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From Pattaya Mail The first major event to come to Pattaya this year was the “Summer City Pop Bikini Fashion Show” held Central Festival Pattaya on Beach Road.

They've already found a way, I'm sure. They much more adept at improvisation than we are.

It's a tactile experience that separates illusion from reality. It's all a matter of how you wish to spend a 100 baht.

From Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — April international arrivals in Việt Nam soared to 2.4 times that of March and 5.2 per cent higher than the same period last year thanks to the country’s tourism reopening, according to the General Statistics Office of Việt Nam (GSO). In the first four months of the year, the number of foreigners arriving in Việt Nam neared 192,400, an annual rise of 184.7 per cent. Of the total, 88.6 per cent came by air, increasing close to four times from 2021, while arrivals by road and sea were down by 10.5 and 58.7 per cent, respectively. Tourism revenue from lodging-food and transport services grew by 5.2 per cent and 10.5 per cent on-year, respectively. In May, Việt Nam will host the 31st Southeast Asian Games with the participation of all the 11 regional countries that are sending large delegations of athletes, officials and reporters.

This will hopefully see the flow of SE Asians from other ASEAN countries increase. From Pattaya Mail Thailand standardizes entry rules by air and land By Barry Kenyon rom May 1 Thailand has opened a total of 31 land checkpoints at its borders with neighboring countries. This means that entry rules for walk-in tourists and visitors are now in line with arrivals by air. Some immigration checkpoints at the Laos and Malaysian borders have been operating for several weeks, but they have now been joined by those in Chanthaburi and Sa Kaeo provinces which include the immigration checkpoints at Aranyaprathet/Poipet and Pong Nam Ron near the Cambodian border. Fully vaccinated visitors can now enter Thailand by air or land without any pre or post entry compulsory health test. However, they must register in advance on the Thailand Pass portal to receive their all-important QR code by submitting their vaccination record and proof of Covid insurance worth a minimum of US$10,000 for 30 days. Unvaccinated persons must present additional proof of a very recent RT-PCR test or undergo quarantine for at least 5 days. Those arriving in Thailand by sea require a certificate of entry issued by the port authorities on arrival. Thai land borders have been closed to tourists for two years, although goods traffic and guest workers from neighboring countries have been allowed through on a discretionary basis. The reopening of land borders means that foreign tourists and expats will be able to visit neighboring countries without purchasing an air ticket. This could make easier obtaining visas abroad or making use of re-entry permits, although it will take several weeks before the immigration entry implications are transparent.

From Bangkok Post Labour unions and the government remain locked in negotiations over the new minimum wage as workers parade on Labour Day to press their demand for a higher flat rate across the country. Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin on Sunday reiterated the government's rejection of a call for all workers nationwide to receive a minimum daily wage of 492 baht. "The minimum wage will no doubt be increased. But the new rate has to support employers' businesses as well as keep employees happy," he said after a forum at the Labour Ministry chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Current minimum wages vary depending on the provinces where labourers work. The highest is 336 baht per day in Chon Buri and Phuket provinces, while the lowest is 313 per day in the three southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala. The issue will be settled in a tripartite meeting consisting of representatives from the goverment, employers and workers. They are expected to reach a decision in August or September. On Sunday, workers paraded from Democracy Monument to Government House to urge the government to meet their wage demand and improve working conditions.

Jeff Bezos is actually 5-7. It's his wallet that makes him appear taller.😉

January and February would likely offer some of the most agreeable weather with April traditionally being the hottest and most humid month. But I've enjoyed Thailand in all seasons so I wouldn't let that factor control my decision. JAL offers some of the best trip duration times and Tokyo airports are very efficient and easy to navigate. Your itinerary seems fine, especially if you want to get in some beach time. If you can stretch you stay into a third--or even fourth--week, you won't be disappointed. You may decide you wish to return to BKK or explore another Thai destination. Good luck with your planning.

From The Thaiger Thailand slid into 8th place in a survey of 1,500 Americans on the world’s safest travel destinations but is still in the world’s top 10. Canada snagged the winning spot during this survey in 1st place, followed by Iceland, Sweden, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. The survey was taken by travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, as part of its 2022 State of Travel Insurance Report. As Thailand prepares to ease several entry restrictions on the Thailand Pass from today, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has welcomed the ranking, according to a deputy government spokeswoman. The spokeswoman said the PM sees the ranking as helpful in the wake of the recent changes and easing entry restrictions with the revised Thailand Pass. This news comes as travellers are finally flocking back to parts of Southeast Asia. In Thailand, the number of foreign visitors rose 38% in March from February, of course from a low base. The director of Chiang Mai airport said the airport is ready for an influx of international passengers after the country’s entry requirements are eased from today. Phuket Airport this week also revised all its procedures for the new, simplified Thailand Pass which goes into effect today.

From The Thaiger First flight arrives in Phuket under revised “Thailand Pass” Phuket’s first arrival flight under the Thailand Pass updated ‘eased’ restrictions has arrived! A flight from Qatar carrying with 324 passengers landed at Phuket International Airport this morning, and an airport director said 4,482 travellers in total are expected to arrive today. The director said that throughout May, an average of 27 flights per day were expected to arrive at Phuket as confirmed by 21 airlines. Today’s passengers reportedly took about 17 minutes to go through the required arrival procedures. They were welcomed by a team of staff lead by the director of the Phuket International Airport, and officials from the immigration, customs, and international disease control offices.

You'd prefer untrue believers?

Yes, but I never inferred that Z was a Nazi. My purpose of quoting Niemoller was to illustrate how accepting discrimination any situation can set a precedent for accepting it in all. Z and I both enjoy an argument, particularly with each other. We have a history of pursuing a point to exhaustion. I'm confident this won't be the last time.

Talk about overblown, I never used the words "bigot" or "Nazis". You did. Z's entitled to opinion and so am I. And so are you but don't expect it to silence me from offering mine.

You're attempting to justify discrimination in the bars because you'd be more comfortable if women were not present. Well, that is a slippery slope. What if the women are perfectly comfortable? What if the guys on stage are perfectly comfortable with women in the audience? (I don't ever recall hearing complaints from the performers). Now granted, some individuals may wish to partake in "hands-on" manipulation of performers. But why shouldn't that opportunity be open to both genders if that is the custom in that particular venue? And if I follow your proposal, you seem to be suggesting that staff segregate themselves by declaring that they are gay only, straight only or bisexual, with separate areas for each. That, to me, is a bit too clinical. You worry about lads on stage exposing themselves to ladies. They do that on a regular bases at all the bars in Silom and beyond now. Does anyone recall the guys complaining or refusing to perform? I again call attention to the fact that most of the guys who fill the stages in Bangkok, and at least some of the Pattaya bars, are straight and quite comfortable doing their stuff before both sexes. Let's not discriminate against them or anyone else.

Already have them. You can find women on any given night at Moonlight, Jupiter, Dreamboys and--yes--even Freshboys. In many of the bars, the number of straight guys on stage outnumbers the gay boys. Part of the attraction for many gay men is offing a straight guy. Some straight women have fantasies about offing a gay one. It's a big, complicated world out there and we're all part of it. You never heard of Chippendale? Fair enough but you're limiting yourself to Sunee Plaza and some other Pattaya bars, I'd imagine. Bangkok is a different animal and will increasingly need women patrons to help make rent. The concept of "gay" bars is involving to include anyone who's attracted to the guys on stage, regardless of their orientation or gender. And if that's what it takes to keep them in business, I'm all for it.

Using that shaky logic, one could easily find a way to exclude black men or Latino men, or Japanese or Jews. As someone recently said, it's a slippery slope and you seem all to ready to make the descent. "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me." Martin Niemöller, 1946

Wasn't all that long ago that gays were openly discriminated against and in some situations remain so today. Do you realize how ridiculous it sounds for a gay man to be espousing discrimination on any grounds?

For some perhaps but folks in our age range are in a distinct minority. We alone cannot support the clubs and if women are willing to pony up the entrance fee, drink minimums and tips, it's no skin off my back. Those females help keep the clubs open. I don't feel threatened by the inclusion of women. Most of the guys on stage love the sounds of those screaming hordes. This is not your your granddaddy's world. Get over it.

Could not agree more. And Lucky Boys put it all on display: twink, guy-next-door, muscle, and representative of all southeast Asia--and sometimes beyond. It was one-stop shopping for all comers.

From National Public Radio Filmmaker and author John Waters at his home in Baltimore. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his landmark film, Pink Flamingos, and he's releasing his first novel, Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance. Jared Soares for NPR By Andrew Limbong You tell people you're going to John Waters' house in Baltimore to interview him and suddenly people are falling over themselves to be like, "Oh, you gotta tell me what his house is like." Sure, if you know his work, it's reasonable to assume the man's got all sorts of homages to grotesque and filthy ideas around his house. Which he does... in the sense that his house (or at least his living room) was packed with books. Art books, history books, novels, all crammed into shelves or precariously stacked on top of any flat surface. The man behind the phrase, "If you go home with somebody and they don't have books, don't f– 'em," will truly never find himself at the wrong end of that situation. That said, wrongness is Waters' specialty. It's there in all of his work, from his early short movies touching on the KKK and the JFK assassination, to the 50-year-old, landmark film Pink Flamingos, to his latest project – his first novel, Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance. The book is based on an idea that's been knocking around his head for a bit. At first, he thought it would be a movie, but he's done movies before. He's written books, too, but they were works of memoir or journalism. "I just wanted to try something I hadn't done," Waters said. "Same reason I took LSD when I was 70. The same reason I hitchhiked across America when I was 66. Why not try to write your first novel in your mid-70s? I want to keep trying new things. Dare yourself." Reading Liarmouth, at times, feels like entering a delirium (which is to say, it feels similar to watching a John Waters movie). One character will do something outrageous and another will one-up them and again and again until people are jumping up and down on trampolines, trying to murder each other, having sex with strangers and barking like dogs. You can read and listen to the interview here https://www.npr.org/2022/04/30/1095085479/a-lot-of-material-from-this-john-waters-interview-couldnt-be-published

From Channel News Asia HONG KONG: Hong Kong will shorten mandatory hotel quarantine for passenger flight crews to three days from seven, while cargo crews will be exempt, modest steps at unwinding coronavirus curbs that have turned the city into one of the world's most isolated places. The changes, which take effect in May, give the global financial hub's aviation trade and logistics industries "much-needed survival space", the government said in a statement on Friday (Apr 29). Hong Kong said it was also lifting an outbound travel alert on overseas countries from May, more than two years after it was first implemented in March 2020. "The epidemic situations in overseas countries/territories with frequent traffic with Hong Kong have generally been on a downward trend ... The risk of travelling overseas has lowered relatively," the government said in a separate statement. Hong Kong has some of the world's strictest COVID-19 rules. Non-residents will be allowed to enter the city for the first time in more than two years from May, the government announced on Apr 22. It has also slightly adjusted rules for airlines that carry infected COVID-19 patients, with the threshold for suspending incoming flights rising to five infected passengers from three currently. A ban on individual airline routes will be shortened to five days from seven from May. Daily infections have dropped below 1,000 in the past two weeks from a peak of more than 70,000 on Mar 3. ============================= Star Ferry needs rescue plan as tourism drops HONG KONG: The Star Ferry, an icon of Hong Kong and arguably the world's most famous ferry ride, is in financial trouble. But in typical fashion for the city, billionaires — and shopping — could hold the key to its survival. The 142-year-old ferry, which transports passengers across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong island to the Kowloon mainland, is seriously indebted. The Star Ferry Company saw a loss of more than HK$70 million (US$8.9 million) since mid-2019 when mass protests erupted in the city, according to a company statement in March. Its two ferry routes recorded 1 million passengers in the first two months of the year — just 27 per cent of the level in 2019. “At present, I don’t dare to be optimistic that the Star Ferry can survive this wave of blows,” General Manager David Chow said in the statement. The company is now relying solely on loans to get by, including to pay employees. These operation statistics would normally suggest an imminent collapse for an ordinary company, but the Star Ferry will likely live on thanks to the backing of a billionaire family and its retail ambitions — and deep love in the city for an institution that many will be saddened to lose. The Star Ferry Company is owned by property developer Wharf Holdings, which operates the ferry on a 15-year franchise granted by the government. Meanwhile, the Star Ferry pier in Tsim Sha Tsui, one of Hong Kong's most popular shopping destinations, is just minutes-walk away from Harbour City, the flagship mall of Wharf.

I think that Lucky Boys on Patpong 2 is one of the few clubs with the combination of capacity and location that could field such a venue. Before it closed in March of 2020, it was not unusual to find upwards of 40-50 guys of all descriptions on its stage, billed as the largest in the Silom-Surawong rectangle. The show itself was supported by excellent lighting and sound systems, and unobstructed views for all seats. But only the arrival of more visitors (particularly from China, Singapore and Japan), and more boys from ASEAN neighbors, could again make it a viable business.

From Bangkok Post The navy has jailed an instructor who allegedly punished new recruits by forcing them to drink semen and will then discharge him for a serious breach of military discipline. Petty Officer Second Class Taksin Ngokpilai was earlier transferred to an inactive post pending an investigation into the allegations, said Vice Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin, a Royal Thai Navy spokesman. A navy fact-finding panel ruled the allegation had grounds, prompting an order to detain PO2 Taksin for 30 days, the spokesman said. As the act was found to have seriously sullied the reputation of the military, PO2 Taksin will also be discharged later, he added.

The on again, off again, 300 baht Thailand Tourism Fee is on again. The Post reports that the TTF (yet another acronym) will be collected by airlines from international travelers beginning in the third quarter. "The tourism fee is in line with the revised National Tourism Policy Act of 2008, which granted permission to set up the fund from the fees collected from foreign visitors. The fund will be used to develop tourist sites and offer tourists insurance," said Chote Trachu, permanent secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry. He said the fee is meant to help tourists in case of emergency, such as a sudden sickness, accident or political unrest while travelling in Thailand. People exempt from the tourism fee collection include diplomats, government officials, people with work permits from nationalities under a memorandum of understanding with Thailand, and children under 2 years old. The TTF system activates 30-day insurance coverage for tourists once they arrive. It's not likely to discourage many visitors from going ahead with their plans. And if it once and for all gets rid of the Thai Pass and the insurance requirement so much the better.