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From Thai PBS World From November 15th, people who want to deposit cash viacash deposit machines (CDMs) in Thailand will be required to identify themselves by inserting their credit or debit cards and entering their Personal Identification Number (PIN) or password. The new measure has been introduced by the Anti-Money Laundering Office and will be applied to all commercial banks, to prevent the laundering of money earned from drug trafficking, illegal gambling or other criminal activity. According to AMLO, the alternative for those who do not have a credit or debit card PIN or password for their bank accounts is to deposit their money and show their ID cards tobank tellers in the branch, which will incur service charges. Many bank customers have expressed disagreement, via social media, with AMLO’s new measure, claiming that itunnecessarily increases the financial burden and inconvenience, because they will have to apply for debit cards. The state-owned Krung Thai Bank is the first commercial bank to confirm the role-out of this new measure and a channel through which the public can seek more information. So far, 11 commercial banks have approved the new measure, among them are the Krung Thai Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, Kasikorn Bank, Bangkok Bank, Bank of Ayudhya, TMBThanachart Bank, UOB Bank, CIMB Bank, the Government Savings Bank, the Government Housing Bank and Kiatnakin Phatra Bank.

Rumpole of the Bailey, starring Leo McKern as John Mortimer, the real-life criminal barrister and author.

From Thai PBS World 25th victim of Chon Buri’s Mountain B pub fire dies The Mountain B pub fire in Sattahip District of Chon Buri Province on August 5th claimed its 25th victim yesterday (Saturday). 26-year-old Parichart Kwanyoengyong was admitted to the Queen Sirikit Naval Hospital in Sattahip for treatment of burns on the night of the fire. She was there for a day before being transferred to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok for treatment. Yesterday, it was decided not to continue her treatment, because her body was not respondingto it. The victim’s sister, Darawadi Katekaew, told the media that Parichart suffered a blood infection, as well as lung and kidney problems, requiring dialysis around the clock. She said that her body will be brought back to Rayong province for a funeral at Nong Wa Temple.

Same same

From Bangkok Post The young priest, always something of a misfit, chose an unconventional spot to start his preschool: a former pigsty near a slaughterhouse in one of Bangkok’s poorest neighbourhoods. For a fee of a penny or two a day, the Rev Joseph Maier took in children from the most destitute families, teaching them to spell their names in Thai and feeding them what was often their only meal of the day. He also lived nearby, his neighbours the castoffs in the capital: butchers, scavengers, street vendors, professional beggars, thieves and prostitutes. Wooden planks formed walkways over the muddy ground, which turned into polluted swamps during the rainy season. Fifty years later, Father Joe, as the American Roman Catholic priest came to be known by his neighbours, is still there, ministering to the residents of what remains one of poorest neighbourhoods in what is now a modern metropolis. “Nobody wanted me around,” he said in a recent interview. “I was drunk; I was always angry about something, an angry young man. I didn’t fit in.” But in Klong Toey, Father Joe, now 82, found his place in the world, an outcast among outcasts. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2415085/father-joe-still-on-a-mission

I’ve had this shop on my short list since I first posted about it and I finally checked it out today. Pleased to give it a 👍. Located directly below the Bang Pho Station on the Blue line (you were right, TMax), it’s the last stop before train crosses the river. Travel time from Silom about 35 minutes. LINE ID: 365theriver Reservations are recommended. They currently have 16 photos to choose from and that’s how I booked my session. In addition to choosing the masseur and time desired in advance, you have the option of selecting a “B2B” type of massage (minimum tip 1,000, without B2B 500). I selected one hour aroma oil (600) and the B2B. I was quite satisfied with my choices. This is a small shop but we’ll maintained and I found it very clean. Rooms on second and third floors with easily negotiable stairs. Rooms have standard massage table with shower down the hall. The service is professional and friendly and my masseur, a 27-year-old Thai, was well trained. Although he spoke no English, we had no problems communicating (when I pointed to him and then the table, he knew immediately that I wanted to trade places). I was given a bottle of water on arrival. After the massage, my guy brought in a small tray with some good warm tea, apple slices and a small wrapped chorale snack. I don’t know if this is standard practice or because it was my first visit but it left a good impression. This is the third shop (out of three) that I’ve traveled some distance to reach and none have disappointed.

From Pattaya News The government spokesperson announced that drivers in Thailand are now allowed to use their phones while driving but only with hands-free or Bluetooth devices. The new rule is the amendment to the Land Traffic Act, which went into effect after being announced in the Royal Gazette on Friday, October 7th, clarifying that car drivers are now able to use their phones to communicate wirelessly or with a Bluetooth device without having to hold their phones while driving. The rule also applies to motorcyclists who are permitted to attach their phones to the dashboard or windscreen of their motorcycles in a manner that does not obstruct their views of the traffic. However, they still need to pull over if they want to swipe on their phones for safety. According to Ms. Tipanan Sirichana, the government spokesperson, those who violate this rule will face a fine of up to 400 to 1,000 baht. The rule will be revised after five years to study the results if needed.

From Pattaya Mail More than 400 police officers and soldiers were dispatched across Pattaya in a show of force on the eve of the long holiday weekend. New Chonburi Governor Thawatchai Srithong sent the 449 officers on their way to serve and protect at Bali Hai Pier Oct. 12. Among the contingent of officers were police from Pattaya and Provincial Police Region 2, the 14th Military Circle, Banglamung District, Internal Security Operations Command, Narcotics Control Office Region 2, Marine Police and police volunteers. Officers spread out around Walking Street, checking bars and clubs for drugs, guns and minors before moving to other high-profile tourist areas.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Thai and Cambodian border police at Aranyaprathet and Pong Nam Ron, a three hour drive from Pattaya, have detailed the rules for foreigners wishing to obtain a further 45 days to extend their stay in Thailand. The new entry stamp can later be extended for a further month at Thai immigration offices for 1,900 baht. The scheme is popular with Brits, western Europeans, Americans and Australians. Borey San, a Cambodian clearance officer, said it was essential that applicants register with a Pattaya tour and minibus operator in advance of travel to the border. The company must then send a passport copy to the border post of choice to check that the applicant is eligible for the new permission. Unregistered individuals arriving at the frontier under their own steam could not be serviced the same day and would need to spend several days or a week in Cambodia on vacation pending a review of their application. The alternative was to remain in Thailand to risk overstay. A Thai immigration captain explained that most nationalities could take advantage of the visa run scheme, but there were 19 countries whose citizens could not get a new permission at any land border. The countries included China, India, several central Asian “stans” and a dozen states in Africa and the Indian Ocean. Separately, no individual could take advantage of the scheme more than twice in a 12 month period to prevent foreigners living permanently in Thailand by regular border trips. He said prior submission of passport copies was necessary to avoid international visitors wasting their time by turning up unannounced. Jessataporn Bunnag, owner of Thai Visa Center located next to Jomtien immigration bureau, said the new scheme was introduced last month after the Thai government confirmed its willingness for foreigners to stay longer without the hassle of applying for prior visas from Thai embassies in their home countries before travel. “The important thing is to show us your passport well in advance so that you can be sure you are eligible for the extra time by this particular route,” he said. Thai Visa Center offers the service, including all costs and even lunch, for 5,500 baht. Other companies may look cheaper, but there can be hidden extra costs such as the price of the Cambodian entry visa (US$30 or around 1,200 baht) or the minibus fare. Cambodian visa runs, which can also be done from Bangkok, disappeared during the Covid pandemic as land crossings remained closed long after airports reopened.

The hatred you spew here remains an indelible legacy. You can attempt to misdirect the narrative away from Putin’s crimes but you will always fail as you have so consistently in the past.

Those words won’t go away, Tasso.

And we’ll know what side you’ll be on.

But you’re all in with Putin’s genocide. Fascinating rationalization.

And this is what compels you to retain U.S. citizenship?

And here what Twilight’s back door looks like today. It’s a “co-culture space” for a “new tribe of urban living.”

Reports of Khaolaguy and Robbi25 confirm what I head from a non-member about this shop. Customer service does not not appear to be a priority. Prior discussion before committing seems like prudent course. I think shops that don’t limit themselves to guys just from one country offer diversity and choices that give them an edge.

From the Thaiger Philippine Airlines (PAL) today announced it will reintroduce direct flights between Cebu City and Thailand’s capital city Bangkok in December. The Philippine flag carrier made public it is to introduce a twice-weekly service, operating on Monday and Friday, which will depart from Cebu in the morning of December 9 and depart from Bangkok in the early afternoon. PAL previously operated a route from Cebu and the Thai capital city from December 2017 to March 2020.

From Thai PBS World From Thai PBS World Their Majesties the King and Queen Thursday presided over a royal ceremony to unveil the statue of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the new Chalerm Phrakiat Park in Bangkok’s Dusit district. Thousands of people dressed in yellow along with senior government officials also joined in the ceremony. The Chalerm Phrakiat Park, located on 279 rai of land, is designed as Bangkok’s “new lung” with thousands of new trees to be planted there. It will also serve as a reminder of contributions by the late King and Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother to the Thai society.

From the BBC (21 JUNE, 2011) Barbarossa Hitler Stalin: War warnings Stalin ignored By Patrick Jackson BBC News Russia and other parts of the former USSR commemorate one of the darkest days of their history on Wednesday, the 70th anniversary of Hitler's invasion. It has long been known that Stalin received warnings of an impending attack, prompting one of the great questions of military history: why were Soviet forces, despite their impressive numbers, so ill-prepared to withstand the Nazi blitzkrieg? Some accounts of the war have sought to play down the amount of intelligence the Kremlin had to go on, but this week a wealth of damning detail has emerged in the Russian media. In an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, Russian military historian Arsen Martirosyan revealed that Soviet intelligence had named the exact, or almost exact, date of the invasion 47 times in the 10 days before Germany struck. Moscow knew of Nazi invasion plans from 1935, the historian argues, and was aware as early as 1936 of an attack plan called the Eastern Campaign. It seems that Hitler himself all but let the cat out of the bag in May 1941, when he sent a letter to Stalin, who at the time was still a nominally friendly leader under the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13862135

Thailand to become a more popular destination for Russians fleeing Putin’s draft From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon After a seven months hiatus, Aeroflot flights from Moscow to both Phuket and Bangkok are scheduled to begin at the end of the month. This was confirmed by Vladimir Sosnov, the Russian consul general in Phuket, and by CNN correspondents who say that tickets are indeed on sale in the Russian capital. There have been no direct flights since March 2022, largely because aero spare parts have been hard to obtain since the imposition of western sanctions. To date, about 90,000 Russians, mostly bona fide tourists or expats, have entered Thailand since the Ukraine war began last February. This largely reflects travel difficulties as air passengers must generally go first to countries – Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are examples – which offer visa-free entry to Russians and onward flights to Bangkok. In 2019, prior to the Covid pandemic almost one million Russians entered Thailand in a similar seven months period. Draft escapee Vadim is a 26 year old Russian, currently residing in Pattaya, who says he fled Moscow via Turkey to avoid the compulsory call-up to the Russian military. He says that he expects more men, hoping to escape the draft, to arrive in Thailand once flights resume. “They are likely to be questioned by the police in Russia prior to departure and they won’t carry too much luggage to avoid suspicion.” But he expected many to get through. “Actually, Putin prefers people opposed to him to be out of the country.” His colleague Alexei, 28, said Thailand had its merits and disadvantages as a bolt hole for draft deniers. “Russians don’t need a visa to come here for 30 days and extensions are easy to obtain. On the other hand, the work permit rules here are very strict.” He said he had been a waiter in both Kazakhistan and Turkey, but that was impossible in Thailand. Alexei complained that he had met some official hostility even in Pattaya. “Bank accounts are very hard to open here and I was told by an official to forget the idea unless I could produce a 12 months’ rental contract. That kind of discrimination doesn’t seem to apply to other nationalities.” Russian journalist Ekaterina Kogutov said the biggest problem for most escapees was how to support themselves abroad. “Some countries have given them refugee status, but others have banned them or made clear there is no state support.” Thai authorities do not provide financial help. Ekaterina explained that many men who had fled here worked remotely as digital nomads beneath the radar. Others were self-sufficient for now or received financial support from their families in Russia. Of course, most Russian draft escapees have transferred by land to those neighboring countries willing to admit them. Those fleeing abroad by air are likely to be the more affluent or well-connected and hundreds are known to have flown out by private jets. But now that Thailand is becoming more accessible by air, and with a history of welcoming one and a half million Russians in 2019, the arrival of more draft escapees is inevitable. A policy statement from the Thai government is clearly overdue.

Stalin was informed of Hitler’s designs on Russia and he chose to disbelieve it. Appease a bully today and be prepared to suffer consequences tomorrow. That’s a lesson that goes back millennia.

The good news is that the sofas are now vinyl. Other than that your recollections are spot on. They had a few guys sitting outside that same night so I believe you’ll be in luck.

That was Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement with another animal in 1938.

As Tom Cruise observed in the original Top Gun, it’s a target rich environment. If you want to survey the most masseurs in the least amount of time, there’s no place in town that makes it easier than Silom Soi 6 and environs. Begin your search at the new, all-Thai 9teen shop on Silom near the mouth of Soi 6 and then turn left on to 6 and you’ll find a total of six shops before you come to the dogleg turn. Continue in the direction of Surawong and you come to Sun Massage, the daytime home of Tawan Bar. All eight of the above shops have male only masseurs and on any given day you can find upwards of 70 available guys. Still not enough? Continue to Surawong road and turn right where you begin to pass by the mixed shops.