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From The Nation Thailand’s cruel sex traffickers have struck again. The victim, a man only identified as ‘B,’ said the three traffickers told him he would work as a massage therapist in Dubai last year. On top of a monthly 80,000 baht salary, B was promised free food and accommodation, as well as a free flight. But B was in for a horrific realisation. Once he arrived at the massage shop in Dubai in November 2021, the Chinese manager seized his passport. B was then forced to sell sex to pay off more than 70,000 baht of debt he was told he owed for his travel costs. B said that clients were charged 900 baht per session, and half of this was deducted to pay off his debt. B was able to get help from Dubai authorities after he was traded to a second massage shop. He was then able to escape back to Thailand, where he reported the situation to the police. Thailand’s Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the culprits on Tuesday. The traffickers were charged with colluding to commit human smuggling for prostitution regardless of the victim’s willingness. The alleged traffickers are 32 year old Janya Phuwong, 37 year old Panuwat Sapsomboon, and 45 year old Nanthaporn Kullangka. Police arrested Janya in Samut Prakan. Nanthaporn was arrested in Bangkok’s Bueng Kum district and Panuwat in Phuket’s Kathu district. Janya confessed to the charges, according to police. Nanthaporn told police she was paid 3,000 baht to teach Thai massage to B. Panuwat said he received 10,000 baht to convince B to work in Dubai, Nation Thailand reported. The investigation found over 4 million baht circulating in Janya’s bank accounts between May and November. The commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, Lieutenant-General Jiraphop Bhuridej, said that many other people might be victims of Janya. This is far from the first time a Thai has been trafficked to Dubai. In September, a 40 year old Thai woman who claimed she escaped forced prostitution in Dubai pleaded for help for her three friends, who were still imprisoned in Dubai. She said the traffickers offered them gardening work in Dubai with an attractive salary of 80,000 – 100,000 baht per month. Other Thai victims of trafficking to Dubai have been promised jobs as masseuses, as B was.

From Pattaya News More than 60 cafes and food stalls are set to join the Pattaya Coffee on the Beach Festival 2022 from December 10th to 11th. Hosted on North Pattaya Beach, the event is a must for coffee lovers and foodies as this time the organizers say the event will be packed with over 60 street food stalls, cafes, and activities. To heat up the atmosphere, the coffee cafes will be competing in the CBC King of Coffee Championship 2022 contest to win a reward of 200,000 baht. You can join in and grab a cub of joe from 8 AM to 8 PM this weekend. Check out the location here.

600 baht minimum wage? From Thai PBS World Morally, it’s undisputed. Economically, it’s questionable. Politically, it’s a no-no. All of them, of course, come with a big “Unless”. That’s how Thailand should proceed with the Pheu Thai Party’s vision on what must be the minimum amounts unskilled Thai workers should be paid in a day. The party’s promise of 600 baht a day is great. Unless it ruins the economy or simply enables labourers to pay more for telecom services, or houses, or medicine, that is. It’s about time the contribution of unskilled labour was fully acknowledged, but the high minimum wage idea requires a revamp of national thinking, affecting practically all other national policies. Simply put, it’s a good moral initiative as long as the initiator is able to create a suitable environment. Otherwise, what is “good” morally could turn into a great destroyer. Illegal and cheaper foreign workers would flood in. Labour abuses would intensify. Entrepreneurs would save their hides and their customers will end up paying the price. It’s questionable economically unless a new value is drilled into the owners of businesses. They must wholeheartedly accept less profits and learn to share the incomes with those who deserve the sharing. They must have this reversed thinking that something must be wrong if they become too rich while their employers are still poor. Foreign investors will need a lot of convincing, too. Continues at https://www.thaipbsworld.com/high-minimum-wage-devil-is-in-the-details/

From Thai PBS World (AFP) – Where in the world can you shave a year or two off your age? South Korea — which has just passed a set of bills to abandon its traditional system of calculating ages. The current system, widely known as “the Korean age”, recognises people as a year old at birth and also adds a year to their age every January 1 — rather than on their birth date. But on Thursday, Seoul’s National Assembly passed bills requiring the use of the international age-counting system for official documents. It will be implemented by June next year. The decision was made to “resolve the social confusion caused by the mixed use of age calculations and the resulting side effects”, the National Assembly said in a statement. Besides the Korean age system, the country also has another method mostly used to determine the legal drinking and smoking age — it counts one’s age from zero at birth and a year is added on January 1. And it also uses the worldwide standard for some medical and legal records since the 1960s. This means that, for example, as of December 9, 2022, a person born on December 31, 1992 is 29 under the international standard, 30 under the South’s system of calculating the age to drink, and 31 under the “Korean age” method. President Yoon Suk-yeol has been campaigning on the change, citing the administrative and social expenses resulting from having multiple ways of counting people’s age. Some South Koreans were delighted by the news. “I’m getting two years younger — I’m so happy,” one wrote on Twitter. “I turned two years old so soon after I was born as I was born in December. Finally, I’m about to get my real age back!”

Unless they did it for financial or legal reasons, I can't figure out why they changed the name to something that seems unlikely to to attract a greater audience. Visited this place twice and found that it had everything you'd want in show bar (good seating, great lighting, big stage, superior sound system) except a predictable stable of performers. The owners must have designed and located the venue with the specific hopes of attracting a huge following of Chinese tourists. Two very successful restaurants that have long catered to the China trade (Mango Tree and the restaurant opposite) are located just up the road on Soi Tarntawan. Those same tourists also provided the main source of customers for the row of mixed massage shops on Surawong from the corner of Soi Tarntawan to Patpong 1.

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From, Coconuts Bangkok A century-old library in Bangkok’s Silom area has won a top award by the United Nation’s cultural agency. The restoration of the Neilson Hays Library, which took place from 2016 through 2018, received an Award of Distinction at the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. “The project sets a welcome benchmark for the restoration of early twentieth-century buildings of western architectural design in humid tropical environments,” the UNESCO jury said in a statement. The Neilson Hays Library was built in 1922 by Mario Tamagno, the same Italian architect responsible for iconic structures such as Hua Lamphong, the Government House, and the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. Its architectural highlights include an Italianate dome, symmetrical layout, stucco decorative motifs, columns, and teak fixtures and fittings. Though many original details survive today, the building was in obvious disrepair by 2016, leading the library’s board to enlist architectural restoration experts. They found that the damage that was visible was due to much deeper systemic problems and concluded a major restoration was critically needed. The site was fully renovated from top to bottom, including repairs to the floors, bookcases, roof tiles, and drainage system, as well as upgrades to its garden and parking lot. The cost was estimated to be around THB10 million (USD$287,000), much of which was underwritten by the Singha-beer barons at Boon Rawd Brewery. Nalin Vanasin, the library’s association president, called the renovation “a labor of love” by people coming together to “dedicate themselves to preserve a piece of history and to propel their beloved library forward.” The library was among 13 projects from six nations – Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal, and Thailand – recognized by an international jury at this year’s awards program. Restoration of Mumbai’s century-old museum, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, received the Award of Excellence. With the generosity of members, volunteers, and donors, the library underwent a two year, multi-million baht renovation fully funded by donations in time and money from the Neilson Hays Library community worldwide.

Indonesia sex laws ‘nail in coffin’ for LGBTQ rights From AFP (AFP) – Indonesia’s legislation banning sex outside marriage represents a major new threat to the LGBTQ community’s rights in the conservative country, where same-sex unions are not recognised. “It’s another nail in the coffin at the moment. A big nail,” Dede Oetomo, an activist with the LGBTQ rights group GAYa NUSANTARA, told AFP. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country, and its constitution recognises six religions. Homosexuality is not illegal in the Southeast Asian nation — except in the police, military and in Islamic law-abiding Aceh province — but rights groups say the legislative changes pose an inherent risk to LGBTQ people. “Many LGBTQ couples have been living together under the radar, as same-sex marriage isn’t allowed here,” said Robby Nasution, a 30-year-old freelancer who lives with his partner in Bali. “With the new law, this means that another right has been taken away from the community.” Kai Mata, a musician and activist, said LGBTQ communities were “bracing ourselves for impact and backlash” from the legislation, which stood “against our rights to exist”. The amendments still need to be approved by President Joko Widodo before they come into force. – ‘Living in fear’ – Albert Aries from Indonesia’s Law and Human Rights Ministry defended the amendments before the vote and said they would protect the country’s marriage institutions. Sex outside marriage could only be reported by a spouse, parents or children, drastically limiting the scope of the amendment, he said. But Andreas Harsono from Human Rights Watch said LGBTQ people were “living in fear” in a society that was becoming “more and more conservative”. “If they are reported by a member of their family, their life can be ruined,” he told AFP. There are already dozens of national and local regulations that affect LGBTQ people, and some have been arrested on charges of lewd conduct under anti-pornography laws. Last month, two Indonesian soldiers were given a seven-month jail term for having gay sex, which the military deems “inappropriate behaviour”. At least 15 members of the police and military have been fired in recent years for having gay sex, according to Amnesty International in 2020. Last year in Aceh province, two men were sentenced to nearly 80 lashings each for having sex. “Of course, I feel this country is not safe for me,” said Gusti Arirang, 29, a musician who identifies as pansexual. “I’m not pessimistic about Indonesia’s future progress as I am trying to stay strong. But now I have more concerns and am more cautious.”

From Thai PBS World Thailand is preparing to host an international conference on AIDS, between December 13th and 16th in Chiang Mai. Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Diseases Control Department, said today (Wednesday) that the 51st UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board Meeting will focus on three main topics: -Community-led responses -Global partnership to eliminate all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrimination -HIV and men, in all their diversity and how can we get our responses back on track. Representatives from 22 countries, UN agencies, the 11 organisations which are co-sponsoring this event and five non-governmental organisations will participate. Thailand hosted the last UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board Meeting in 2008. According to the Thai Ministry of Public Health’s statistics for last year, there were about 490,000 AIDS patients, including 5,800 new cases. The death toll last year was 11,200. A daily average of 16 new infections were reported, but Thailand has set a target to reduce new infections to 1,000 a year by 2030. The government allocated 3.6 billion baht in the 2021 fiscal year for AIDS patients, an increase of 332 million baht from the previous year. More than 289,000 patients have received anti-viral drugs under the “Gold Card” health scheme.

From Thai News Agency BANGKOK, Dec 8 (TNA) – The Immigration Bureau will revise its criteria for visa extension to prevent foreign criminals from citing their “study or foundations” as an excuse to prolong their stay in the country. Pol Lt Gen Pakpoompipat Sajjapan, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, said it would have a working group to revise criteria for visa extension and the revision would concern the foreigners who reported their necessity to work for foundations, receive medical treatment or pursue their study. The criteria would be stricter, he said. The Immigration Bureau made the move after former politician Chuwit Kamolvisit said that three former immigration police officers facilitated the longer stay of members of Chinese triads who set up foundations as their fronts in the country. He said national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas ordered Pol Lt Gen Cheera Chiraweera, deputy inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police Office, to investigate Mr Chuwit’s allegation that immigration police facilitated the illicit business of Chinese people. On the issue, Pol Lt Gen Pakpoompipat said deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn supervised legal action against Chinese criminals. Immigration police from 26 branches were questioned about their approval for Chinese people’s visas and the Immigration Bureau was also investigating the visa approval, Pol Lt Gen Pakpoompipat said. (TNA)

Try not to overthink the situation before you arrive in the shop. I find that one of the most most rewarding aspects of a massage is the unknown. Sure, you want to know in advance the fees involved and and some basic stuff about the guy you're thinking about booking. But beyond that I really look forward to seeing how the experience unfolds, I don't want to know everything that's likely to happen before it does. A massage--a good one IMO--often hinges on the physical, verbal and unspoken interplay between me and the masseur. I'm as much a participant as he is. When I allow that to play out, I frequently end up more satisfied and happy.

The cost of the project was estimated to be over 200 billion baht, of which the Thai Government would fund 123 billion baht and the private sector estimated to contribute 90 billion baht. The project was approved in October 2019 as a public private partnership between the Thai government and Charoen Pokphand/China Railway Construction Corporation. The assets will revert to state ownership after 50 years From Wikipedia The Don Mueang–Suvarnabhumi–U-Tapao high-speed railway, officially known as the High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Project (Thai: โครงการรถไฟความเร็วสูงเชื่อม 3 สนามบิน) is the second high-speed rail line project in Thailand, being due to open in 2026 between Don Mueang International Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport and U-Tapao International Airport. It will be operated by Asia Era One Company Limited, a special-purpose vehicles by the consortium of Charoen Pokphand Group Company, Limited (CP) and partners Ch. Karnchang PLC. (CK), Bangkok Expressway and Metro PLC. (BEM), Italian-Thai Development PLC. (ITD) and China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC). =========================== Will it actually happen in four years? I'd like to think so but TIT.

From National News Bureau of Thailand Major Expansions Set for Bangkok’s International Airports BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Transport has confirmed the expansion of Bangkok’s international airports to handle the increasing number of passengers after the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, Airports of Thailand Plc is planning to solicit bids for the expansion of Suvarnabhumi International Airport and Don Mueang International Airport early next year. Saksayam stated AOT would hold a tender for constructing a new 10-billion-baht passenger terminal on the east side of Suvarnabhumi International Airport. A master plan is also being drafted for Suvarnabhumi’s future expansion, which includes the addition of two new passenger terminals: one to the west of the main terminal and one to the north. Meanwhile, the AOT intends to hold a tender for the third phase of the Don Mueang airport expansion, which will have a budget of 36 billion baht. The minister said the construction proposal will likely be presented to the AOT board of directors in March 2023. Once authorized, it will be forwarded to the National Economic and Social Development Council for review before being submitted to the Cabinet for approval. The bidding is expected to be held in the middle of next year, and the project winner will be selected within 12 months, with construction starting in 2024.

From Pattaya Mail ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’ – For the first time in decades, ‘Treasure of Memories: 19th Century Photographs of Siam’, brings you an exhibition of over 100 century-old photographs from Athada Khoman and Weerawit Futrakul’s private collection for a rare insight into the nascent modernity of 19th century Siam. This haul of photographs from two of Thailand’s leading antique collectors will transport you to the cultural milieu during the reigns of Rama IV and V through the lens of royal photographers of the Siamese court. A must-see for history-lovers and photographers alike, this exhibition is open now until 20 December 2022, 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM at RCB Photographer’s Gallery 1 on the 2nd floor of River City Bangkok. (PRD)

Condom size, I’d think.

This photo taken about 1a.m. Wednesday. The vendors' area extends from the Surawong entrance to the alley that connects to Patpong 2 (near Dreamboy), my friend tells me. The remainder of Patpong remains open to traffic. It's heartening to see new life returning after the long winter of covid.

One reason could be the need to open the road to allow for trucks to service the business needs of the lease holders (trash removal, deliveries, etc.). There's also the access of emergency vehicles in case of fire to consider. Wouldn't be surprised if it reopens in a different, smaller configuration.

From Pattaya Mail December will see the launch of the annual Naklua Walk & Eat and the return of the Wonderfruit festival. Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said Nov. 30 that the Naklua walking street would run weekends from Dec. 10 to Jan. 29 in Naklua Old Town and help promote the community’s seafood and entertainment activities. Tourists can see, shop, eat and share in activities. Pattaya has been busily renovating parks and markets with plans to have them complete by January, but one thing that won’t be done is the bird-watching walkway linking the Lan Po Market and Long bridges.

Another thing to keep in mind is that all of the buildings and roads comprising Patpong (1, 2 and the connecting alleys) are on privately owned land. Finding sufficient vendors to rent space on Patpong 1 could be holding up the re-opening. Since the market is dismantled every evening and reassembled the following afternoon, and the display stands stored in a garage off of Patpong 2, the logistical expenses are huge.

From Coconuts Bangkok A short circuit was blamed for Saturday’s fire at the CentralwOrld shopping mall, and one woman was treated for smoke inhalation, according to police. Prapakorn Tiyabutr was the only injured in the late afternoon blaze, which sent panicked shoppers scrambling for the exits after it broke out at the mall’s Groove dining area, said Col. Pansa Amarapitak, Pathumwan police chief. Prapakorn was treated at the nearby Police General Hospital. Witnesses told the authorities that the fire started at a booth which was made of wood and decorated with LED bulbs and spotlights. It had been there since July and was connected to a power supply. Continues with video https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/short-circuit-blamed-for-fire-that-injured-1-at-centralworld/

This was taken by a friend about midnight Monday. Unfortunately the night market's promised re-opening didn't occur.

I agree cutting a customer short on the clock is a big no non-no. Forget the "you come, I go" philosophy. You and the shop agree in advance on the time and you have every right to expect the contract will be fulfilled. Some shops will place a clock in the room. When I'm with a guy I haven't used before, I call his attention to the time we begin the massage. If there's no clock, I just show him time on cell phone so we both have the same understanding. As I've observed before, I've been very lucky with my massage experiences on the last few trips. As I get older my expectations have evolved. The most important aspect of a satisfactory massage--beyond good technique--is the sensuality of the experience and the personalty of the masseur. My bottom line is now very simple: did I have fun?

With so many massage shops in the area, you have a much higher probability of finding good time in the vicinity of 1500-2000 baht, tip included. No drinks to buy, no attitude to deal with are there are plenty of eager guys who want your business. And for an extra 500 or so to the house, they'll do outcalls. What's not to like?

This demonstrates that having the courage to protest against prejudice and injustice can succeed in making a difference even in countries with repressive regimes. I am in awe of the courage and sacrifice of those Iranians who made this happen. From Chanel News Asia protester holds a portrait of Mahsa Amini during a demonstration in support of Amini, a young Iranian woman who died after being arrested in Tehran by the Islamic Republic's morality police, on Istiklal avenue in Istanbul on Sep 20, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Ozan Kose) TEHRAN: Iran has scrapped its morality police after more than two months of protests triggered by the arrest of Mahsa Amini for allegedly violating the country's strict female dress code, local media said Sunday (Dec 4). Women-led protests, labelled "riots" by the authorities, have swept Iran since the 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin died on September 16, three days after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran. "Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary" and have been abolished, Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency. His comment came at a religious conference where he responded to a participant who asked "why the morality police were being shut down", the report said. The morality police - known formally as the Gasht-e Ershad or "Guidance Patrol" - were established under hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to "spread the culture of modesty and hijab", the mandatory female head covering. The units began patrols in 2006. The announcement of their abolition came a day after Montazeri said that "both parliament and the judiciary are working (on the issue)" of whether the law requiring women to cover their heads needs to be changed. President Ebrahim Raisi said in televised comments Saturday that Iran's republican and Islamic foundations were constitutionally entrenched "but there are methods of implementing the constitution that can be flexible". https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/protest-hit-iran-abolishes-morality-police-death-mahsa-amini-3121191

A few years ago I was sitting with an Asian friend, watching the Dreamboy show. It included a slapstick segment featuring ladyboys made up in grotesque costumes and makeup. At one point they simulated picking up fake feces off the stage floor. Members of the audience were recruited to join the act on stage and to my amazement, quite a few joined in. Just about all the seats were filled and the Asian dominated crowd roared with laughter. After the show I asked my Asian friend what he liked most about it and he said the ladyboy comedy routines. It was what appealed to me the least. It was then I came to appreciate the cultural gap. It wasn't that they didn't like to see sexy guys on stage. It was that they also wanted to be entertained in a way that left me nonplussed. I never did get around to catching the new Dreamboy show on my last trip. It wasn't because I didn't want to to attend but I always managed to find something else to do.