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Just spoke with one of the guys who works on Soi 6. He provided me with updated information of shops: LEFT SIDE (from Silom): 9-Teen (under renovation) Relax Massage RIGHT SIDE (from Silom) Center Point Massage (mixed) Ma Ha Massage The Paradise M-Star Massage I may have misunderstood some of our LINE conversation so I can't guarantee the accuracy. When I'm again in town, I'll confirm the above information.

From Japan Times Japan to tighten borders for travelers from China on Dec. 30 Japan will tighten its border controls for travelers from China on Friday, as the latter nation is seeing a surge in COVID-19 infections, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday. The announcement, which marks the first time Japan has tightened its borders since foreign tourists were allowed to enter without restrictions in October, pours cold water on expectations of an influx of Chinese tourists over the Chinese New Year period, which begins Jan. 22. Kishida’s abrupt announcement comes only a day after news that China will scrap its quarantine for incoming travelers from Jan. 8, one of the country’s most significant steps since it effectively abandoned its two-year “zero-COVID” policy. All travelers from China, including Japanese citizens and returning foreign nationals living in Japan, as well as those who have been to China within the previous seven days will be tested for COVID-19 upon their arrival in Japan. Those who test positive will be required to quarantine at designated facilities for seven days. The quarantine period for those who test positive is expected to be seven days if they have developed symptoms. For those who are asymptomatic, the period will be shortened to five days if they test negative on the fifth day, according to the health ministry. The number of flights from China will also be limited to guard against a sudden increase in COVID-19 infections in Japan, Kishida told reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office. Arrivals from China, Hong Kong and Macao will be limited to four airports: Narita, Haneda, Kansai International and Chubu.

From Xinhua VIENTIANE, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Lao government has announced the cancellation of required results in 48 hours of Antigen Test Kit (ATK) or Rapid Antigen Test for people entering Laos. In addition, travelers entering Laos are no longer required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. According to a report issued on Tuesday from the Center of Information and Education for Health under the Lao Ministry of Health, the announcement aims to facilitate local residents and foreigners who want to depart from Laos or enter the Southeast Asian country. In May, the Lao government announced the reopening of all international border crossings after a lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Will be glad to oblige when I'm next in town. I believe two are on the left side and four on the right. With the completion of the new 9-Teen shop on left, that will bring the total to seven. From what I'm told by those who work there, the Quarter Hotel at the end of Soi 6 (dogleg turn) has provided increased foot traffic which is already reported to be brisk with the advent of high season. The two shops I'm most familiar with (Ma Ha and The Paradise) are situated on the right side, opposite Silom Alley 8.

From The Diplomat By Tom Fawthrop A bold Cambodian plan to secure World Heritage status along their stretch of the Mekong, where the free-flowing river has sustained some of the world’s greatest biodiversity, could provide much-needed respite to a river in danger of dying from dams and over-exploitation, experts say. In Phnom Penh, the Environment Ministry’s Under-Secretary of State Neth Pheaktra shared their plan to secure UNESCO world heritage recognition for all the rich biodiversity to be found along the long stretch of the Mekong from the Lao border to the province of Kratie over 200 km downstream. Marc Goichot, a freshwater resources and Mekong specialist for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), welcomed the selection of this site. “The wide variety of habitats along this part of the Mekong in Cambodia creates perfect conditions for wildlife to thrive, making this area a miraculous area for freshwater biodiversity,” he said. WWF is assisting in the preparation of the government’s application to UNESCO. Goichot sees the UNESCO proposal as an exciting step forward for the conservation of the planet’s rivers. “The planned Mekong World Heritage site would play a key role in protecting the planet’s biodiversity” because the selected site includes “95 deep pools that provide refuge for migrating fish and a spawning habitat for globally important critically endangered species including, Irrawaddy dolphins, giant stingrays and giant catfish.” Cambodia is already home to three heritage sites, including the legendary Angkor Wat and one natural heritage site, the successful U.N.-backed biosphere reserve and the bird sanctuary site on Tonle Sap, the biggest inland lake in the region. UNESCO experts in Phnom Penh expect that an application to add a biodiversity conservation zone along the Mekong as a natural heritage site would be fast-tracked, given that it could bring about an immense contribution to implementing agreements reached at COP15 of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference. Kampi village, just outside the town of Kratie, lies along a stretch of the Mekong best-known for its dolphin-watching and ecotourism activity. The area also ranks as one of the world’s richest biodiversity spots and is a sanctuary for many endangered species. WWF has listed over 411 fish species resident here (out of 11,00 for the whole Mekong River), along with 281 bird species and 46 reptile species. Apart from the 92 surviving Irrawaddy dolphins, wildlife experts were excited by the rarely-seen giant stingray landed by fishermen in 2022, a giant that mostly hangs out in the deepest pools of the river. While the Ministry of Environment had been mapping out its plans to better protect one of the few undammed areas left on the Mekong, Okna Kith Meng – the chairman of the Royal Group, which built its fortunes from real estate, telecommunications, and partnering with international investors – has quietly secured permission from the Ministry of Mines and Energy, to carry out a feasibility study to revive the controversial Stung Treng dam. A plethora of scientific studies, dating back to the first attempt to build the Stung Treng dam in 2007, have so far dissuaded the government from going ahead with the project. The losses to fisheries, wildlife, and the rural livelihoods of hundreds of thousands would far outweigh any benefits in electricity, according to the most recent WWF report, published in 2018. Another Cambodian project, the Sambor dam lying downstream from Stung Treng, was condemned as a recipe for “killing the Mekong” by the U.S.-based Natural Heritage Institute consultant report, which was leaked to the Guardian. Many Cambodians struggle to understand why any company would want to resurrect a dam that has already been twice rejected, and which most Mekong watchers had assumed was dead and buried, after the announcement of the 2020 moratorium on dams. Say Samal, the environment minister, delivered Cambodia’s progressive energy commitments to the COP26 summit in November 2021. Yet only six weeks later, this policy had been called into question when the Ministry of Mines and Energy quietly approved the Cambodian tycoon’s request to proceed with a feasibility study on resurrecting the Stung Treng dam. The study, approved in December 2021, was completed in June 2022 without any consultation with Stung Treng communities. Continues with photos at https://thediplomat.com/2022/12/cambodia-seeks-unesco-world-heritage-status-to-protect-a-mekong-biodiversity-hotspot/

From Thai Enquirer Thailand should look to impose restrictions The Thai government should look at imposing preventive measures to test or restrict travelers from China and countries where a lot of Chinese tourists have visited, the main opposition Pheu Thai Party said. “Given the [Covid-19 outbreak] situation in China, Thailand should cautiously prepare for the influx of Chinese tourists,” said former deputy prime minister Chaturon Chaisang who is a member of Pheu Thai’s strategy committee. “We should have some guards up…and tests should be administered to find out what kind of variants are coming in from China to find out if they are more severe than the variants that have been found in Thailand,” he said.

From Thai PBS World Three more bodies, believed to be those of missing HMTS Sukhothai crew, were recovered from the sea today (Wednesday), according to Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Spokesman Admiral Pokkrong Monthatphalin. He said that the number of bodies found has increased to 24, with 20 of them in the process of being identified, while the number of crew still missing has dropped to five.

So if we follow your reasoning to its illogical conclusion, there's no reed to take safeguards against HIV because that, too, is over. Or is HIV a con, too?

The Economic Times is reporting that the Health Ministry of India will require RT-PCR tests from passengers arriving China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand.

From Pattaya News New Year Countdown on Koh Larn set to boom with big concerts from Thailand’s top acts As the end of the year approaches, Koh Larn in Pattaya is getting ready to celebrate the New Year in style with a countdown event that promises to be the brightest highlight of this year’s last holiday season. On December 31st, the island will come alive with concerts featuring Pujan Longmai & Ken Noi Roi Leela, OG-ANIC & URIUS, BOOM BOOM CASH, and many other top performers. In addition to the concerts, there will be a range of activities and attractions on offer at the New Year countdown event. Food stalls and vendors will be serving up delicious local and international cuisine, while street performers and other entertainers will keep the crowds entertained throughout the night. As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the skies above Koh Larn will be illuminated with a stunning fireworks display slated for December 31st to beautifully end this year and welcome the next.

I appreciate the fact that the moderator has devised a way to give us a moment of pause before we reply to a newbie's open-ended request for information already readily available on site (the blue palm out symbol).

I've met countless otherwise straight guys who rapidly rise to the occasion. It seems obvious to me that they are enjoying themselves I believe sexuality is an amazingly adaptive and complex part of our make up that defies a one size fits all definition.

From Thai PBS World Two bodies have been recovered from the sea between Sak and Samet islands off Chumphon. The first body, without a life jacket, was found drifting near Sak Island of Chumphon province by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) this morning (Tuesday). A Fisheries Department boat was sent to recover the remains, according to Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul, commander of First Naval Area Command. He said that it is very likely that the body is that of one of HTMS Sukhothai’s missing crew, because of the mechanic’s jumpsuit he was wearing, commonly worn by mechanics and electricians on Royal Thai Navy ships. The second body was found by a Fisheries Department vessel in the same area. The second body was wearing tracksuit bottoms and a dark blue T-shirt but no life jacket. The two bodies were recovered by the Fisheries Department vessel and taken ashore in Chumphon. They were then sent to Bang Saphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan for identification. If they are confirmed to be crew from the sunken HTMS Sukhothai, the discovery brings the number of crew still unaccounted for to eight.

From Thai PBS World The Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) has responded to the government’s call for air fare reductions by agreeing to launch promotional campaigns, offering domestic air fare discounts of up to 20% from January. Informed airline sources said that the seven founding members of the AAT recently held a meeting to discuss air fare reductions, to encourage more people to travel by air while promoting local tourism. To help absorb some of the operational costs of domestic airlines, the Thai Finance Ministry recently decided to reduce the excise tax on aviation fuel. It is reported that businesses in Phuket asked domestic airlines to increase flights during the festive season, to cope with increasing number of passengers. They also asked the government to persuade the airlines to cut the air fares which, they claim, are unrealistically high. The AAT was established early this year by Bangkok Airways, Thai Air Asia, Thai Air Asia X, Thai Smile Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet.

From Thai PBS World Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya, was arrested today (Tuesday) on corruption charges. Armed with a search warrant, officials from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and police from the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) raided Rutchada’s office at 9.30am this morning and formally notified him of the charges. The search of his office uncovered 5 million baht in cash. He has denied all the charges. Rutchada was later taken to the ACD office for questioning. The arrest was the result of an investigation following a complaint received by the ACD from Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, former chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi, accusing Rutchada of transferring an official to as post in a rural area for refusing his demand for a 500,000 baht bribe. Rutchada was also accused of demanding money from budgets allocated to various units under the department, such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and fire-fighting units.

It continues to baffle me why China couldn't--or chose not to--develop truly effective vaccines, opting instead to mass produce far inferior versions. Worse, it only recently allowed the Pfizer vaccine to be imported in a ridiculously small amount of no consequence. From Thailand News Agency BANGKOK, Dec 27 (TNA) – The chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand expects more than 5 million Chinese people to visit Thailand next year as the Chinese government announced to lift its COVID-19 control. Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand, shared his view as China planned to lift its mandatory quarantine on its visitors on Jan 8, 2023. He said that the decision of China would have positive impacts on Thailand and all sectors of the Thai economy. Chinese tourists would increasingly travel abroad and Thailand was their top destination and also was in its winter, Mr Sanan said.

Several video studies have been made on the Citicorp building. This is among them: ========================================== From the NY Times Dampening systems are not as alluring a draw as a slick lobby. One type, called a tuned mass damper, is made of steel or concrete, weighs anywhere from 300 to 800 tons and is housed with other mechanical equipment at the top of the building. A typical system can take up approximately 1,000 square feet of space and utilizes a double-height ceiling. Connected to the structure’s walls by a system of pistons and spring mounts, the damper acts like a massive shock absorber, pulling the building back toward its original position whenever high winds blow. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/realestate/keeping-skyscrapers-from-blowing-in-the-wind.html

From CNN The 91-story skyscraper, also known as 111 West 57th Street, contains 46 full-floor and duplex residences. Photos released this month by the designers show opulent lobbies decked out in limestone, marble, blackened steel and velvet, floors paved in smoke-gray solid oak and original artworks by Picasso and Matisse. According to Studio Sofield, Steinway Tower's interiors were designed to evoke the grandeur of New York's Gilded Age, a period in the late 19th century when the city's boulevards were lined with the stately mansions of robber barons like Andrew Carnegie and Cornelius Vanderbilt. It sits on a Midtown street, filled with gleaming towers, that has become known as "Billionaire's Row." At 1,428 feet, it is also one of the tallest buildings in the Western hemisphere, standing just short of two others in New York City: The 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center and the 1,550-foot-tall Central Park Tower. Super-slender skyscrapers, also known as pencil towers, became standout features of the Hong Kong skyline in the 1970s. Since then, major cities such as New York have followed suit. Residences in the Manhattan skyscraper, which was developed by the JDS Development Group and Property Markets Group, range in price from $7.75 million to $66 million.

This reminds of my first trip with my Viet friend to Hanoi. Although he had been to the city many times to visit his sister he'd never visited any of its museums. He was, however, was eager to guide me through them on a long weekend tour. He reacted in a similar fashion as his eyes opened to some of the history and culture of his own land. That was nearly five years ago but that experienced is firmly etched in my memory. I remain forever grateful to Divine Madman for suggesting the itinerary which we faithfully followed.

From Pattaya News It seems that Pattaya authorities have changed their mind and will go ahead with the firework display at the New Year countdown celebration on December 31st. According to a Facebook post from the Pattaya Mayor, the New Year celebration will include national-level fireworks displays but only on December 31st in Pattaya and Koh Larn. The fireworks will be prohibited only from December 29th to 30th as per the previous announcement. Apart from this, the authorities said the countdown event in Pattaya will feature concerts and other activities such as shopping and eating as usual.

From Vietnam Times The Dao Ngoc-Ngu Xa area is the second food street in Hanoi after the first came up at Tong Duy Tan-Cam Chi in Hoan Kiem District 10 years ago. Photo: PLO The zone covers two streets, Ngu Xa and Nguyen Khac Hieu, traversing the centre of Dao Ngoc - Ngu Xa, the folk name for a 4.5ha islet on Truc Bach Lake in Truc Bach ward. It is the second food street in Hanoi after the first came up at Tong Duy Tan-Cam Chi in Hoan Kiem District 10 years ago. The Dao Ngoc-Ngu Xa area will be closed to vehicles from 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Existing restaurants and market activities will be maintained while products recognised under the “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme will be promoted. Traditional Ngu Xa bronze casting will also be introduced at the bronze casting museum. Apart from street cultural events on the weekend, there will be traditional activities at historical and cultural relic sites such as Than Quang Pagoda and Ngu Xa Communal House in spring festivals. The Truc Bach Lake area is home to many cafes and eateries. At night locals and tourists typically flock there to enjoy grilled dishes, including a unique specialty invented right there: pho rolls.

From Coconuts Bangkok Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha today ended weeks of speculation by announcing he would jump ship from the party created to usher him into power under rules favoring military-aligned rule for a new political party. The former junta leader who overthrew the last fully civilian government in 2014 said he will seek the premiership again with the newly formed Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party when general elections take place as scheduled in May. “The Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party has proposed that it is willing to support me as the prime minister in the next election,” Prayuth said at the Government House this morning. “So, today, I decided to make it known publicly that I will move to the Ruam Thai Sang Thai party.”

It's been over a week since updated news has been released on the condition of Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the eldest daughter of King Vajiralongkorn, who collapsed while training her dogs north east of Bangkok in mid-December. The most recent statement said her condition was stable at a certain level. The Palace released news of other members of the Royal family today. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has been advised by her doctors to reduce her Royal duties for while after they diagnosed her with an irregular heartbeat. Thailand’s King and Queen, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 on December 17th, have now tested negative for the virus and can resume their Royal duties as normal, the Bureau of the Royal Household said in its announcement on Monday. After having tested positive for COVID-19, doctors administered medication to Their Majesties until their conditions returned to normal and the latest rapid antigen tests produced negative results.

No, I am not including Prime Massage. I'm only including the six shops before he dogleg turn. As you know, Prime is not a full-service shop. I spent a lot of time in those shops on my last two trips and I keep in touch with guys who work in two of them so I feel very confident in my estimates. Besides Soi 6, you have multiple shops on Surawong Rd., Silom Rd., Soi Saladeang and the Silom Plaza (Best and Arena). When I left in late November, business in most of the shops appeared to be brisk. Judging by some recent and current trip reports, members are partaking in both on a daily basis. I agree that the massage business historically serves more customers, but I don't believe the bar business is failing. It's temporarily deprived of a historically strong source of customers from China. When that business returns--and it will--the fate of the bars will be known.

From VN Express The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism confirmed it does not require tourists to show $1,000 to $2,000 in cash upon entering the country. The clarification comes after a number of airline employees asked tourists to show they had $1,000 or $2,000 in cash before boarding flights bound for the country, the Khmer Times reported, citing a source in the ministry.