the month before, making it the highest among the Association for Southeast Asian Nations members. Authorities said they would ban the import of some kinds of pork, beef, fish and vegetables. Trade officials told RFA that authorities were forced to take harsh economic measures because Laos has been suffering a massive trade deficit, hitting a whopping $926 million in 2022. “We are planning to reduce the import of goods and to promote domestic production,” a trade official from Savannakhet province told RFA’s Lao Service on the condition of anonymity. “We already have a lot of goods produced here in the country, but the problem is that our consumers prefer imported goods to domestic ones.” Rising inflation presents a test for new Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, who began his new term this year promising to “raise the spirit of the revolution to the highest level.” Top economic officials are hoping for a recovery in tourism and a loosening of travel restrictions, particularly from China Authorities have banned imports of cabbage, garlic, lettuce, broccoli, onion, chilly, celery, eggs, pork, duck, beef, tilapia, and all other freshwater fish. Laos’s cabinet agreed on the import ban during a Dec. 24 meeting, the Lao Pattana newspaper reported. Meanwhile, Laos’ central bank issued a notice on Jan. 13 revoking all permits for money exchangers in the country. Impact on citizens Many lower-income earners in Laos’s capital Vientiane and across the country have grown even poorer and have less to spend on food, healthcare and education. More young Laotians are moving to Thailand to find work, with the Migrant Working Group, a Thai-based NGO, estimating that more than 50,000 people moved from Laos to Thailand for work in the last year, with about 250,000 Laotians working in the country legally. Nearly half a million Laotians are estimated to be working in Thailand without permits. Several workers RFA spoke with said that they moved because they couldn’t find work in Laos. “The [import] ban will be affecting our livelihoods, but we have to have some domestic production,” one Lao economist told RFA. “If our prices are lower than imported goods, then our people will consume our products.” Similarly, an employee of an import-export company based in Vientiane told RFA that the company has been “suffering from low sales because products are getting more and more expensive, too expensive for many Laotians.” While the import ban is going into effect, it is unclear if domestic production of the banned goods will be enough to supply Laos’s market. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/laosrisingcostsinflation-01132023173517.html

The title that appears in this post is from a current article on the website of the Economist. It can be accessed only after registration: https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/01/12/how-cambodian-music-survived-the-horrors-of-the-khmers-rouges From the London Review Bookshop -- Away From Beloved Lover. By Dee Peyok. Granta In the swinging 1960s, after nearly a century of colonisation, Cambodia had gained its independence and was ready to rock. Young musicians from the countryside flocked to the vibrant cosmopolitan capital city of Phnom Penh. Teenagers cycled along the Mekong River, guitars slung across their backs, on their way to rehearse Khmer covers of The Beatles or Pink Floyd. The city was a melting pot of sound: old fashioned rock'n'roll, early heavy metal, crooners and swooners and love duets. The music stopped on 17th April 1975: the Khmer Rouge army captured Phnom Penh, ending the civil war and beginning the genocide. Around 90% of the musicians died in the killing fields. But a few fled, to the US or France, taking what remained of their music with them. In Away From Beloved Lover, Dee Peyok travels across Cambodia, piecing together the story of the country and its golden era of music. She interviews surviving superstars and their relatives in places as disparate as a traditional house on stilts by a rice paddy, an artist's studio deep in the ancient forests, and a cafe in the new, divided Phnom Penh. Away From Beloved Lover is a musical travelogue that tells the story of Cambodia, past and present, in a thrilling new way. It is an immersive exploration of a country set to a soundtrack too long silenced, and finally able to play.

From Pattaya News By Tanakorn Panyadee Pattaya Tourist Police were satisfied after finding no illegal prostitutes during yesterday’s tour around risky spots. The inspection, which aimed to stifle illegal prostitution and came after complaints from concerned citizens claiming prostitutes were operating in Pattaya, took place at midnight on January 14th and was led by Pol. Lt. Col. Pichaya Kheawpluang. The police patrolled around risky spots such as Beach Road and Walking Street to look for suspects and put flyers on venues’ front gates to warn tourists to “Be aware of their belongings and don’t trust strangers.” Tourist Police identified risky places in Pattaya as crowded tourist attractions, dark and/or deserted places as well as Pattaya Beach. Pol. Lt. Col. Pichaya told The Pattaya News that he would install more lights in these places and repair all broken CCTV cameras or cut down obstructive tree branches to increase visibility. As of last night, he said he did not find any potential suspects for prostitution but would continue to patrol on a regular basis to keep tourists safe. ======================= Pattaya Police Station to Welcome New Chief Pol. Col. Thanapong Photi will be appointed as the superintendent of the Pattaya police station, on February 1st, 2023. He will replace former superintendent Pol. Col. Kunlachart Kunlachai although the reason for this has not been reported.

From Thai PBS World Cabbies must get meters officially adjusted to new fares Taxi drivers must get their meters adjusted before they will be allowed to charge the new fares, an increase of 6% on the old rate, according to the Land Transport Department. A meter adjustment service will be available at the Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal (aka Bang Sue Grand Station) from tomorrow until February 28th from 8am until 5pm every day except Sunday. The service is being provided by four private companies and the adjustment fee ranges from 300-350 baht. Seksom Akraphand, deputy director-general of the Land Transport Department, said that the service at the railway station can accommodate 1,600-1,800 cars a day, adding that, after the meters are adjusted, they will be officially certified and sealed. Apart from the train terminal, he said taxi drivers can take their cars to the Land Transport Department for meter adjustment. Between 500 and 600 cars can be serviced each day there. Responding to complaints from numerous cabbies that the meter adjustment fee is unrealistically expensive, he said that a microchip in each meter has to be replaced. Seksom insists that the new fares have been set after careful study and consideration, as he reminded taxi drivers to improve their service quality, refrain from rejecting fares or taking advantage of passengers.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Marlowe Malhotra, who runs Vicky Travel, reckons that the boom times are returning to Pattaya. “International air fares to and from Thailand are at last slowly coming down,” he says, “whilst the massively expanded U-tapao airport is providing fast motorway links to both Bangkok and Pattaya.” A Pattaya businessman since the 1970s, Marlowe expects Thailand as a whole to see 25 million visitors in 2023, with at least 9 million homing in on Pattaya. The biggest factor, according to Marlowe, is the abolition of the requirement for tourists to show health and insurance documentation to get into Thailand. “There was some confusion about the issue in early January which led to some Europeans cancelling their vacations, but Thailand is now just as open as before the pandemic.” He reckons that the pent-up demand for foreign travel is only just beginning. Vicky Travel, almost unique in Pattaya for having remained open throughout the pandemic, is diversifying beyond just selling air tickets or booking accommodation. “Many Europeans, Americans and Australians want side trips to neighboring countries such as Cambodia or Vietnam and may well require an online visa as well as pre-flight registration,” says Marlowe’s daughter Vicky. “Because we are up to date with the requirements and the online systems, we are getting more and more enquiries.” Marlowe accepts that India and Russia – and potentially China of course – have expanding niche markets in Thailand, he notes that many of the longstay visitors are British and Scandinavians. For example, most of the one-day visa runners to the Cambodian border are European passport holders seeking another 45 days on entry plus another month later at local immigration. “They can actually spend five months in Thailand without needing a prior visa, with just a single day trip to the border, and the European snowbird retirees are certainly taking advantage of this.” “Of course, Pattaya is changing. It always has been. It’s no longer a wild west town and has become more family orientated with business conferences now flocking to the high class hotels. But its beaches are still the second most popular seaside search on the internet and there’s no shortage of raunchy night life for those seeking it. Pattaya has found the secret of continuous expansion as the criticisms just bounce off.” That’s evolution.

You'll have no problem bringing guests back to Amara. Have stayed there numerous times in the past. Walk to Patpong in less than 10 minutes. Rooms are on the compact side but very comfortable, well appointed and spotless. The rooftop pool is great and there's a gym on one of the higher floors. Buffet breakfast very good. TIP: join their frequent guest program before reserving for member only rates.

I believe these are those.