reader

While on the subject of mileage, a little bit of Greta goes a long way.

It's reported today that American Airlines has agreed to buy 20 supersonic airliners, making it the second US carrier to book orders after United earlier signed on for 15 of the "Overture" jets from manufacturer Boom. According to CNBC, the plane will fly as fast as Mach 1.7, or 1,304 mph, dramatically cutting trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific flight times. For example, a flight from Seattle to Tokyo, which typically takes just over 10 hours, could be completed in six hours. Boom says its supersonic planes will carry 65 to 80 passenger while flying on sustainable aviation fuel offering lower emissions. Boom will build the jet at a new manufacturing plant in North Carolina and expects to roll out the first model in 2025, with the first flight in 2026. If the flight tests and certification process goes as scheduled, Boom says the Overture will enter commercial service by the end of the decade, the website reported. Continues with video at https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/16/american-airlines-agrees-to-buy-20-supersonic-planes-from-boom.html

I think you must have ended up with the same guy I did at Olivia's in July. Only real dud of the trip.

The Pinnacle Lumpinee Hotel remains listed by Agoda. I seem to recall reading that Jimmy (who many visitors may have booked trough) is no longer in residence.

From Thai News Agency Arrest Warrant Issued for Real Owner of Mountain B Pub CHON BURI, Aug 16 (TNA) – The Pattaya Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Somyot Panprasong, 55, who is the alleged real owner of the Mountain B pub that caught fire in Sattahip district of Chon Buri early this month. Mr Somyot was charged with recklessness causing death and unauthorized pub operation as police found out that he was the real owner of the burnt pub but had his son act as the official owner. Meanwhile, lawyer Ronnarong Kaewphet on Monday brought relatives of 13 victims of the Aug 5 Mountain B pub fire to the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok to ask it to take over the case from the Phlu Ta Luang police station in Sattahip district. Local police and administrative officials had a conflict of interest in the pub operation and there were many influential figures in Sattahip, the lawyer said. He also said that he had evidence to prove that Pongsiri Panprasong, the son of Mr Somyot, was not the real owner of the pub and other shareholders of the pub should face legal action related to the tragic fire. (TNA)

And you got the throat infection from the poppers?

From VN Express Foreign tourists have hailed as "positive step" Vietnam's tourism minister proposing visa exemption be expanded for major markets like Europe and the U.S. Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, had proposed earlier this week that Vietnam expands visa exemption for tourists from Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Europe, and the U.S. to boost tourism recovery after more than two years of pandemic restrictions. It would help increase Vietnam's tourism competitiveness among Southeast Asian nations that already exempt American passport holders from having to get a visa for stays of under 30 days. Ken Rafter from Australia said it would be "fantastic news" if Australians are exempted from obtaining a visa prior to visiting Vietnam. India is currently seen as a country with potential to boost post-pandemic tourism recovery in Vietnam. Vietnamese authorities are now issuing up to 6,000 visas a day to Indians, a 24-fold increase from pre-Covid times, said Pham Sanh Chau, the country's ambassador in New Delhi. Vietnam has welcomed 954,000 foreign arrivals in the first seven months this year, up nine times year-on-year. The country hopes to welcome five million foreign tourists this year, around 30 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

For the uninitiated, the definition of Karen from the Slang Dictionary website: Karen is a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people’s behaviors. As featured in memes, Karen is generally stereotyped as having a blonde bob haircut, asking to speak to retail and restaurant managers to voice complaints or make demands, and being an anti-vaxx , Generation X soccer mom. In 2020, Karen spread as a label used to call out white women who were captured in viral videos engaging in what are widely seen as racist acts.

From Bloomberg News Thailand’s baht rebounded so rapidly in the past few weeks on optimism about the country’s tourism-led growth that it’s already hit year-end analyst targets. The currency jumped 2.3% to about 35.45 per dollar this month, leading gains in Asia by a wide margin. In addition to rising forecasts for tourists arrivals, the advance is also being driven by a narrowing current-account deficit due to falling oil prices. The surge means the baht has already touched the 35.2 level forecast for the fourth quarter by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The rapid gains also feed into the debate over whether the dollar has peaked, as analysts start to weigh in on the right time to return to emerging markets, which had seen capital outflows as the US embarked on aggressive rate hikes. “We expect more upside for the Thai baht though we are cautious about jumping in at current levels given the sharp rally over past weeks,” said Mitul Kotecha, head of emerging market strategy at TD Securities in Singapore. The currency’s rebound was driven by a combination of dollar weakness, the Thai central bank’s policy shift, signs of a recovery in tourism and firmer economic data, he said. Moves in the baht on Monday highlighted how it’s still vulnerable to global economic uncertainties. The currency declined 0.5% during the day, the biggest drop in more than three weeks after China cut key interest rates and after a report showed economic growth was weaker than economists had estimated.

I wouldn't be too inclined to worry about the "Karens" of the world. Judging by recent posts, us old timers have too many other pressing issues that concern us. (BTW, I had no idea what the term referred to and had to look it up.)

From Thai News Service 5th Monkeypox Case BANGKOK, Aug 15 (TNA) – Thailand has its fifth monkeypox case who is a Thai woman returning from Dubai, according to the Department of Disease Control. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the department, said the Thai woman aged 25 years arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport on Aug 14. She was sick and detected by disease control officials at the airport. The woman was cooperative with the officials. Dr Opas said that she had blisters on her body and tested positive for monkeypox. She was sent to hospital for treatment. No one was in close contact with her except two foreign passengers who sat next to her on the plane. Officials were following the foreigners in accordance with their surveillance measures, the director-general said. Monkeypox was not easily transmitted through shared meals or breathing. Infection needed very close contact which was not limited to intercourse, he said. There were more than 30,000 monkeypox cases worldwide and only about six of them died of the disease, Dr Opas said. (TNA)

The sad truth is that we will continue to bemoan the system that made a catastrophe like this possible but it's only a matter of time before it happens again. Corruption grants justice only to the privileged. It's the crime that never stops giving. This victim suffered one of the most excruciating deaths possible yet the persons responsible are unlikely to suffer any consequences. From Pattaya News 19th victim succumbs A 23-year-old woman who was the girlfriend of the deceased singer in the Mountain B club fire died today, August 15th. Athitaya, who was also the girlfriend of the singer who previously passed away in the fire is the 19th fatality of the Mountain B club fire in Chonburi’s Sattahip district. Her mother who asked TPN media not to reveal her full name told her story on Facebook, “I was allowed to see my daughter on Mother’s Day, August 12th. She was wrapped in bandages with only her nose and mouth exposed for a breathing tube and was barely responsive. The doctor told me her body was burnt almost 100 percent, but she could still hang on due to her age.” On August 13th, her mother carried on, “I was lost for words when my daughter’s child asked me about her. Her symptoms only got worse. She had blood poisoning. I knew she wanted to communicate because I saw her cry. I thanked everyone for the blood donations needed.” On August 14th, her mother wrote on Facebook, “The doctor said my daughter was incredibly strong to hang on this long despite her excruciating injuries. But they told me she might not be able to pass this night. Her heart could stop beating anytime.” Finally, on August 15th, the mother confirmed on Facebook that her daughter Athitaya has passed away at the age of 23.

Although you don't hear a lot about it, Thailand has had an aircraft carrier in service since 1997. In addition to its role as a combatant vessel, the HTMS Chakri Naruebet is well suited to disaster relief and humanitarian missions, with the ability to serve as a forward base for helicopters and small boats and to receive casualties while transporting food and supplies. It saw duty in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and flooding incidents in Thailand. This article tells the story of the Navy's flagship as well as providing a brief history of naval aviation in the Kingdom. From The Warzone https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/the-harriers-are-gone-but-thailands-unlikely-aircraft-carrier-sails-on

I think you'd first have to have loved someone in order to answer that question.

I was surprised--and pleased!--to learn that DB's has abandoned its practice of featuring only Thai boys. Kudos on a great update. 👍

From The Thaiger To celebrate two royal birthdays, His Royal Majesty King Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Mother Sirikit, over 100,000 people in Thai prison have received some level of clemency. HM the King celebrated his 70th birthday this year on July 28 and yesterday the Queen Mother celebrated her 90th birthday. In total 103,613 incarcerated people received a royal pardon, according to the Corrections Department. Of those to receive royal pardons, 80,791 inmates were granted a reduced sentence in their prison terms, while 22,822 were given an early release and were placed on parole. The amnesty was extended to over 100,000 prisoners, but many noted that several high-profile inmates were passed over for royal clemency. Perhaps the most sensational, Pol. Col. Thitisan Uttanaphon, well-known as Joe Ferrari, was not granted any reduction or parole. He was sentenced to life in prison after horrific video footage was leaked showing him and six other police officers restraining a drug suspect with six plastic bags over his head in custody, who was tortured and suffocated to death. Former Minister of Commerce Boonsong Teriyapirom was also passed over for any reduction or release. He was sentenced to 48 years in prison on corruption charges related to rice contracts between governments. And former Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong, who is currently serving two years in prison due to a vote-buying scandal in a local election in 2014, was also denied a royal pardon. According to the director-general of the Corrections Department, the three notorious inmates were not eligible for royal pardons. To receive a pardon, prisoners must serve at least one-third of their prison sentence or at least eight years before receiving royal amnesty. There is not even an exception granted for elderly inmates over 70.

From The Thaiger

From Thai PBS World 17-year-old becomes 18th victim to die An 18th person has died in the tragic Chon Buri pub fire, this time a young girl of 17 called Mind, who had been on life support in the hospital since the night of the fire. “Mind” was the third minor to die in the fire, after a 17 year old and an 18 year old (a friend of Mind’s) were found dead inside the club after the fire. The legal age to be in a bar or club in Thailand is 20 and the owners say they don’t know how underage people were able to get inside the pub. A week after a deadly fire ripped through the Mountain B Pub in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri, 27 patrons that night are still in the hospital. Of those, 10 are in serious condition and require ventilators. There were originally 41 reported injuries, though it was later revised to 38 in the hospital immediately after the fire. 13 people died inside the club, while over the next few hours and days five more people have now died in the hospital.

"you's guys" was the patois of the North End and Eastie. You really didn't want to be caught speaking the King's English in either place. 😄

Connery43, I see that you joined the board on New Year's eve ,1969. And you've only posted 31 times in the following 53 years! You're a man of few words for someone who purports to "be a big fan of this site." 🤣

If there is a flip side to the anxiety and pain--and for some, wasted years of suppression--there remains the fact that many of us would have never made our way to Thailand as a way of escaping the psychic straitjacket that ruled our lives for far too long. Irregardless of where we're from, that's the commonality that many of us here share. Younger men who grew up in a different era may have difficulty in appreciating what harm bigots can do, even when those bigots are close family members. It's only when someone unexpectedly open up about it (and that seems to occur when the topic is about something else altogether) that we acknowledge that we're more alike than we are different. So if the forum can serve as a vehicle of catharsis, so much the better.

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon Starting in September 2022, anybody rich enough can have a Thai digital work permit automatically awarded by the Department of Employment. Under the 10-year Long Term Residence Visa (LTRV), high-potential foreigners including top-flight executives, serious investors, hi-tech innovators, ageing retirees and even the idle-rich are welcome. They are targets of the government’s program to entice affluent aliens to boost the post-covid economy. The definition of affluent varies according to the application category. Basically, if you think one million baht is a fortune, forget the idea. LTRV is managed by the cash-conscious Board of Investment and not by embassies or the immigration bureau. Further employment attractions of the LTRV are that holders can work legally without the former requirement of a ratio of one foreign permit for four Thais in the company. High-flyers will benefit from a flat-rate income tax of 17% instead of the 35% charged on income greater than US$140,000, although they will still need to fill in an annual tax form. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, spokesman for the Board of Investment, explained that he expected most applicants to be people working in hi-tech industries such as electric vehicles, biotechnology and electronics. Some already have the four-year Smart visa, which doesn’t require a separate work permit and is clearly in direct competition with LTRV. In recent years, the once-draconian Thai work permit rules – which once even cast doubt on whether painting your neighbor’s fence as a favour might be legal as it removed a Thai’s right of employment – have become far softer. Two royal decrees of 2017 actually abolished large chunks of the Alien Workers Act of 2008 and, for the first time, legalized (without the need for a permit) attending conferences or business meetings. Not to mention “emergency” working under 15 days and participating in sports or cultural events. As is typical in Thai legislation, there is scope for argument. Whether company directors or voluntary workers can rest easy is debatable. Suffice it to say that there haven’t been reports of any prosecutions of those groups lately. Instead, immigration police and Labour Department investigators have concentrated on specific groups of offenders. Permit-less foreign teachers remain vulnerable in certain schools which promise a work permit but never seem to get round to it. The owners are anxious to reduce their tax liability on salaries, but jealous rival schools sometimes make a complaint. Also at risk are foreigners seemingly taking jobs from Thais. Recently in Phuket, locals complained bitterly that the island’s entertainment and hospitality industries had been virtually taken over by aliens on tourist visas or even with overstay status. Press reports did not indicate the nationalities of the offenders who may have been unregistered Asians. Another ambiguous group are digital nomads for whom there is no specific visa in Thailand. Most survive on tourist visas and are left untouched by the authorities as long as they are not publicly reducing the earning potential of Thai nationals. The Board of Investment is keen on attracting remote workers and its website trumpets a survey designating Bangkok as the world’s second-best location. But whether most nomads will be interested in the LTRV with its attendant bureaucracy and need to prove a high income is far from clear. So it is still broadly true that working in Thailand requires a non-immigrant business visa and a work permit. But it’s by no means entirely true.

From Bangkok Post People are being warned to remain vigilant against websites imitating the homepages of government agencies with the intent to steal sensitive data and carry out financial scams. Cybercriminals are hosting fake government websites to intercept people’s data or even hack into their mobile devices, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said on Friday. Thai government website URLs only end in “.go.th” and not “.com”, she said. Continues at https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2367413/public-warned-against-fake-government-websites