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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.

From The Nation The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) aims to increase the number of flights in a bid to boost tourism during the high season. "The flight load capacity must reach 90 per cent during the high season this year," TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said on Friday. The high season in Thailand is from November to March. He added that Chinese authorities have requested information from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand to boost the number of flights to 2019 levels, before the Covid-19 pandemic. Yuthasak said the TAT aims to attract high-spending tourists to Thailand to help achieve the goal of generating 2.38 trillion baht from 25 million foreign travellers. "TAT will propose extension of visa on arrival from the current 30 days to enable tourists to stay in Thailand until the end of this year," he said.

From Thailand News Agency BANGKOK, Jan 13 (TNA) – A taxi fare rise for the first time in eight years took effect for taxis in Bangkok on Friday as Prime Minister Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha ordered relevant agencies to assess its impact on people. Effective today, the fare starts at 35 baht for small taxis and 40 baht for big ones and then climb up depending on traveled distances. Then the fare will be 6.5 baht per kilometer from the 2nd to 10th kilometer, 7 baht per kilometer from the 11th to 20th kilometer, 8 baht per kilometer from the 21th to 40th kilometer, 8.5 baht per kilometer from the 41th to 60th kilometer, 9 baht per kilometer from the 61th to 80th kilometer and 10.5 baht per kilometer from the 81th kilometer onwards. In traffic congestion, the fare will be 3 baht per minute for all cabs on the condition that taxi speeds are lower than 6 kilometers per hour. (TNA)

I never (by choice) seem to find Pattaya on my itinerary so I'll take your word for it, Rob. And if that's indeed the case, I'm sure they all know it. Let's wish them the best as they struggle with their health issues. Here's a reliable site where anyone can access information about any medical-related symptoms that concern them from one of the world's most respected clinics. Probably better advice than any of us can offer. 🙂 https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptom-checker/select-symptom/itt-20009075

External exams, one-on-one, in a doctor's office I'm sure can help direct the physician's decision about what specific tests to order. But from walking by bars at JC or BT, gimmie a break. Sometimes a little knowledge is dangerous. After you've been around the forum for a while you'll notice that it's quite common for threads to stray away the opening topic. And it was your comments on elderly farangs that took the thread in a new direction

Surely obesity can be diagnosed from afar, but no physician worth his salt would diagnose diabetes or liver malfunction from afar. I'm not sure even graduates of George Santos Medical School would attempt it. As for drinking habits, the most comments you read on the boards is that older farangs tend to nurse a single beer all night. There's no denying that there's a large number of old gay men living in Patttaya. As with all old men, they share some common maladies. But does it serve any purpose to lump them together as the subject of ridicule on a forum dedicated to all gay men, especially when made by younger gay men. It's generally acknowledged that the majority of members of all three boards are older men. We know we're old and we know what are ailments are. We don't need to be reminded of that by a fellow forum member. Let's leave the clinical diagnosis to their real doctors.

The Thai government appears on the verge of pivoting yet again on the subject of Covid, according to an announcement by the Department of Disease Control (DDC). From the National News Bureau of Thailand DDC Director-General Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong spoke of monitoring measures for COVID-19 amid increasing foreign tourist numbers and with Chinese tourists now making up a significant portion of arrivals. He said airports are implementing rigorous screening measures for international arrivals and these measures will be expanded to land border crossings. Dr. Tares said travelers who are required by their country of origin to take an RT-PCR test before re-entry would need to possess health insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment. At present, the countries requiring this are India and China. Dr. Tares said the collection of wastewater from aircraft for testing so far yielded samples of the Omicron BA.5 strain, which is found in Thailand. Results from these random tests are yielded about 1 week after a flight. In Bangkok, the DDC has prepared two vaccination sites for foreign tourists who want to get vaccinated. The first is the Bang Rak medical center on Sathong Tai Rd. The other is the Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention in Bang Khen district. The sites are expected to commence service next week and will also offer RT-PCR testing. Coordination is being made with health agencies in tourism cities such as Phuket, Chonburi, and Chiang Mai in setting up similar vaccine service points. The DDC chief explained that international travelers who purchased health insurance that covers COVID-19 treatment will be able to get treatment at any hospital. They will also be able to enter hotel quarantine if they only display mild or no symptoms. Dr. Tares said there is currently no need to open hospitels for Covid patients. ==================================== However, with another government agency eyeing a huge increase in foreign tourists, it's probably wise not to give too much credibility to either at this point. Tourism Ministry Eyes 80m International Tourists In 2027 BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Tourism and Sports hopes to drive up the number of international visitors to Thailand to 80 million over the next five years. This optimistic target will see the number of international visitors doubling the pre-pandemic figure, and exceeding the country’s current population of 70 million. Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn said this target, once achieved, could raise the country’s tourism revenue from 1.93 trillion baht in 2019 to 5 trillion baht. He said this target also calls for an upgrade to tourism safety standards, in order to accommodate the influx of visitors.

You claimed you don't judge but you somehow managed--from a distance--to diagnose four medical conditions and "obvious drinking habits" from a group of strangers. That must have been some medial school you attended. Most internists require battery of tests and personal exams to do the same.

Physician, heal thyself. Luke 4:23

From Reuters BANGKOK, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Thai officials found assets belonging to adult children of Myanmar's junta leader during a raid on the Bangkok apartment of a Myanmar tycoon charged with drug trafficking and money laundering, according to an official record and two people with knowledge of the case.Title deeds and bankbooks belonging to Min Aung Hlaing’s daughter and son were found at the home of Tun Min Latt, 53, when he was arrested in the Thai capital last September along with three Thai nationals on charges of conspiracy to traffic narcotics and money laundering. Tun Min Latt, who has interests in hotels, energy and mining, is a close associate of Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power from the democratically elected government in February 2021, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters last year. He has procured supplies for the military, the sources said. Publicly available pictures show them together at an arms fair in 2019. Tun Min Latt is in pre-trial detention; his lawyer could not be reached for comment. Min Aung Hlaing’s son Aung Pyae Sone and his daughter Khin Thiri Thet Mon, who along with their father have been sanctioned by the United States and Canada, did not respond to requests for comment by Reuters. The U.S said they had businesses that "directly benefited from their father’s position and malign influence".

From The Nation An Austrian man fell to his death from the fourth floor of his hotel room in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district on Tuesday night (January 10). The deceased, identified as Mario Fruhwirt, 49, an Austrian national, suffered fatal injuries to his head after he fell from his room on to the hotel’s awning and landed on the ground, Lumpini Police Station officials said. Police found several empty cans of beer and a broken glass window panel in his room on the top floor of the four-storey hotel. Investigators speculated that the deceased might have been drunk and jumped through the window, breaking the panel. A hotel staffer said Fruhwirt had checked into the hotel alone on January 3 and was scheduled to check out on Saturday. Police are reviewing CCTV footage within the hotel to see if anyone had made contact with the deceased before his death. The Austrian Embassy has been informed to contact the deceased’s relatives to identify and take custody of the body.

CAUTION. Subject to change on a whim. 🙂 From the Thaiger The government announced plans to introduce its long-mooted 300 baht tourist fee for foreign visitors in June. The tourism fee was originally planned to be imposed on foreign travellers at the beginning of last year but the idea was put on hold after the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant and details of how the government planned to collect the money.

From Pattaya Mail By Warapun Jaikusol Pattaya Thais may still be wearing masks nearly all the time, but they’re using condoms less than before Covid-19. Nurse Nakanya Jantrakard of Pattaya’s Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Department, said both reported cases of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases have increased since 2019. While protection from the coronavirus seems forefront in the minds of Thais, particularly young ones, protection against sexually transmitted viruses and bacterial infections doesn’t seem as important now. Sex workers reportedly are using condoms less in the bedroom as well, but afterward are sure to mask up. In the meeting with charity networks, health workers and NGOs, representatives wrung their hands about the problem and wondered how they can reverse the trend.

Last time I experienced three-way was in Babylon during its heyday years but that occurred spontaneously and didn't require any planning. It's crossed my mind recently. The only thing holding me back is that I think the guys are most uninhibited when it's one-on-one situation. But I may be wrong judging from some reports on the board.

That's true, although they do have supplies of the Moderns and Pfizer jabs.

From Pattaya Mail Pro marksman surrenders for murder of Pattaya British expat A competitive marksman surrendered to police and confessed that he shot a 70-year-old British man because the expat “insulted and angered” him. Apichart Boonsawat, 32, turned himself in at Huay Yai Police Station Jan. 7, handing over the handgun used to gun down Neil Lewis Roger, 70, as he drove a motorbike on Soi Khao Makok 1 Jan. 5. An arrest warrant had been issued charging Apichart with murder and carrying a gun in public. In his statement released by police, Apichart, an acclaimed marksman who has won numerous competitions for precision shooting and legally owned the gun he used, said he had been waiting to turn on Soi Chaiyapreuk when Roger allegedly honked his motorbike horn and banged on Apichart’s car, yelling at him to turn. The suspect said he stopped the vehicle to talk to Roger only to get into a fierce argument, with Roger taking off on his bike. Apichart pursued, cut off the Brit and shot him four times in the back “because he insulted and angered me, causing me to go into a state of rage.” Apichart was scheduled to be taken for arraignment at the Pattaya Court Monday and was being held without bail. The 70-year-old Briton’s 38-year-old wife, Thitiphan Kummalard, said he had just returned from the United Kingdom Jan. 4 and had gone out drinking on Jan. 5. Authorities said he had been living in Thailand for about 20 years.

I wonder if that those who come up with these lists would rethink their ratings if they actually had visited some of these countries. Basing the ratings on 10 fixed criteria instead of actual experience, they come with weird findings that don't mesh with how gays actually vote with their feet: Vietnam D Japan D+ South Korea D+ Thailand C- Taiwan C

Do you happen to recall where "somewhere" is? I ask because expats may be interested in getting booster and wouldn't want to see them unnecessarily discouraged by rumor.

From Thai Enquirer The Baht, which in October was trading around 38 to the US Dollar, has strengthened to 34 to the US$, and the currency is likely to continue to strengthen into 2023 as the Thai economy continues to recover and China’s reopening will help sustain recessionary fears from the west. The Thai Baht has benefited from the surge in the domestic economy as Thailand opened its doors to foreign tourists on July 1st, 2022. The currency has benefited from the weakening US Dollar that has seen the US Federal Reserve starting to slow its interest rate hikes that it has undertaken aggressively during 2022. “After being lackluster in the past 2 years, the Thai Baht looks set to outperform in Asia FX in 2023 as it receives a further bump in tourist arrivals due to reopening of China’s borders,” Heng Koon How, head of market strategy at United Overseas Bank (UOB) said in a note to clients. “The expected return to a current account surplus of 2.8% (of GDP) this year is another added boost to the THB. Taken together, we see a limited pullback in THB to 35 to US$ in H1 2023 despite a challenging global macro backdrop before a stronger recovery to 34 to US$ in Q3 2023 and 33 to the US$ in Q4 2023.” Continues at https://www.thaienquirer.com/47303/thai-baht-likely-to-continue-to-strengthen-as-asian-economies-could-benefit-from-chinas-reopening/

From Thai PBS World Bang Sue train station name plate change put on hold Under heavy criticism for what is being seen as a waste of taxpayers’ money, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has decided to postpone its plan to replace Bang Sue Grand Station’s name plate and the redesign of the SRT logo. An informed source said that the SRT has notified the management of Uniq Engineering and Construction (UNIQ) in writing of the postponement of the plan until further notice. Uniq was awarded a 33-million baht contract to change the nameplate to Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal, a name which was presented by His Majesty the King last September. Installation work was scheduled to start on January 3rd.

It's become a fiasco to discern the actual travel requirements for entering Thailand because individual government agencies are issuing their own interpretation. The Health Ministry had declared one set of requirement only to revisit it the same day with a different version. The latest--and hopefully the accurate version--has been sent our by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) in the form of a "NOTAM" (Notice to Airmen), an internationally recognized notice containing information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations but not known far enough in advance to be publicized by other mean. From The Nation The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) on Tuesday issued a new Notice to Airmen (Notam) that cancels mandatory Covid-19 vaccination. The previous Notam, issued on Saturday, required airlines to check passengers for proof of at least two vaccine jabs and minimum health coverage of US$10,000 before boarding. Issued just two days before China removed restrictions on international travel, the “two-jab plus insurance” rule sparked a backlash from Thai tourism operators who complained it had forced many travellers to cancel flights and bookings. The new Notam issued on Tuesday includes the following updates: 1. Vaccination is no longer required. 2. Passengers from countries that require an RT-PCR test on return are advised to have health insurance covering at least US$10,000 of Covid-19 treatment during their stay in Thailand, plus seven days. 2.1 Flight crew, students, and others on special business can use a letter from their host or other forms of insurance to cover the requirement. 2.2 Absence of health insurance is not a reason to deny boarding. 2.3 Passengers from countries that require an RT-PCR test will be checked randomly for proof of insurance. Those who cannot show proof will have to purchase health insurance before being processed by Thai immigration. 3. Thai passport holders and transit/transfer passengers are exempted from the health insurance check. 4. Airlines must comply with all regulations and guidance including asking passengers to wear masks at all times, except during meals or emergencies. 5. Passengers showing symptoms of Covid-19 during travel will be advised to test on arrival. Travellers from China will need health insurance as their home country requires an RT-PCR test on re-entry. The new Notam is effective until January 31.