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I think you made more sense when discussing your cancer diagnosis—that made no sense at all.

From the Thaiger A football has not been kicked in anger at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and already a match-fixing scandal has erupted. If the decision to stage football’s most prestigious competition in the Arab country of Qatar wasn’t controversial enough, amid allegations of corruption and human rights violations, FIFA has to deal with an alleged match-fixing impropriety on the eve of the tournament. The Regional head of the British Centre for Middle East Studies, Amjad Taha, claimed on Twitter that World Cup 2022 host Qatar has bribed eight players from the Ecuador national team to throw the opening match on Sunday, November 20. Taha, an expert in strategic political affairs and regional director of the British centre in Saudi Arabia, said that eight players have received a combined US$7.4 million (265 million baht) to throw the opening game against Qatar. It is reported that Ecuador will allow Qatar to win 1-0 and the goal will be scored in the second half. Taha ended his post adding that he hopes the rumour is not true. The allegations are hard to ignore given Qatar has been accused in the past of bribing FIFA with millions of dollars to be chosen as the host of the World Cup ahead of the United States. Neither the Qatar government nor the Qatar Football Federation has commented on the rumours. The opening match between Qatar and Ecuador will kick off on Sunday, November 20. As Thailand can close the deal for the broadcasting license yesterday, football fans in the country can enjoy the first match this Sunday at 11pm.

From Channel News Asia BANGKOK: Leaders of the 21-member APEC bloc pledged on Saturday (Nov 19) to boost trade and do more to tackle other economic challenges, wrapping up the last of three summits in the region in a week that have been overshadowed by intense geopolitical rivalry. The summits have been attended by global leaders, and the talks have often been disrupted by friction spilling over from the war in Ukraine as well as flashpoints such as the Taiwan strait and the Korean peninsula. A Southeast Asian summit that included China, Japan and the United States was held in Cambodia, while the Group of 20 (G20) major economies met on the Indonesian island of Bali. The opening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting was interrupted on Friday when Vice President Kamala Harris, who is heading the US delegation, called an emergency gathering of allies on the sidelines to condemn North Korea after it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. On Saturday, Thai Prime Minister and APEC chair Prayut Chan-o-cha sought to bring the focus back to economic issues and said APEC made "significant progress" by agreeing to a multi-year work plan for a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP). An APEC leaders' declaration said the group would uphold and further strengthen a rules-based multilateral trading system, but also recognised more intensive efforts were needed to address challenges like rising inflation, food security, climate change and natural disasters.disasters. "This year, we have also witnessed the war in Ukraine further adversely impact the global economy," said the declaration. “Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy," it added. At the G20 meeting in Indonesia, members unanimously adopted a declaration that said most members condemned the Ukraine war but also acknowledged some countries saw the conflict differently. The APEC leaders echoed the G20 declaration as they referred to UN resolutions that deplore Russia's aggression and demand its complete and unconditional withdrawal from Ukraine, but also noted a variety of opinions. "There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions. Recognising that APEC is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy," the bloc said. Russia is a member of both G20 and APEC but President Vladimir Putin has stayed away from the summits. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov is representing him at APEC. The US city of San Francisco will host the next APEC summit and Prime Minister Prayut handed over the chair to Vice President Harris at a ceremony. "We are ready to conduct a seamless cooperation with them," he said, while presenting Harris with a "chalom", a woven bamboo basket used to carry goods and gifts in Thailand. A day earlier, North Korea's missile test just an hour before the APEC forum was inaugurated prompted Harris to call an emergency meeting with leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand. "This conduct by North Korea most recently is a brazen violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions," Harris said. Friday's launch came after US President Joe Biden met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday in Bali and said Beijing has an obligation to try to talk North Korea out of resuming nuclear testing, while adding that it was unclear whether China would be able to sway Pyongyang. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/apec-leaders-pledge-boost-trade-tackle-economic-challenges-3086466

From the Thaiger Air Canada will launch direct flights to Thailand next month. A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will service the route, flying between Bangkok and Vancouver four days per week. It will be the first direct service linking North America and Thailand in 10 years. Canada’s flag carrier will fly between Vancouver International Airport and Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The flight route is seasonal and will run between December 4, 2022, and April 14, 2023. The aircraft features three cabins – Signature Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class.The westbound flight leaves Vancouver at 11pm and arrives in Bangkok at 5.55am. The eastbound flight will leave Bangkok and 8.30am and arrive in Vancouver at 6.35am, technically going back in time. Both flights are designed to arrive early in the morning to give passengers the maximum choice of same-day connecting flights. The service will provide a new option for American passengers. Before they would have to transit through Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo, or, in the other direction, the middle eastern hubs.

It’s no wonder there are so many advertisements for drugs in media. When industry knows it can make men believe that they’re girth deficient, sky’s the limit.

From Pattaya News An Indian tourist in Pattaya filed a police report on a stranger whom he reportedly paid to go to his hotel room but later turned out to be a transgender individual. The tourist said the transvestite refused to return his money and stole his wristwatch. The tourist said he hired a stranger whom he originally thought was a woman to go to his hotel room on Soi 8 in Banglamung, Chonburi. While the two of them were inside the room, the tourist stated he noticed the stranger was, in fact, a transvestite, not a real woman. Out of disappointment, the Indian man asked for his cash worth 1,500 baht back, but the transvestite reportedly refused. The tourist then chose to file a police report at the Pattaya police station, but the officer informed him that what he did with the stranger was against Thai prostitution laws and may result in legal action against him.The Indian man reportedly began to shed tears as he did not want to get charged. He pled with the officerto find the stranger, claiming the stranger was also a pickpocket because they stole his wristwatch. Pattaya police were inspecting the hotel to try to locate the suspect, adding they would be able to solve the case soon because the suspect forgot their ID card in the hotel room. TPN notes there have been in terms of pickpocketing issues in the Pattaya area 16 cases so far this year, with the most recent happening in early November. There have been arrests, including this most recent one, and Pattaya police vow they will continue to search for and arrest the suspects.

From Thai PBS World People living in Bangkok, other central provinces, eastern and southern regions of Thailand are advised to expect heavy to very heavy rainfall from November 22nd-24th, as a result of an intensifying low pressure cell. Thailand’s Meteorological Department reported today (Friday) that a low pressure cell, looming over the coast of Borneo, is moving towards the South China Sea and intensifying as it heads towards the southern tip of the Vietnamese Peninsula and into the Gulf of Thailand. It predicts that the storm will bring heavy to very heavy downpours to the southern part of Thailand’s central region, including Bangkok. The Weatherman also warned of possible flash flooding at the bases of mountains and overflows in low-lying areas close to natural waterways during the period. Rough seas and strong winds are forecast in both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand from Monday until Thursday, with waves 2-3 metres high in the Gulf down to Surat Thani and more than 3 metre high waves in the Andaman Sea north of Phuket. Meanwhile, in Phuket, torrential rain struck Krathu district yesterday and, in less than an hour, the famous Patong sub-district was flooded. Runoffs from the mountains submerging roads in front of Patong Hospital, the police station, the municipal office and many communities in the Patong area. The flood water receded by about 3pm. Patong’s Mayor Chalermsak Maneesri said he will discuss long-term solutions to the flooding in Patong area with relevant agencies, noting that the area was hit by flooding several times over the past two months. Nonetheless, tourists continue to stream into Phuket, with Oman Air becoming the latest airline to operate four direct flights per week, from Muscat, the Omani capital, to Phuket. The maiden flight arrived in Phuket yesterday carrying 160 passengers. According Tourism Authority of Thailand local staff, Oman’s population of about five million is a high potential market for tourism to Thailand, with many Omanis travelling to Phuket for wellness services and recreation before the COVID-19 pandemic.

While returning from KK massage came across a shop I hadn’t noticed before, BT House Massage. I stopped in and got their LINE ID: @btmassage. It’s located on Sutthisan Winichai Rd., a block or so before KK (in vicinity of KFC on opposite side) These are photos posted on site:

True, but they’re targeting those whose coverage doesn’t cover extended care or those who desire a high quality product at a much lower cost. With high disposal income, Middle East countries have always been a prime source of business. And upper income Indians are adding to that list.

There are always places to be found on Soi Thaniya into the evening. During daylight hours, Superrich adjacent to Silom Plaza (home of Arena and Best massage shops) and X-one on Surawong near Sap Rd. are open and offer most competitive rates. The jewelry store just to left of the old Soi Twilight site will probably offer rate better than most banks.

From Bloomberg News Thailand will start issuing one-year visas to people seeking medical treatment, as the Southeast Asian nation positions itself as a global hub for health-care tourism in the post-pandemic era. The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to lower the fee for such visas to 5,000 baht ($140) from 6,000 baht mooted a year earlier, Tipanan Sirichana, a deputy spokeswoman for the government, said in a statement. The new permits will be issued starting Jan. 1, she said. The medical visas will allow foreign patients to fly in and out of Thailand besides allowing them a maximum stay of 90 days at a stretch, Tipanan said. Applicants will need to produce evidence of a hospital appointment, health insurance and proof of adequate financing for treatments covering at least 800,000 baht, she said. Thailand is seeking to lure more foreign visitors in the post-Covid period by promoting itself as a world-class destination for medical treatment, with hospital operators such as Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Pcl and Bumrungrad Hospital Pcl leading the efforts. The medical visas will be restricted to patients that require continuous treatment for more than 90 days, and hospitals will need to outline a concrete treatment plan and expenses for the applicants, Tipanan said. Applicants can seek an extension beyond one year only if they provide medical certificates. Treatments for cardiovascular disease, cancer, organ transplants, anti-aging and cosmetic surgery could qualify for the new visas, she said.

Silom Soi 6 has more shops (six and soon to have seven) male only shops where on any given day you find 60-70 guys available. You’ll find Soi Six on your right just after passing Bangkok Christian Hospital.

From CNN Editor’s Note: Isaac Humphries is a professional basketball player for Melbourne United, part of Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL). He previously played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion on CNN. Opinion by Isaac Humphries One of the best feelings in the world is playing a game of professional basketball while on peak form.to perform in front of nearly 10,000 people a night; they’re cheering your name, they’re wearing your jersey. And all while you throw down a powerful dunk and flex to the crowd. Well, it should be the best feeling in the world, right? And for a brief moment, I guess it was. That was in 2020. I was 22 and playing with the Adelaide 36ers, two years before signing with my current team, Melbourne United. Now imagine what happens when all of that adrenalin comes to an end after a game. For me, the euphoria was gone the moment I drove out of the arena. I’d get home to my apartment in Adelaide’s coastal suburb of Henley Beach, and be all alone. I felt I had no choice but to be by myself. That’s when my wave of depression would hit the hardest. Over my entire career, there was no reality that existed where I could be an openly gay man while playing basketball. Until now. I’ve played everywhere – Kentucky, the NBA, Europe, the Australian national team – and it’s all the same: for the most part, being an athlete at that level is about making money, dating girls and being the best basketball player you can be. So I fell in line, no matter how awkward and weird I felt doing it. I just wanted to fit in and not draw any attention to myself. There were almost no examples of a male pro basketball player doing anything other than that, so I was resigned to the fact that my true life would start after I retired. Continues with video https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/15/opinions/gay-australian-basketball-player-isaac-humphries/index.html

Is Mac the friendly who stared there as front door greeter / bellhop? Later had amulet counter at Tarntawan Apartments.

Rougher around the edges than Freshboys with no attitude or drama.. Tbh, I don’t recall much in the way of attitude from guys from Freshboys, either.

You are putting doctor’s kids through university, one trip at a time.

Have you ruled out hemorrhoids?

Don’t expect hotel rates to contract. Bangkok Post reporting that electricity rates expected to increase about 14% between January and April next year.

From Thai PBS World The Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall has once again been chosen to host world leaders at the APEC Gala Dinner, reprising its role after two decades. On Thursday night, APEC leaders will gather at the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall, not just for a sumptuous dinner, but to also feast their eyes on a spectacular illuminated boat procession and later to float their own decorative krathongs. They will spend about two hours from 8pm at the same spot where their predecessors sat during APEC 2003. Located beside the Chao Phraya River, the Royal Thai Navy Convention Hall sits in a vast complex that also houses the century-old Ratchanaviksapha Building.

From Pattaya Mail From 1 Nov 2022, Thailand’s e-Visa service will be available at 9 additional Embassies and Consulates. Apply at: www.thaievisa.go.th

From Thai PBS World Light extravaganzas illuminate the Chao Phraya River As the host of the APEC 2022 (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation), the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has organised the “Vijit Chao Phraya” lighting event along the Chao Phraya River, the capital’s main waterway, to welcome participants in the international summit while also boosting tourism in Bangkok. The Vijit Chao Phraya lighting and sound design is one of TAT’s programs of activities and events taking place during the APEC 2022 meeting. The event showcases creativity through light and sound design and cutting-edge multimedia while Thailand’s rich cultural heritage on both sides of the river makes it even more spectacular and memorable. The event will be held from 12 to 27 November and covers six areas along the river. Rama VIII Bridge Lighting decorations feature the “Light Show & Laser” which sees the cables of the bridge bathed in color to create a different atmosphere. The laser light is designed and projected into patterns that form welcome messages to APEC guests. Show times: Daily, 6 rounds a day at 7pm, 7.30pm, 8pm, 8.30pm, 9pm and 9.30pm. Wichai Prasit Fort Projecting Mapping with light and sound effects on the white wall of the Wichai Prasit Fort portrays past glories and present-day diplomacy and trading as well as the life of Thai people along the water. Show times: Daily, 6 rounds per day at 7.15pm, 7.45pm, 8.15pm, 8.45pm, 9.15pm and 9.45 (Special effects show during holidays on 12,13,17,18,19,26,27 Nov) Wat Kalayanamit Varamahavihara Applied Cultural Performance incorporating special techniques that portrays the story of Thai traditions along the Chao Phraya River along with Nang Yai (shadow puppet) shows and cultural performances conveying the cultural richness and wisdom of Thailand. Show times: 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27 November, 3 rounds per day, at 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Phra Phuttha Yodfa Bridge (Memorial Bridge) The Illumination Light Show features music and ambient sounds that convey journeys by train, boat and plane. The show offers an aural rendition of the way of life of Thai people in the old days such as sound of cooking and local musical instruments. Show times: Daily, 6 rounds per day at 7.15pm, 7.45pm, 8.15pm, 8.45pm 9.15pm and 9.45pm (There will be a special effects show on 12 Nov2022) River City Bangkok Projection-Mapping is displayed on the external wall of River City Bangkok. The show is a summary of the charm of the Chao Phraya River demonstrating Thailand’s so-called “soft power” that attracts tourists to experience food, film, fashion, fights and festivals. Show times: Daily, 6 rounds per day at 7.00pm, 7.30pm, 8pm, 8.30pm, 9pm and 9.30pm. IconSiam BANGKOK The river-side shopping mall shows state-of-the-art illuminations using clean energy from solar cells in line with the country’s attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The show incorporates the “ICONIC Multimedia Water Feature” that entertains with a “dancing stream” – claimed to be the longest stream of light and sound in Southeast Asia. Show times: Daily, 4 rounds per day at 6.15pm, 7.15pm, 8.15pm and 9.15pm Those interested can visit and explore each area for free. The best way to experience the lighting event is to cruise along the Chao Phraya River and watch the shows from the water.

It’s probably been almost four years since I’ve visited this shop. At the time I recall that it was offering competitive rates and services. I had two massages there and I remembered them as satisfactory. As I’ve said in other posts, I’ve patronized four shops this trip that have a minimum tip policy. All delivered full service massage for less than the fees Vinapu cites above. If Ganymede isn’t, it tells me much about its customer service policy. http://www.ganymedespa.com/

From CNN Democrats will keep control of the Senate, CNN projects CNN — Democrats will keep their narrow Senate majority for the next two years, CNN projects, after victories in close contests in Nevada and Arizona. Retaining Senate control is a huge boost to President Joe Biden over the remaining two years of his first term in the White House, with one more Senate race outstanding that will determine the final balance of power in the chamber – and how much leverage the president’s party will ultimately have. “I think it’s a reflection of the quality of our candidates,” Biden told reporters in Cambodia shortly after CNN and other news outlets projected Democrats would keep their Senate majority. “They’re all running on the same program. Wasn’t anybody who wasn’t running on what we did,” Biden went on. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/12/politics/democrats-keep-senate/index.html

From Manila Times Thailand's BL series flies high Opinion by Danton Remoto A YEAR ago, publisher and writer Jun Matias asked me to join his "Lock and Roll" Facebook discussion on Boys' Love, or the BL series. Produced in Thailand, the BL television series has taken Southeast Asia by storm, especially in the time of Covid-19. The Boys Love TV shows deal with boys who fall in love with other boys. But they are radical in Thailand for the boys depart from the khatoey, or the stereotype of the gay man who is effeminate, swishy and works in the beauty parlors or in entertainment. These boys are butch and good-looking; they play football and used to date girls; they live in beautiful homes and wear stylish clothes. It is almost like your slick television series of love and loss, except that here, the boys fall in love with other boys. Hendri Go, my informant and tireless organizer of Cebu's Literary Festival (Liftest), said the Japanese yaoi culture influenced the Thai BL. The yaoi are Japanese manga comics dealing with physical gay love. The fans of the yaoi are called fujoshi, and they are mostly young women. On the other hand, we have the sonenai, or manga gay comics that deal with gay love that is emotional and romantic. In both varieties, music brings the boys together; the setting is usually a school; the city is another character in the unfolding of the tale. Social media run the characters' lives: the world of likes, comments and shares affect them on a daily basis. This is most clearly seen in the series "2gether," directed by Weerachit Thongjila, which ran from February to May 2020. The series is about Wat (Vachirawit Chivaaree, nicknamed Bright), a football player and musician who meets Tine (Metawin Opas-iamkajorn, nicknamed Win), an aspiring musician. Wat is brooding and melancholicwhile Tine is bright and bubbly. The casting captures perfectly the differences in their character traits. There is charm and chemistry between the two boys, who sometimes wear similar jerseys, or just look deeply into each other's eyes, or feel the pangs of jealousy the way other partners do. Shown right almost when Southeast Asian countries were beginning to be locked down because of the pandemic, the series racked up millions of views per episode on YouTube. Twitter comments hit through the roof and fan sites mushroomed on Facebook and YouTube. GMMTV of Thailand wisely uploaded the series, with English subtitles, at almost the same time it was shown on Thai television. The effect was electric: the chat lines that were opened as soon as the series was uploaded buzzed with the viewers' reactions. And guess which country had the most passionate, the most emotional, reactions? The Latin Asian country called the Philippines. Why did it hold a whole region in the cup of its hand? 2Gether and the other BL series after that showed what many gay men did not have when they were growing up at the university: groups of friends, both straight and gay, who were openly supportive. That, and a milieu where homosexual acts were not seen as bizarre, or in Catholic Philippines, as forms of sin. The series showed that homosexuality is as normal as breathing; that families can be accepting and loving; and that life is worth living even if you dare to be different. And that a gay character does not have to live a tragic life, or die at the end of the TV series. Continues at https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/opinion/thailand-s-bl-series-flies-high/ar-AA140GEr